(ThyBlackMan.com) For decades, electronic music has held this reputation as the music of future. Regardless of the decade, electronic music’s sound paints pictures of either a stark future, a bright one, or just take you back to the days of 80s excess. Of the many subgenres in electronic music, the one that really captured my attention has been synthwave.
What Is Synthwave
Sometimes just called “synth” or “retrowave”, synthwave basically revives the sound of electronic and dance music from the late 70s and 80s. While it might overlap with other subgenres, synthwave is pretty young having its origins in the late 2000s.
Inspirations listeners will pick up immediately include video games, films, disco, and electro from the period. For the most part, the music is instrumental although there are some acts that feature a regular vocalist. Let’s check out five synthwave DJs and acts to get you started.
Kavinsky
This was the DJ that got me into synth. Originally coming from a film/theatre background as an actor, he made his debut with the Teddy Boy EP in 2006. His pulsing, aggressive brand of synthwave has been featured in Grand Theft Auto IV and in the 2011 film Drive.
The DJ uses the persona of Kavinsky, an undead high school senior who crashed his Ferrari Testarossa in 1986. His whole story is that he is stuck in a certain time because of his death while his high school sweetheart has moved on.
In the music video for “Odd Look”, Kavinsky is shown to have superhuman strength while in “ProtoVision”, his Testarossa can turn invisible. So far, Kavinsky has only released the 2013 full length OutRun, another name for synth.
Honestly, of the acts and albums on the list, Kavinsky is the best introduction to synthwave for newcomers.
Standout Albums: OutRun (2013)
Standout Tracks: Blizzard, ProtoVision*, Odd Look (ft. The Weeknd)**, Rampage**, First Blood*
The Midnight
If there was a Mount Rushmore of Synthwave, you have to add The Midnight up there. The main thing I love about The Midnight is the duo’s consistency. They have a catalogue of tunes to check out and there’s a progression in how epic and nostalgic the songs become.
While The Midnight has its aggressive tunes, most of it is very chill and vibe-y. It’s not bubbly, bright, super neon synth but it’s more like “neon at night and fast cars are awesome” synth—which I love.
Standout Albums: Endless Summer (2016), Days of Thunder EP (2014)
Standout Tracks: Days of Thunder**, Lonely City, Endless Summer, Crystalline**
Lazerhawk
There are four spots on the Mount Rushmore of Synthwave and Lazerhawk is one of those acts that have a ridiculously strong claim to a spot! I remember running into Lazerhawk via Adult Swim years ago. It’s basically the OG of synth.
Their music has a more aggressive edge to it and that becomes more pronounced by the Skull and Shark album from 2013. I’d say Lazerhawk is the flipside of The Midnight with the aggressive/cinematic approach to nostalgia.
I strongly recommend their debut album Redline and Skull and Shark if you truly want to experience their sound.
Standout Albums: Redline (2010), Skull and Shark (2012)
Standout Tracks: Redline*, Overdrive**, Lawless**, Dangerous After Dark
Judge Bitch
This is an act that occasionally gets some love—or rather Judge Bitch has to be mentioned before anyone mentions how great they are. I discovered this act via our final entry on the list.
Keeping with the harder hitting, aggressive end of synthwave, Judge Bitch really brings the heat every album. If you dig pulsing music that will get you pumped for whatever, I recommend their releases Viper and Horse Blood.
The only other way to describe their music is that if you remember the martial arts movies from the 1980s with Chuck Norris or Jean Claude Van Damme—their music is similar to those soundtracks.
Standout Albums: Viper (2013), Horse Blood (2018)
Standout Tracks: Pacer, Striker (ft. Perturbator)**, Anaconda*, Back Drop Driver**, Horse Blood (ft. Perturbator)**
Perturbator
Mixing some of the darkness of heavy metal with synthwave, Perturbator delivers a brand of synth that sits somewhere between Lazerhawk and The Midnight. Whereas Lazerhawk can reach the punishing, fast tempos of Judge Bitch, they do deliver some steady-paced tunes that build up to a climax or break.
Perturbator balances the two. Sometimes he can ride right through a song and through a break and other times you’ll get these broody, atmospheric tunes. As always, that level of balance on an album is great and being consistent makes it even better.
When you listen to Perturbator, you know exactly what you’re about to get: a particularly dark, almost smothering dose of synth. It’s a contrast from The Midnight as Perturbator doesn’t come off as bright and it’s a different kind of nostalgia from the same period.
Actually, I’d say that acts like Perburtator, Judge Bitch, and Lazerhawk are the embodiment of the dangerous menace that 80s muscle cars gave off at the time. It’s similar to how some modern hip-hop is said to personify “black Air Force 1 activity”.
Standout Albums: The 80s Slasher Split (w/ Protector 101) (2012), I Am the Night (2012)
Standout Tracks: I Am the Night**, Raining Steel, Noises in the Basement (Vortex), The Intruder
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.