“Synthwave” Reviews

One of synthwave’s finest concludes his Blade Runner-inspired series of EPs with a tribute to Rutger Hauer.

Knight Sabers’ future funk is the perfect music for relaxing after a hard day of fighting rogue mecha on the streets of Mega Tokyo.

The album’s blurred washes of ambience conjure a sense of growing dread — but there’s beauty to be heard, as well.

Some of Makeup & Vanity Set’s most ambient and surreal work in some time.

Arguably the most difficult Perturbator release to date — but also one of the most intriguing.

The Midnight’s take on ’80s pop is packed with synthesizer goodness — and blazing guitar and sax solos galore.

Dixon and Stein have composed a rich, evocative score that brings the world of “Stranger Things” to life all on its own.

Another solid, engaging release by one of the best musicians working in electronic music today.

Haunting, dark, epic, and danceable. Recommended for fans of Makeup & Vanity Set and Daft Punk.

Wilderness represents a new benchmark for the dreamwave genre, a record that’s as soulful and sleek as it is synthetic and sinister.

Not all of the remixers remain faithful to Makeup and Vanity Set’s sonic aesthetic, and thankfully so.

Perturbator’s music can be deeper and more affecting than its “shocking” artwork and cyberpunk themes initially suggest.

Imagine a sci-fi/fantasy amalgam featuring feather-haired space knights soaring through the cosmos on metallic steeds, wielding blades of cyber-mithril and saving maidens from evil nebula dragons.

With 7.25.2148, Makeup and Vanity Set have crafted a darkly beautiful synthesizer journey.