[1980s Nostalgia] What Is the World of Synthwave? — Recommended Popular Tracks
Have you heard of the music genre that’s already become a major movement overseas, known as “SYNTHWAVE”? Drawing influence from the retro synthesizer sounds and broader culture of the 1980s—films, dramas, and more—it creates a nostalgic yet retro-futuristic world, including its distinctive artwork.
With roots in home-recording artists releasing their work primarily online, it has gained worldwide attention as an internet-born genre, much like lo-fi hip hop.
So this time, we’re showcasing a selection of classic tracks that color the world of “Synthwave,” which is still relatively unknown in Japan! It’s perfect as background music for nighttime drives—enjoy.
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[1980s Nostalgia] What Is the World of Synthwave? — Recommended Popular Tracks (1–10)
BrokendateCom Truise
I can’t help but feel a certain deflating irony from the stage name that riffs on Tom Cruise, but the American artist Com Truise has been drawing attention in the electronic music scene with meticulous, synth-obsessed production.
He took part in Daft Punk’s remix album Tron: Legacy Reconfigured, so some of you may have first discovered him there.
His full-length album Galactic Melt, released in 2011, centers on an ’80s-style, nostalgic synth sound while embracing genres like electronica and synth-funk, resulting in a delightfully retro work where electronic sounds fly freely.
It’s even been described as “Boards of Canada time-traveling to the ’80s,” which already tells you it’s anything but ordinary.
Among the tracks introduced here, Brokendate stands out as one of the most nostalgic on this uniquely flavored album—a popular song whose poignant melody hides within playful analog-synth textures.
Tech NoirGUNSHIP
If you’re a fan of UK rock and pop from the 2000s onward, you’re probably familiar with the popular band Busted.
Gunship is a project newly started by the vocalist and bassist from Charlie Simpson’s other band, Fightstar, and it delivers a full-on 80s-retro synthwave sound.
Those who know Fightstar for their grunge- and alternative rock–influenced, distinctly 2000s post-hardcore/screamo style might be surprised, but you may actually find yourself impressed—who knew the members had this kind of musical sensibility? Released in 2015, Tech Noir is a track included on their self-titled debut album from the same year.
It’s a beloved song with over nine million views on YouTube, pairing a wealth of carefully chosen 80s references in its visuals with a melodic, nostalgic charm.
Even listeners who tend to shy away from electronic sounds will be drawn in by the outstanding melodies.
Their sonic world has earned high praise even from audiences unfamiliar with their previous band or background—so take this opportunity to dive in!
Turbo KillerCarpenter Brut
That’s an incredible—no, downright outrageous—artist name.
The person behind it is Franck Hueso, a synthwave artist from Poitiers, France, using it as his stage name.
Although an electronic musician, his sound leans heavily into metal and rock, and he even performs live with metal band musicians.
For the devoted fans: it’s surprising to learn he originally worked as a producer for Deathspell Omega, a cult-favorite French black metal band.
Carpenter Brut’s 2015 track Turbo Killer is a standout that fuses hard guitar with electronic music, and it’s racked up over 10 million views on YouTube.
It evokes the world of ’80s horror movie soundtracks while carrying the lineage of 2000s French electro—an undeniably cool vibe.
The track is also included on EP III, the third release in the EP series that started in 2012, and in 2017 all three EPs were compiled into the album TRILOGY.
[80s Nostalgia] What Is the World of Synthwave? — Recommended Popular Songs (11–20)
1982 Space ProgramWaveshaper
I feel like in the synthwave genre, it’s common for artists, unit names, and even track titles to openly flaunt their love for the ’80s, and the piece featured here—“1982 Space Program”—absolutely gives off that straight-down-the-middle vibe.
Waveshaper is the artist moniker of Swedish electronic musician Tom Andersson, who cites not only ’80s culture but also pioneering electronic musicians like Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, and Jean-Michel Jarre as influences.
He also appears in the synthwave documentary The Rise of the Synths—narrated by one of the genre’s gods, director John Carpenter himself.
Waveshaper’s “1982 Space Program” was released in 2015 and is included on the album Exploration 84, which came out the same year.
It’s classic, straight-ahead synthwave: the retro synth sounds, paired with the visuals, create a somewhat spacey atmosphere, and the texture is striking in how it feels both like dance music and like a film score.
A.H.B.S U R V I V E
A track that showcases the very soul of synthwave, with tight mid-tempo electronic drums, reverb-drenched sound design, and the resonance of retro analog synths.
Formed in 2010 in Texas, S U R V I V E is a four-piece electronic band that plays synthwave influenced by classic horror film scores.
Early on, they drew attention within the movements labeled chillwave and glo-fi, but they shot to fame in 2016 after composing the soundtrack for the Netflix sci-fi horror series Stranger Things.
Even so, they’ve continued to pursue their own sound while retaining a certain cult-like aura.
Their 2016 track A.H.B.
opens the album RR7349, released the same year.
If you love ’80s horror and sci-fi films, you’ll likely notice—just from the synth-bass alone—how their unique musicality resurrects the atmosphere of that era in a modern context.
What’s remarkable is that they don’t nostalgically replicate the sounds of the most important legends of the genre—like John Carpenter, Tangerine Dream, or Vangelis—but rather distill and elevate them into something thoroughly contemporary.
GloriaThe Midnight
How should I put it—the unit name “The Midnight” seems to embody the synthwave aesthetic itself.
Formed in 2012, they’re a duo of Tyler Lyle, based in Atlanta, and Tim McEwan, based in Los Angeles, who came together inspired by soundtracks like the one from the film Drive.
Today, they’re among the most popular acts in the synthwave scene.
Their sound not only reflects a longing for synth-pop and new wave, but also incorporates elements of AOR and city pop, resulting in tracks that not only appeal to synthwave enthusiasts but also have the potential to reach a wider audience of music fans.
The song “Gloria,” which I’m introducing here, was released in 2014 and can be considered an early masterpiece in their career.
It’s also included on the EP Days of Thunder released the same year, and its driving synths and catchy chorus create a flawless 80s nostalgia.
The music video, which uses footage from the classic film Back to the Future, fits so perfectly it almost makes you think it was actually used in one of the movie’s scenes.
Since visual imagery is crucial to the synthwave genre, be sure to check out the MV as well!
NightdriveVHS Dreams
Anyway, first check the artist name and the track.
“VHS Dreams” with a song titled ‘Nightdrive’—you can’t help but be impressed by how strongly that proclaims synthwave; if it weren’t synthwave, what would it be? VHS Dreams is the project of George Dervenagas, born in Greece and based in the UK.
In the early days it seems to have leaned toward a vaporwave style, but starting with the 2015 album Trans Am—which includes the track ‘Nightdrive’ featured in this article—it moved closer to the sound world regarded as synthwave.
A slightly cheap-sounding drum machine and looping synth bass lead the track, while the sparkling lead melodies evoke that quintessentially synthwave sense of wistfulness.
That said, it’s not blatantly catchy; its understated pop sensibility and balance are striking, creating a subtly dark atmosphere that works really well.
It feels like a song that expresses, in a contemporary form, another facet of the ’80s—one that isn’t simply bright and cheerful.