Synthwave
9 vinyl records found
Synthwave is electronic music built on 1980s synth-pop and house music foundations, featuring lush analog synths, pumping house drums, and instrumental arrangements that mirror film soundtracks. The genre emerged from the French electro house scene in the mid-2000s and has developed a strong visual identity rooted in retro sci-fi and action cinema.
About the Synthwave genre
Synthwave traces its lineage to mid-2000s France, where producers like Kavinsky began fusing house music's rhythmic drive with the synthesizer textures of 1980s electronic music. The sound draws from synthpop, progressive electronic, Italo disco, and electro-disco, creating a deliberately retro-futuristic aesthetic. Early French innovators such as College, Anoraak, and Minitel Rose helped establish the template that still defines the genre today.
The visual presentation matters as much as the music itself. Album artwork channels 1980s sci-fi and action films (Blade Runner, Tron, The Terminator), television (Miami Vice, Knight Rider), and arcade games (OutRun), creating a cohesive visual language across releases. Synthwave records read like soundtrack albums, with instrumental tracks arranged to suggest cinematic narrative and atmosphere.
The genre's infrastructure crystallized around dedicated labels, most notably France's Valerie and Canada's Rosso Corsa Records, which helped professionalize production and distribution. Film and video game soundtracks, particularly Drive and Hotline Miami, brought synthwave to wider audiences and cemented its connection to visual media. The scene continues to expand globally, with producers worldwide interpreting the formula through their own regional and stylistic contexts.
