What Synthwave sounds like
Gated reverb drums, pulsing synth bass and bright analogue leads that sound lifted from an 80s movie soundtrack. Mostly instrumental, sometimes with a detached vocal. Nostalgic chords, big snare hits and a night drive mood rather than a peak time rush.
What you would see
Neon grids, chrome type, purple sunsets and a red sports car on every sleeve. Film inspired visuals, gamers and cinephiles, darkwave style clubs with lasers and fog.
Where and when
Synthwave took shape around 2006 in France. Tracks usually run at 80 to 118 BPM. You will also see it called retrowave, outrun.
Family tree
It grew out of Italo Disco, French House and Electro.
Artists to start with
Kavinsky, College and Perturbator.
One track to hear
Kavinsky, Nightcall (2010). It is an official upload, and you can play it on this genre’s card in the Dance Music Timeline.
Where it stands in 2026
Mainstream influence since Blinding Lights, scene now niche.
Want to hear how it connects to its neighbours? Plan a mix from here with Tempo Bridge, or see where it sits among 127 genres on the timeline.
From the booth
Synthwave is a night drive rather than a peak time rush. At 80 to 118 BPM, gated reverb drums, pulsing synth bass and bright analogue leads sound lifted from a 1980s movie soundtrack. It grew from Italo Disco, French House and Electro.
It is mostly instrumental, sometimes with a detached vocal. I like to use synthwave for opening sets, themed nights or the moody stretch before a disco block. Listen for the nostalgic chords and big snare hits. A beginner’s note: remember that many tracks sit below house tempo. Follow them with Italo disco or nu-disco to lift the energy gradually.
Sources
- newretrowave.com/2021/08/18/the-origins-of-synthwave-part-1/
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthwave
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italo_disco
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