Here they are, the best 64 albums I had the chance to enjoy during 2019.

This is a great opportunity to get to know music that you may not know, so I hope that those people who didn't know a recommended release or band here may enjoy as much as I did.
I clarify that you will not only find synthpop albums that I liked, but also other relatively close or related genres: dreampop, dreamwave, synthwave, retrowave, darkwave, post-rock, indiepop...

Spotify playlist including the best songs from my favorite albums of 2019

64.

The unclassable music of Garden Dynamics started as a solo project in 1999 by The multi instrumentist composer, Anthony Guillou and released 11th albums until today... for GD. 'Ultraviolet cat' is very similar to the works of the US synthpop artist B! Machine. If you like that project Garden Dynamics will not disappoint you. It includes 14 dreamy songs. The weak mastering makes these tracks almost unhearable on noisy environments, but it is a nice release to enjoy at (a quiet) home.

Songs that I liked the most: Ultraviolet K, Ungifted.

63.

Low Roar is a group that has evolved over the course of each release, whether it's the humble, cozy folk of the self-titled debut, the more expansive post-rock leanings of electronic infusion that occurred on 'Once in a long, long while'. 'ross.' sees them roll all these influences together, while also taking a turn towards accessible track lengths and gleaming indie-folk atmospheres (albeit with no shortage of beautiful accents and jaw-dropping aesthetics). It will make you want to sail the ocean at sunset, go stargazing from a city rooftop, or embark upon a long walk on a foggy morning. Low Roar has always maintained those very natural, earthy undercurrents in their music, and itâ??s a motif that continues in plenty on their fourth full-length endeavor. If Low Roar is a product of life's most beautiful moments, then each album they've created is a series of snapshots taken along the way. With 'ross.', prepare to have your breath taken away... again.

Songs that I liked the most: Darkest hour.

62.

Polyverso is a darkwave duo that evolved from alternative rock and electronic music. The project is formed by Ari (voice and lyrics) and Adriano Iacoangeli (composition and production). Metaphorical lyrics writing, evocative guitars and dense beats are combined based on strong new wave and post-punk inspirations.
The debut album by Polyverso grounds its sound into contemporary songs, telling stories of alienation, emotional contrasts, nightmares and distance from the mediocrity of reality. A songwriting that lets the two musicians realise an album without compromise. Ten "antagonistic" tracks that fight the conformist life and exalt diversity in life and music!

Songs that I liked the most: Antagonista (disobey).

61.

Spod's fourth album, 'Adult fantasy', is a nostalgic new-wave record that he began work on eight years ago. It comes with an accompanying “TV special” and a 46-minute closing track, which aims to set a world record for the most number of soloists (35, including Rollins, Ariel Pink and Jason Lytle from Grandaddy). Spod has always been big on concepts.
One of the record’s loveliest moments is its closing track, 'Golden gaytime': a dreamy musing about an old man visiting his wife’s grave and having a nice ice cream as a treat. Its latter 41 minutes is a series of tribute solos performed by musicians including Ariel Pink, DZ Deathrays and Henry Rollins, and comedians like John Early, Claudia O’Doherty, and Doug Lussenhop. Asking people to be involved forced Griffin to confront another fear: collaboration.

Songs that I liked the most: Golden gaytime.

60.

'Remind me tomorrow' is not unyielding. It is the peak of Van Etten’s songwriting, her most atmospheric and emotionally piercing album to date. Often when it concerns love, it’s about how tentative it feels: “Turning the wheel on my street/My heart still skips a beat,” she sings on 'Jupiter 4' (named for the synthesizer behind much of the album), a whirring dirge filled with ghostly cries and thunderclaps.
It’s her first album made with John Congleton, a producer many acts have turned to in recent years under the guise of wanting to mimic his art-pop work with St. Vincent. That is, thankfully, not the case here; nor is it that Van Etten, tired of the guitar, just threw a few synths at the wall. 'Remind me tomorrow' is as much a faithful reimagining of her muscular songwriting as last year’s Double Negative was of Low’s haunted spirituals, right down to the shared apocalyptic atmosphere. Corroded synths flicker like a helicopter rotor, cutting her characteristic grace with a sense of menace; the production and Van Etten herself often sound as though they’re asphyxiating. The aggressive sound meets its match in her cresting, torrid sense of melody.

Songs that I liked the most: No one's easy to love.

59.

Songs that I liked the most: Just reflecting, Surveil.

58.

There is a good deal of discerning variety on the album. It's not just the smart dance pop music which stands out. A couple of disturbing short tracks and a few strumming songs, which almost sound like genuine rock music recorded for airplay on radio, can be found on this enjoyably-sequenced sixteen track album, which is available on digital and CD only and no LP. Hammering nonsensical music combines with equally hammering truthful lyrics. Too straight and honest for the hypocritical media slaves of today, 'Failure is inevitable' tap dances on the untimely stupidity which blasts and exhumes from many a car, cheap airplane flight and television show. In a perfect world, Spray would top the charts. Besides, the cover art is wonderful.

Songs that I liked the most: We gotta get haircuts, Defenceless.

57.

You will love this album if you like bands like Erasure, Elegant Machinery, Intuition or The Mobile Homes. 'Life lights' is the come back from a long time of silence. It is a 17-track 80's retro sounding album, plenty of good vocals, nice synth sounds and very danceable, except for a few lovely electronic ballads.

Songs that I liked the most: Until the end is here, Seventh heaven, Games of desire.

56.

This records has come a long way: it was in 2003 when there was a young synthpop-band called Lorraine from Norway that played a support gig in Germany for the indie-band delaware. Their first album was quality songwriting, the production crisp and the recognizable voice of singer Ole Gunnar Gundersen.
Then the band moved to London, renamed to Blackroom, their studio burnt down and they were off the screen for a couple of years. Then they released the dance-track 'Forever in Flight of Souldrop' and the voice of Ole Gunnar emerged again. In the meantime he goes under the moniker Subshine with a wild mixture of synth-sounds, electric guitars and drum computers.
We wanted to show that this album has come a long way and although it is a "debut album" there is someone behind it who knows how to make good music since almost two decades.
Well said -and that sets the mark for the whole album: tracks like 'Easy' or 'Florence' have a lightweight but not light soundbed with those floating melodies.
There are many reminiscences to 80's sounds and song-structures (like in 'Your love') that provide a timeless setting for this album. Altogether covered with the unique voice of Subshine, that you instantly recognize when it sounds. There are a plenty of indie-styled hits on this record and many many more people should take notice of that.

Songs that I liked the most: Your love, Shadows, Stones.

55.

With the follow-up to last year's mini-album ‘Infections of a different kind (step 1)’, ‘Step 2’ finds the Norwegian singer wandering even further down her own path, but with a little more fire and focus.
The record re-explores the bold political edge and call for empowerment that she first aired on ‘step 1’. Opener ‘The river’ is a festival-ready electro-pop banger, and a Trojan Horse calling for people to be more open with their emotions, rather than fearing the stigma of vulnerability. ‘Animal' is an arena anthem, too –one that asks the listener to lose themselves to instinct. There’s more of a widescreen and cinematic scope to the thunderous drums and soaring vocals of ‘The seed’, as Aurora warns that “you cannot eat money – oh no” in a cry for us to focus more on love, nature and the bare necessities.
Aurora’s idiosyncrasies – which mostly set this album apart – sometimes also weigh it down. The elastic vocal abandon of “Oh-aye-oh-ah-ah” on ‘Dance On The Moon’ grows a little tiresome and ‘Soulless Creatures’ seems to only add to the ghostly mood of the album, rather than give it any more value. Still, the album shines with crisp production, a dynamic of extremes and Aurora’s unflinchingly confident performance and message.
It seems that her success is blossoming to match the ambition of her sound and vision.

Further listening: Aurora - A different kind of human (step 1)

Songs that I liked the most: The river.

54.

Released on Vince Clarke’s VeryRecords, 'Built you for thought', the debut album by new electronic duo Brook, combines the captivating vocals of Beth Brooks with a delicate, sensitive electronic palette from Howard Rider.
The ten highly personal songs on the album are delivered with an arresting power and a towering emotional resonance. Beth, a seasoned soul and blues vocalist from the UK’s Midlands possesses a technique unlike any other, capable of switching from quiet introspection to blistering urgency, sometimes within the same song. It’s an effect that can lead the listener to mistakenly think they are hearing a choir of many voices instead of just one.
Elsewhere, the muted electro pulse of the album’s title track finds Beth wondering why so many old buildings are ignored in favour of derivative modernity, while the standout ‘Prince’ places Brook on the sound system of a New York nightclub in the years before house music took over, its lyrics shining a bitter torch on the fairytale notion of waiting for one special person to arrive in your life.
The result is a suite of songs that are deliberately and delicately understated, presented in such a way as to put Beth’s many voices and her individual outlook on life, society and relationships at the very heart of each song; songs that cannot help but leave a mark on you and which will stay with you long after 'Built you for thought' has finished.

Songs that I liked the most: Rage, Diamond days, Damage.

53.

Songs that I liked the most: Reverie, Wrong side of the door, He came from the sun.

52.

French 79 dropped his second album after the release of both singles 'Hometown' and 'Hold on'. With a variety of 90's sounding synthpop tunes, this album will take you on a journey through conflicting emotions, leaving you in anticipation for your best night out whilst nostalgia takes over your own memories. The effect that this album has on you is so uniquely clever that it can only be admired.

Songs that I liked the most: Hold on, The remedy.

51.

Where many eager to incorporate club music into pop end up merging both, anglo-american couple Penelope Trappes and Stephen Hindman often switch from one to the other, making 'Autonomy' an uneasy, intense experience. With its throbbing bass, echoing piano and nocturnal imagery, 'Coercion' sounds like late-80's Depeche Mode, with the simplicity of its unsettling synth melody worthy of John Carpenter, while 'Infinity' begins like Underworld, then adopts The Prodigy’s ferocity, before Trappes’ vocal climaxes as if she’s joined Suicide. Interesting album with experimental elements.

Further listening: Autonomy Variations

Songs that I liked the most: Downturn, Coercion, We are the prey.

50.

Night Riots are a band that many people will have unintentionally listened to when their hit 2015 single 'Contagious' was pretty much everywhere, thanks to lead singer Travis Hawley’s distinctive vocals and a unique glam but heavy rock sound.
Still, their new album, 'New state of mind' is very different to their last album, Love Gloom, that was released in 2016 – and yet it’s still very clear that the band haven’t outgrown their roots.
This 2019 album is a bunch of songs with poppy choruses, catchy tunes, experimentation, 80's gloomy feel and upbeat electropop.

Songs that I liked the most: Colour morning, Leave us alone.

49.

Unarguably, Howard Jones belongs to the pantheon of ’80s-peaking, great new wave artists, alongside the likes of Nik Kershaw, Gary Numan and Adam Ant. "Transform" is just another testimony of this greatness, a documentation of Jones’s ability to adapt to the changing musical landscape without sacrificing or losing his indelible trademark.

Songs that I liked the most: Beating Mr. Neg.

48.

Swedish pop-trio Daybehavior’s history stretches back over twenty years- their first album was released in 1996- but their album releases are far from regular. This is only their fourth, and their first since 2012. Listening to it, you can easily believe that this is due to long gestation periods in which the band are aiming for synthpop perfection- because they’re very close to achieving it.
From the bright opening chords and purposeful groove of opener “Burning slowly” and onwards, this is timeless synthpop work, the kind that was born in the 1980’s, sonically perfected in the 90’s, but which now exists outside musical time. It’s rarely concerned with modern pop techniques or standards, and revels in the joy of synth chords, drum machines, and catchy verse-chorus female vocals that, being from Sweden, are inevitably excellent. There’s something in Swedish DNA that makes them better at writing choruses than anyone else, and it’s on display here.
If I were deliberately trying to find fault, I might suggest that across twelve tracks, there’s a slight shortage of variety. Tracks like “Solitude” and “A perfect day” give you standard slow ballad numbers, complete with plenty of emotive synth-strings, but it still feels quite conventional and they are the album’s weak points- as though it’s a contractual obligation that every album is obliged to have a ballad, rather than something they really wanted to do. When each track is followed by a thumping 4/4 beat and rolling bass, it’s an energising relief. There’s no real sign of the band pushing the boat out and trying something genuinely different or experimental. This is all comfort zone stuff, clearly- though for many fans I expect that’s precisely what they would want, especially so long after the last new material.
This is premium Swedish synthpop. It’s a touch weak in the ballads but it’s more than made up for by some stomping singalong tunes.

Songs that I liked the most: Burning slowly, Tears that dry, There's nothing else, Serge's kiss, Solitude.

47.

'Remember the future' is the second solo album by the audiovisual artist also known as iamamiwhoami; and it maintains Lee’s off-kilter, spare approach to pop music while adding a broader one to her themes, homing in on a murky vision of dystopia, sci-fi retrofuturism, and the hope that lies beyond whatever misfortune may lie ahead.
'Remember the future' joins rank with other contemporary electronic-pop albums with similar future-shock leitmotifs, most memorably from the Knife and Austra. Lee’s approach is more tactile, reflected in the tin robot she built for the album art, a “retro space-age symbol” expressing idealized and wide-eyed space-race ambition. As a result, this frozen-over album feels like watching an arthouse disaster movie with a bittersweet ending.

Songs that I liked the most: Open sea, Remember the future, Mysteries of love, I keep.

46.

This album covers a lot of ground with a lot of different sounds. Yet, when it’s at its best is when these elements come together in glorious synthesis. Multiple pedal shoegaze guitar slush…check. Beautifully produced shake your body 80’s fuzed synthwave dance beats…check. Place in the blender at medium speed and seamlessly swirl to that place where textural beauty meets pop sensibility.
Reagan Jones has this wonderful warm Curt Smith (Tears For Fears) quality to his vocals that captivate and ring with clarity but don’t steal from the sizzling back beat of the music. Maybe that is the other piece that reminds me of well done Shoegaze. Just when he has you in a lull sinking into the warm memorizing music, he cuts to the front and belts a laser beam note that reminds you of the power of his voice.

Further listening: Six (Luxus) [Deluxe edition with extra tracks and remixes].

Songs that I liked the most: Final fate, Pure white snow, Sundowner.

45.

The Norwegian's piercing intelligence combines with inviting synth-led production on this exceptional album. Hval's relentless intellectualism is subtly supported by the album's woozy, synth-led production. Her most heavily electronic full-length yet is rooted in the 80's and 90's, with echoes of Tangerine Dream in hypnotic-pop mode and Kate Bush hunched over her Fairlight.

Songs that I liked the most: Ashes to ashes.

44.

The beauty and the majesty of this album took me to new peaks of euphoria and kept on going! "Dream Dust" is a dreamwaver's best dream come true! Juno Dreams is one of my favorite artists out there and this amazing release only intensifies my love for synthwave and retrowave!

Songs that I liked the most: Dream dust, Echo.

43.

'Tank town' is a gorgeous and dreamy record that retains Matilda Mård’s devastatingly honest lyricism. On each of the LP’s nine songs, the Swedish artist elegantly articulates the constant struggles she encounters within and around her. Tank Town's best moments, however, occur when Many Voices Speak go widescreen, where she equally stirring emotions with cinema and words, such as on 'Necessaries'. It’s a solemn yet stunning affair in the mould of Mazzy Star, and Mård, like Hope Sandoval, reveals her soul and heart.
The album, though, reaches its zenith early on with 'I saw you', which is one of the most devastatingly beautiful songs of not just this year, but any year. It commences with a lush and intimate approach before it gradually accelerates and intensifies. As the chiming guitar enters the fold and the rhythms become more urgent, the track reaches exhilarating and breathtaking levels. Mård’s vocals are at their most stunning, but her tale is heartbreaking. She recounts how one person has opted to travel a path with another, leaving his long-time partner in the distance. For the other, however, she cannot shake his imagine and touch from her mind. He is forever ingrained in her memory. Just like how 'Tank town' will long be remembered as Matilda Mård’s biggest triumphant to date. An album that permanently puts her on the Swedish map – on the world map.

Songs that I liked the most: I saw you, Tank town.

42.

Another masterpiece from Neuropa, they consistently come up with fantastic modern synthpop songs yet at the same time add these wonderful analog synth sounds and hooks that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, 'Close to ,midnight' is a great album and must for all synthpop fans.

Songs that I liked the most: Elements, Pt. 11

41.

Pascal Carton and Amy Williams collaborate to create a unique brand of goth-pop to an 80's-inspired backdrop. They initially met in the creative corridors of the Northern Quarter area of Manchester where an intro music session immediately spawned results, a dirty cocktail. The resulting sound is one steeped in retro-goth vibrations.
'We're 90's kids really but our love of 80's sound and design punches it's way into our debut EP 'Preface.' There's a playfulness on show here... abrupt mood changes, dance floor outros, stirring melodies and a strange sense of vulnerability.'
Mördelin have set the bar high from the get-go by turning to legendary synthpop producer Olaf Wollschläger known for his pioneering work with Mesh, And One and Beborn Beton and his understanding of the 80's aesthetic. This EP is a blend of those three acts.

Songs that I liked the most: Black and red.

40.

Futurecop! taps into a nostalgic quality in the way traditionally always has: a cascade of colorful synths and emotional melodies, drenched in reverb and crescendo, evoking an earlier, likely more innocent era. Only this time the profound uplift makes you less nostalgic for, say, a few moments in the ’80s than for a time when synthwave was less derivative of itself and altogether more earnest.
The album works in shifts of intergalactic uplift and tranquility. In this way it’s a bit like water, allowing you to float in a warm and relaxing state of calm before building up to a crushing tsunami of transformation that shakes you up comprehensively.

Songs that I liked the most: Breeze (behind waterfalls), Intro.

39.

'Carte blanche' is an enjoyable album since the first track all the way to the last one. Even those songs which are sung in polish (language that I'm not used to at all) are ver catchy. The genre of this album is clearly indie pop, full of synth sounds and lovely pads, but there are tracks more funk or disco or house oriented. Anyway it is absolutely recommended!

Songs that I liked the most: Secret life, Kurs przełamywania fal...

38.

Less of an 80's synth film score-esque feel, more 90's techno with this EP. Little mind movies, truncated down into somewhat sassy techno-ish numbers. Less action sequences, more dance routines. Car chase scenes under strobe lights. Scintillating.

Songs that I liked the most: Streets of love.

37.

'Touch' immediately transports you to an alternate post-modern future. This album is mostly retrowave based, and its songs are an 80’s cult, airy rhythmic, but also upbeat, synthpop mood.
It is a typical summer nostalgic album. Very enjoyable!
This album is a complete re-emergence of their sound. Colton Holliday spent over 3 years writing and producing every instrument and song himself, with a heavy-handed push in the genre of Synth Pop, Indie Pop and 80’s aesthetic. The entire album delivers atmospheric and emotional sweeps, wrapped around grooving drums that kick you in the chest. Born in 1981, Holliday pulled everything from his youth in the 80’s and compiled it into an album that will truly bring some people back to the golden age of pop.

Songs that I liked the most: Feather, Touch, Kill the lights.

36.

The debut self titled album from the Dallas based duo Secrecies is a synthetic field of dreams, bursting with melody and glassy beats. Secrecies have come from seemingly nowhere with a sound that’s fully realised and radio ready.
Shawn Magill’s vocals are honey smooth and accentuated by the clipped clarity of the bass lines. ‘Anything at all’ has the soft longing of a more summery Beach House, while the stacked layering and often laser like timbre of the snappy percussion evokes Ladytron.
They tread a fine line between upbeat electropop and chill house music. You’re not sure whether to take out your shades and tap your feet or sullenly nod your head. The hushed restrained mood of ‘Everywhere to me’ is more apt for a solo walk through a bustling city than a club scene. ‘Falling for you’ is an almost haunting expression of love, as Noga’s gothic guitar line steadies a sharp piercing synth while they repeatedly drone, “I can’t make a secret of it.” It’s a surprising expression of the duo’s versatility that is easy to write off with the vibrant one shot energy many synthpop bands have.
Secrecies are like a mood ring that got stuck merging colours; it looks nice, but eventually you get bored that it doesn’t change more. Their sound is easy, almost shiny, but it’s surficial. They’ve got some hooks and Magill’s piano provides some great harmonies on tracks like ‘Feel safe’, but after eleven four-odd-minute tracks it doesn’t sound quite as exciting as it did at the start.
Heavy synth driven beats will take Secrecies a long way and they show they’ve got plenty of those, but their more interesting moments hint at the promise of their future, which is what I’m more looking forward to.

Songs that I liked the most: Anything at all.

35.

A brand new album by Null Device? It is hard to be disappointed, and 'Line of sight' is not an exception. Based on classic, pure synthpop, Null Device prints its fingertip on this album: interesting electronic basslines blended with acoustic drums, finest male and female vocals over delicate instrumentation. Give a chance to this release if you like bands such as Iris, De/Vision or Camouflage.

Songs that I liked the most: The smallest thing, Run.

34.

'Goodness gracious' sees Melbourne songwriter Nick Sowersby retreating to his studio in solo mode after touring with a five-piece on the back of his debut, Wonderer. His second long-player plants a foot firmly in the chillwave camp, the lo-fi movement whose wave broke nearly a decade ago, but whose torchbearers still noodle away in garages here and there.
The record is a drone from front to back, with woozy, overlapping sounds lazily swarming together to invade your headspace, each element repeating ad infinitum until the song simply gives up. It is clearly inspired by the Chemical Brothers' song 'Another world': it has exactly the same rhythmic pattern.
Sowersby has made a very pretty album, but one without any real, discerning features beyond the familiar accoutrements of the genre. Silent Era introduces some great Brian Wilson-esque harmonising, and its clarity is refreshing, but the remainder is a weed-clouded shrug. 'Goodness gracious' feels like an extended exploratory bedroom project whose status as an actual album was merely an afterthought.
There’s not much to really engage with, no visceral thrills or intellectual pings of excitement. For stronger examples of the sound, look to early career Washed Out, who did this so much better, as did Small Black and Memory Tapes.

Songs that I liked the most: Talking distance.

33.

'Recollected memories' is a nostalgic and yet recent album by The George Kaplan Conspiracy.

It is a summer album that will probably go with anyone on the edge of the pool with a fresh wine or a lemonade. The nostalgia that emerges from songs like 'Sing for me 'or 'Feel that show' gets the dreamlike accents to resonate on others, such as 'Ninja' or 'It feels strange'. A special mention goes to 'The bomb', a small earworm hit that could pass the test of time and seasons.

Songs that I liked the most: Sing for me, The bomb.

32.

In the 1990's The Second Sight were among those first acts that followed into the mainstream acceptance of electropop. Founded in Esslingen, they however took a long break after the release of 'From the dark into the sun' (2001). The music industry fell apart but why did they decided to stop so many years ago? This is what Alex has to say 'It was hard in those days, the music industry crumbled from week to week, no one wanted to pay for music and 70% of the labels disappeared, so we decided to take care of our jobs and families. But 14 years after the split, at the end of 2015, we got back together and decided to compose and record new songs again.'
As a result, last year keyboarder Dierk and frontman Alex Vlassakakis announced the return of the band with the single 'A place called home' and album. The single track was actually sent to Hans Derer (the music manager, who was responsible for the PR of Depeche Mode from 1980 to 1990) who now manages the record label 7music. Besides 'A place called home', the duo also released 'Make it on' as a single.
The brand new album 'In the grey' it's full of the classic melancholic synthpop, nice melodies and inspiring mood. These guys sound very good after all these years!

Songs that I liked the most: A place called home, Moments like this.

31.

Yestergrey is a solo act from Stockholm, Sweden, making mechanistic and melancholic synthpop, as if it had been extracted from an abandoned 90’s hardware sampler. Definitely neither contemporary nor futuristic, and barely retro. “1991” is a collection of melancholic, sample-based synth-pop with a distinct and very melodic pop-sensibility. The key is to make classic album songs instead of hit singles, while not shying away from strong melodies and choruses.

Songs that I liked the most: Bitter salt, Life in stride.

30.

Highlights of this album include 'Galapagos', an epic, sprawling opener that’s one of the best tracks the band have ever written, and 'Two faced love', which possesses an eery sense of anticipation before exploding into a magnificent sonic crescendo. 'Young republicans', and its talk of “the world burning”, provides a smartly satirical interlude to all the bombastic soundscapes, with Buster Keaton offering a fitting tribute to the late American actor.
It’s an impressive front six from Lower Dens, but sadly 'The competition' falls a few tracks short of greatness. 'Empire sundown', and its grating electronic glitches, feels like a real misstep in an otherwise instrumentally stunning album. And labouring closer 'In your house', a dry, slow piano ballad, brings the record to an underwhelming conclusion.
With that said, it’s hard not to marvel at the body of work Lower Dens have produced across four solid, and at times spectacular, releases. 'The competition' gets a hell of a lot right, and you get the feeling for album five it might finally all together perfectly.

Songs that I liked the most: Galapagos.

29.

The album was recorded in Shanghai and the United Kingdom. The members looked for alternative ways of recording to capture the sounds and feels they wanted. For example, the use of minimal equipment allowed the band to move around into remote areas to record from buildings in Shanghai that were to be demolished, to a tunnel within the English countryside. With the mindset of fully devoting themselves to creating an album by experimenting with off the beaten path recording techniques they had to not only self-produce the music but have it mastered by someone who can help the band achieve the results they wanted.
Musically, this is a well planned dreamy journey into the unknown demonstrating the artists and their commitment to the perfect sound. Quieter Than Spiders drifts around the synthpop realm mostly, but they are very creative and find ways to showcase some chiptune and minimal influences. Throughout the album you'll find 8 tracks with roman numerals before the title. These are interludes that lure the listener into dark and melancholy places showcasing different ways of expressing that dark and moody zone Quieter Than Spiders want to take you to. Each of the 8 interludes holds it own sound well outside the synthpop realm and more into soundscape and experimental boundaries. They act just like a glass of water before the next glass of wine.

Songs that I liked the most: Night drive, The land of lost content, The signs of life.

28.

These nine new songs see the band’s gift for melody and grasp of pop’s dynamics tweaked into transcendent shapes by the late house master Philippe Zdar and xx producer Rodaidh McDonald. The first five are floor-ready bangers, while the rest lean more towards yacht pop Daft Punk or Röyksopp, and the best bits feature some sort of house pulse. House is about tension and release, the ecstatic catharsis of moments such as Hungry Child’s towering mid-track drop, but it’s also about the comforting predictability of that pulsing beat, and that’s where Hot Chip sound most at home.

Further listening: A bath full of ecstasy (Remixes)

Songs that I liked the most: Melody of love, No god.

27.

Post-80's synthpop acts are generally not too keen on reinventing the genre. And the audience won't let them. When presented with new releases with references to definitions like new romantic, one often knows what to expect: static and stale reinventions of the classics. And many related underground electronic genres tend to be for the inveterate, consecrated die hards. The output of many current acts seems to aim for staying as far away from the mainstream as possible.
Enter Unroyal; with an album actually carrying the title 'Mainstream' and we are proven the very opposite. Henrik Oja and Adam Olofsson from Umeå in Northern Sweden are far from any newcomers per se, but Unroyal is their maiden voyage in the seas of electronic music. Both members have long dreamt of forming a synthesizer based pop band and they share the same references to the (early) eighties British school with straightforward, strong melodies and and the omnipresent aura of melancholy.
Oja and Olofsson are definitely not presenting any new takes on the style or reinventing the wheel but, compared to today’s genre standards, Unroyal are way above average. 'Mainstream' is that kind of album you actually may present to your "normal" mainstream (yes, pun very much intended) friends. The quality of the songs and the production makes this album more than a narrow concern for the synth heads.
There are several other bands presenting coherent and pro-sounding mixes but still; Unroyal delivers this while still maintaining a sense of musicianship rather than sounding like skilled programmers. Behind every simple and naive synth line, there is a direct honesty reinforced by Olsson’s strong androgynous vocals. At times he is impressingly close to a certain Alison.
The duo performs at its best when keeping a more uptempo pace, like in album opener 'Something stayed'. The distinct directness of the instrumental part and the urgency of the vocals instantly throws the listener into the world of Unroyal. This world has place for a few low tempo ballads too. While these tunes also impresses me, they are dangerously close to enter European schlager territory. But, to sum things up, if you’re looking for a new and powerful synthpop album, presented with details -'Mainstream' by Unroyal is definitely it.

Songs that I liked the most: Something stayed, The great undoing.

26.

Songs that I liked the most: The promise you made, New waves, Lost in grace.

25.

The dreamy synth-electric duo from Sydney, Australia. Fusing influences from the 60's & 80's. 'More than you imagined' is Vast Hills debut album that's been years in the making. First starting off as a 4 track EP, the concept grew into a full 12 track album with a journey in mind.
Unashamedly embracing their love of the 80's, Elle and Adin temper the neon glow with elements from a range of personal aesthetic influences, be it Wes Anderson movies and Western-style clothing.
Since their debut 2015 single 'Will you love me in the rain', Vast Hill have undergone a significant period of development and refinement to be at the point now of releasing a debut, full-length album. “Production-wise we have really stepped it up just with time,” Elle says.
If you like top-notch retrowave bands (like Electric Youth, Crozet and St. Lucia) this album -and band- will not betray you at all.

Songs that I liked the most: Oblivion, Lonely street, More than you imagined.

24.

Getting this out of the way first -it takes some real gumption to give yourself a band name that is nearly impossible to search on the Internet. Perverse ambition aside, The Day, a Dutch/German duo (Laura Loeters on bass and vocals, Gregor Sonnenberg on guitar) sound more like a sunny afternoon than the title of their debut album, Midnight parade, implies. Riding classic indie-pop/shoegaze sounds and feelings hard, as heard right out of the gate on the opening 'Island', Loeters and Sonnenberg quickly set a mood of contemplation and genteel understatement, heightened by the slight distance and echo on Loeters’s singing throughout.
If there’s a neat trick that the band have, though, it’s in the way they can pull out quietly anthemic choruses and arrangements. That’s evident on the album’s longest song, 'Berlin', which comes to life with just the right amount of guitar majesty and wrings a gentle tension from a slow-building midsong break; it’s also in the suddenly uplifting bridge on “Where the wild things are' and the massive conclusion of 'Illuminate'. They also manage to sound simultaneously grounded in the past and perfectly of the present; songs like 'Grow' and 'The years' could fit in on modern-day playlists as easily as they would have rubbed up against bands like Aberdeen and The Field Mice on ’90s mixtapes.

Songs that I liked the most: Grow, Island.

23.

They say that good things take time, so there’s no questioning that is exactly what happened with All Hail The Silence. Comprised of electronic/trance gods BT and Christian Burns, we were first introduced to the sounds of AHTS back in 2012 when the band unleashed their debut single 'Looking Glass' into the world. Since then, fans have been catching on, eagerly anticipating new music.
In 2016, the band’s debut EP 'AHTS-1', sent listeners into a frenzy as we got a taste of what was to come of that highly-anticipated debut album. It may have taken a while, but that is where the magic lies. You really can't rush authenticity.
At long last, the duo are ready to give listeners what they’ve been waiting for with '‡' (Daggers) a 14-track journey of 80's soundscapes and dreamy synths set to Burns’ angelic vocals and BT’s synth magic. No computers were used during the recording process, giving fans of all ages something to marvel and reminisce about.
Cloaked in themes of romance, heartbreak, and emptiness, 'Daggers' is everything we have waited for from the band and then some.

Songs that I liked the most: Stand together.

22.

The former Chairlift singer-songwriter centers her sweeping solo debut on her powerful voice, crafting love songs about the moment of surrender, the pain preceding it, and the euphoria after.
Caroline Polachek named her album Pang after the bursts of adrenaline that jolted her out of sleep. She describes this as an internal thing, the sudden shock of emotion that “pricks you emotionally from the inside.” But it’s corporeal, too; you can’t say the word “pang”—or sing it, as Polachek does on the title track—without a quick release of breath, somewhere between a gasp and a sigh.
Pang is Polachek’s first album under her own name (she released 2014’s Arcadia as Ramona Lisa, and 2017’s Drawing the Target Around the Arrow as her initials, CEP) and perhaps not coincidentally, this album centers on her vocals. The music doesn’t depart too far from her work in Chairlift: a little Tango in the Night sophistipop, a little ambient, and a little from the charts. Her usual lyrical themes recur: living unexpected dreams, getting away with something sneaky-fun, tears in public and in oceans. There’s also that familiar tension between the anonymity of the city and the pastoral, even suburban; on “Parachute,” Polachek sings about love as a force pulling her “back to strip malls, highways, and treetops.” The scope of Pang, however, is wider.
Pang is such a coherent musical statement that when something doesn’t fit, it stands out. Polachek restructured the album somewhat late, swapping out five songs; what’s left is a sweeping, delicately latticed album with a few odd pop songs. They’re not bad pop songs. “New Normal” matches quick-cut lyrical scenes with a chameleonic arrangement: Polachek’s melody is yanked between two keys, and the instrumental goes from a conspicuously yeehaw opening of slide guitar to an almost dancehall beat to sputtering percussion and vocal clips from hip-hop. Somehow, it all works, but it belongs to an entirely different record.

Songs that I liked the most: Hey big eyes, So hot you're hurting my feelings.

21.

Songs that I liked the most: The island, The animals, Run.

20.

This project launched just over a year ago, however, you wouldn't know that from the immediate stand-out quality of their debut album, 'Electric dreams'.
Of course, the duo are not new to making music; Ukrainian Mark Gritsenko has been the lead singer for the German rock back Marakesh and Christoph Hassel is a seasoned songwriter. Taking cues from major synthpop acts like The Midnight, the Siamese Youth duo also grabbed two collaborations with Futurecop!.
That debut Electric Dreams; perfectly demonstrates the duo's infectious hooks and tailored retro dreaminess. Every track seems to glow with a sense of neon-pop nostalgia that feels dramatically seasoned for a debut release.
The production on the album is clean and crisp, and drenched in melancholic pop vocals that sound much more contemporary, creating an interesting dichotomy of dreampop or dreamwave.

Songs that I liked the most: Yesterday, 1984 (reprise).

19.

Across eleven tracks of their debut album 'First contact' Us create the sort of haunting epics that sweep and soar then drop down into raw intimacy through the most crucial scenes, building with no shortage of dramatic intent and a hint of menace and the threat that things might not turn out the way you want.

Further listening: To the end of the world (Remixes)

Songs that I liked the most: In denial, The stars that arc across the sky.

18.

“Time to Kill” is the third album of Arizona based dark synthpop duo and brothers Andrew and Alexander Jarson. This nine track album released on July 26th by Dais Records is not to be missed.
The music itself is very well executed and written and the mastering is top-notch as well. The singer reminds me of Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys and the intonation and pronunciation of his vocals are classic brit-pop sounding.

Songs that I liked the most: Time to kill, Under the dome.

17.

Sea of Sin's new album, 'Unbroken', shows the two founding members Frank (vocals and words) and Klaus (synths, guitars, production) from a side that is musically more developed than ever before. The songs have all the classic Sea of Sin ingredients: electronic pop music with a tendency to melancholy and strong, catchy melodies that remain in the listener’s head and heart. The stylistic spectrum ranges from mid-tempo tracks with influences from the classic synthpop of the nineties to energy-bursting songs that contain elements from bands like New Order or Editors. The striking voice of Frank and the sophisticated production character of Klaus always provide the special Sea of Sin touch.

Further listening: Sea of Sin - The Remixes, You (Periodic table of synthpop remix).

Songs that I liked the most: Contamination, You.

16.

‘Whispers of light‘ is an album full of floating atmospheres and soaring synths that dance around heavier and darker lyrical content. I’d describe the overall content of this album as darkly ethereal. The lyrics combine melancholy, introspection and emotion and the sonic landscape is drenched in atmospherics. There’s a light touch on the synths, but it is counterbalanced by the rumble of the bass and the propulsive force of the percussion.
This album has a strong flavour of the kind of 80's synthpop that I really enjoy. It combines light and darkness, sadness and warmth in equal measures. It holds up the torch for synthpop and pushes it forward into this new era where hope is a little more tarnished and things seem less clearly to be making progress than they did back in the 80's.

Songs that I liked the most: Like a fire, This is forever, Cross my heart.

15.

The shimmering pop of Electric Youth has always been heavily enmeshed with film. The synthpop duo first came to prominence in 2011 following the release of stylish, neo-noir film Drive, which featured their song 'A real hero' (written in collaboration with College and later released in their 2014 debut album 'Innerworld') as a recurring character theme. Their second studio album, 'Breathing (Original motion picture soundtrack from a lost film)', was initially written as a film score, although ultimately left out of the film after creative differences derailed the project. With the release of their third studio album, 'Memory edition', the duo leave their cinematic roots to produce a standalone album that, while appropriately elegant, rests on underwhelming songwriting.
'Memory emotion' is undoubtedly a stylish album, capturing the core elements of synthpop that make the genre so chic. Opening track 'The life' launches into a glossy assembly of synth strings, sparkling arpeggiated synth leads, punchy drums, and a driving sequenced bass that harks back to classic 80's synth tones outfitted in a sleek, futuristic gloss. The instrumentation throughout the album is refined and smooth, never feeling raw, and Electric Youth lean heavily on the "synth" of synthpop to produce a polished tone. Almost all sounds on the album are synthesized, including a range of drum machine samples.

Songs that I liked the most: The life.

14.

Songs that I liked the most: Old desires, Promises, Lust.

13.

The sound of 'The destroyer - 1' as we know it thus far is a solemn, yet groovy type of rave music that makes you think everyone dancing at a TR/ST show only does so begrudgingly, because they’d rather be home brooding. I do mean that in the best way possible though. It’s deeply reflective, has some genuine moments that are sure to get your foot tapping and your eyelids drooping, because something about the rhythms are so hypnotizing that it’s best appreciated in an almost meditative state.

Further listening: The destroyer 2

Songs that I liked the most: Control me, Gone, Wake with.

12.

Songs that I liked the most: Back to the beginning, We'll never die.

11.

Keepsake marks the first full-length solo release for Hatchie, the Australian singer-songwriter who last year captured attention with her debut EP, Sugar & Spice.
Hatchie has a compelling way of asserting herself through her chords, intros, and backing melodies. Wherever she can, she lifts the production up with persistent synth rhythms and ballooning (but never over-the-top) instrumentation. None of it is filler or cushion; it’s the foundational material upon which each track stands up, as it should be. One of the best examples of this is “Unwanted Guest”, which catches the listener’s attention straight away with a few sleek, direct chords and then launches into an otherworldly collection of cycling rhythm and melody that propels the mood of the second half of the album into an even more developed direction.
It’s in this regard that many of the points Hatchie earns on Keepsake, and there are a lot, come from atmosphere. Tracks like the masterful “Secret”, which starts off understated before blossoming a little over halfway through, come across like well-formed communications of moods and states of mind. Throughout the entire album, Hatchie’s airy voice is there to anchor it all, aptly hypnotic and spellbinding for the album’s ambitions.

Songs that I liked the most: Unwanted guest, Without a blush, Secret.

10.

'Shattered dreams' is more an EP than an album, or, to be honest, an EP, the instrumental versions EP and the remixes EP all together. It includes 15 tracks: five original songs, their instrumentals and a remix of each track.
Let's focus on the first five tracks, the original songs, which I find them addictive. IDEON produces absolutely top notch synthwave. So, if you like this genre don't miss this underrated, almost hidden, gem.

Songs that I liked the most: I can't forget, The eyes of my mind, The shape of pain.

9.

'Saves the world' is a synthpop course in deep California blues. The band displays a frightening level of emotional intelligence on their second album. The L.A. trio builds upon the thoughtful electropop they began sculpting on their 2017 debut, navigating weighty topics like addiction, alienation and romantic abjection with spry sing-alongs and crisp choruses that can mask the heaviness of the material at hand.
Comprising lead vocalist Katie Gavin, guitarist Josette Maskin and multi-instrumentalist Naomi McPherson, Muna establish their mastery of pop songcraft on this follow-up collection, alternating between singer-songwriter character sketches, thumping self-love pep talks and 70's A.M. melancholy.

Songs that I liked the most: Hands off, Navy blue, Number one fan.

8.

Songs that I liked the most: Time to give, Never alone, Believe it.

7.

Songs that I liked the most: Maybe you're the reason, Marika is sleeping, Follow my girl.

6.

Lust For Youth is a project that draws on a deceptively complex network of influences. Their dreamy synth textures are reminiscent of Depeche Mode, but then the beat thumps a bit harder and it starts to resemble 90's europop.
The tried-and-true formula from their last album, 2016’s 'Compassion', is mostly intact, but the structures are a bit more fleshed out with extended codas deployed to brilliant effect on various tracks.
One thing that renders the sound slightly uncanny is little compositional tricks that wouldn’t normally be heard in this type of music, such as the syncopated chords on Insignificant that feel decidedly modern.
While the aesthetic of Lust For Youth’s music may be dated on a surface level, good pop songcraft tends to become timeless once people have got used to it. And this self-titled album of theirs is full of this, tunes that work their way into the listener’s head and successfully strike a balance of being nostalgic without being derivative.

Songs that I liked the most: Great concerns, Imola, New balance point.

5.

'Modern mirror' is the third studio album of Drab Majesty; something this L.A. duo haven't accomplished before, which is an album that has no use for the skip button. It is a very good Drab Majesty album. More importantly, it is a very good album, too.

Songs that I liked the most: The other side, Long division, Oxytocin, Out of sequence.

4.

Songs that I liked the most: Dark arcades, Matrimony and dust, Muscle and matter, Summer's out of sight.

3.

'Lost girls' is fantastic. Loosely centered around a character and a gang of biker women who roam the sunset streets of an eerie, make-believe vision of L.A., it’s essentially a love letter to the 80's sci-fi and fantasy films of her youth. She wrote the songs while working on a script of her own, and the starry-eyed, big-screen synthpop of 'Kids in the dark' sounds like the soundtrack to the big romantic clinch in her own coming-of-age flick.
From this wonderful album emerge nostalgia, dark synths and subtle goth-ish pop.

Songs that I liked the most: Kids in the dark, Safe tonight, The hunger.

2.

Songs that I liked the most: Path to love, Fists of rage, Angels of sweat, Paranoia IV, Terrified.

1.

'If all the ice melted' is the debut album by Lunaires. The eight tracks of this album are electronic based (all the bass lines are synth sequences) and they sound like a mix of Cocteau Twins and Slowdive with the finest electronic arrangements. On the information about the album, they wrote: "It’s an emotional album about challenging struggles and definitive departures and how to live with them". I truly recommend this record. The vocals and the overall production is just perfect. I found it addictive: repeat mode ON!

The artwork of this album is just wonderful, but it is a revival of an old record cover from the sixties: "Undercurrent" by Bill Evans and Jim Hall.

Songs that I liked the most: Spring waiting still, Naked invisible, Unbound, The hidden world.