Synthwave

History and character

Synthwave (also called retrowave or futuresynth) is an electronic microgenre inspired mainly by the soundtracks of 1970s and 1980s action, science fiction and horror films, by video games, and by the aesthetics of that decade. Many artists express an explicit nostalgia for 1980s culture (sports cars, VHS, neon, sunset grids, Miami Vice, cyberpunk). Main influences: John Carpenter, Jean-Michel Jarre, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, Giorgio Moroder, Jan Hammer, Harold Faltermeyer.

It emerged in the mid-to-late 2000s, largely through French producers close to French house such as Kavinsky (Testarossa Autodrive, 2007; Nightcall, 2010, with Lovefoxxx) and College (A Real Hero with Electric Youth); the writer Nicholas Diak credits Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (2002) with shifting the attitude toward the 1980s “from parody to homage.” The mainstream breakthrough was the soundtrack of the film Drive (2011) with Nightcall and A Real Hero. The video games Hotline Miami (2012) and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (2013, music by Power Glove) followed, along with the series Stranger Things (theme by Survive, 2016) and Thor: Ragnarok; in 2020 The Weeknd's Blinding Lights, influenced by synthwave, reached No. 1 in the United States.

Artists: Mitch Murder, Lazerhawk, Miami Nights 1984, Electric Youth, Com Truise (closer to chillwave), Perturbator and Carpenter Brut (darksynth), The Midnight, FM-84, Gunship, Timecop1983, Dance With The Dead (with rock and metal influences), Michael Oakley, Le Cassette. Subgenres: outrun (from the 1986 arcade video game Out Run), darksynth, dreamwave, scifiwave, spacewave. Synthwave is mostly instrumental, but there is a very pop vocal branch (The Midnight, FM-84 with Ollie Wride, Gunship).

Scales and keys

In modes, Roman numerals refer to the scale of the mode; in minor, to the natural minor.

Natural minor (Aeolian) — the scale of the neon night

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (T S T T S T T). In E minor: E F# G A B C D.
• Characteristic note: the b6 (C): cinematic melancholy, “sunset.”
• Diatonic chords: i Em – ii° F#dim – III G – iv Am – v Bm – VI C – VII D.
• Use: i–VI–III–VII and i–VI–VII loops, arpeggios, leads that fall onto the b6 and then the 5.
• Example: Kavinsky — Nightcall (slow minor loop); College — A Real Hero.
• Mistakes: too much harmony: synthwave loves 2–4 chords and changes timbre, not chords.

Dorian — the “bright” minor of the highways

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 (T S T T T S T). In D Dorian: D E F G A B C.
• Characteristic note: major 6th (B), major IV (G): hope inside the minor.
• Chords (scale of the mode): i Dm – ii Em – III F – IV G – v Am – vi° Bdim – VII C.
• Use: i7–IV, i–III–IV, typical of outrun and vocal synthwave.

Lydian — the “space” color

• Formula: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 (T T T S T T S). In F Lydian: F G A B C D E.
• Characteristic note: #4 (B): suspension, cosmos, Vangelis.
• Chords (scale of the mode): I F – II G – iii Am – iv° Bdim – V C – vi Dm – vii Em.
• Use: Imaj7–II/I, long pads, “spacewave” intros.

Phrygian and harmonic minor — the dark side

• Phrygian: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7, in C: C Db Eb F G Ab Bb. Darksynth basses and riffs (i–II).
• Harmonic minor: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7, in C: C D Eb F G Ab B. Major V (G) for horror tension (John Carpenter).

Major and Mixolydian — pop synthwave

• Major for vocal choruses (The Midnight), Mixolydian (1 2 3 4 5 6 b7) for upbeat riffs with the VII.

How to choose

Harmony

Function

Modal, cyclical harmony: loops of 2–4 chords, weak cadences, many held notes (pads), arpeggios that “draw” the chord in sixteenth notes. The interest comes from timbre, arrangement and the lead's melody, not from the progressions.

Techniques

• Bass pedal in eighth or sixteenth notes on the tonic while the chords change (Moroder style).
• Arpeggiator in sixteenth notes following the chords.
• Suspended and add9 chords on the pads for an “open” sound.
• Borrowed chords: bVI and bVII in major songs; major IV (Dorian) in minor songs.
• Modulation by a whole step in the last chorus in vocal synthwave (a legacy of 1980s pop).

Harmonic rhythm

1 chord every 1–2 bars (4 chords in 4 or 8 bars).

Voicing

Pads with triads and ninths in open position (C3–C5 register), synthetic brass in close triads, monophonic lead above; bass in octaves.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Straight, mechanical feel, 100% quantized, swing 0% (the precision of the 1980s drum machine is part of the aesthetic). “Big” half-time drums with gated snare on 2 and 4 in slow songs (80–100), four-on-the-floor kick in outrun songs (110–140). The sequenced bass in eighth or sixteenth notes is the real rhythmic engine; sixteenth-note arpeggios fill the grid. Many songs use pronounced sidechain (pumping) of the pads on the kick.

Drums

Role

LinnDrum/DMX/Simmons drums: simple, powerful, enormous in space, more “sound” than groove.

Kick

Steps 1, 9 and “3 and” (11) in mid-tempo songs; four on the floor in outrun. Soft LinnDrum or 808 sound with little click; in modern productions, layered with a more powerful kick.

Snare

On 2 and 4, enormous, with gated reverb (dense reverb cut by a gate after 150–300 ms) and often a layered clap. It is the signature of the genre.

Hi-hat and percussion

Closed hats in eighth notes (or sixteenths in outrun), open hat on the “4 and”; tambourine in sixteenth notes in the choruses; 808 cowbell and clap as color; crash on the 1 of every section.

Interaction with bass and vocals

The sequenced bass always plays; the drums stay essential. The vocal (if any) sits above the gated snare.

By section

Fills and transitions

Simmons tom fills of 1–2 bars with gated reverb; reverse crash; snare roll; stops with the reverb left to ring.

Choice of sounds

LinnDrum, LM-1, Oberheim DMX, TR-707/808/909, Simmons SDS-V. Tune the toms to the tonic/fifth.

Typical mistakes

Modern trap drums; gated reverb too long; hats too loud and bright; lack of dynamics between sections.

Bass

• Sound: mono synth (Minimoog, Juno, Prophet in unison, SH-101) with filtered saw or square, short envelope; often two layers (sub + saw).
• Pattern: continuous eighth notes on the tonic (driving bass), Moroder-style sixteenth notes (I Feel Love), alternating octaves, sometimes with a 1/16 delay doubling the notes.
• Relationship with the kick: sidechain 3–6 dB (pumping) or EQ (kick 50–70 Hz, bass 80–120 Hz).
• Notes: tonic and octave; exact chord changes on the 1.
• Examples: Kavinsky — Nightcall (low, slow synth bass), FM-84 — Running in the Night (eighth-note bass), Mitch Murder (sixteenth-note bass).

Harmonic instruments

• Polyphonic pads: Jupiter-8, OB-Xa, Juno-106, CS-80: detuned saws, slow attack, chorus, long reverb.
• Arpeggios: in sixteenth notes in time, often with a dotted 1/8 delay.
• Synthetic brass: stabs in the hooks (OB-Xa).
• Lead: saw or square with glide and delayed vibrato, often in place of the voice.
• FM bell and e-piano: DX7.
• Electric guitar: “hair metal” solos or clean riffs with chorus (Dance With The Dead, Gunship).
• Sax: 1980s solo (The Midnight).

Open voicings in the pads, brass in close triads.

Melody and vocals

• Instrumental lead: often the “voice” of the song: a simple, singable melody in the mid-high register, with glide and vibrato; long phrases with held notes.
• Vocals (vocal synthwave): male or female voice with wide reverb, sometimes vocoder or talk box (Nightcall uses a vocoder-treated voice for the male part).
• Backing vocals: wide doubles, harmonies in thirds in the chorus.
• Effects: long and gated plate, 1/4 or dotted 1/8 delay, chorus on the vocals, vocoder.

Instruments

Polyphonic synths (Jupiter-8, OB-Xa, Juno-106, CS-80, Prophet-5, DX7), mono synths for bass and lead (Minimoog, SH-101, MS-20), drum machines (LinnDrum, DMX, TR-707/808, Simmons), vocoder, electric guitar, sax, vocals.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Jup-8 V — Pad, brass, arpeggios: The flagship sound: detuned saw + square, 24 dB LP filter at 50–60%, internal arpeggiator at 1/16, external chorus.
• Jun-6 V — Pad and bass: Chorus I/II for wide pads and square basses with sub.
• OP-Xa V — Brass and pad: Big Oberheim brass for the hooks (Van Halen's Jump, 1980s soundtracks).
• CS-80 V — Expressive pad and lead: The Vangelis/Blade Runner sound: brass and pads with aftertouch and ribbon.
• Mini V — Bass and mono lead: Sequenced bass: saw + square, cutoff 30–40%, short envelope; lead with 50–80 ms glide.
• Prophet-5 V — Lead and poly: Warm leads and well-defined chords.
• DX7 V — E-piano, bell, FM bass: The digital color of the mid-1980s.
• Korg MS-20 V — Aggressive leads and FX: Cutting leads, sweeps and noises for transitions.
• Vocoder V — Robotic vocals: Nightcall-style vocals.

Song structure

Instrumental track (4:00–5:00)

Vocal track (3:30–4:30)

Intro (8) – verse (16) – pre (8) – chorus (16) – verse (16) – pre + chorus – solo (8–16) – final chorus (16, often modulated) – outro (8).

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Huge, nostalgic space: gated snare up front, wide pads, bright lead, sequenced bass that is defined but less “sub” than modern pop; tape saturation for warmth. References: Kavinsky — Nightcall, The Midnight — Los Angeles, FM-84 — Running in the Night, Gunship — Tech Noir, Timecop1983 — Static Hearts.

Kick

EQ: HP 30 Hz; +2/+3 dB at 60–80 Hz; −3 dB at 300 Hz; +1/+2 dB at 2–3 kHz. Compression 4:1, attack 10 ms, 2–4 dB. Tape saturation. Center.

Snare (gated)

• EQ: HP 100 Hz; +3 dB at 200 Hz; +2 dB at 4–5 kHz.
• Compression: FET 4:1, 4–6 dB.
• Gated reverb: send to a dense room/plate (decay 2 s) → gate (hold 200–300 ms, release 30 ms) → compressor; or use a gated preset (Valhalla Room “Gated,” Fruity Reeverb 2 with external gate).
• Pan: center, wide return.

Hi-hat, toms, percussion

HP 400 Hz; hat 20% to the side; wide Simmons toms with the same gated reverb; tambourine opposite.

Bass

EQ: HP 30 Hz; fundamental 50–90 Hz; −2 dB at 250 Hz; presence +2 dB at 800 Hz–1 kHz. Light compression. Tube saturation. Sidechain 3–6 dB from the kick. Mono.

Pads, arpeggios, brass, lead

• EQ: HP 150–250 Hz; −2/−3 dB at 300–500 Hz on the pads; presence 2–5 kHz on the leads.
• Saturation: tape on the whole synth bus to soften the highs.
• Space: hall 3–5 s on the pads (with HP 300 Hz on the return), ping-pong dotted 1/8 delay on the arpeggios, plate on the brass, 1/4 delay + hall on the lead.
• Stereo: very wide pads and arpeggios (Juno chorus, Dimension D, Haas), lead in the center.
• Sidechain: pads and arpeggios 3–5 dB from the kick (typical pumping).
• Automation: cutoff opening in builds, pad volume in breakdowns.

Vocals (if present)

EQ: HP 100 Hz, −2 dB at 300 Hz, +2 dB at 3 kHz, air +2 dB. LA-2A + 1176 compression (6–8 dB). Plate 2 s with 60 ms pre-delay + 1/4 delay; chorus on the doubles; vocoder in parallel for robotic passages.

Guitar and sax

Lead guitar: HP 100 Hz, dotted 1/4 delay, plate; sax: HP 120 Hz, +2 dB at 2 kHz, plate 1.8 s.

FX

Filtered noise risers, reverse, tape stop, optional VHS crackle.

Buses and groups

Drum bus 2:1 with saturation; synth bus with tape and glue 1–2 dB; mix bus SSL 2:1, 1–2 dB.

Sidechain

Kick → bass, pads, arpeggios (3–6 dB, release timed to 1/8).

Master

Chain: EQ → tape → compressor 1–2 dB → limiter. Target −10/−8 LUFS (more modern releases −8/−7), true peak ≤ −1 dBTP, PLR 9–11 dB.

Common mistakes

Digital synths too bright without saturation; trap sub that removes the 1980s character; gated reverb on everything; pads and arpeggios that muddy at 300–500 Hz; lead too loud or too wet.

Reference tracks for the mix

Kavinsky — Nightcall (2010); College & Electric Youth — A Real Hero (2010); Gunship — Tech Noir (2015); The Midnight — Los Angeles (2016); The Weeknd — Blinding Lights (2019).

Reference listening

• Kavinsky — Testarossa Autodrive (2007)
• Kavinsky ft. Lovefoxxx — Nightcall (2010)
• College & Electric Youth — A Real Hero (2010)
• Power Glove — Blood Dragon Theme (2013)
• Gunship — Tech Noir (2015)
• The Midnight — Los Angeles (2016)
• FM-84 ft. Ollie Wride — Running in the Night (2016)
• Survive — Stranger Things (tema) (2016)
• The Weeknd — Blinding Lights (2019)