Counting down my favorite synthpop, futurepop, and darkwave songs of the month.
Written by: Chris Brandon
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Here are my favorite songs of the month in synthpop, futurepop, darkwave, and adjacent genres. If you want to follow my music discovery this year, subscribe to my 2024 playlist on Spotify. New songs are added every Friday. Sort by “Date Added” to see new tracks appear at the top of the playlist.
10. Interface – “Zero Sum”
New York City’s Interface settle into a rhythmic groove on “Zero Sum” from their seventh studio album, Zero-Sum Equation. At first, it feels like a standard futurepop bop with trancey sound effects and lyrics about society’s oppressive weight. But then the music stalls, and it takes an unexpected detour into what sounds like a witch’s chant sung in Latin (I think). It’s a strange and intriguing twist that makes it the most memorable moment on the album.
9. Red Cell – “When Death Is Done”
Swedish duo Red Cell has been cranking out singles this year, each accompanied by similar artwork that hints at a forthcoming full-length album. The sound is even poppier than 2023’s self-titled set, which featured soaring melodies like “Going Back Before Going On.” Their latest track, “When Death Is Done,” boasts charming lyrics with infectious, repetitive phrases like “come on, come on, come on” that cue immediate singalongs.
8. The Brides of the Black Room – “Heroes & Heroines”
Swedish mystery collective The Brides of the Black Room dropped the second single from their upcoming album, Commander, set for release in April 2025. “Heroes & Heroines” bursts to life with electronic blasts that recall the frenetic energy of classic techno acts like 2 Unlimited or The Prodigy. It quickly adds a sultry vocal performance from Lea Alazam, whose voice exudes the sophistication of modern lounge music. This dynamic tug of war continues across the song, creating a mesmerizing contrast that that makes for captivated listening.
7. Unroyal – “A Little More Time”
Sweden’s Unroyal has been quiet since their 2022 album This Is Louder, which I ranked No. 3 on my year-end best albums list. Now, they’ve returned with “A Little More Time,” a track featured on a new Progress Productions compilation celebrating the label’s 20th anniversary. The song retains the band’s gift for elegant songcraft, though it’s a subtle piece with delicately tapped synthpop and softly cooing vocals that don’t necessarily explode into consciousness but linger with a quiet, enduring charm.
6. Daniel Hall – “Jealousy”
“Jealousy” is one of the standout tracks from Australian musician Daniel Hall’s impressive 18th album, Apollo. He crafts brooding tension here, blending twinkling pads and knob-twisting electronics that feel a bit hypnotizing. Its cynical subject matter about overspending and hoarding treasures serves as a thematic companion to his 2021 track “Corruption,” which remains my favorite Daniel Hall track.
5. Uncreated – “We Will Attack”
Swedish synthpop project Uncreated, once the solo endeavor of Vanguard’s Patrik Hansson, has recently expanded to include Christoffer Orcander. He’s unknown—to me, at least. My research online suggests he’s a novelist and aspiring singer. “We Will Attack” is a rousing futurepop anthem where Orcander’s vocals complement the song’s powerful drive with energetic lines like “But just you wait, we will attack.”
4. Future Lied to Us – “Complex”
In the lead-up to their sophomore album Unknown Unknowns, Future Lied to Us released “Code,” a single with spoken word vocals and seismic rave explosions that hinted at an experimental turn for the synthpop supergroup. While the album does deliver some unexpected moments, tracks like “Complex” stay true to the band’s classic elegance. Pulsating keys and echoey reverb provide the foundation for Damasius Venys’ lovely, traditional vocals, while elegant synth melodies weave through the track, creating a sound that’s both familiar and refreshingly refined.
3. CZARINA – “Dark Star”
On her third album, Empire, CZARINA wields the extraordinary songwriting techniques she developed on Arcana, this time infusing them with a carefully honed but complex cosmic theme. “Dark Star,” which finds CZARINA hurtling through space, might be the album’s most celestial moment (aside from the actual samples of Saturn’s rings on the final track, “Beyond the Veil”). There’s something incredibly tribal about this song—the way martial drums pummel while her voice soars through the cosmos.
2. Lights of Euphoria – “Surrender”
German project Lights of Euphoria staged a late-career comeback in 2022 with a string of excellent singles that includes the euphoric club banger “Man and Machine.” Their lovely new track, “Surrender,” leans further into electropop territory than ever before, blending a delightful piano melody and soothing vocals with occasional bursts of drama that retain the project’s dark spirit.
1. Hearts of Black Science – “Field of Light”
No one does epic grandeur quite like Hearts of Black Science. The Swedish enigmas last graced us with their haunting brilliance in 2020 with “Servant,” which featured on a Progress Productions comp. I named it my favorite song of the year. Nearly a decade has passed since their last proper album, Signal, but they’ve returned with a new track, “Field of Light,” also on a Progress comp. It’s everything you want from this band. Brooding synths. Haunting melodies. Elegant yet harrowing vocals. Unexpected media samples. It’s unfortunate we don’t hear from them more often, but each time we do the experience is transportive.
