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 2025 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. Project Pitchfork – “The Name”
Project Pitchfork apparently has a new album coming next year with the ominous title Epitaph—a word usually reserved for the departed. Could this spell the end of the German act? That remains to be seen, but pre-release single “The Name” is a quiet, melancholic piece built on a crunchy beat, lolling piano line, and Peter Spilles’ strained, aching vocals.
9. X Marks the Pedwalk – “Another Love”
I’m still digging into X Marks the Pedwalk’s 13th studio album Insomnia, but “Another Love” immediately stands out for its punchy rhythm and commanding chorus. Subtle vocal effects electrify Sevren Ni-Arb’s voice, giving the track a jolt of modern energy without losing the band’s sophisticated gravitas.
8. White Birches – “A New Reign”
A New Reign, the new album from Swedish duo White Birches, sometimes recalls the solemn, cinematic sound of English trip-hop pioneers Portishead. Its title track raises the tempo and intensity, layering tension over darkly elegant electronics. On the chorus, vocalist Jenny Gabrielsson Mare stretches each word with a long pause that amplifies the song’s unsettling pull.
7. Isaac Howlett – “Ghosts of the Tsunami”
Following October’s “Eggshell,” Isaac Howlett delivers another captivating slice of modern synthpop produced by German artist Daniel Myer. “Ghosts of the Tsunami” offers a haunting story steeped in tragedy and loss, built on darkly layered, intense electronics and a stirring piano arrangement. Atmospheric and tender, it’s further proof that Isaac remains one of synthpop’s most emotive storytellers.
6. BlakLight – “Everything’s Gone Wrong”
The YouTube-only release “Everything’s Gone Wrong” sets a grim, cinematic tone for BlakLight’s upcoming fourth album. Producer Adam Collier holds back the beat for an unsettling two minutes, letting creative production techniques like click-clacking electronics and a synthesized string arrangement carry the weight. When the rhythm finally lands, it feels like the world collapsing in slow motion.
5. Destroy Me Again – “The Shards”
The German project Destroy Me Again—once known as Reichsfeind—has undergone plenty of transformations, but this might be its most intriguing yet. “The Shards” introduces female lead vocals that pair beautifully with the project’s brooding electronics. The result is delicate, entrancing, and surprisingly emotional.
4. Beyond Border – “Machines (Hello Goodbye)”
The coming AI revolution remains a hot topic among the dark synth set, and Beyond Border tackle it head-on with “Machines (Hello Goodbye).” The song opens with Vangelis-like atmospherics that immediately set the tone for a track about robots, then kicks into high gear with thick, crunchy beats, electrified vocals and a chorus that’s impossibly catchy. The German trio alternately embrace and lament our mechanical overlords, turning the tension into fun, dancefloor doom.
3. PART2 – “Into Gold”
Another luminous gem from the under-the-radar Swedish trio PART2. “Into Gold” pushes their sound toward the club, driven by a brighter tempo and shimmering synths, yet it retains the wistful melancholy that defines their work. It’s danceable, emotional, and quietly radiant.
2. Assemblage 23 – “Waited”
The final track on Assemblage 23’s excellent Null album closes the record on a note of heightened optimism. “Waited” feels like a love letter from Tom Shear to his wife, Mari Kattman—if you follow the couple online, you’ll immediately recognize “We kissed beneath the thundering mist” from their wedding photos in Iceland. It’s a rare love song built on a thumping beat, but no less sincere. You can hear every ounce of Tom’s joy in the way his voice rises slightly for the unforgettable line “This is what it must feel like to be alive.”
1. Seeming – “Assassin’s Lovesong”
Seeming’s Alex Reed has an incredible gift for combining dire subject matter with majestic tones (see “Goodnight London” from his debut album). “Assassin’s Lovesong,” from his upcoming fourth album, is no exception. An achingly beautiful end-times ballad, Reed’s lovely, sublime vocals resemble a traditional Irish folk song. Electronic currents rumble quietly beneath and swell at a few crucial moments, delivering the song’s devastating impact.
Chris Brandon is the voice of Synthpop Fanatic. He is a writer and content strategist who lives in Washington, DC, with his husband and two Siberian huskies.
