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Top Ten Retrowave Albums of 2017

Here it is ladies and gentlemen. The most important list of all! The Top Ten Best Retrowave Albums of 2017. It was such a packed year with many album releases. Making this list was not easy. Without further ado, we present The Top Ten Best

Here it is ladies and gentlemen. The most important list of all! The Top Ten Best Retrowave Albums of 2017. It was such a packed year with many album releases. Making this list was not easy. Without further ado, we present The Top Ten Best Retrowave Albums of 2017.

10. Molchat Doma – S Krish Nashih Domov

This Molchat Doma sound is a virtuoso mix of Alphaville, New Order and The Cure. almost every track on this album feels iconic in a familiar, but also foreign way. Although it is sung entirely in Slavic, the sad, nostalgic themes still resonate deeply.

 

 

9. Kalax – Kalax

A new, enhanced retro feel makes this truly dreamy dreamwave feel much more nostalgic than the previous releases from Kalax – almost wistful at times. The result is an astounding release of synthwave that bears a beautiful cinematic quality like Kavinsky or College.

 

 

8. Mega Drive – The Grid

This dark and futuristic album perfectly embodies cyberpunk. The dense, uptempo tracks meld perfectly with ambient features on this album, creating a complete soundscape for some mysterious dystopian city.

 

 

7. ALEX & Tokyo Rose – AKUMA

ALEX and Tokyo Rose perfectly compliment one another’s style on this groundbreaking darkwave/outrun album.  In spite of being dark, “Akuma’s” melodies feel more retro than it’s contemporaries, creating a rare form of nostalgia.

 

 

6. FM attack – Stellar

While his previous albums drew heavily from disco and had a more upbeat and dance feel, “Stellar” is steeped in postpunk and new wave vibes. This updated sound is unique and fantastic, creating a more wistful and nostalgic feel to the signature FM Attack sound.

 

 

5. HOME – Resting State

This interesting album is comprised of an astounding 35 demo tracks. In spite of this, they manage to be just as interesting and full-bodied as much of his more fleshed out work. If these are just demos, we can’t wait to hear whats coming next!

 

 

4. Various Artists – Magnatron 2.0

Powerful and dark, this compilation manages to be cohesive in spite of containing 16 very different and monstrously amazing artists.

 

 

3. Com Truise – Iteration

“Iteration” signals a tonal shift from Haley’s previous work. It feels more lachrymose and less hard sci-fi than his previous releases. This does not feel arrived at by way of nostalgia but instead from melancholy and heartbreak – a fitting end to a long journey.

 

 

2. Dan Terminus – Automated Refrains

This album is one of the darkest, most complex we’ve heard all year. Dan Terminus manages to elicit complex nostalgic melodies and a pitch-perfect retro-futuristic vibe through HEAVY synths – an accomplishment to be lauded. Top it off with a couple lighter, almost ambient tracks and you have a well rounded and well deserved top spot for “Automated Refrains.”

 

1. Lazerhawk – Dreamride

The synthwave demigod has returned in full force. Dreamrider suffuses Lazerhawk’s years of producer expertise and creates a thoroughly complete body of work that is in every way more than the sum of its parts. Lazerhawk’s mastery of the form is undeniable.

 

 

Special Mentions

Master Boot Record  – INTERRUPT REQUEST

 

 

Meteor – Inner Demon

 

 

andrew.zistler@newretrowave.com

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