With the global pandemic COVID-19 creating a scary health and financial situation for many, NewRetroWave would like to take an opportunity to use this platform to spotlight some of the extremely talented musicians and artists from around the world, who, at the time of this article’s publication, can enjoy 100% of the royalties from the sales made on Bandcamp. At the bottom of this page are the links to over 30 artists in the scene. If you’d like, you can go straight to there and jump over to Bandcamp to start listening and supporting some artists who would both appreciate and deserve the support right now. Synthwave is incredible for many reasons. You wouldn’t be reading this if it weren’t for the aesthetic, the mood, the songcraft on display throughout the scene that brought you in, but it is also a scene built on community. That community has been reacting differently to the fears and anxieties of COVID-19.

While every country has been impacted in some capacity, there’s no denying that some have been or currently are being hit harder than others. “In my country it has had a great impact,” says Lleida, Spain based artist Nightcrawler. “It isn’t very productive musically because I can not go to the studio, but I am enjoying being with my son and my wife all day long in my house”. 

In addition to studio time being hindered, some artists, like Barcelona, Spain based SUNESIS, have felt the impact on live performances.”My last Live show was on 7th March, right before quarantine was imposed in Barcelona. I had another proposal for a live show for mid April /early May that had to be postponed,” she says. Adding that “Spain’s economy is suffering tremendously and my salary has been reduced. Social media was crowded with opinions and recommendations on how to experience confinement but I honestly feel this depends on the person.”Despite the hardship, she adds “I am feeling peaceful, hopeful, and introspective.”

Fellow Spanish artist Electric Runner echoes the sentiment of optimism in this trying time, stating that despite the “obvious and awful impact to the music scene with all the shows and tours canceled”, that they are trying to stay positive, noting that “this is the first time in a couple of years when I have all this time to work on my music, some days are better than others but I’m trying to get the most of this situation, I know it’s not easy for everyone and I don’t say that you are in an obligation to be productive but if you ever wanted to start something artistic this is the perfect time.”

The idea of making the best of a terrible situation isn’t an uncommon one in this time, and really that shouldn’t be a surprise coming from a scene with a fetishistic obsession of lost neon futures. Connecticut, USA-based STRAPLOCKED has a similar positive attitude, saying “So far, it’s given me a bit more time to work on my music. I spend less money going out, spend less time driving, and that has yielded stronger relationships with my fiance and our children, [as well as] more time for music and more time to work on projects around the house.” STRAPLOCKED also brings up a point I haven’t seen discussed much. Where you are at in your life is going to impact how easy or hard lockdown is for you. “I think if I was about 10 years younger, having to stay home would REALLY affect me negatively but at this point in my life the last 2 months have felt almost like a vacation. I can imagine that’s a wildly unpopular opinion but, it’s how I feel nonetheless.”

There’s a bittersweet undercurrent in the minds of some artists as well. For Iowa, USA’s SHIKIMO, the added time for productivity comes at a social cost. “I was able to finish up my new EP in the extra time I’ve had that I’m not spending with friends.” SHIKIMO, like many, are trying to stay positive by focusing on whatever the most recent positive news they have is, which for him has been appearing on Spotify’s official Retrowave/Outrun playlist. 

Despite the optimism, it’s important not to forget that the artists who we often interact with as neon avatars online are real people with real jobs and lives that have been impacted, all the more reason to lend them your support today. 

Artists who make their living from music and gigs are impacted as much as artists who are now working more than ever at day jobs to make ends meet. Miami, Florida’s INTEGRA-85 tells one such story. “I haven’t been able to play shows and the lockdown has dampened my ability to focus on writing music. I’ve had to focus almost on work just to make ends meet in a house where all my roommates just lost all their jobs.” This is unfortunately a common reality for many, including Russian-based CYBERTHING!. 

What’s perhaps most difficult for me as a member of the scene who has admittedly a minute impact on the scene or sales is that I really want to implore readers and listeners of NRW who have the means during this time to support as many of the artists listed below as they can. All of these artists deserve your attention, your streams, your album purchases.

I have a tremendous amount of gratitude to the artists in this scene and consider myself very lucky to write about their music. 

 

 

ARTIST	SOUNDS LIKE	LINK
STRAPLOCKED	A bastardized version of sounds from the 80s all put through the lens of hard hitting modern electronic beats.	straplocked.bandcamp.com
NeverMann	Vocalwave	http://nevermann.bandcamp.com/track/all-4-u
INTEGRA-85	Dark Synthpop with elements of old school Electro/Hip Hop	https://integra-85.bandcamp.com/
Neodyne Project	Spacesynth-y, dark, cyberpunk & film score-inspired	https://neodyneproject.bandcamp.com/
Techno Mage	Synthwave | Chiptune | Metal	technomage.bandcamp.com
Icarus	Retro electro with nu-disco influences	icarussweden.bandcamp.com
Second Solstice	Metal-infused darksynth with heavy inspiration from videogame music	https://secondsolstice.bandcamp.com/releases
Star Madman	Electronica/Synthwave/Synthpop/Chillhop	starmadman.bandcamp.com
Arctic Mega Defender	Melodic childhood memories from TV	https://arcticmegadefender.bandcamp.com/
Night Rider 87	A unique and futuristic synthwave-esque sound with heavily beats/drums greatly influenced by arcade games, anime, and all things cyberpunk!	https://nightrider87.bandcamp.com/
CYBERTHING!	Dark synthwave with the cyberpunk and horror elements	https://cyberthing.bandcamp.com/album/killer-zero-ep
Runaway Droid	A rogue droid running around the galaxy making rocking and funky tracks!	https://runawaydroid.bandcamp.com/album/giant-space-lasers
SHIKIMO	My sound leans more on the dreamwave side of synthwave. I use a lot of arpeggios and light bell tones for high-end synths. I like to create dreamy, atmospheric sounds that are driven forward by full percussion and saw-wave bases.	https://shikimo.bandcamp.com/
Damokles	Melody is important to me, be it instrumental or vocal. I make a blend of many different 80s genres but synthpop, electro, space, and funk are the main ingredients. Truth be told I mostly have more sounds going on than there used to be in those genres back then. The fact that I was a performance DJ back in the 80s shines through from time to time. I tend to sound like a bit like Bowie and Depeche when I sing I am told.	https://damokles.bandcamp.com/
Vosto	synth sounds from a dystopian world but with hope	https://vosto.bandcamp.com/
Street Cleaner	The natural evolution of Outrun	https://streetcleaner.bandcamp.com/album/annihilation
YORU 夜	Synthpop, Outrun, Dreamwave, Athletic	https://yorusynthwave.bandcamp.com/
Gryff	Vocal Synthwave / Popwave	https://gryff.bandcamp.com/
3D63	cyberpunk, melodic and nostalgic	https://3d63.bandcamp.com/album/analog-hack
GeoVoc	Synthwave, Retrowave, Dreamwave, Dream/Synth pop, (similar to The Midnight), Chillwave	https://geovoc.bandcamp.com
Moonraccoon	Energetic	https://moonraccoon.bandcamp.com/
SUNESIS	Music for Space Stations, Space Lounge Music.	https://open.spotify.com/artist/2fIghNGO3Nwz2yjw0rQ9DD
Electric Runner	Uplifting neon tinted sound, full of nostalgia, the embodiment of Modern/Retro	electricrunner.bandcamp.com
Intersigno	Darksynth, horrorsynth, darktechno… always dark and electronic	https://intersigno.bandcamp.com/
Maxthor	Retro Futuristic Synth Rock	https://maxthor.bandcamp.com/album/fiction
Nightcrawler	My sound is heavily influenced by horror and sci-fi movie soundtracks and themes. A musical universe that has been described as a mixture of dark atmospheres and captivating electronic rhythms.	https://nightcrawler.bandcamp.com/
Alpha Chrome Yayo	Far out retromancy, baby! A little bit synthwave, a little bit vaporwave with hot flashes of funk, jazz fusion and black metal.	https://alphachromeyayo.bandcamp.com/
Beam Keeper	A neon filled journey into the unknown.	https://beamkeeper.bandcamp.com/album/volume-i
Neonsceptor	A lost neon-human from the future, wandering the streets at night and traveling through realities and timelines, seeking answers to his questions of existence.	https://neonscepter.bandcamp.com/album/retroglance
Don	Spacey Synthwave	https://future80s.bandcamp.com/album/virtual
Neuroc	Outrun, Retro Electro, Horrorsynth, and Space Disco with a Sci-fi twist	https://open.spotify.com/artist/6KsnbJTG6cPIpd99VCMRCU
LURID	Future Bass / Synthwave Hybrid	https://luridsynth.bandcamp.com/album/do-something