The Song Planner

Cyberpunk Synth

tagStarted c. 2012Peak 2014-2020Last big hit active through games, trailers, and dark synthwave playlists

Located in 1 route

Electronic / Dance → Synthwave / Retrowave / Vaporwave

Cyberpunk Synth is the hard, chrome-lit side of synthwave: sequenced basslines, aggressive arps, distorted leads, industrial percussion, and atmosphere borrowed from dystopian science fiction. It feels more urban, violent, and futuristic than dreamy retrowave, but less metal-centered than synthwave rock. The best tracks suggest neon streets, surveillance screens, machine pursuit, and high-speed escape.

History

The style grew from dark synthwave, electro-industrial, EBM, cyberpunk film scores, 1980s game music, and the heavier end of the Drive/Hotline Miami wave. Perturbator, Carpenter Brut, Mega Drive, Power Glove, Daniel Deluxe, Scandroid, Dance With the Dead, GosT, Fixions, Dan Terminus, Lazerpunk, and Tokyo Rose gave the scene a tougher palette. It became especially visible through video-game soundtracks, YouTube mixes, NewRetroWave, Blood Music, and live shows where synthwave crossed into metal and industrial audiences.

Defining artists

Show 6 more

Essential listening

Show 6 more
← Explore Electronic / Dance

Sources

  • Bandcamp Daily Lakeshore/Rise of the Synths profile
  • Bandcamp Daily NewRetroWave profile
  • dark synthwave label coverage
  • game-soundtrack and Discogs release listings