Darkwave
Located in 2 routes
Darkwave is dark, synth-heavy post-punk and gothic electronic music built from minor-key melodies, drum machines, cold bass, romantic gloom, and atmospheric vocals. It is usually less club-aggressive than EBM or aggrotech, but many tracks work in dark alternative rooms. The sound ranges from classic goth synthpop to modern minimal wave and coldwave revival.
History
Darkwave grew from post-punk, new wave, gothic rock, synthpop, and European coldwave scenes. Clan of Xymox, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Dead Can Dance, Lycia, Deine Lakaien, Project Pitchfork, Diary of Dreams, Wolfsheim, She Past Away, Lebanon Hanover, Boy Harsher, Drab Majesty, and TR/ST all represent different eras and levels of dance-floor pull. The 2010s revival connected darkwave to techno, EBM, synthpop, and online goth culture.
Defining artists
Essential listening
- A Day(1985) — Clan of XymoxSpotifyYouTube
- Enjoy the Silence(1990) — Depeche ModeSpotifyYouTube
- A Forest(1980) — The CureSpotifyYouTube
- The Host of Seraphim(1988) — Dead Can DanceSpotifyYouTube
- Pray(1995) — LyciaSpotifyYouTube
- Love Me to the End(1991) — Deine LakaienSpotifyYouTube
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- Timekiller(2001) — Project PitchforkSpotifyYouTube
- The Curse(1998) — Diary of DreamsSpotifyYouTube
- The Sparrows and the Nightingales(1991) — WolfsheimSpotifyYouTube
- Kasvetli Kutlama(2012) — She Past AwaySpotifyYouTube
- Gallowdance(2013) — Lebanon HanoverSpotifyYouTube
- Pain(2014) — Boy HarsherSpotifyYouTube
Sources
- darkwave and coldwave histories
- goth/industrial club histories
- Discogs release listings
- modern darkwave revival coverage