Synthwave / Retrowave / Vaporwave Recommendations

I made this for a friend of mine and figured I'd tweet it out. This is all of my favorite stuff from my excursions into this area of music so far. Individual songs are at the bottom if you want some quick samples. If you check out anything, hope you enjoy!


----- Mixes -----


Amazing, had extended obsession periods with these:

- Voyage 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHORwLnHIEw
Probably my very favorite mix I've found. Exuberant and playful, this mix always makes me happy.

- Space Trip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOMwO5T3yT4
Stone cold classic. There's a reason this has an asston of views. One of my gateways into this area of music.

- Long Nights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBUCmMxmup0
More melancholic and wistful. True to the name, play it during a lazy, chill night.

- Singularity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfCgF10C58Q
This one wades into more aggressive & darksynth territory. Some extremely good individual songs on this one.

- Neo Tokyo (1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs13eG36VR8
Similar to Singularity, visits some more aggressive territory and is overall pretty diverse in styles and moods.

Also good, haven't played these as much:

- Neo Tokyo (2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m65QTeKRWNg]
- Cyberreality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VtnDS6IJEk
- Future Vision: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prHFVUaL_bU
- Waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwLTw8F8yN8
- Space Trip II: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI4-HUn8dFc
- Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByS1Rlk_AL8
- Cybercity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgCnYsDTiXU
- Infinity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l39v2k--53w



----- Albums/EPs -----


- VA-11 HALL-A OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8w_Q57RQJc
I have probably played this the most of anything on this list. The main player during my long programming grind before getting my current job.

- FM-84 - Los Angeles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE4ze-sIMyk
Like Voyage 3, always makes me happy.

- ２８１４ - 新しい日の誕生 (Atarashii Hi no Tanjou): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uiWloBytuY
Perfect music for introspective types (like me!) Dreamy, swirly, engrossing cityscape masterpiece.

- Useless & 仮想夢プラザ - Balance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keLnC2T6vgM
The 2nd track is absolutely -unbelievable-, a MUST listen. The rest of the album is fantastic, too. Hypnotic.

- ２８１４ - Room 2814: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uacOMF7aWZM
Compilation featuring a lot of different artists, but somehow has a remarkable cohesion. Full of mystery.



----- Songs -----


You can find most of these on the mixes/albums/EPs, but I wanted to point out a handful that are just excellent songs.


- FM-84 - Goodbye (feat. Clive Farrington): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYq6cCqOTdA
The only love song I've ever been -truly- moved by.

- Hong Kong Express - Return of Dreams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiLr7zwpIqg
This is the Tokyo I want to live in one day.

- The Willows - Lost Outrider: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BA_jcQepOI
Excellent tune exhibiting synthwave's amazing potential to blend nostalgia, VG/tech feels, and futuristic energy.

- FRACTAL MAN - Dreams of the Desert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHORwLnHIEw
A bit jazzy, a bit delicate, all catchy.

- Perturbator - Venger ft. Greta Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B7-Vcdlld8
I gravitate more toward the shimmery stuff than the dark stuff, but this is hands down the best darksynth song I've heard by far.

- Sub Morphine - Revenant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCEvcaljVWs
Pulsing and tinged with seediness.

- Caspro - Memory Drive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1umBBwI9M8
This comes right after Sub Morphine in the Singularity mix, and it's just such an amazing two-song combo that I had to include both here.

- ballandpaddle (orig. Masashi Kageyama) - Gimmick! - Strange Memories of Death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNGXfpUCleQ
Bit of a bonus track here - this is one of the absolute best VGM covers I've come across. Really does the original justice.