Synthwave has a long history dating all the way back to the German Krautrock of the ’70s, but its newfound renaissance is definitively modern. Every since the 2011 neo-noir film Drive brought the heavily synthed-up sounds of Kavinsky to the mainstream, digital music has never been the same. Within the next two years, we’d see releases like Com Truise’s Galactic Melt and Perturbator’s We Are the Night become hugely successful, building upon the French electro explosion of the late 2000s to create a nostalgic analog sound that resonated with a largely digital audience — many of whom weren’t even alive to experience the era it emulates.

Years later this scene has exploded into an array of killer independent music and culture, all merging the best parts of our collective nostalgia with contemporary production. Carpenter Brut is a prime example of this phenomenon. With several appearances in breakthrough indie video games like Hotline Miami and Furi, a series of spectacular music videos, and even a film in the works, Franck Hueso’s music has quickly become synonymous with the entire genre. For an idea of his sound, check out the “Trilogy” compilation, which showcases what he does better than anyone else: aggressive heavy beats,  dreary atmospheric synths, and epic chord progressions. Continue reading →