Six Months Of Superb Synth - Instrumental Synthwave Singles

by Karl Magi

In the third installment of my six-month roundup, I'm diving into the instrumental synthwave, retrowave and post-synthwave singles that stood out to me over the past half year. These are the tracks that really grabbed my ear, though it's worth remembering that 2025 has been full of exceptional music, making it a challenge to narrow things down.

Toxxic Project & Dynatron - Voices of Void

Toxxic Project & Dynatron’s Voices of Void captures ghostly echoes drifting through vast, ethereal space with haunting beauty. It begins with a poetically drifting voice and vibrating sound that accelerates as colossal bass pulses and misty, floating notes weave through the music. Heavy, concentrated drums and rumbling bass anchor the track while rippling synth, like illuminated fog, flows with pained warmth.

Tragic chords and distant voices deepen the ominous atmosphere as the low end grows ever stronger. Amidst the thunderous drums and bass, a spectrally delicate synth carries a moving, gentle melody that glides peacefully above the brooding power below, until the music dissolves into silence.

Lunarcade & Jack Dorph - Neon Souls

Lunarcade & Jack Dorph’s Neon Souls builds a cinematic soundscape full of moving emotion. It opens with peacefully drifting synths and a richly textured bass, forming a beautiful atmosphere. Radiant melodies rise from the synths, carrying a bittersweet mix of hope tinged with quiet sadness.

Soft, hollow tones drift outward, evoking introspective calm. A burst of sparkling sound signals the return of the main melody, which glides through the music like a nostalgic dream. As the rhythm pulses steadily, I feel carried by waves of memory and beauty, until the last notes gently fade into silence.

DXO & Deckrd - XO24

DXO & Deckrd’s XO24 blends percussive strength with gentle, dreamy feeling as it unfolds. The track opens with distantly shining notes that grow stronger, filling the music with cosmic luminosity, while angular drums and bass drive forward alongside slicing synthesizer tones. A glistening background synth adds a celestial glow as the hard-hitting rhythm propels the music onward.

The main melody floats on an airy synthesizer, dreamy and soothing, radiating hope and calm as it moves through the track. A surging low end provides energetic contrast, creating a dynamic balance against the silky melody. pellucid notes tremble outward and string-like sounds swirl together, bringing the track to a smooth, graceful close.

Cassetter, Cyberwalker & Sleepless Nights - Nocturnal

Cassetter, Cyberwalker & Sleepless Nights’ Nocturnal fuses aggression, shadow and dramatic guitar into a surging, emotional ride. The track kicks off with hard-hitting drums and a rushing bass that slam forward with fierce energy, while a misty, hollow-sounding synth carries a spectral melody.

As radiant synth lines mix with the growling low end, the music builds tremendous weight and power, slicing forward with undeniable momentum.

A flaring synth and flitting notes add points of light before Sleepless Nights’ guitar carves through the track, its darkly yearning melody full of intricate emotion. The guitar solo unwinds passionately, leaping against the driving bass, before gruff textures and a gentle background glow carry the music to a conclusion.

HeartBeatHero - The Next Chapter

HeartBeatHero’s The Next Chapter blends meditative serenity with majestic strength. It begins with deep, slowly tumbling notes that build into a massive, interlocking synth pattern. As the colossal bass growls underneath, the gleaming notes create a trance-like momentum that mesmerizes with their spinning, razor-edged clarity. These hypnotic loops eventually fade into misty, drifting synths full of haunting ache, shadowed by ominous echoes.

A weighty synth shifts in the background as bursts of rough sound haunt the desolate openness. When the percussion returns, it carries a grand, trumpet-like synth that soars with a choir’s majestic resonance, lending the track a triumphant, vast feeling. The final moments float out on elevated, ethereal notes that echo into silence.

Echo Wolf - Entanglement

Echo Wolf’s Entanglement blends tender emotion with overwhelming strength, creating a track full of contrast and feeling. It opens with towering bass supporting a delicate, glimmering synth that carries a melancholy melody, before swooping into gigantic drums and dense, rebounding bass.

The sharp throb of the rhythm contrasts beautifully with the synth’s tenderness. As the bass rumbles on and engaging melodies caress the ears, a profound sense of caring and shadowy power intertwine. Tragedy-tinged synth calls out once more above the heavy drums and bass, until a final exhalation of breath and an emotionally aching, full synth melody carry the track to a powerful end.

SynthPrincipal - Bring Me Closer

SynthPrincipal’s Bring Me Closer merges percussive power with serene melodic beauty. From the start, rumbling bass and a massive, gleaming synth pulse with intensity, grounded by a crisp kick and snare. The lead synth, haunting and graceful, winds through the music with a calming presence.

Bright flickers of sound appear like stars, while descending, string-like notes add to the musical depth. Fragile melodies float above the relentless low-end, creating contrast and emotional tension. As the beat hypnotizes and the synth swirls, I’m swept into a reverent sonic experience. The track climaxes with crashing drums and cascading synth, then closes on a wriggling, glowing fadeout.

The Blue Book Project - Aperitivo

The Blue Book Project’s Aperitivo is a fun and bubbly summer disco journey. The track begins as a throbbing disco beat skips and a nasal-sounding, pulsating synth jumps, while smoothly gliding notes slip underneath. The groove is intense as flashing light twinkles above the steadily tumbling synth pattern. A brassy melody moves with dynamism and positivity, creating a feel-good vibe which I enjoy.

As the trumpeting notes ring out, sharp-edged sounds swirl between them and the drums create a solid pulse,funky and smooth, as piano notes shine and chimes glitter. The music’s floor-filling energy is undeniable as a wriggling synth spins with uplifting strength, swirling through the music with irrepressible joy. A descending note pattern locks in with the groove and the broadly glowing synth descends with a velvety motion. Now a trembling synth pulses as the piano forms an effervescent melodic pattern before the track ends.

Skylane Drive - Desert Trails

Skylane Drive’s Desert Trails evokes the haunting expanse of a sun-scorched wilderness through pulsing bass, glittering arpeggios and yearning synth tones. From the swirling motion of twirling synths to the aching bursts of melody and metallic percussion, the track paints a mirage-like soundscape full of heat and desolation.

Sax-like synths and trembling chimes imbue the piece with a bittersweet sense of longing, while the steady bass and drifting melodies create a sense of vast stillness. As the track fades, it leaves behind the impression of endless trails beneath an unforgiving sun.

Droid Bishop - Return of Gemini

Droid Bishop’s Return of Gemini is a soaring interstellar odyssey through a plethora of synths and radiant guitar work, capturing the exhilaration of cosmic adventure with each note. Towering drums pulse beneath fragile melodies as effulgent synths gleam and guitars ascend with triumphant power.

The music evokes weightless flight and star-drenched wonder, weaving together dynamic energy and atmospheric beauty in a way that feels both cinematic and deeply moving. It’s a thrilling journey across the stars, guided by Droid Bishop’s emotive, space-bound sound.

Rogue VHS & Francois Smith - Luno

Rogue VHS & Francois Smith’s Luno is a track steeped in peaceful emotion and wistful longing, unfolding with a sense of serene beauty. It begins in tranquil space as flickering tones and shadowy bass shift gently beneath a steady, thumping kick.

Lush, rippling arpeggios and a bouncing synth create a warm, pulsing motion, while a sunlit lead melody glows with dreamy tenderness. The drums carry the flow forward as smooth textures and a nasal-toned synth wind with gentle expression.

As the rhythm drops away, shimmering arpeggios and echoing notes trail off like light in mist. Touching melodies dance softly before the bass falls silent and gliding notes drift quietly into stillness.

CODE 89 - Euphoria

CODE 89’s Euphoria is a dazzling, ever-shifting sonic odyssey that pulses with energy and emotional richness. From the opening moments of spacious notes and massive bass, the track unfolds with luminous synths and surging rhythm, drawing the listener into its radiant, fast-moving flow.

Flashing chords, slicing melodies and trembling low-end movement create a dynamic interplay of melancholy and exhilaration. As tempos shift and sparkling notes soar, Euphoria becomes a vibrant ride through cascading light and sound, ending on vitality and wonder.