Six Months Of Superb Synth - Vocal Synth Singles

by Karl Magi

In the final part of my six-month roundup, I’m recapping the vocal synth tracks that stuck with me over the past six months. These songs made an impact on me although it must be said that 2025 has been chock full of tremendous music and it’s been tough to narrow things down.

Star Madman – Human

Star Madman’s Human is is one part haunting reflection and one part defiant roar. Crushing bass supports a delicate, aching melody, while her voice flows with emotional nuance and frustration. Piano glimmers above the throb and spectral synth wends around lyrics that ask painful questions about our identity, purpose and humanity’s repeated failings. Is being human still meaningful in a world ruled by fear and apathy? She doesn’t know anymore and her lack of knowledge embodies the truth. Despite the existential collapse, her voice rises with defiance, carrying the weight of a world she refuses to ignore.

Color Theory – Where Tigers Are Said to Roam

Where Tigers Are Said to Roam by Color Theory glows with an adventurous spirit, driven by skipping synth arpeggios and a warmly pulsing drumbeat. His unmistakable voice carries the hopeful melody with emotional clarity, capturing a need to step beyond rumor into experience.

A xylophone-like taps and starlit textures lend elegance, while the thudding bass pulses below, supporting the dreamy drift. The track speaks to the need for firsthand discovery urging us not to settle for second hand tales, but to chase the truth ourselves, no matter how elusive or risky. In the end, the narrator calls us into the wild unknown, where facing ourselves is the most dangerous act.

Seersha – Running in the Dark (Steal the Night)

Running in the Dark (Steal the Night) pulses with the thrill of rebellion and the ache of inevitable loss. Seersha’s smooth, emotive voice flows through radiant synths and gliding drums, her words dripping with longing and disillusionment. Guitar lines add sharpness and hope as the chorus crests with emotional power.

This is a song about promises made in darkness, about chasing meaning while knowing it can’t last. We believed, the narrator whispers, maybe foolishly as the memory of a thrilling love reverberates through the neon night. Now her debts are paid and the morning has come, but she’s still haunted by what could have been stolen under cover of night.

Just Scott – Just Breathe

Just Breathe by Just Scott dives deep into the emotional turbulence of anxiety and self-doubt, set against a bed of synth and Shred Krueger’s dynamic guitar. The melody pulses with warmth and ache and Just Scott’s emotive voice imbues every word with vulnerability.

There’s light in the darkness, with sparkling synths and hopeful guitar solos that carry a sense of lift. Lyrically, the song chronicles an inner war in his foggy head, racing thoughts and a desperate plea for release. Yet, through each breath and beat, a sense of perseverance shines through. The clock ticks and his heart continues to fight.

Timecop1983 & Josh Dally – Before The Lights Went Out

Before The Lights Went Out is soaked in nostalgia and regret. A pulsing bassline and glimmering arpeggios cradle Josh Dally’s aching voice as he revisits the wreckage of lost love. Each line bleeds with the desire to undo what can’t be undone, Josh Dally’s voice soaring above glistening synths and echoing drums.

A soulful sax rises like a ghost from the past, entwining with Josh Dally’s plea for a final chance. The music is glowing, but the lyrics hurt as he says, “I kill the lights, chase the quiet, but shadows start a real riot.” Even as he longs for resolution, the narrator is pulled back into the memory of a lost love, holding on to the last spark before the lights fade completely.

Don Eastland – Young Boy

Don Eastland’s Young Boy flows with an aching blend of struggle, longing and the tender pain of self-reflection. The trembling vocals rises out of synth waves and massive drums, steeped in Memory Design’s high quality production. There’s both power and fragility in his delivery, his vocals drifting above cascading synths and thunderous drums as if fighting to prevent things from slipping away.

A heart-piercing cry echoes through the flickering lights and low end swells, carried by a search for meaning. The narrator speaks to a younger self, reflecting on the weight of experience, on chasing shelter through storms and questioning what any of it was worth. The emotional core glows in lyrics like, “Tell me in the end, what we found?” in an attempt to stitch together the fragments of the past.

Mayah Camara – Boyfriend

Boyfriend by Mayah Camara unleashes dangerous nocturnal energy with its pounding, exotic percussion and razor-edged synths. Her sultry, powerful vocals embody the mysterious narrative of a spectral predator who emerges in the moonlight, seductive and deadly.

Brass-like synths shine through the dark, while the rhythm drives forward with relentless urgency. The lyrics drip with gothic tension: blood on the windows, unnamed lovers and ghostly eyes all conjure a being who will haunt but never belong. Camara sings with fire, revealing that this isn't a romance it’s a warning. “He will be your pain,” she warns, “but he will never be your boyfriend.”

GMNI88 – Behind Your Eyes

Behind Your Eyes is a wrenching journey through betrayal and rebirth, cloaked in rich sonic textures and heartbreaking honesty. GMNI88’s voice carries the weight of truth and loss, each word trembling over thunderous drums and Manuel Trabucco’s mournful sax. Glistening synths and deep bass reflect the shifting emotional terrain from tender hope to painful awakening.

Lyrics like, “I'm broken, but hoping” and “Our love was built on pretty lies” mark the path from confusion to release. In this soundscape of shattered illusions, the narrator finds clarity and, ultimately, strength. It's a song about letting go, even when your heart still wants to hold on.

Palm Lakes – Motorcycle at Night

Motorcycle at Night by Palm Lakes is an intoxicating ride through desire, pulsing with romantic momentum and velvety synth-pop warmth. Anthony Sahota’s voice pours out with soulful yearning above the thumping low end, wrapped in reverberating jazz organ.

As MonLee Mane’s backing vocals soar and Wil Schade’s sax explodes like headlights in the dark, the track builds to euphoric heights. The narrator is driven by love, tearing through the night to reach the one who fuels his passion. Every lyric pulses with urgency from the roar of his engine to the ache in his heart as he urges his lover to surrender. They ride the dream together, chasing the heat of the city and the fire of the night, unwilling to let go of each other.

Jesse Mach & Arcade Ocean – Silver Screen

Jesse Mach & Arcade Ocean’s Silver Screen exudes longing and blurred reality, where distance echoes in every glowing synth and sparkling guitar riff. Bright notes burst forth as Arcade Ocean’s impassioned vocals reach skyward and Jesse Mach’s guitar carves emotion into the atmosphere.

The melody soars, pierced by fragile hope, as trickling synths and resonant solos blur dreams and truth. Our narrator drifts helplessly into a filmic fantasy, eyes locked on a screen where desire lives but never lands. He rewinds emotional scenes like a tape stuck in his memory, unsure if the connection he feels is real or just a flicker in the static. Still, somewhere in that haze, he swears he feels their touch.

All The Damn Vampires & Mint Simon – Leaving Los Angeles

Leaving Los Angeles expresses sharp edged heartbreak and a blurred haze of self-protection. Mint Simon’s voice swims through silky synths and echoing drums, full of tragic soul. Waves of sound wash over glowing bells and bittersweet sax, while Mint Simon delivers lines that cut deep with quiet devastation.

The narrator’s leaving not because they stopped caring, but because the light became too hard to bear. The narrator says, “I’ve been darkened tonight.” The storyteller returns, knowing love still lingers, but feels too numb to reach for it again. There’s emotional tension in every breath, suspended between saying goodbye and a hope that they’ll find their way back again.

Sandor Gavin, Sleepless Nights & LaVahn – Kiss of Gold

Kiss of Gold by Sandor Gavin, Sleepless Nights & LaVahn melts into a sensual slow burn, radiating heat and gravity as it describes a love that pulls with cosmic force. A jazz organ whispers with tender warmth while Sleepless Nights’ guitar flickers, joined by a funky disco beat and LaVahn’s velvety voice dripping with hunger. The soundscape simmers while Sleepless Nights’ guitar glides coolly, synths flashing with brightness and LaVahn's voice pouring out pure desire.

As the groove tightens, the guitar and organ swirl around a radiant bassline, culminating in a silky, jazz-tinged solo. The narrator is locked in orbit around the irresistible subject, caught in a gravitational dance, eyes meeting like constellations, each kiss like a meteor lighting up the sky. The metaphor of celestial seduction echoes through the final refrain: a golden kiss that makes everything feel right.

Six Months Of Superb Synth - Chillsynth Singles

by Karl Magi

In the fourth part of my six-month roundup, I’m exploring the chillsynth tracks that made a lasting impression on me since January. These selections are the ones that truly caught my ear, though it's worth noting that 2025 has been overflowing with outstanding music and it’s been a challenge for me to choose just a few.

Prophylaxis & Nightflyer – Memory Sequence

Memory Sequence by Prophylaxis & Nightflyer blends pulse and drift, creating a sensation of floating through time. Computerized textures open the track, airy and space-bound, before immense drums and planing synths rise to fill the sonic sky. A trembling synth carries emotional resonance, while flickering notes and metallic echoes stretch across a shifting horizon. Broad patterns and tapping rhythms pulse with clarity, building a breathy calm that slowly dissipates, ending in suspended quiet.

st.cliche – Frontier

st.cliche’s Frontier is a gentle passage through airy ambiance and reflective space. Far-off tones flicker through haze as soft synth waves echo with a peaceful effulgence A punchy low end and delicate percussion create a sense of flight, as melodic fragments drift like mist across a still sky. The track expands with flickering high notes and slowly unwinding rhythms, inviting deep contemplation. As the final synth glow fades, I’m left hovering with profound inner stillness.

Lucy in Disguise – Indigo Moon

Lucy in Disguise’s Indigo Moon captures the night sky’s quiet majesty. The track opens with glowing synth light and softly exhaling textures, the bass rumbling below like distant thunder. Metallic drums echo and ghostly wisps drift through, while fragile tones add moonlit grace. Shadows bloom beneath glinting high notes and the music floats like calm night air, touched with mystery. A final breath of sound carries it into silence, leaving behind a tranquil afterglow.

ＭＩＤＮＩＧＨＴ ＨＩ－ＦＩ’s Dreamnet

ＭＩＤＮＩＧＨＴ ＨＩ－ＦＩ’s Dreamnet drifts like a lucid dream through retro tech haze and soft nocturnal glow. It opens with the tactile charm of computer sounds and a robotic voice logging in, before a synth tide flows out thick, smooth and thrumming with emotion. Flickering arpeggios dance over pulsing bass and crisp drums, weaving a serene yet textured landscape. As the track glides forward, a glowing panpipe-like melody floats through ethereal atmospheres, carrying me deeper into its misty world before it fades in gentle light.

SEA OF SIGNS – The sky between us

SEA OF SIGNS’ The sky between us breathes like a storm clearing quietly. Rainfall opens the track in a wash of calm, while deeply echoing synths and soft guitar-like tones drift with heartfelt ease. The melody moves like a tender memory floating, bending, brushing past with warmth. Subtle bass pulses and luscious textures create a sense of drifting through introspective landscapes. Every note whispers past, slipping away in soft reflection by the track’s end.

Mellow Fields & Faulty Lights - Celestial Echoes / The Expanse

Mellow Fields & Faulty Lights’ Celestial Echoes / The Expanse is a journey into a vast soundscape, where glowing synths and a pulsing rhythm guide the listener into galactic peace. The track builds with shimmering, ripple-like melodies and a heartbeat of bass and drums. Fragile chimes, drifting piano and softly shifting textures glide like leaves borne on water, while the synths shimmer with delicate radiance. The piece lingers in a twilight space between motion and stillness, cosmic and intimate, before fading into hushed silence.

Alex Boychuk – In This Moment

Alex Boychuk’s In This Moment is an ascent through emotional skyways. Bass rumbles below as glittering arpeggios spiral upward, meeting gleaming synth and soft guitar that wafts in with bittersweet beauty. The rhythm moves with a smooth slide, while the melodies intertwine like light over water. There's both weight and lift in the blend, mournful guitar and shining chimes coalescing into a graceful whole. Floating through high air, the track gently soothes before laying down its final, peaceful note.

Dimi Kaye – Office After Hours

Dimi Kaye’s Office After Hours lounges in late-night elegance with jazzy, synth-laced ease. Smooth, curling synths float over rebounding drums as well-composed melodies unravel in lazy spirals. Warm tones and polished textures glide with relaxed confidence, while soft chimes glint like city lights. Jazzy inflections and gently flickering synths build a vibe of after-dark comfort, cool and unhurried. As the rhythm pulses into hush, the track fades with calm sophistication.

Luxe & Leisure - Daydream

Luxe & Leisure’s Daydream unfolds like a seaside reverie, where shimmering synths and ocean-washed textures blend into a tropical vision. A mellow bass and Sleepless Nights’ soothing guitar work bring warmth and ease, while soft drums beat with a calming heart. Twinkling chimes and jazzy organ notes add sunlight to the scene, painting an idyllic afternoon of blue skies and still waters. The song unfurls with airy grace, dispersing every trace of tension and leaving only glowing tranquility in its wake.

Decisive Koala - Floating Windows

Decisive Koala’s Floating Windows drifts on glistening currents of sound, carried by luminous pulses and mist-like melodies. Sparkling synth tones and gently pounding drums move with deliberate grace, while exhaling synths float like early morning fog above a soothing low end. The piece evolves with trembling, voice-like synths, golden tones and a sense of burnished fragility. There’s a dreamlike suspension here, where sound flickers like sunlight on water and trumpet-like synths call out with tranquil purpose before dissolving into the horizon.

INTERDIT – Hide in the waves

INTERDIT’s Hide in the waves is an immersive tide of silky movement and lambent emotion. The bass undulates in beneath a weightless synth that flows like moonlit surf. As bright chimes sparkle and wordless vocals hover with breathy joy, the track lifts into an ocean of light. Glimmering textures mingle with ticking rhythms and radiant melodies, evoking weightless motion in blue, sun-dappled water. The music ebbs with shimmering notes before vanishing into a final, tidal hush.

Wellside – Endless Desire

Endless Desire by Wellside paints a soft-focus soundscape in pastels and misty air. A gliding synth pulses with chilly smoothness as the track stretches into expansive calm, buoyed by rounded bass and whispering drums. Broken, airy melodies flicker upward like a soft exhalation. As it flows, pink-cloud imagery and featherlight textures shape the track’s floating beauty. The track’s calm, indigo-tinged melody and gleaming chimes echo in gentle warmth, guiding me into open space before dissolving softly.

What Is Intellectual Neo-Colonialism—and Why It Matters

Written by Vero Kitsuné

Let’s talk about something that’s often hard to name but easy to feel—especially if you’re a creative from a historically marginalized culture navigating predominantly white, Western, or Eurocentric spaces: Intellectual Neo-Colonialism.

It’s a mouthful, yes. But it’s also very real.

At its core, Intellectual Neo-Colonialism is the act of borrowing, appropriating, or repackaging ideas, aesthetics, and cultural narratives—especially from non-Western creators—without acknowledgment, context, or credit. It's the “soft power” version of cultural erasure. No one’s storming borders with flags anymore—but your concepts, your voice, your identity? That can still be taken, stylized, and resold—without you in the picture.

How It Shows Up

It can look like someone with more social capital suddenly adopting your distinct aesthetic.
It can sound like your political or cultural messaging being echoed back to you—by someone with a bigger platform and none of your lived experience.
It can feel like invisibility, even when your influence is right there in front of everyone.

And most of the time, it comes with a shrug:

"We’re all inspired by each other."
"Everything is an interpolation."
"It’s just a coincidence."

But here’s the thing: when creators from marginalized backgrounds spend years carving out their voice, their look, and their message—only to watch someone with more privilege co-opt it for aesthetic or commercial gain—it’s not just “inspiration.” It’s extraction.

Why It Matters

Because power dynamics still shape whose voices are amplified and whose are ignored.
Because colonization didn’t end—it just shifted into more subtle, insidious forms.
Because artists of color are still told they’re “too much,” “too political,” or “too niche”—until someone else repackages their work and suddenly it’s “innovative.”

If we don’t talk about Intellectual Neo-Colonialism, we allow it to thrive unchecked.
We let people build their platforms on the backs of others without recognizing the roots they’re drawing from.

This isn’t about gatekeeping. It’s about giving credit. It’s about context. It’s about equity.
It’s about reminding each other that representation without recognition isn’t progress—it’s plagiarism with better PR.

What We Can Do

• Speak up when we see ideas being lifted without credit.

• Honor the source—not just the surface.

• Create space for marginalized voices to define themselves, rather than be defined by others.

• Support original artists and call out the systems that reward replication over authenticity.

We all borrow. We all remix. That’s how art evolves.
But there’s a difference between homage and hijacking.
And we have to be able to talk about that.

Have you experienced or witnessed Intellectual Neo-Colonialism in your scene or industry? Let’s name it. Let’s unpack it. And let’s build a culture that values originality with integrity.

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.