Darkwave

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.

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.