Genre

Darkwave

Late 1970s and 1980s Europe (UK, West Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Italy); the US "darkwave" scene formed later around Projekt Records; revived from the 2000s onward.

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About Darkwave

The gloomier side of new wave and post-punk: songs in minor keys, slower and lower than new wave, mixing synthesizers and drum machines with guitar, bass and sometimes violin or piano. The tone is introspective, romantic and bleak. It is an umbrella for several offshoots, including ethereal wave, neoclassical darkwave and cold wave.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org · Checked Oct 2026

Essential artists 14

  • Boy Harsher · 2013–present · Savannah, Georgia, US (now Northampton, Massachusetts)
    Dark, danceable synth duo named by Pitchfork among the leaders of the minimal synth scene, with an underground hit in "Pain" and slots at Coachella and Primavera Sound.
  • Clan Of Xymox · 1981–present · Nijmegen, Netherlands
    Regarded as one of darkwave's pioneering acts; John Peel is credited with first applying the word "darkwave" to their music, and AllMusic calls them a major influence on the scene.
  • Cocteau Twins · 1979–1997 · Grangemouth, Scotland, UK
    Pioneered dream pop and helped shape ethereal wave and darkwave through Elizabeth Fraser's wordless vocals and Robin Guthrie's effects-heavy guitar.
  • The Cure · 1976–present · Crawley, England, UK
    Often seen as one of gothic rock's defining bands through Seventeen Seconds, Faith and Pornography; inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
  • Dead Can Dance · 1981–1998, 2005, 2011–present · Melbourne, Australia (later London)
    Their album Spleen and Ideal (1985) helped pioneer neoclassical darkwave, and they became 4AD's best-selling act.
  • Drab Majesty · 2011–present · Los Angeles, California, US
    Named among the acts reviving darkwave for new audiences, with a self-described "tragic wave" sound on records such as The Demonstration (2017).
  • Kælan Mikla · 2013–present · Reykjavík, Iceland
    Icelandic trio championed by The Cure's Robert Smith, who booked them for his 2018 Meltdown festival and 2019 Pasadena Daydream.
  • Lebanon Hanover · 2010–present · Sunderland, England, UK
    Named among the bands behind the modern cold wave resurgence, with a minimal, bass-led sound that has taken them to festivals such as Primavera Sound and Wave-Gotik-Treffen.
  • Molchat Doma · 2017–present · Minsk, Belarus
    Their album Etazhi (2018) spread widely online, and "Sudno (Boris Ryzhy)" reached No. 2 on Spotify's global Viral 50 in 2020 before they signed to Sacred Bones.
  • RITUALZ · 2010–present · Mexico City, Mexico
    Listed among the notable early witch house acts; JC Lobo's project later absorbed darkwave and industrial influences, and his 2011 release Ghetto Ass Witch was reissued for its 10th anniversary.
  • She Past Away · 2006–present · Bursa, Turkey
    Turkish-language duo named among the bands of the 2000s–2010s darkwave revival, starting with their debut album Belirdi Gece (2012).
  • Siouxsie and the Banshees · 1976–1996, 2002 · London, England, UK
    Recognised as post-punk pioneers whose darker records, especially Juju (1981), helped spawn gothic rock.
  • The Soft Moon · 2008–2024 · Oakland, California, US
    Luis Vasquez's project is named among the bands that revived darkwave for new audiences; his track "Black" was a Pitchfork Best New Track and he opened for Depeche Mode in 2014.
  • Xeno & Oaklander · 2004–present · Brooklyn, New York, US
    Considered one of the key acts reviving cold wave and minimal synth, emerging from New York's Wierd Records scene.

Labels, collectives & more 68

Artists tagged Darkwave 334

The most connected 48. See them all on the scene map.

Related genres

Witch housePost-punk / coldwave / minimal waveIndustrial / EBMDark electronic

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