COVER STORY

The best synthpop songs of 2026—so far

Listen to my 25 favorite songs from the first half of the year.

LATEST STORIES

NEW MUSIC FRIDAY — July 31, 2026

MAD MISSION

Into Orbit

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

HOY

EP3

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

ASHEN DECAY

Terminus

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

BESTIAL MOUTHS

Conjure

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

BRUTALIST ARCHITECTURE IN THE SUN

The Beauty in Broken EP

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

DANNY BLU

“Type”

BESTIAL MOUTHS

“Conjure”

ZYNIC

“Bad Boy”

JUNE 2026

Interview

FRONT 242 lock the target one last time

FRONT 242

Black Out

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

“Most EBM music has become a formula. There is less experimentation in sound design or a willingness to take risks. Nevertheless, the genre retains that dark vibe and traces of the energy inherited from punk.”

— Patrick Codenys, FRONT 242

10 best songs of June 2026

Essential Releases

CULTURE KULTÜR – Atomic

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

A THOUSAND MAD THINGS – Hate It

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

BEYOND OBSESSION – In My Blood

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

SOFT VEIN

“All We’ve Known of Heaven”

MAY 2026

Interview

DEAD LIGHTS revel in glam goth sleaze

DEAD LIGHTS

Lash

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

“We take a lot of visual inspiration from people like Leigh Bowery, as well as the New York Club Kids scene’s surrealist androgyny I guess you could call it. Drag culture is hugely influential to us.”

— Saul, DEAD LIGHTS

10 best songs of May 2026

Essential Releases

MASSIVE EGO – Symphony of Flies

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

THIRD REALM – Escape Sequence

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

WITCH OF THE VALE – Lovesongs for the Damned

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

OPTIC

“God’s Eye”

APRIL 2026

Interview

Masked duo BLACKBOOK celebrate the weirdos

BLACKBOOK

Different

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

“It all comes from personal experience. We’ve been through pretty much everything we sing about. It sucked, but at least it eventually gave us these songs.”

— BLACKBOOK

10 best songs of April 2026

Essential Releases

DEKAD – A Distorted View

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

TEMPERS – Delusion

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

ELEKTROSTAUB – Humility

Listen: Bandcamp • Spotify

CZARINA

“Holy Water”

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