The Midnight make songs, not just tracks: a singer, a chorus and a wistful 1980s mood. The artists who come closest in the Frekvenci archive are Timecop1983, W O L F C L U B and NINA, followed by Dana Jean Phoenix, Glass Apple Bonzai and a handful more. The archive lists 26 releases by The Midnight from 2014 to 2025.
What you are really looking for
The Midnight are Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan, an American band formed in Los Angeles in 2012, with a debut EP, Days of Thunder, in 2014.[1] Wikipedia describes the sound as synthwave and futuresynth with a touring line-up that includes saxophone, and says the band's motto, "mono no aware", refers to a wistful sense that things pass.[1] Their archive entries include Endless Summer (2016) and Kids (2018). Most are tagged synthpop, and listeners add dream pop, singer-songwriter and new wave.
So three things matter in a neighbour: a singer, songs with hooks, and a reflective mood. That rules out the instrumental, horror-film end of the scene and points to the pop-leaning shelf, which Synthpop and synthwave: where the 1980s sound meets the revival explains in more detail.
Nearest by catalogue shape
Timecop1983 (Netherlands, 23 releases) has the closest profile to The Midnight's in our data. He told Vehlinggo he specialises in the dreamier, romantic side of 80s-inspired music.[2] Start with Searching for Tomorrow (2023) or Reflections; his own circle is on If you like Timecop1983: artists to try next.
W O L F C L U B (UK, 26 releases) has albums on NewRetroWave. A NewRetroWave review of Just Drive (Part 2) praises the pop vocals and describes a blend of synthpop, synthwave and indie rock, with escape and driving at night as recurring themes.[3] Try Lake Street.
Nina (UK, 12 releases) is originally from Berlin and based in London. She calls her music synthwave and synthpop and names Blondie, Depeche Mode, OMD and the film Drive among her influences.[4] The archive lists her on Aztec Records; start with One Of Us (Instrumentals), an instrumental version, then look for the vocal originals.
Bigger voices, bigger hooks
Dana Jean Phoenix is a Toronto artist whose music, per Bandcamp Daily, pairs shimmering synths and dramatic drum rolls with a powerful voice; she plays a keytar live and her themes are optimism and nostalgia.[5] The archive entry is her 2020 album with POWERNERD, Megawave.
Glass Apple Bonzai is the project of the Canadian songwriter Daniel Belasco. Regen Magazine says his early work was dancefloor-friendly electro-pop, and that his 2024 album Brother Bones moves towards darkly electronic post-punk with guitars and live drums.[6] That suits you if you prefer The Midnight's rock-leaning songs. Start with Bag of Bones.
Jessie Frye (US, 6 releases) is on NewRetroWave and carries pop, dream pop and synth-pop tags; the entry is Otherworld. Obsession of Time (Sweden, 15 releases) carries electropop and synth-pop tags: Scared Now.
Further along the shelf
PREDATOR TECHNIQUE (Finland, 20 releases) is tagged pop and synth-pop; start with Serotonin (2020). 2DCAT (US, 15 releases) carries indie pop, dream pop and new wave tags: Fantastic Voyage (2022).
Notaker is the odd one out and connects through a label. He and The Midnight both released on Monstercat, where The Midnight's remix album The Midnight Remixed came out in 2017. Wikipedia lists his genres as midtempo bass, progressive house, synthwave and synth-pop,[7] and his 2019 EP is PATH.FINDER. He is the least song-like pick here, so sample before you commit.
Picks were made by overlapping tags and labels, then checked against what each artist and a reviewer say about the music. For the genre background see Dreamwave: synthwave's soft, nostalgic side and Retrowave: the name, the sound and where it overlaps synthwave, and for the wider field 25 essential synthwave artists, and where to start with each. The sunnier If you like FM-84: artists to try next page maps a close cousin. On our radio, the Pop station (90.7 FM) has the hooks and the Romance station (97.2 FM) has the slower, sadder songs.
Records to start with
- The Midnight · 2016 · Studio C4 · LPThe 2016 album that sets the standard here; start with it if you have not yet.
- Nina · 2024 · Aztec Records · EPAn instrumental version of a NINA song, on Aztec Records.
- Glass Apple Bonzai · 2025 · Distortion Productions · EPA 2025 release from the Canadian project.
Sources
- The Midnight (band) · Wikipedia
- What Does the Future Hold for Timecop1983? · Vehlinggo, 1 Jul 2015
- Wolf Club: Just Drive (Part 2) review · NewRetroWave, 30 Jul 2021
- An Interview With NINA · NewRetroWave, 14 Aug 2017
- Dana Jean Phoenix, PixelDust interview · Bandcamp Daily
- Interview: Glass Apple Bonzai, Still Running · Regen Magazine, Jun 2024
- Notaker · Wikipedia