Aztec Records is a London label that releases synthpop and synthwave on the same roster. The Frekvenci archive lists 108 of its releases from 48 artists, and the split is almost even: 61 releases in the popwave family (synth-pop and its neighbours) and 47 in synthwave. Few labels in our data lean toward song-shaped pop this clearly.
Where does Aztec sit between pop and synthwave?
The label's Bandcamp page places it in London and says it puts out "some of the best Synthpop, Synthwave and Retrowave music from around the world". The same page claims more than 1,500 tracks in the catalogue and shows a "Pure Darkwave" volume as its latest release, alongside yearly "Best Of" albums.[1]
One of its names, NINA, shows why the label does not separate the two styles. In an interview from around 2018 she called her own music 80s-inspired synthwave and synthpop, and praised labels like Aztec for spreading the word about the scene.[2] She also curated the label's Pure Synthwave Vol. 1 compilation.[2] Her 2020 single "Runaway", with the Aztec artist LAU and the writer Ricky Wilde, came out ahead of her Synthian album on the label.[3] We could not confirm a founding date from any source outside the label, so we give none.
For the bigger argument about where synth-pop ends and synthwave begins, our Synthpop and synthwave: where the 1980s sound meets the revival guide goes through it.
How fast has the catalogue grown?
Thin early years, then a sudden step up.
SHOW THE NUMBERS
| Year | Releases |
|---|---|
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 16 |
| 2021 | 28 |
| 2022 | 20 |
| 2023 | 17 |
| 2024 | 15 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 | 1 |
From 2013 to 2019 the archive lists only 6 releases: one in 2013, two in 2017, one in 2018 and two in 2019. Then 2020 brings 16, and the label peaks in 2021 with 28 listed releases. After that come 20 in 2022, 17 in 2023, 15 in 2024 and 5 in 2025, with 1 so far in 2026 (a part year).
Read the early gap with care. The label took off around 2020, but older Aztec records may simply be missing from the databases we draw on. Its own page reports far more music than the 108 listed here.[1]
Format tells you what kind of label this is: 64 singles, 31 LPs, 9 EPs and 4 filed as other. A single-led catalogue is how pop labels usually work, a song at a time.
SHOW THE NUMBERS
| Family | Releases |
|---|---|
| Vaporwave | 10,473 |
| Synthwave | 8,105 |
| Popwave | 2,678 |
| Darksynth | 1,803 |
| Dreamwave | 833 |
| Cyberpunk | 6 |
By main tag the split reads synthpop 43, synthwave 39, italo disco 12, retrowave 7 and nu-disco 6. The co-tags back it up, with synth-pop on 61 releases, pop on 48 and dark wave on 14. Where country is known (58% of releases), the United Kingdom leads with 28 listed releases and the United States follows with 22, then Canada with 4. The Italo side of the catalogue is a small version of what Italo disco and synthwave: the 1980s sound that keeps coming back describes.
What does an Aztec record sound like?
Think hooks first. A few releases show the idea neatly: Light Up Your Dark (Instrumentals) and Lost In Love (Instrumentals) are instrumental editions of vocal records, which only makes sense on a label where the singer is the default. In Frekvenci's genre tree these records mostly land in popwave, the family for synth-pop, italo disco and nu-disco, separate from the instrumental driving strand that our What is synthwave? A plain guide, with the numbers guide describes.
Who are the key artists?
Bunny X has the biggest presence with 12 of 21 listed releases, then Nina (7 of 12, UK), Zenith Volt (6, all of their listed releases), Sunglasses Kid (5 of 21), Natalie Gray (5) and LAU (5). The Bandcamp page also names The Lightning Kids, Kidburn, Thought Beings, Donna Lewis and Cassetter.[1] Twelve of the top fifteen have fewer than ten releases in the archive, so Aztec is a spread of small catalogues instead of a few giants.
SHOW THE NUMBERS
| Artist | Releases |
|---|---|
| Bunny X | 12 |
| Nina | 7 |
| Zenith Volt | 6 |
| Sunglasses Kid | 5 |
| Natalie Gray | 5 |
| LAU | 5 |
| Syntronix | 4 |
| Power Rob | 4 |
| Hanna Rua | 4 |
| Surrender | 3 |
Where to start with Aztec Records
Ten records, one per year-stretch, mixing the synthpop and synthwave halves.
- Nina · 2013 · Aztec Records · EPThe earliest NINA entry in the archive, a 2013 synthpop EP.
- Sunglasses Kid · 2017 · Aztec Records · EPA 2017 synthwave EP that predates the label's 2020 surge.
- The Secret Chord · 2020 · Aztec Records · LPA 2020 synthwave album, the instrumental side of the label.
- Young Empress · 2021 · Aztec Records · LPAnother 2021 synthpop album, from the same peak year.
- Syntronix · 2022 · Aztec Records · LPA 2022 synthpop album from an artist with four records here.
- Bunny X · 2026 · Aztec Records · LPA 2026 italo disco-tagged album from the label's biggest catalogue.
Is Aztec still releasing?
Yes. The archive has an Aztec release dated 2026, so the label counts as active (a listed release in the last twelve months). Its Bandcamp page shows a recent "Pure Darkwave" volume and a subscriber note dated 27 July 2026.[1] The yearly counts have eased from the 2021 peak to 5 in 2025, so it is a smaller operation than it was, though nothing suggests it has stopped.
For a label with a similar vocal bias, a UK-led roster and a much bigger catalogue, compare it with NewRetroWave. The label overview is on the Aztec Records label page, the Pop station (90.7 FM) plays its kind of record, and the wider field is mapped in Synthwave labels worth knowing, and which are still active.
Sources
- Aztec Records (Bandcamp label page) · Aztec Records, accessed 20 Oct 2026
- In conversation with NINA · PLAYY. Magazine (The Playground), c. 2018
- Premiere: anthemic new NINA song 'Runaway' ft. LAU · Vehlinggo, 28 May 2020