RetroSynth Records is a label that says it promotes "Synthwave and other electronic music", and in the Frekvenci archive it is the busiest label whose catalogue is mostly synthwave: 200 listed releases from 74 artists, 2011 to 2026. Most are singles, and about one in eight is darksynth.
Who runs RetroSynth Records?
The label's Bandcamp page places it in Deptford, New Jersey, names Dan Eachus as president and Eric C. Powell as vice president, and lists a vinyl division called Lazersteel Records.[1] (Our own location field disagrees with the page on the city, so we follow the page.) No founding date appears there, and we found no interview that gives one. The page features compilations such as Death By Synth Vol. 5 beside single-artist releases.[1] The vinyl arm is one reason to read our guide to Synthwave on vinyl, cassette and CD: formats in the data next to this profile. What the archive adds is the shape of the catalogue.
A singles label with two heavy contributors
SHOW THE NUMBERS
| Year | Releases |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 0 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 13 |
| 2018 | 40 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 22 |
| 2022 | 22 |
| 2023 | 14 |
| 2024 | 32 |
| 2025 | 21 |
| 2026 | 6 |
The archive lists a lone release in each of 2011, 2012 and 2013, one in 2015 and four in 2016. The catalogue really begins in 2017 with 13, then jumps to 40 in 2018. After that it settles at 10 and 12 in 2019 and 2020, 22 in both 2021 and 2022 and 14 in 2023, with a second bump to 32 in 2024 and 21 in 2025. 2026 is a part year (6 so far). Two artists carry a large share: Geovarius has 27 of the label's releases and SIXMIXSIX 19, together 46 of 200. The 2024 bump comes from several acts, among them Sixmixsix with 7 that year.
The format is the clearest fingerprint. Of 200 releases, 99 are singles, 48 are LPs, 29 are EPs, 22 are in the "other" bucket and just 2 are compilations. This is a singles label, which fits how a lot of synthwave is released now: a track at a time, then an album when the singles are done. None is self-released; for the DIY side of the scene see Do it yourself: how much synthwave is self-released?.
Artists are spread across continents. Where country is known (75.5% of releases), the United States leads with 50, then France with 29, Germany with 21, Poland with 16 and the United Kingdom with 13. For a label with an American address that is notably European, and the biggest catalogues come from France, Germany and Poland.
SHOW THE NUMBERS
| Artist | Releases |
|---|---|
| Geovarius | 27 |
| SIXMIXSIX | 19 |
| JEREMIAH KANE | 15 |
| Neutron Dreams | 7 |
| Neon Black | 6 |
| Bending Grid | 6 |
| Chris Keya | 5 |
| Rust Cult | 5 |
| LETEMRIOT | 4 |
| Mad Motiv | 4 |
The sound
By genre family, 152 releases are synthwave, 24 darksynth, 14 popwave and 9 dreamwave. By tag, 151 are plain synthwave, then darkwave (12), synthpop (10), horrorsynth (10), chillwave (5) and chillsynth (4), with a few italo disco and spacesynth. The co-tags are informative: cyberpunk appears on 48 releases and darksynth on 29, while horror synth (11) and industrial (7) fill out the dark end.
The dark strand is what separates RetroSynth from the pop-leaning labels. Nightride FM, the free online synth station, shows how listeners divide the scene: darksynth (with cyberpunk and synthmetal) and horrorsynth (with witch house) get their own channels, apart from the main synthwave and outrun one.[2] RetroSynth's catalogue crosses those lines. Metal Hammer's 2017 feature framed synthwave as steeped in 1980s exploitation and science-fiction cinema,[3] and the label's cyberpunk and horror tags track that reading. For the genres themselves, see our What is darksynth? The heavy, horror-lit side of synthwave and What is horrorsynth? Synthwave for the slasher-movie crowd.
SHOW THE NUMBERS
| Family | Releases |
|---|---|
| Vaporwave | 10,473 |
| Synthwave | 8,105 |
| Popwave | 2,678 |
| Darksynth | 1,803 |
| Dreamwave | 833 |
| Cyberpunk | 6 |
Key artists
Three names make up most of the catalogue. Geovarius (France) has 27 of the label's releases. SIXMIXSIX (Germany) has 19. JEREMIAH KANE (Poland) has 15 of his 18 listed releases here. Then come Neutron Dreams (7), Neon Black (US, 6), Bending Grid (US, 6) and Chris Keya (Italy; 5 of 30). Rust Cult has 5. Several others have four: LETEMRIOT (the label's oldest listing, from 2011), Mad Motiv, Max Overdrive 1986, Dark Saints, Pashang, Sub Neon and Pantherwolfe.
Where to begin with RetroSynth
- LETEMRIOT · 2011 · RetroSynth Records · SINGLEThe earliest date on file for the label, a 2011 single.
- Ray Gun Hero · 2017 · RetroSynth Records · EPA 2017 EP from when the label's pace picked up.
- C Z A R I N A · 2018 · RetroSynth Records · LPA 2018 synthpop album from the peak year.
- Neutron Dreams · 2021 · RetroSynth Records · LPA 2021 album from one of the label's biggest catalogues.
- SIXMIXSIX · 2023 · RetroSynth Records · LPA 2023 album from the second most-released artist.
- Pashang 爬上 · 2025 · RetroSynth Records · EPA 2025 chillsynth EP, for the calmer side.
Is RetroSynth still adding records?
Yes. The archive lists releases through 2026, including six already this year, and the last full year, 2025, lists 21. The Bandcamp page shows no dates, so we cannot say more about plans.[1] For the sound, the Dark station (94.6 FM) covers the darker end of the catalogue and the Night Drive station (92.0 FM) the rest.
Another label that mixes synthwave with a strong dark side, on a far smaller scale, is Blood Music. The whole field is mapped in Synthwave labels worth knowing, and which are still active, and the full list of titles is on the RetroSynth Records label page.
Sources
- RetroSynth Records (Bandcamp label page) · RetroSynth Records, accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Nightride FM (station list) · Nightride FM, accessed 20 Oct 2026
- Resonant evil: how synthwave is taking over the underground · Louder / Metal Hammer, 2 Feb 2017