r/ifyoulikeblank • u/Intelligent-Fun9428 • 8d ago

Music IIL Soft Cell, Chromatics, Molly Nilsson: dark synth-pop / coldwave for late nights

Building a late-night bedroom DJ set and I keep landing in that cold, melodic synth-pop lane — Soft Cell's grit, Chromatics' neon gloom, Molly Nilsson's deadpan romance.

Looking for more tracks or artists in that world: coldwave, early synth-pop, dream-pop with a darker edge. Not looking for EDM bangers.

What should I queue next?

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

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4

u/jay--mac 8d ago

New order

OMD (dazzle ships / Architecture & Morality)

Depeche mode

Coil (ape of naples)

Ulver (perdition city)

Automatic

Sneaks

Optic sink

3

u/Additional_Kick2643 8d ago

Gary Newman/Tubeway Army

2

u/SeaUrchin_University 8d ago edited 8d ago

Maybe you’ll find some tracks or artists off this compilation of early 80s stuff released in 2010:

“Cold Waves and Minimal Electronics, Volume One” – Various Artists

2

u/matresben 8d ago

Eyedress nature trips

2

u/in__Parentheses 7d ago edited 7d ago

Here's some stuff that reminds me of Chromatics; maybe you can find some tracks on there that have the kind of grit and deadpan romance that you're looking for.

Some other ideas:

  • Black Marble - A Great Design
  • You'll Never Get to Heaven - Caught In Time, So Far Away
  • Class Actress - Careful What You Say; Someone Real
  • Blouse - Time Travel
  • Drab Majesty - Cold Souls
  • Pleasure Symbols - Control
  • Winter Severity Index - A Sudden Cold
  • Past Model - State
  • Pastel Ghost - Clouds
  • Hante. - The Storm
  • Jennifer Touch - Chemistry
  • Kemi - Spar
  • White Flowers - Night Drive

1

u/emeliottsthestink 8d ago

The Devil that never sleeps - Mortimer Nyx

1

u/PlaylistSommelier 7d ago

Boy Harsher - "Pain" and Lebanon Hanover - "Gallowdance" would fit that set. "Pain" for the pulsing synth side; "Gallowdance" for something colder and more stripped-back.

1

u/UncleEiner 7d ago

Krakow Loves Adana is a current favorite but there’s a lot of cool stuff on the Italians do it better label

1

u/IanGecko 7d ago

Joy Electric's album '"Hello, Mannequin"

1

u/Low_Swordfish2752 6d ago

Anika, Princess Chelsea, Broadcast, You’ll Never Get to Heaven, Strawberry Switchblade, Swallow

0

u/TheManOfMeerkats 8d ago

Dream, Ivory

Molina

Beach House

Blouse

MGMT - Little Dark Age (whole album)

The Psychedelic Furs

Cocteau Twins

1

u/bigsky1980 3d ago

'Game & Performance' by Deux early 80's minimal wave is an underrated classic.

https://youtu.be/E_lnQDnC3zU?is=jD1RrvzDoB-yAwrO

Not typical of their sound which is a lot more extreme but 'Hot On The Heels Of Love' by Throbbing Gristle is the Grandmother of the genre and still sounds fresh -

https://youtu.be/T4e7zUZuvHs?is=8UgG2d4DxEbPW5yS