Darkwave
Industrial · 1985 · 90 to 130 BPM · also known as Dark Wave, Ethereal Wave
Darkwave is the dark, synthetic side of 1980s European new wave: deep vocals, funereal pads and black romanticism, sitting somewhere between guitar-driven gothic rock and pure electronics. The term gathered up dispersed scenes after the fact, from Clan of Xymox to the current revival that made Lebanon Hanover a late-arriving icon. It overlaps in part with cold wave, a border that is as much linguistic as musical.
16 reference tracks
- Clan of Xymox: A Day (1985)
- Deine Lakaien: Love Me to the End (1991)
- Diary Of Dreams: Traumtanzer (1994)
- Sopor Aeternus: Birth Fiendish (1994)
- Lebanon Hanover: Gallowdance (2013)
- Boy Harsher: Fate (2019)
- She Past Away: Durdu Dünya (2019)
- Molchat Doma: Discoteque (2020)
- Mareux: The Perfect Girl (2021)
- Molchat Doma*: Live At Panorama Hotel (2025)
- She Past Away: Ritüel
- Clan of Xymox: Medusa
- Clan of Xymox: No Words
- Clan of Xymox: Jasmine and Rose
- Clan of Xymox: Back Door
- Clan of Xymox: Louise
At a glance
- Tempo: 90 to 130 BPM
- First appeared: around 1985
- Machines: Boîte à rythmes, Roland Juno-106, Korg Poly-61, Basse électrique
- The sound: Nappes sombres analogiques, Boîtes à rythmes 80s, Basse chorusée, Voix graves réverbérées
- Labels: 4AD, Fabrika Records, Zoth Ommog, Hyperium, Young & Cold, Cold Transmission
- Key artists: Clan of Xymox, Deine Lakaien, Lebanon Hanover, She Past Away, Twin Tribes
Producing Darkwave
Darkwave sits between 90 and 130 BPM, most dance tracks around 110 to 125, driven by a straight 1980s drum machine, a LinnDrum or TR-707, but rounder and fuller than the cold wave it descends from, since reverb and pads slow how the tempo is perceived. Build the kick on the beats with an extra hit on the offbeat of three, a snare on two and four wrapped in gated reverb, the sound of the decade, and eighth-note hats opening on the last offbeat, with clean tom fills every eight bars and no distortion. Layer two basses, an electric bass with chorus playing melodic lines, and a Juno-106 saw bass an octave below, both forward in the mix, almost level with the vocal. The Juno-106 carries chorused saw pads on minor chords, answered by arpeggios and a deep, baritone vocal.
The full production course, in French: tempo, drums, bass, sounds, arrangement, mix, plugins and machines, and a step by step start.
Frequently asked
What is Darkwave?
Darkwave is the dark, synthetic side of 1980s European new wave: deep vocals, funereal pads and black romanticism, sitting somewhere between guitar-driven gothic rock and pure electronics. The term gathered up dispersed scenes after the fact, from Clan of Xymox to the current revival that made…
What tempo is Darkwave played at?
Between 90 and 130 BPM.
Who are the key Darkwave artists?
Clan of Xymox, Deine Lakaien, Lebanon Hanover, She Past Away, Twin Tribes.
