Tag: synthpop

Madeline Goldstein Entrancing Darkwave Synthpop Single “Dream 2 Die” is a Song About Personal Liminal Spaces and Transcending Stasis

At the beginning of Madeline Goldstein’s new single “Dream 2 Die,” it’ obvious that the songwriter has mastered the art of the percussive bass synth line. It’s a sound reminiscent of the better end of the Pet Shop Boys and New Order catalogs. The shimmering synth melody over the top and Goldstein’s signature soulful/evocatively ethereal vocals get into your head for a song about the lingering impact of a time we all went through when many of us were isolated and the world seemed to have changed forever. For some people this sense of isolation was a familiar experience that continued and for Goldstein it is clearly a source of inspiration in articulating so well a psychological liminal space where things can feel in a constant state of flux and of becoming without quite reaching an endpoint. The echoing vocals and the quickly resolving icy synth line on hypnotic repeat frame a song that is captivating and mysterious and feels simultaneously like comforting the feelings of anyone that has felt stuck and a will to move forward into the uncharted and unknown. Listen to “Dream 2 Die” on YouTube and follow Madeline Goldstein at the links below. The songwriter/singer’s new album Speaking to the Body is out April 10, 2026 via Artoffact Records on translucent red vinyl, digital download and streaming.

Madeline Goldstein on Instagram

Madeline Goldstein on Bandcamp

Forever Factory’s Moody Synthpop Single “Absence” is a Song About the Complexities of Romantic Devotion

Forever Factory, photo courtesy the artist

Forever Factory is set to release the EP Violence Is Everywhere But Not Here in March 2026. Ahead of that the project offers “Absence.” The subdued, melodic bass line running through the song is reminiscent of something Peter Hook was doing in the later period Joy Division and early New Order as an anchoring, yet driving presence. Alexander Zen’s dramatic vocals are the perfect vehicle for a song that seems to be expressing conflicted and complex feelings of devotion for a loved one and being willing to get through rough patches and even times when one feels hollowed out because the connection is more enduring than some temporary emotional turmoil. It also articulates an unspoken acknowledgment of one’s own passionate and sensitive nature maybe hitting some low points as well and yearning to not be discarded for feeling poignantly and deeply. Fans of the aforementioned as well as Madeleine Goldstein and Model/Actriz will appreciate what Forever Factory demonstrates with this single. Listen to “Abscence” on Spotify and follow Forever Factory on Instagram.

MAKEUP Breathes Otherworldly and Fantastical Melodies Into the Ethereal Synthpop of “Finger Driver”

MAKEUP, photo courtesy the artist

The swirls of ethereal harmonics and melodies in the hazy synths of MAKEUP’s “Finger Driver” pair well with a background of icy tones and a spare electronic beat. The artist’s processed vocals offer an emotional uplift in a song that could otherwise be melancholic. The mood is reminiscent of lightly fogged DIY skate parties in the late 2010s and like a soundtrack for a more hopeful indie science fiction thriller. Fans of Chromatics and Electric Youth will find some strong resonance in MAKEUP’s mastery of tone and organic yet otherworldly and fantastical melodies. Listen to “Finger Driver” on Spotify.