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top10 2018 electronicgothGoing back to the middle of the 2000s, when I started creating such tops, I selected Electronic Gothic music into a separate top list, because it was a significant part of the dark scene. Then there were a lot of young projects and the old ones released albums quiet often, so they were worthy of the attention of the whole dark scene audience and not just fans of Synth Goth and Gothic Electro. It was the year 2018. The format genres of Electronic Gothic music became more and more rare.

In fact, if I had not included Dream Pop in this category, if there were no releases not in the classic sound of the genres mentioned above, then the top 10 would include actually all the albums released in these genres during the year or would consist of five albums only. Sadly, however like every year, there are good bands with good albums. And some of them would quite harmoniously fit into the best albums in other genres. But everything will go step by step...

Covered genres: Gothic Electro, Synth Goth, Electro Goth, Dream Pop, Dark-Trip-Wave, Gothic Industrial, Electro Folk


10. Night Haze – ‘Love is Chaos’ (Synth Goth | Greece, Self-Released)

NIGHT HAZE was formed in the Greek capital Athens in January 2018 by PlasticineK and Stathis Alex. The duo’s music was influenced by such genres as Postpunk, Darkwave and Post Industrial electronic music, therefore the duet’s sound moving to Synth Goth is quite natural. After the birth, the project released a single, followed in October by a debut full-length album. Also two official video clips were shot, to which was added a couple of unofficial fan videos. The duo has no rich history, but there is good music, excellent female vocals and a desire to continue. The debut album sounds like the modern scene of Electronic Gothic music examples incorporating both the elements of the Gothic Electro and Synth Goth of mid 00s pattern and the modern trends of the Cold Wave. Good album, good music, good debut.




09. Sophya – ‘Broken Mirrors’ (Dream Pop, Ethereal | Israel, Seja Records)

The Israeli project SOPHYA is essentially Israeli only on paper. Long time ago the band members moved to Amsterdam and at the moment are based in The Netherlands. However, at the end of the 90s SOPHYA was formed in Israel. In 1999 they were noticed by Ronny Moorings from CLAN OF XYMOX who not only took part in their producing, but also promoted to the German well-known at that time Gothic label Pandaimonium Records. The project has released three albums and then went into a continuous sleep mode. In 2018 a promo single with two new songs from the future album was released, and then the album itself was out. If earlier the project’s music was spinning around the classical Dream Pop going from time to time into a more Ethereal atmospheric sound, the new work turned out to be more electronic and diverse. Electronic features, which are now popular to use, have not bypassed Israelis, which implemented skilfully those elements into their music. Excellent return of an interesting project! I hope that for the next album we will not have to wait another 12 years. Welcome back.




08. The Coventry – ‘The Art of Survival’ (Synth Goth, Darkwave | Italy, Swiss Dark Nights)

The debut album of the Italian trio THE COVENTRY was released on the Swiss label Swiss Dark Nights. The project was created in 2017 by Valerio Rivieccio and Adriana Colella, who in the same year launched another project called TERMINAL FRONT working in the genre of Synth Pop with variations. However, the debut album was released only in the gothic part of their work. The debut sounds very versatile and gives a strong influence of CLAN OF XYMOX and the early music of THE FROZEN AUTUMN. This is a melancholic gloomy Synth Goth with Cold Wave and heartfelt male vocals. The release fits perfectly into the old-school sound and if it was released in the 90s, it would be important part the history of synthetic Gothic music. Now it’s just a great strong work, worthy of the attention of every lover of Gothic music.




07. Coma Alliance – ‘Weapon of Choice’ (Synth Goth, Darkwave | Germany, Accession Records)

This debut reminds the golden era of two projects’ work. It is possible to characterize this creation by respected musicians, who gathered for a joint release, in two ways. Adrian Hates from DIARY OF DREAMS and Torben Wendt from DIORAMA remembered the golden years of their career and decided to record something similar. And they did it. Although, of course, the new ‘Freak Perfume’ or ‘Her Liquid Arms’ should not be expected, however, COMA ALLIANCE released a good album in the style of those same ones. The album has no big amount of hit songs, but the atmosphere is peculiar for the period of golden 2000s. There are rhythmic and dance tunes of DIORAMA and lyrical melancholy of DIARY OF DREAMS. In 2000s their fans constantly argued over who is better. I wonder what they will argue about now.




06. Qntal – ‘VIII-Nachtblume’ (Electro Folk, Medieval, Ethereal | Germany, Drakkar Entertainment)

Four years have passed since the last album of the German project QNTAL. During this time the Germans managed to be headliners of their day at Wave Gotik Treffen festival several times, perform at a number of other format festivals of the dark scene and they were always at their best. Therefore, a weak album would be considered as a big disappointment. However, Michael Popp and the team did everything right. But not everything as expected. QNTAL’s music has gone into an even more electronic field, although at concerts they were playing more Rock music. And now this electronic area has become more dancing. On the one hand it may seem that QNTAL went into Pop music, but this combination of electronics with Medieval Folk music is done so well, that even small thoughts about thoughts of Pop are forgotten. Good respected project with new interesting material.




05. Wind Atlas – ‘An Adible Body’ (Postpunk, Dream Pop, Industrial Darkwave | Spain, B.F.E Records)

This is already the third album of the Spanish project WIND ATLAS with an explosive mixture of the Ethereal, Postpunk, Dream Pop and Industrial Darkwave, which was recorded after an American tour with the industrial project LINGUE IGNOTA. This album could easily be a part of the best Industrial albums of the year, the best albums of the Guitar dark scene of the year or the best releases of the Chamber part of the dark scene. However, in the first place it is still an ethereal with electronics. In fact, the ethereal with electronics is Dream Pop and this album was done with influence and elements of Dream Pop, but it’s still an ethereal with electronics and not Dream Pop. And it was not without Postpunk, without Ambient and without lots of other genres. A very deep multifaceted work, which does not seem to be a wild experiment as it may seem due to the abundance of incompatible genres. The album has rhythmic (but not dance) compositions, atmospheric and sticky songs and just experimental ones. The album is not for everyone and will not be so easy for perception, but rightfully takes place in the top ten. In any top list of any scene!




04. AnnA Lux – ‘Wunderland’ (Electro Goth, Synth Rock | Switzerland, NoCut)

Swiss singer Anna created a solo project in 2016, but the debut full-length album was released only in 2018. The debut album of ANNA LUX is out on the label NoCut and is called ‘Wunderland’. Anna plays guitar, piano and sings. Her music is the epitome of all mentioned above skills plus an electronic music making component. It turned out to be an interesting mixture of Electro Goth, Synth Rock with elements of Pop Rock and Gothic Rock genres. In 2018 the project went on a tour to warm up the monsters of the Neue Deutsche Härte, MEGAHERZ. The project could easily enter the top of the guitar dark scene and take a decent place there. The album is actually not standard for both scenes and the presence of memorable hits makes this debut one of the most interesting on the scene of Gothic music.




03. L'Âme Immortelle – ‘Hinter Dem Horizont’ (Gothic Electro | Austrial, Trisol)

Austrian giants of Electronic Gothic music release a new album. This album is bringing the Austrians and their fans back to the past. The background for this has already been heard before, but the musicians had to move away from the metal sound, to which they came at a certain point. On the new album the notes of the Thomas Rainer’s project NACHTMAHR are clearly heard. Apparently, this influenced for good, because in 2018 L'ÂME IMMORTELLE began to sound very similar to their music in early 2000s. Not exactly the same, but the new album is closer to the old works. The sound on the new album is modern and clearly oriented to large audience. But Thomas and Sonja put it all together: old recognizable features and new stuff. The main component of success is the talent of composing, of course. Sound is another thing. Good and powerful album from Austrians.




02. Kirlian Camera – ‘Hologram Moon’ (Synth Goth, Gothic Electro, Darkwave | Italy, Dependent)

The new album of the Italian project KIRLIAN CAMERA and beautiful Elena Alice Fossi. Beautiful not only by vision, as many thought, but also as a vocalist. If you remember first works of the Italians and listen to what they are doing now, then many would be surprised. The project, which began with Industrial Darkwave, absorbed all the best from there and with musical development and probably evolution has become one of the leading Electronic Gothic projects of the modern dark scene. On the new album, which sounds no longer in the classical Gothic Industrial or Gothic Electro genre, the obvious influence of another project SPECTRA*PARIS in which Helen sings, is also felt. Soft synth melodies meeting Gothic Electro and even Darkwave, rhythmic dance hits and slow atmospheric compositions make this album maybe the best in the discography of Italians. But for sure ‘Hologram Moon’ is one of the best in 2018 on the scene of Electronic Gothic music.




01. Sin + Seraphim – ‘Ritual’ (Darkwave, Ethereal, Trip-Hop | USA, Self-Released)

The best album of Electronic Gothic music this year is a project that does not play in any of the classical genres of this scene. American duo of Zeph and Zoe was compared to such giants as DEAD CAN DANCE, COCTEAU TWINS, FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON and DELIRIUM. Their debut album was released in digital format only at least for now. I don’t know how well-known labels overlooked them, but the work of SIN + SERAPHIM is impressive... impressive with variety, atmosphere, sound, unusual combinations, vocal and emotionality. You can find on the album classical oriental Ethereal with neoclassical inserts and Zoe’s magnificent vocals, atmospheric Trip-Hop compositions and tough electronic sounds. ‘Ritual’ is a brave experiment, which has become nearly a masterpiece. It did not happen on the Electronic Gothic scene for a very long time.



Other honourable mentions: CHAOS RESEARCH, HOLY MOTORS

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