Darksynth is a microgenre of electronic music that emerged in the early 2010s as a darker, heavier, and more aggressive offshoot of the Synthwave movement. It is characterized by its fusion of 1980s-inspired synthesizer sounds with the intensity and thematic elements of heavy metal , industrial , and horror film scores. The genre abandons the brighter, more optimistic nostalgia of its parent genre, Outrun, in favor of a sound and visual identity rooted in cyberpunk dystopia, occultism, and ultra-violence.

Darksynth coalesced as a distinct style around 2012, led by a new generation of producers, many of whom came from backgrounds in the metal scene. Artists like Perturbator and Carpenter Brut in France began pushing Synthwave in a faster and more aggressive direction, incorporating the heavy bass of electro and industrial music.

The genre gained significant exposure through its inclusion in the soundtracks for the critically acclaimed video games Hotline Miami (2012) and Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (2015). These games featured tracks from pioneers such as Perturbator, Carpenter Brut, Mega Drive, and Scattle, introducing their dark, violent aesthetic to a wide audience and inextricably linking the genre's sound with fast-paced, visceral action. The rise of the extreme metal label Blood Music as a prominent publisher of Darksynth, starting with Perturbator's 2014 album Dangerous Days , further solidified the genre's connection to the metal scene through shared production values and marketing.

The Darksynth aesthetic marks a deliberate break from the bright, 80s pop-culture nostalgia of Synthwave . Its visual identity is heavily influenced by the horror and science fiction films of the 1970s and 80s, particularly the works of director John Carpenter. Album artwork, music videos, and artist branding draw from a darker palette, utilizing imagery of cyberpunk dystopia, occult and satanic symbolism (such as pentagrams and inverted crosses), and themes of ultra-violence. This creates a cohesive "retro-noir" or "cyber-doom" atmosphere that complements the aggressive and menacing tone of the music.

The sound of Darksynth is characterized by loud, distorted production, fast tempos, and a percussive, aggressive approach. It retains the use of vintage synthesizers common in Synthwave, such as the Roland 808 for drum sequences, but combines them with grounding, heavy basslines and a compositional structure influenced by metal.

As the genre has developed, it has diverged into several stylistic paths. Artists like Perturbator and Mega Drive moved toward an Electro-Industrial sound, while Carpenter Brut and Dance With the Dead popularized the use of Heavy Metal guitar riffs and solos over Electro House rhythms. Other acts, such as GosT, have become notable for incorporating strong Black Metal influences, including distorted vocals and blast beats.