For me, I’m not sure.
I love synthwave like GUNSHIP and PYLOT and Essenger as much as the next cyberpunk, but besides a few particular GUNSHIP and Essenger songs, they don’t feel quite right.
Neither does straight up punk rock or metal, which is the other stuff I listen to.
The cyberpunk music I want needs to be a blend of the two I think — the atmospheric sounds and use of synths and technological effects from synthwave, and the overt rage and message and aggressive, imperfect rock sound of punk rock and metal.
Edit: I’m liking industrial so far!
A lot of my foundational impressions were based on movie soundtracks of the likes of “Johnny Mnemonic”, “Strange Days”, “The Matrix”, and “The Crow”. In my college days, I was really into the industrial genre and the likes of NiN (the Broken/Fixed era), Front 242, Sister Machine Gun, God Lives Underwater, and Machines of Loving Grace. Then I got into EDM for a while, as a lot of the software devs I lived and worked with were into that genre.
These days, I’ve been getting into darkwave and synthwave. I’m a big fan of our very own @revengeday@dataterm.digital, Dance With The Dead, Extra Terra, Neon Nox, Lazerpunk, and DreamReaper to name a few.
Absolutely going to also say the Industrial genre as others have said, that’s my go to. Bands like Nine Inch Nails, Author & Punisher, Skinny Puppy, 3TEETH, Ramstein, early Ministry and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult , Lead Into Gold, Venus in Aries, Gary Numan. All of these get my blood pumping and make me want to move in the dystopian hellscape we live in that’s moving towards cyberpunk every day.
Another genre I feel like really has a Cyberpunk vibe is early Trip-hop, specifically Massive Attack.
Also some electronic bands, like The Glitch Mob, Danger, and The Prodigy give me that same cyberpunk energy.
Finally an offshoot of the Industrial and punk genres, EBM, Electronic Body Music, with it’s grinding melodies and it’s pounding beat give me the cyberpunk vibe. Example bands that I personally like are Nitzer Ebb and Street Fever.
Now that I’m home, here are links to all the artists I mentioned.
Industrial Cyberpunk suggestions
Nine Inch Nails - The Becoming
Author & Punisher - Nihil Strength (this one is cyberpunk in more ways than one, as he makes his own industrial instruments)
Ministry - Land of Rape and Honey
My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult - After the Flesh (The band and this song was featured in the Crow, which is where this video get’s it’s footage from.)
Lead Into Gold - Hard Won Decay
Gary Numan - My Name Is Ruin (if you want a real crazy contrast, this is the same guy who did https://youtu.be/Im3JzxlatUs. He’s been doing music since like 1978 and after NIN became a thing, he went industrial and has a great catalog, 23 albums since 1978.)
Trip-Hop cyberpunk suggestions
And as a bonus one of Massive Attacks members solo career Tricky - Evolution Revolution Love
Electronica/techno/EDM Cyberpunk suggestions
The Glitch Mob - I Need My Memory Back
Danger - 19:00 (He does mostly tracks without lyrics, which are amazing, but I love this track.)
EBM (Electronic Body Music) Cyberpunk suggestions
Great recommendations!
I listen to all kinds of music but when I code it’s always dream pop: Slowdive, Majesty Crush, POiSON GiRLFRiEND, 800 Cherries, Takako Minekawa, there are so many that I love.
Honorable mention - the soundtrack to Fight Club exudes the same corporate desperation, without the cyber elements.
Check out Amaranthe - Digital World!
Edit: I was looking for new music the other day and came across this gem. Now I’m addicted to the whole album (but I’m not sure if it’s all like what you’re looking for, it’s mostly heavy metal I think? I’m not good with genre names)
I love Perturbators music
Feels like cyberpunk dystopia jams
Megadrive - Acid Spit <3
I hope this is not shameless, because I am a musician myself. But I try to implement the cyberpunk vibe in my music. For me cyberpunk as music is always a mixture of dirty sounds, darkness, and the thought of losing everything. That’s what I’ve tried to do with a few EPs and tracks.
Here is a small selection that cyberpunks found to be good:
- https://revenge.day/discography/sandevistan
- https://revenge.day/discography/bakeneko
- https://revenge.day/discography/skinwatch
- https://revenge.day/discography/corpo-meltdown
In general, techno, neurofunk, dirty punk-rock is cyberpunk for me.
Oh this is BANGIN!
Thanks choom!
I just finished listening to Sandevistan, it definitely has the feel of Cyberpunk to me. I mean admittedly based on my other comment I’m not entirely sure what that feel is, but I liked it a lot and it definitely fits for me.
Whooo, it’s the feeling of having too much cyberware installed and being on the verge of cyberpsychosis!
I’d recommend maybe checking out some post-industrial bands like Skinny Puppy or Front Line Assembly. Might be the vibe you’re looking for.
Here are a couple of examples: Skiny Puppy - “Testure” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLm9mhh7gvg
Front Line Assembly - “Mindphaser” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWjBPIbJMzY
That sounds excellent! I actually just finished reading an essay that made industrial music sound like the natural cyberpunk successor to punk rock, so this is perfect timing!
What essay did you read if you don’t mind my asking?
Gunship rules! If you’re looking for low orbit cyberpunk God is an Astronaut. I really liked the Americana music in Hardspace: Shipbreaker but that’s kind of proto cyberpunk.
There’s always post rock staples like Godspeed You Black Emperor for more of a desolate abandoned town on the outside of the megalopolis.
I have always been partial to the Ghost in the Shell soundtrack. The intro chant from the 1995 movie has a more ethnic vibe as well, which is quite cool and a nice change of pace from the usual techno. The SAC series soundtrack is quite nice and varied also.
Of course, CP2077 has some real bangers… I’d probably want a mix of music to suit the setting.
Ghost in the Shell is a good one. I do like the less western/techno flairs. Actually, that’s something I really like about Akira’s soundtrack as well, now that I think about it. And yeah, I agree, having music to suit the mood and setting is always important!
CP2077’s music for me honestly comes the closest across the board to being what I want, while still having a ton of variety. But it isn’t music I can typically enjoy listening to out of game for some reason.
