14 Best Synthwave Albums You MUST Listen To

14. Kavinsky - Outrun (2013)

Despite releasing several EP's, starting back in 2006, Kavinsky really hit his stride with his debut (and to date, only) album is a real turning point for the genre.

Helped largely in part by lead single, Testarossa Autodrive, it drew a lot more attention to the genre and Kavinsky as an artist. Despite being bandied about as a single for years, with the excellent SebastiAn remix featured on both Grand Theft Auto IV and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, it was a clear highlight to the album.

The other single, Nightcall, may have had a middling response on release, but gained a massive resurgence on the back of Ryan Gosling vehicle (pun intended) Drive, back in 2011. The inclusion on the album a few years later was the only way to go.

Featuring a traffic tale of romance and the afterlife across the album, it blends music-only tunes with some varied vocal inclusions, like Surburbia's hip-hop vocals over the top. Whilst these are a bit of a weird pace change at times, the whole album cemented Kavinsky's reputation in the genre.