Jun 12, 2025

Das Mörtal: From Berlin Shadows to Neon Dreams

If your idea of a good time includes fog machines, VHS fuzz, and soundtracks that make your spine shiver in the best way possible, then hello, you’ve probably already met Das Mörtal — or at least stumbled into his world by accident. And if not? Buckle in, retro lovers. This isn’t just another guy twiddling knobs in his bedroom. Das Mörtal is a whole mood.

Cristóbal Cortes — aka Das Mörtal — is the dark synth wizard we didn’t know we needed but now can’t imagine our playlists without. Born in Chile and currently haunting the streets of Montréal, he’s been conjuring his unique brand of synthwave since his Berlin days back in 2012. Think: German techno beats gone rogue, meeting 1980s horror flicks in a neon-lit alley. Yeah, that kind of vibe.

His music is like if John Carpenter’s Halloween theme and Aphex Twin got stuck in an elevator with a smoke machine and a bottle of absinthe. Creepy? Yes. But also strangely danceable. And that’s the genius of Das Mörtal — he walks the line between haunting and head-bobbing with the grace of a leather-clad vampire DJ.

The Berlin Awakening

Das Mörtal didn’t start in the glow of North American stages. His transformation began in Berlin — because of course it did. If any city is going to unleash a techno-tinged synthwave sorcerer, it’s the birthplace of warehouse raves and currywurst. Berlin gave Cortes the freedom to experiment, to ditch traditional song structures, and to dive deep into the thump of German techno and the cinematic eeriness of vintage horror soundtracks.

This wasn’t just a guy remixing retro for kicks. You can feel his influences — Steve Moore’s analog dreamscapes, Aphex Twin’s unsettling beauty, and those synth-stabbed ‘80s horror OSTs that made you terrified of closets for a week. Das Mörtal doesn’t sample the past. He resurrects it.

Always Loved, Never Forgotten

In 2017, Das Mörtal dropped Always Loved, his debut LP. This wasn’t your average synthwave record. It felt personal, like a breakup album composed by a ghost. There were club bangers for the emotionally unavailable and eerie slow burns that made you feel like you were driving a DeLorean through purgatory. In the best way.

Fans didn’t just listen. They felt it. That album opened the door to a global audience. People wanted more — and not just for Spotify playlists. We’re talking late-night car rides, haunted house parties, dystopian workout sessions. The man had range.

Miami Beach Witches and Other Hexes

Then came Miami Beach Witches in 2020, right when the world was feeling a little... apocalyptic. Perfect timing, really. The album fused darkwave with techno and leaned harder into that VHS occult aesthetic. If Always Loved was a séance, Miami Beach Witches was a coven’s afterparty.

By now, Das Mörtal had become a staple in synthwave culture, without becoming cliché. He was always shifting — evolving his sound, distorting expectations. And not just in albums. You might’ve caught his music scoring Naissance d’un Zombie or Deadcon, reminding us that the right soundtrack makes zombies even cooler (and slightly sexier? No? Just us?).

The 2020s and the Graveyard Grind

While the world struggled to remember how to wear pants again, Das Mörtal kept crafting sonic spells. Bury The Sorrow (2023) was heavier, darker, but somehow still dancefloor-friendly. Tracks like “Countess” and “The Void” sounded like the soundtrack to a noir cyberpunk anime that doesn’t exist yet — but should.

By 2024, he blessed us with Hotline Miami II Deluxe, an expanded journey into the game's brutal pixelated chaos. It wasn’t just music. It was blood-soaked nostalgia, a joyride through hell in a pixelated Lamborghini.

And then — just when you think he’s peaked — he drops Origins in 2025. The lead single, “Falsche Daten,” is all glitch and grit, German-titled for maximum mystery. It’s proof he’s still reinventing, still refusing to be predictable.

Let’s Talk Aesthetic

The Das Mörtal look is part of the magic. It’s not just music — it’s a whole aesthetic philosophy. He’s basically what would happen if Blade was raised on synthwave and European techno instead of vampire-hunting. His visual universe is wrapped in static, occult symbols, and cyber-noir minimalism. There’s a VHS filter over everything, like your memories are melting in neon.

That’s where brands like Newretro.Net sneak in perfectly. Let’s be honest: if Das Mörtal’s music had a wardrobe, it’d be loaded with denim jackets that scream 1987, leather gear worthy of a synth samurai, and sneakers that look like they time-traveled straight from a VHS future. We’re not saying Das Mörtal shops Newretro.Net... but if he did, we wouldn’t be surprised.

Imagine it: blasting “Sunset Worship” while rocking retro shades and stomping around in high-top VHS sneakers? That’s not cosplay. That’s a lifestyle.

The Live Rituals

Das Mörtal doesn’t just drop tracks and disappear into the fog. He performs. And not in the “press play and wave” kind of way. His shows are immersive — more like synthwave rituals than concerts. Whether it’s at Primavera, NXNE, or Bluesfest, the man turns venues into alternate realities.

The lights strobe. The synths wail. And somewhere between drops, you forget what year it is. 1983? 2083? Who cares. The important thing is that you’re there, in the moment, being baptized in bass.

Quick tip if you’re going to a Das Mörtal show:

Wear black (duh).
Bring earplugs (but like, the cool kind).
Layer your Newretro.Net gear — those jackets look real good under strobe lights.
Don’t stand too close to the fog machine (you will lose your drink).

A Synthwave Sorcerer in the Modern Age

What makes Das Mörtal stand out isn’t just the way his music slaps — though, to be fair, it does slap, in that moody, melancholic way that makes you want to drive through a rain-soaked city at midnight with no destination. It’s that he keeps evolving without ever abandoning his core. He’s not afraid of getting weirder, darker, or more cinematic — and honestly, it’s what keeps us coming back.

The 2025 Origins EP feels like a look into the mind of someone who's not content with just rehashing synthwave tropes. “Falsche Daten” doesn’t just hit the usual cyberpunk beats — it glitches, it burns, it’s got attitude. The title alone (German for “False Data”) hints at some digital paranoia, maybe a dystopian AI overlord situation. Can’t say we’d blame the machines if they’re jamming to Das Mörtal, though.

And let’s be honest — how many artists in this genre can say they’ve racked up over 60 million streams without chasing mainstream appeal? He’s proof that if you build something real, niche, and slightly haunted, the weirdos will come. And stay. And maybe bring friends.

Tracks That Deserve Their Own Cult Following

If you’re new to Das Mörtal (welcome, we have vinyl), here are a few must-listen tracks that showcase his range:

“Countess” – Pure gothic drama with a driving pulse. Basically Dracula’s favorite club track.
“Cold Blood” – Moody and cinematic. Sounds like the score to a slow-motion revenge scene.
“Now” – Retro heartbreak in four minutes. Brings a tear to your eye while you tap your foot.
“Sunset Worship” – Part meditation, part slow-burn synth euphoria. Best served with neon and solitude.
“An XMAS Nightmare” – Because Das Mörtal doesn’t do jingle bells — he does distorted sleighbells of doom.

It’s not just about the music, though. Each track feels like a portal. You’re not just listening — you’re stepping into a world that’s stylish, a little scary, and somehow more real than the one outside.

The Cult of Cool

The funny thing is, Das Mörtal’s fans aren’t just synthwave heads. He draws from a weirdly wide crowd — goths, techno kids, horror nerds, nostalgic millennials, and even the occasional confused dad who thought Hotline Miami was just a video game. And they’re all in on it, sharing his work like it’s an underground secret — which it kind of is.

That’s what makes his popularity so fascinating. You’ll catch his name on underground event flyers and giant festival lineups in the same breath. He’s the kind of artist who could open for a Berlin warehouse party or headline a neon-drenched synthwave festival in L.A. and still look like he belongs.

And what ties all those fans together? The love for aesthetic. Let’s not kid ourselves — music is only half of the equation. The rest? Vibes. And Das Mörtal delivers them by the truckload.

This is exactly where Newretro.Net intersects with that world. Retro-futurism isn’t just a look — it’s a lifestyle. It’s why we don’t sell “clothes,” we sell time machine uniforms. Our denim jackets are designed for dancing under strobes, our leather jackets are ready for your cyberpunk night ride, and those VHS sneakers? They practically come with their own synth soundtrack.

We don’t want to be your favorite brand. We want to be the jacket you wore when you heard “The Void” live for the first time and it changed your life a little. Yeah. That jacket.

The Magic of Mystery

One of Das Mörtal’s greatest tricks is staying a little mysterious. He’s not plastering his face all over the internet. He’s not chasing TikTok trends. He lets the music — and the vibe — do the talking. And that makes it all the more magnetic. In a world where everything’s over-explained and over-shared, Das Mörtal gives us permission to feel first and ask questions later.

Honestly? That’s the secret to great art. It doesn’t need to shout. It just needs to haunt you a little. And Das Mörtal? He haunts in style.

You feel it in every track. Every synth stab. Every grainy album cover. Every foggy, laser-filled live set. It’s not just nostalgia — it’s an alternate timeline. One where the future was cooler, weirder, and definitely had more eyeliner.

So next time you cue up one of his tracks, close your eyes for a second. Imagine you're in a retro-futurist nightclub with velvet shadows and mirrors that reflect only your mood. The lights are low. The bass is pulsing. You’re wearing your Newretro.Net jacket (because obviously). And Das Mörtal just dropped a beat that makes your heart race and your soul smile.

That’s not fantasy. That’s what happens when music and style collide — and the result is electric.

And that’s Das Mörtal.