Lupus Nocte: Cinematic Synthwave From the Nordic North

Lupus Nocte: The Dreamwave Maestro With a Synth for a Soul

Imagine you’re driving through neon-lit streets in a DeLorean, night wind in your hair, city lights flashing by in vivid purples and electric blues. Now imagine there’s a soundtrack behind it all — crisp snares, lush pads, pulsing synth bass — something that feels like it was forged in the heart of a digital sunset. That’s Lupus Nocte.

Born Samuel Aneheim Ulvenäs in 1992, hailing from the beautiful, melancholically cool land of Sweden (naturally), Lupus Nocte isn’t just another synthwave artist. He’s a sonic architect of nostalgia — the kind that builds entire worlds with arpeggiated basslines and melodies that seem to smile through tears.

You might’ve stumbled onto his music through one of Epidemic Sound’s curated playlists like Uplifting Pop or Warm Up. Or maybe you caught the unmistakable earworm that is Howling, racking up over 3 million views on YouTube. But no matter how you found him, one thing’s for sure — once you step into the world of Lupus Nocte, it's hard to leave.

A Synth Odyssey Begins

Active since 2019, Lupus Nocte didn’t show up with a whisper — he howled.

His first two releases, Howling and Milky Way Express (both dropped in 2019), arrived like digital postcards from another dimension. With BPMs floating around 134–177, and moods that straddle dreamy, happy, and hopeful, his music has the uncanny ability to feel both cinematic and personal. Like it’s the score to your life... if your life happened to be an ‘80s coming-of-age film directed by a Scandinavian John Hughes.

And look, let's be real — there’s something magical about that era. Whether you lived through it or just wish you had, Lupus Nocte taps into the very essence of ‘80s optimism with a kind of digital empathy. It’s like your Walkman grew a heart.

Press Play on the Neon Heart

Let’s break it down for the curious and unconverted. Here’s what makes Lupus Nocte stand out:

• Sound Aesthetic: Think shimmering synths, punchy drum machines, and melodies that flirt with melancholy but ultimately commit to joy.

• Production Style: 100% self-produced using Reason and a trusty MIDI keyboard. In a world where everyone's chasing analog tape magic, he proves digital dreams still matter.

• Vibes: Happy, dreamy, hopeful — like if a shooting star had a Spotify account.

One of his signature tracks, Hadouken (2020), is pure arcade sugar rush. And then there’s Someone New featuring Zorro — a synth-pop duet that feels like two robots falling in love at a roller disco.

From Digital Underground to Retro Royalty

Lupus Nocte’s not just some random artist lurking in algorithmic corners. As of June 2025, he’s got 132,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, 57.6K fans on Last.fm, and a growing cult following that trades synthwave tracks like precious mixtapes.

But what really makes Lupus Nocte tick? Maybe it's the Scandinavian melancholy with a twist of warm optimism. Or maybe it's that rare quality: sincerity without sap. His music isn’t trying to be the '80s — it’s trying to remember them in a way that feels honest.

It’s no surprise he’s collaborated with acts like Zorro (shout out to Out of Control), Siine, and El Neón — each bringing a different color to his sonic palette. These aren't big flashy superstar features; they're the kind of team-ups that feel more like creative summer camps with synths and good vibes.

Why You’ll Hear Him in Your Head for Days

Every Lupus Nocte track feels like a scene. Not a scene in a club — a scene in your head. A memory that never actually happened, but one you’re absolutely sure could have.

Take Cry When It’s Over (2023). The title alone sounds like a breakup anthem, but what you get is something strangely uplifting — like a hug through reverb. Or Powerhouse 1984, which hits you like a synth-fueled montage where the underdog hero finally starts believing in himself.

And let's not forget his most recent drops in 2024: Higher, Happy Ever After, and P-Wing — each sounding like they were engineered to make your commute feel like a moon mission.

The Look That Matches the Sound

Now, you can’t talk about synthwave without talking about the look. Lupus Nocte’s aesthetic isn’t just audio — it’s visual. His whole vibe is like a cinematic flashback wearing mirrored sunglasses and a denim jacket that smells faintly of cassette tapes and freedom.

Which brings us to a natural segue — Newretro.Net. Yeah, that's us. And if you’re vibing with Lupus Nocte’s sound, you’re gonna feel our style.

We’re all about retro-future — denim and leather jackets that look like they’ve time-traveled from 1987 but feel made for 2025. VHS-style sneakers, shades that would make Max Headroom jealous, and watches that could’ve been props on Back to the Future. Basically, if Lupus Nocte had a wardrobe to match his discography? He’d shop here.

(Also, we totally imagine he’d rock a leather bomber with some mirror-tinted shades while composing You & I. Just saying.)

Retro Revival Isn’t Just a Phase

For a long time, synthwave was niche. Now? It’s becoming the background radiation of pop culture. From movie scores to TikTok trends, everyone wants a taste of the neon dream — but Lupus Nocte lives in it.

And it’s not just nostalgia. It’s neo-stalgia — a longing for futures imagined in the past. Lupus Nocte doesn’t just make music that sounds like the '80s. He makes music that sounds like what the '80s thought 2025 could be.

And isn’t that kind of beautiful?

The Synthwave Soul of Lupus Nocte, Continued

So where were we? Right — neon streets, retro jackets, and the ethereal magic of Lupus Nocte’s music. If the first half of this story gave you goosebumps like the first time you heard a VHS tape loading, the second half might just have you buying a MIDI keyboard and trying to score your own life.

Because as dreamy and cinematic as his sound is, there’s a very real, very meticulous musician behind it all.

The Man Behind the Machines

Samuel Aneheim Ulvenäs — aka Lupus Nocte — might sound like the name of a cosmic wolf sent from the stars to revive analog synths, but the guy’s pure DIY in the best way possible.

Here’s the kicker: he produces all his music himself. Every glowing synthline, every nostalgic snare — it’s all him, working his sonic alchemy with nothing more than a MIDI keyboard and Reason, a digital audio workstation that’s sort of like Photoshop for sound nerds. There’s no big production team, no ghost producers in a glass studio — just Lupus Nocte, late-night sessions, and a dream.

You can almost picture him, surrounded by blinking LEDs, synths humming like old CRT TVs, tweaking frequencies like a cyberpunk scientist.

How Does He Make It Sound So... Dreamy?

There’s a formula, but it’s less math and more magic. He blends the vintage tones of the ‘80s with today’s clarity and modern production. It’s a bit like watching Blade Runner in 4K — familiar, but enhanced.

• Layers of dreamy synths that sound like they were recorded in a dream sequence

• Upbeat BPMs (134–177) that keep your head nodding while your heart floats off somewhere

• Optimistic melodies with that bittersweet tinge — kind of like watching the sunset knowing tomorrow will be even better

• Vocals that show up like old friends: comforting, but never clingy

And the titles alone give away the emotion baked into each track — Higher, Breathe, You & I, Happy Ever After. They read like chapter titles in a neon-lit novella.

Let’s Talk About “Powerhouse 1984” for a Second

If you’ve never listened to Powerhouse 1984, do yourself a favor — put it on right now, ideally while wearing sunglasses indoors.

It’s the kind of track that doesn’t ask you to dance, but just makes you move — the synths stab like laser beams, and the bassline sounds like a power generator trying to flirt with you. And somehow, by the time it fades out, you feel both fired up and hugged.

It’s music that feels like a pep talk from your cooler, time-traveling older self.

Why His Music Works So Well with Retro Aesthetics

There’s a strange relationship between fashion and sound — especially with synthwave. The moment you hear one of Lupus Nocte’s tracks, your brain wants to see something retro. Neon lights. Tape decks. Leather jackets. VHS fuzz.

That’s no accident.

The ‘80s, as a vibe, was all about big emotions and big styles. And Lupus Nocte taps into that same energy — but without being cheesy. He doesn’t mimic the past, he reinvents it. Think of him as the Stranger Things of music, if Stranger Things had fewer demogorgons and more pastel lighting.

It’s why you’ll find his tracks in playlists like Live Streaming and Warm Up — the music doesn’t just play in the background, it lifts the room.

And honestly, if you’re the kind of person who throws on Lupus Nocte while working, gaming, driving, or existentially staring out a window... you’re also the kind of person who’d look great in a Newretro.Net fit.

We’re not saying that listening to synthwave makes our leather jackets look better, but we are saying it completes the vibe. (Also, someone please convince Lupus Nocte to model our “Night Rider” shades. They’d look so good on him, it’s unfair.)

What About His Collabs?

This isn’t a one-wolf pack. Lupus Nocte’s teamed up with a few key players in the scene, including:

• Zorro – featured in Someone New and Out of Control. Zorro’s vocals are like silk in zero gravity — they float perfectly in Lupus Nocte’s lush production.

• Siine – bringing a slightly more pop-oriented feel to some collabs, adding a modern layer to the retro canvas.

• El Neón – the name sounds like a synthwave DJ from a parallel Miami, and their combined work is pure glowing goodness.

The best part? These collabs never feel like bandwagon plays. They’re seamless, authentic, like friends messing around in the studio and accidentally stumbling on gold.

What’s Next for the Neon Dreamer?

With tracks like Breathe, You & I, and the endlessly re-listenable Out of Control dropping in 2025, Lupus Nocte shows no signs of slowing down. He’s refining his sound, subtly evolving it — more vocals, more complex arrangements, but still anchored in that dreamy, hopeful atmosphere we’ve come to love.

There’s been some chatter online (yes, synthwave Reddit, we see you) about a potential full-length concept album. And if that happens? Expect synthwave fans everywhere to lose their collective pastel minds.

He’s also hinted at more live performance setups. Picture this:

• A warehouse lit in pinks and purples

• VHS static projected on the walls

• Lupus Nocte behind a wall of synths, conjuring joy like a wizard with a keyboard

Take my money. Take everyone’s money.

Lupus Nocte: A Genre or a Feeling?

When people talk about synthwave, they usually talk about sound. But Lupus Nocte’s work makes you talk about feeling.

He’s less of a genre artist and more of an emotion sculptor. His music gives you nostalgia for moments you never had, but somehow miss deeply. It’s not just art — it’s therapy with a kickdrum.

And that’s the magic of it all. Because in a world that moves faster than you can scroll, artists like Lupus Nocte remind us to slow down, to drift, to remember — and to dream in color.