Mr.Kitty: Haunting Synthwave Pop with Darkwave Vibes
When you first hear the name Mr.Kitty, you might imagine a villainous feline in a retro cartoon wearing neon sunglasses and plotting synth-powered chaos. And honestly? You wouldn’t be that far off.
Forrest Avery Carney — the man, the myth, the melodrama behind Mr.Kitty — has been crafting emotionally drenched, synth-laden music since 2005. Hailing from Arlington, Texas, he embodies the kind of artist who doesn’t just perform in the genre of synthwave and darkwave — he bleeds it. If synthpop had a haunted, glitchy cousin who wrote poetry in the rain, it would sound like Mr.Kitty.
Let’s dive into what makes Mr.Kitty the darkwave heartthrob of the internet underground.
A Bedroom Project That Broke the Internet
Mr.Kitty didn’t emerge from the glossy world of major labels and polished pop machines. He emerged from his room — literally. Carney began making music as a teenager, producing early tracks in the DIY spirit of MySpace-era artists (RIP to an internet legend). His early work was lo-fi, glitchy, and brimming with emotion. He recorded everything himself, blending 80s synths, angsty vocals, and retro drum machines into a sound that felt nostalgic and fresh.
By 2010, his first full-length album Until Death Do Us Part arrived, drenched in themes of love, loss, and the occasional supernatural mood swing. But Mr.Kitty wasn’t just making music — he was building a world. A glitchy, neon-lit, melancholic, eyeliner-smeared world.
From there, he released album after album with titles that sound like they'd either break your heart or haunt your dreams — or both. We're talking Eternity, Time, Fractures, and Ephemeral. You don’t just listen to these records — you feel them punch you in the chest like a DeLorean going 88mph through your soul.
When Viral Fame Finds You “After Dark”
If you've been on the internet in the last few years (and we both know you have), you’ve probably stumbled across a fan edit set to Mr.Kitty’s After Dark — a track from his 2014 album Time. The video blew up on YouTube and TikTok in 2019, racking up millions of views and launching a second life for the song. Imagine goth teens slow-dancing in pixelated rain — that’s the vibe.
“After Dark” is one of those rare tracks that doesn't just get stuck in your head — it moves in, paints the walls black, and lights candles in every room. Its haunting synth line, hypnotic beat, and whispered vocals feel like a love letter written at 3AM and left on your car windshield.
And when that song went viral? Mr.Kitty suddenly went from underground legend to internet myth.
The Sound: 80s Heartbreak with a Digital Twist
Let’s break it down. Mr.Kitty’s sound sits at the intersection of:
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Synthwave: Think Blade Runner-era nostalgia with shiny synths and VHS fuzz.
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Darkwave: Add a little eyeliner and some poetry about love and death, and you’re halfway there.
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Witch House: For when you want your beats with a side of glitchy weirdness and occult energy.
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New Wave & Synthpop: Bright synths and melodic hooks with a hint of sadness — basically crying on a dance floor.
If Joy Division and Crystal Castles had a very sensitive cyberpunk baby, it might sound like Mr.Kitty.
His lyrics often dive into themes like isolation, heartbreak, memory, and existential longing — you know, the usual Tuesday feelings. But it’s the sincerity in his voice and the richness of his synth production that turns it all into something beautifully cathartic.
The Many Faces of Mr.Kitty
Like any mysterious figure, Mr.Kitty has worn several musical masks. He's also released music under the aliases Echo Strobes and MEEMU. While those side projects haven’t reached the same recognition, they offer a deeper look into the mind of a creator who refuses to be boxed into a single genre.
His commitment to doing things his way shows in everything — from his production style to his lo-fi visuals and even his fashion choices. Speaking of style...
Let’s Talk Retro Vibes — and Threads
If there’s one thing fans of Mr.Kitty understand, it’s aesthetic. You’re not just listening to music — you’re stepping into a world of glitchy neon, VHS fuzz, and existential stares into the abyss. And honestly, what better way to match the mood than with some sharp, retro-inspired threads?
Cue Newretro.Net, your go-to for men’s retro fashion that looks like it just stepped out of a synthwave dream. Whether it’s:
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Leather jackets that scream 1987 bad boy energy
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Washed-out denim that pairs perfectly with a moonlit drive
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Futuristic watches and retro sunglasses that complete the cyber-noir look
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Sneakers that look like they were made for breakdancing on a neon grid
Mr.Kitty might be singing about heartbreak in the rain, but you could be looking heartbreakingly cool doing it. Just saying.
The Rise, the Fall, and the Comeback
No story this intense comes without some real-life drama.
In 2021, Mr.Kitty’s career hit a serious pause following revelations about inappropriate messages sent to an underage fan. The backlash was swift — and necessary. Labels dropped him. Streaming numbers halted. Fans were split. In the aftermath, Carney issued a public apology, and the music world held its breath.
It was a dark moment for an artist whose music meant so much to so many. And while the road back has been cautious, it’s clear that Carney has been working to regain trust and return to music with more awareness and accountability.
Fast-forward to 2025 — and he’s back. After a six-year live hiatus, Mr.Kitty is returning to the stage with announced shows in Houston and Los Angeles. The response from longtime fans has been… complicated. But undeniably curious.
Will this comeback be triumphant? Tragic? Time will tell — but one thing’s for sure: Mr.Kitty knows how to make an entrance.
The Return of Mr.Kitty: Unreal Comebacks and Cyber Dreams
If Part 1 of Mr.Kitty’s story read like a synth-drenched origin tale with emotional intensity and viral internet stardom, then Part 2 picks up with a narrative that feels ripped straight from a dystopian reboot. After all, who else but Mr.Kitty could weather a personal storm, retreat into the shadows, and then reemerge six years later — eyeliner intact, synths charged, and fans waiting at the gates?
Let’s get into the next chapter of this enigmatic artist’s journey — one full of redemption arcs, new music, and more retro-cyber vibes than a Newretro.Net product shoot in a neon-lit alley.
The Silence Between the Beats: A Hiatus That Felt Like Forever
After the fallout in 2021, Mr.Kitty disappeared from the stage. For many artists, a scandal of that magnitude marks the end — a slow fade-out. But for Forrest Carney, silence became a kind of grim reset.
There were no flashy PR campaigns, no surprise singles. Just… stillness. Fans waited, the internet speculated, and playlists of “After Dark” kept spinning in the background of countless aesthetic TikToks.
What he was doing during those six years remains mostly a mystery, but one thing became clear in 2024 — the music never stopped.
A New Era: Unreal and the Art of the Return
2024 brought with it Unreal, Mr.Kitty’s ninth studio album — a haunting, layered record that proves he hasn’t lost a step. If anything, this album might be his most mature and introspective yet.
Tracks from Unreal showcase a more refined sonic palette. Still unmistakably Mr.Kitty, but with more space in the mix. The synths are cleaner, the lyrics are deeper, and the production is more cinematic. It’s as if he took all the ghost stories, heartbreak, and internet melancholy from his earlier records and boiled them down to their essence.
Standouts like Glass Veins and Only Real in Memory feel like they belong on the soundtrack of an emotionally devastating sci-fi film. There’s a palpable sense of longing in every note — as though the music itself is trying to say sorry for the years we lost.
The Fans: Divided but Still Listening
Here’s where things get complicated.
For some fans, Mr.Kitty’s apology and absence were enough to welcome him back. For others, the events of 2021 are an unforgivable chapter. And honestly, both reactions are valid. It’s a classic internet-age moral dilemma: Can you separate the art from the artist? Should you?
There’s no easy answer. But what’s clear is this — Mr.Kitty’s music still resonates, and for many, it continues to be a source of solace, healing, and strange beauty in a chaotic digital world.
Back to the Stage: Houston & LA 2025
The announcement of live shows in Houston and Los Angeles in 2025 hit fans like a synthwave thunderclap. After six years of radio silence, Mr.Kitty is stepping back into the spotlight — and if early reports are any indication, the shows are going to be an emotional rollercoaster.
Expect:
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Full visual backdrops that feel like you’re inside a VHS tape with ghosts
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Setlists spanning his entire career, from Until Death Do Us Part to Unreal
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Fans in full retro-cyberpunk cosplay, naturally
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Plenty of eyeliner, and probably a few people crying in the corner (in the best way)
It’s a big swing — but one that could re-solidify Mr.Kitty’s place in the synthpop canon. Or at the very least, remind people why they fell in love with his music in the first place.
A Cult Following Dressed in Cyber Style
If you’ve ever attended a Mr.Kitty concert, you know one thing: the fans bring it. Think fishnets, LED accessories, vintage bomber jackets, and neon everything. And if you’re showing up to a synthwave show looking like you just stepped out of a ‘90s office job… friend, we need to talk.
That’s where Newretro.Net comes in.
Want to dress like your favorite brooding synth idol without raiding your dad’s closet? Newretro’s got:
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Washed denim jackets that pair perfectly with a dark synthpop playlist
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Futuristic shades for hiding those post-concert tears
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Leather jackets that make you look like the lost member of a cyberpunk biker gang
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Retro watches for counting down the minutes until Mr.Kitty hits the stage
Basically, we sell everything except emotional vulnerability (but the music's got that covered).
A Genre in Evolution — and a Place Within It
Mr.Kitty isn’t just an artist. He’s a genre touchstone. While synthwave and darkwave have grown exponentially in the last decade — fueled by video game soundtracks, film homages (hello, Stranger Things), and nostalgic social media edits — Mr.Kitty has always been there, riding the edges of what the genre can be.
He doesn’t just rehash the past. He remixes it, glitches it, drenches it in feeling, and sends it back out into the world like a sonic message in a bottle.
As the retro-futurist scene continues to evolve, artists like Mr.Kitty are the reason it feels alive — haunted, sure, but alive.
So What’s Next for Mr.Kitty?
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from Forrest Carney, it’s that he thrives in unpredictability. With Unreal now out and the stage lights turning back on, the future feels unwritten — and that might be exactly where Mr.Kitty wants to be.
Will we see more music under his aliases? New experimental directions? Collaborations? A concept album told entirely from the perspective of a holographic cat? Honestly, none of it would surprise us.
But whatever he does next, there’s a good chance it’ll come wrapped in retro synths, haunted memories, and the unmistakable scent of nostalgia on a rainy digital night.
And while Mr.Kitty plays the music of a haunted future, brands like Newretro.Net are making sure we look the part. Because why just listen to the soundtrack when you can live it?
Ready to dress for the synthwave apocalypse?
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