Ex-Post Wave is a project that compiles the discoveries that defined the 2010s — or, more precisely, the discoveries that became important to Burning Flame during that decade. Here is a bit of the rationale behind it.
The title Ex-Post Wave refers to the way of looking back several years after it has ended, when enough time has passed to assess which artists, songs and discoveries still feel significant today or are absolute obscure jewels.
This list isn't meant to be a definitive history of minimal synth, darkwave, post-punk or synth-pop. It is something more personal: a collection of artists and songs that emerged, resurfaced, or became important for us during the 2010s and, in one way or another, found their way into the world of Burning Flame (hi)story.
The majority of the artists featured here belong somewhere within the broad spectrum of minimal synthpop, post-punk and minimal wave and related underground sounds with no intention to make Ex-Post Wave a genre itself. Some artists sit firmly in its centre, while others stretch the definition a little further — toward indie pop, dream pop, experimental electronics, art pop or even more accessible forms of synth-pop.
And that's intentional.
The 2010s were a particularly exciting time for discovering music. Old sounds, in particular from the 80s decade were being rediscovered through blogs, Last.FM (old version), Bandcamp, YouTube, independent labels, online radio and increasingly interconnected scenes. Artists from completely different cities and backgrounds suddenly seemed to exist within the same conversation.
This countdown is therefore as much about discovery as it is about genre.
Some of these artists were already established when we discovered them. Others were almost completely unknown. Some released only a handful of tracks; others went on to become important figures in the underground. A few eventually crossed into a much wider audience. And some have almost disappeared from view today.
That last part is that matters as much as genre icons.
Ex-Post Wave is also an attempt to preserve a particular moment in underground music — the artists, songs and discoveries that made the 2010s feel exciting while they were happening. It also made it to the best decade in music after the 80s.
So don't expect a perfectly balanced genre survey. Expect a personal map of a decade: 100 tracks, discovered along the way, with some sitting comfortably inside the boundaries and others deliberately pushing against them.
It is also a fitting way to mark 20 years of Burning Flame's online presence.
The list is definite for now but not absolute, feel free add your own tracks in comments here, to make it more interactive.
Note to the selection: Each artist/project is listed only once under a given name. Artists however may appear in multiple entries when performing under different aliases or as members of separate bands or collaborative projects.
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