Xeno & Oaklander

With their crisp analog synths and poetic songwriting and vocals, Xeno & Oaklander are one of the key acts updating '80s coldwave and minimal electronic bands for the 21st century. Throughout their career, they've made the most of their self-imposed limitations -- their kit frequently consists of little more than a sequencer, a handful of synths, and a simple drum machine or two -- to create dark synth pop that is more than the sum of its parts. Xeno & Oaklander's clearly defined aesthetic nevertheless leaves plenty of room for nuance. They explore different sides of their music with each release, from the raw experiments of 2004's Vigils to increasingly refined and intricate efforts like 2021's Vi/deo and 2024's Via Negativa (In the Doorway Light).