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Synth and synth pop...

[Deleted User]

...expanding on the Blue Monday thread, which is specifically about the place of one track or band in music.

How high do you rate synth and synth pop? How pivotal were acts like Kraftwerk and movements like the more electronic elements of New Romantic in developing modern music? How about once greats now tossed aside as dinosaurs like Jarre and Oldfield? And Moroder? And the poppier UK and European influences from Pet Shop Boys to Moroder?

And for the day that's in it, is this still the only good thing to come out of Belgium?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pc1PpRQ-ccM

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Capt'n Midnight

donegaLroad wrote: »

*did you know that Midge Ure from Ultravox, did a stint with Thin Lizzy on lead guitar?

Yes, and he was the worst guitarist they had

also

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5XJ2GiR6Bo

It's 8:15, and that's the time that it's always been

JupiterKid

Kraftwerk started it all back in 1974 with their epoch making album Autobahn. I can't link it here on my phone but feel free to do so.

To think that when Abba were topping the charts with Waterloo , Kraftwerk were feeding their voices through synthesizers is nothing short of amazing. Yes, there had been synths used in the early 70s but these were used to embellish songs whereas Kraftwerk used the synth as their primary instrument and inspired a generation of synthpop artists to follow in their footsteps.

Jean Michele Jarre's Oxygene (1976) was also very important.

Stevie Wonder's Innervisions (1973), considered his finest work, also featured synthesizers prominently.

In the past 20 years, artists such as Air, Boards Of Canada and Goldfrapp have advanced and reinvigorated synthpop.

As you might have guessed, I adore synthpop.

Chain Smoker

Having a little dance around the apartment to this one right now

Badly Drunk Boy

This thread needs a bit of Throbbing Gristle. 'Hot On the Heels Of Love' is probably the poppiest thing they've done, so here it is. (The video's a bit NSFW, I suppose.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgqRXWFaGXw

Capt'n Midnight

JupiterKid wrote: »

Kraftwerk started it all back in 1974 with their epoch making album Autobahn

Green Onions 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar-Z_l907DY

Dr Who theme 1963

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75V4ClJZME4

Music to Moog by 1969

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYTu__hhMws

[Deleted User]

Chain Smoker wrote: »

Having a little dance around the apartment to this one right now

"It puts the lotion on..."

JupiterKid

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Green Onions 1962
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar-Z_l907DY

Dr Who theme 1963
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75V4ClJZME4

Music to Moog by 1969
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYTu__hhMws

Oh sure, you can go back to the theremin in the 1920s, there was electronic music in the 60s but I still contend that Kraftweek's 1974 Autobahn changed everything - it was hugely influential. Listening to it today, it still sounds so zeitgeist and fresh, 40 years on.

JupiterKid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-G28iyPtz0

jmayo

donegaLroad wrote: »

Gary Numan had a cult following and was making enough money at that stage not to give a damn. Then he became a pilot.
*did you know that Midge Ure from Ultravox, did a stint with Thin Lizzy on lead guitar?

And someone mentioned Visage which was a band Ure co founded.

JupiterKid wrote: »

Kraftwerk started it all back in 1974 with their epoch making album Autobahn. I can't link it here on my phone but feel free to do so.

To think that when Abba were topping the charts with Waterloo , Kraftwerk were feeding their voices through synthesizers is nothing short of amazing. Yes, there had been synths used in the early 70s but these were used to embellish songs whereas Kraftwerk used the synth as their primary instrument and inspired a generation of synthpop artists to follow in their footsteps.

Jean Michele Jarre's Oxygene (1976) was also very important.

Stevie Wonder's Innervisions (1973), considered his finest work, also featured synthesizers prominently.

In the past 20 years, artists such as Air, Boards Of Canada and Goldfrapp have advanced and reinvigorated synthpop.

As you might have guessed, I adore synthpop.

i can't believe no one has mentioned Mr Vangelis from Greece.

At the same time as Jean Michel Jarre was coming out with Oxygene, Vangelis came out with Albedo 0.39 in 1976 which had Pulsar ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZaLkfvQ714

He brought out Spiral in 1977.
Of course he went on to Bladerunner and Chariots of Fire soundtracks.

BTW at one stage he was tipped to replace Rick Wakeman in Yes.

He was of course to go on and work with Jon Anderson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Y3m7fisOU

Also someone mentioned Together in Electric Dreams and Conor mentioned Moroder in first post.

Giorgio Moroder (a bit like Trevor Horn - Buggles/ABC/Frankie) was involved in a huge amount of work in the late 70s, early 80s as both writer and producer.
Of course Moroder is still around and worked with Daft Punk a few years ago.
He seems to be linked to loads of Olympic themes and of course did Midnight Express, Top Gun, Scarface.

This is one of Giorgio's biggest early contributions ....
Never hear it nowadays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhKqs7dUMa8

buried

JupiterKid wrote: »

In the past 20 years, artists such as Air, Boards Of Canada and Goldfrapp have advanced and reinvigorated synthpop.

As you might have guessed, I adore synthpop.

More brilliant modern stuff. You'll love it if your into BOC

https://bleep.com/release/35931-sand-circles-motor-city

[Deleted User]

jmayo wrote: »

i can't believe no one has mentioned Mr Vangelis from Greece.

This reminded me of Chariots of Fire...it might be the opening...

One of the best tracks in recent years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hjl2N0cwy4I

jmayo

People have already mentioned a number of 80s synth bands, but I always liked these guys.

Sadly between when they started all the way back in 1981 and I think when they finished in 2004 they just managed to achieve 4 albums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bev4H57si2E

rjpf1980

There is a synth revival on youtube at the moment.

I think it has been kick started in part by movies such as Bronson, Driver, The Guest and Cold in July which have used a heavily synth based soundtrack.

John Carpenter's movie themes were an obvious influence on style of The Guest.

I love some of the new retro wave albums on youtube at the moment. Soooo cool

Dolbert

I play synth

*beep beep beep boop boop*

We all play synth

*beep beep beep boop boop*

edbrez

stuar wrote: »

EDIT:
And everybody got a casio keyboard for christmas.

A true synth popper would have got a Roland or Sequential Circuits.

Discodog

Moroder hasn't lost his touch

rjpf1980

This track from Cold In July was outstanding.

Ruu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuz94ZIPfJk

Sciprio

JupiterKid

And of course there's the superb album Low from David Bowie, released in 1977 and co produced by Brian Eno.

Very atmospheric!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhZqsYkl1zI

Dr Crayfish

I always loved 80s synth, songs like fade to grey are as good as any music since the pop era began.
This is great from France, although I can only understand a bit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU53fN16wc8

Dr Crayfish

Oh and one of my fave songs ever

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGD9i718kBU

JupiterKid

And then there were the prog Rock bands of the early 1970s like Emerson Lake & Palmer. Their 1972 Album Trilogy featured the moog synthesizer heavily. Keith Emerson was a genius!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-nAA_90WGY

bnt

Synthesis itself is quite a fascinating topic. The technology and its sound had a huge influence on the music itself. For example, it's hard to over-estimate the impact of the Yamaha DX7 synthesiser, the first affordable version of FM Synthesis, a technique that was kind-of discovered by accident by a young composition graduate student at Stanford University. It went on to make tens of millions of dollars for the university and Yamaha. That bright 80s sound so beloved of a-ha and others: all DX7.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmp9yqhsjqg

[Deleted User]

I'd say a lot of After Hours posters are a bit too young to remember Synth Pop and would have to ask their Da Da Da.

Capt'n Midnight

JupiterKid wrote: »

Oh sure, you can go back to the theremin in the 1920s, there was electronic music in the 60s but I still contend that Kraftweek's 1974 Autobahn changed everything - it was hugely influential. Listening to it today, it still sounds so zeitgeist and fresh, 40 years on.

There's no denying that Kraftwerk were very influential for UK bands. Typical story. Band goes to concert, rabbit in headlights , sell guitars and buy synth , maybe it was the Bunnymen ? but it could have been any number of bands.

For the general public Kraftwerk was sorta a one hit wonder with The Model.

Anyway something else from '77

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_ukfGAd8T4

Hadn't heard it for ages until I saw it as the intro to an old Jackie Chan movie of all things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qXdiIUB34Q

Capt'n Midnight

Deleted User wrote: »

I'd say a lot of After Hours posters are a bit too young to remember Synth Pop and would have to ask their Da Da Da.

Don't think me unkind Words are hard to find...

[Deleted User]

Another anthem, from Japan...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4VMLYnH_Dc

riclad

Watch top of the pops on bbc tv on thursdays 7.30 .
they are in 1985,i think
the prime of 80s synth pop .
i think the 80s were the best time for music at least on totp.
i think any sky box can get bbc 4 , as a freeview channel .

BlaasForRafa

edbrez wrote: »

A true synth popper would have got a Roland or Sequential Circuits.

Or a Minimoog, Arp Odyssey, Oberheim OB-X or Polymoog

The Oberheim is probably best recognised as the keyboard part from Van Halen's Jump

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeOjJ8x2iqU

Rick Wakeman described the Minimoog as "having a sound that could cut through concrete and allow him to compete with lead guitarists at last"

Gary Numan made good use of the Minimoog and Polymoog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs5OfDzYqL0

Ultravox's Sleepwalk was one of the first synth songs I can recall, Billy Currie with the lead solo on his Arp Odyssey here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzlCanYBAHY