Is 80's music coming back?

[skitchy]

At least people could dance properly in the 80s :

[Sendy]

What I liked about the 80's - there could be a trace of innocence or child-like quality in the pop music which has been completely crushed by urban cynical manipulativeness and a sort of humanity deficit these days, the synth pads, more diversity in pop music, lots of chord sequences that start on a minor chord and go down (Big In Japan being the prototypical example), analog and digital synths together, vocals were actually sung and seemed more human, less corporate. More ambiguous vocals - this is a good thing - "I'm at the club shakin my arse to make you have sex so I can run your credit card and a certain other thing red" just leaves no room for mystery ... Also, androgyny - seriously hot when done right Men could show a bit of vulnerability in their vocal delivery and...

What I didn't like - no sub bass whatsoever, too much reverb sometimes, even back then there was a lot of cookie-cutter sexmusic... I'm sure there's more, but it's escaping me at the moment because I can't see past my own rose tinted childhood

Check out Mitch Murder on soundcloud for some pretty sweet 80's revival music. He's nailed the sound spot on.

[osiris]

[Igro]

[Igro]

I'm ok with the fact that some contemporary electronic musicians don't put so much melodies to their music AS LONG as they make really unusual and creative effects which takes a lot of time to make (complicated effect chains and channel routings). But there are not that many artist who still trying to be innovative and creative, unfortunately (in fact, we have all the tools now to make something for impression).

[fese]

I was wondering lately whether there are albums recorded in the eighties (yes kids, we had albums back then) that do not sound like they were made in the eighties. As some others already said, music back then had a very distinctive sound, I think mostly dominated by the advancement of digital technologies (big, long, reverbs, delays, synths, samplers and so on). Even the aforementioned pixies still sound very "eighties" to me, at least their early works.
I can think of only two artist who completely defied that sound - Lenny Kravitz and Tom Waits. But maybe others know more, I only started listening to music in the late eighties, I am not that old...

[mn]

Check out Mitch Murder on soundcloud for some pretty sweet 80's revival music. He's nailed the sound spot on.

I read this comment, headed to Soundcloud, started his playlist and proceeded to do some chores. Most of it is a certain kind of 80s sound. But yeah, he pretty much nails it.

[robotmonkey]

The 80's sound is not necessarily a bad thing. I certainly love those huge toms, long reverbs and gated snares. There were many artist that used the technology to their advantage and they still somewhat sound like the 80's.

Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, The Blue Nile, Coil, Michael Brook, Steve Roach, Jon Hassell and David Sylvian all had more or less that 80's sound, but they made remarkable and original sounding albums.

Even King Crimson managed to perfectly adapt it. Genesis also wasn't too bad in that regard.

The Blue Nile's "Hats" must be one of the best albums that has that 80's sound.
Also "Sleeps With The Fishes" by Pieter Nooten & Michael Brook features some of the best use of DX7 (programmed by no other than Brian Eno) IMHO.

[Tricky-Loops]

This is what I miss from the 80ies:

1. MELODIES!!! MELODIES!!! MELODIES!!!
2. FUN!!! FUN!!! FUN!!!
3. LYRICS!!! LYRICS!!! LYRICS!!!

Nowadays everybody wants to make scores with the craziest sound design and modulations. But I rarely hear any sophisticated melodies.

And nowadays everybody is dead serious. Everybody wants to be a soundtrack producer. Except me. I make fun music... And I don't want to sound like Avicii at all.

The lyrics were better in the 80ies, too. Because they had great lyrics writers in every band.

[osiris]

Only two funs. I still dearly love this song.

[Tricky-Loops]

What I liked about the 80's - there could be a trace of innocence or child-like quality in the pop music...More ambiguous vocals...

I miss the great song-/lyric-writers of the 80ies... There was more poetry in music...

For example, this one:

[osiris]

I miss Razormaid DJ service.
Also Disconet and Ultimix...

[osiris]

[crimsonwarlock]

I was wondering lately whether there are albums recorded in the eighties (yes kids, we had albums back then) that do not sound like they were made in the eighties.

I would say that especially in the eighties there where many albums made that are (now) preceived as sounding 'timeless', as in being hard to determine when they where actually recorded without knowing the actual time stamp. Rupert Hine is one of those that I perceive that way. His tracks where always 'his sound' (which is pretty recognizable) without hiking the well treaded paths of that era. Listen to the track I posted before, or his other tracks from that time (lots available on youtube, especially listen to the 'Immunity' album ).

[SODDI]

They really did know how to dance in the 80s.