When electronic music sounded new, like the future... what went wrong!
- GRRRRRRR!
- 11224 posts since 14 Jun, 2001 from Somewhere else, on principle
Hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! I could name hundreds of bands you've never heard of, who make music you've never dreamed of, you sad, little man. I'm thinking you probably didn't even bother to listen to any of the Sixth Comm album, did you? OTOH, I was listening to Incunabula (for the first time in many years) while I responded to your post. If you think Autechre are anything but boring, run of the mill nobodies, it is you who are living in a tiny box.
NOVAkILL : Dell G7 Core i7, 32GB RAM, Win10, Zoom U24 | Studio One | Thorn, bx_oberhausen, ARP Odyssey, JP6K, Hexeract, Vacuum Pro, TRK-01, Knifonium, Equator, VG Carbon, VG Iron | Uno, Analog Keys, Ultranova, Rocket.
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- KVRAF
- 6606 posts since 2 Dec, 2004 from North Wales
Topic Starter
When I got in to synths, half the bands in the charts were synth based (Depeche Mode, Visage, Human League, Gary Newman, Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, UltraVox, OMD, New Order, Eurithmix, Pet Shop Boys, Yazoo...) I can name maybe 20 synth based bands from the 80's and 90s of the top of my head, and still sing the tunes! How many synth based bands are currently mainstream/house hold names, Christine and the Queens, Hot Chip, (I had 3 but Daft Punk have ended!).
PS- This isn't about if its better to be mainstream, underground or undiscovered, just 'why did synth bands become mainstream like guitar bands and then (based on my knowledge of the 'mainstream) go back to being predominantly EDM and production based.
PS- This isn't about if its better to be mainstream, underground or undiscovered, just 'why did synth bands become mainstream like guitar bands and then (based on my knowledge of the 'mainstream) go back to being predominantly EDM and production based.
PC, BWS, Live and Studio One, Renoise, X32 Desk, Hardware Synths + Eurorack, MPC Live, A4 and RYTM, PT, TD27 V Drums, Guitars, Basses
- KVRian
- 674 posts since 22 Feb, 2014
I'm not all that familiar with modern pop, but it seems to me that synths are used a lot more than guitars these days. It's just that pop isn't synth-driven like it was in the '80s.
Wikipedia claims there's been a synth-pop revival: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synth-pop
The Weeknd and Dua Lipa are listed at the end of the revival section with a link to a BBC article titled "How Dua Lipa and The Weeknd are bringing the 80s back… again".
Wikipedia claims there's been a synth-pop revival: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synth-pop

The Weeknd and Dua Lipa are listed at the end of the revival section with a link to a BBC article titled "How Dua Lipa and The Weeknd are bringing the 80s back… again".
- KVRAF
- 1848 posts since 12 Jan, 2019
But there are so many pop songs with electronic music as a backing. I've also noticed that often when an electronic music producer gets some popularity, he or she starts collaborating with all sorts of singers and bringing vocals more into their songs. I don't know the business enough for sure, but that is my vague impression.
"Have you ever noticed how anyone driving faster than you is a [jerk] and anyone driving slower than you is a moron?" - George Carlin
- KVRAF
- 1848 posts since 12 Jan, 2019
I like the soundtrack for Pi, which has Autechre music--the album is Incunabula. It just sounds cool to me. I love Autechre's "Kalpol Introl"--it's just a mostly repeated 303 line, a pad chord backing, and some foley-type percussion and FX. There is no verse/chorus/bridge structure, but it does evolve a bit as new elements are added, and I call it musical. I don't give a f___ that it doesn't conform to traditional songwriting patterns. If one can't appreciate cool sounds for their own sake, if one is so rigid in requiring traditional song structure, that's cool--but that does not make others "sad," ha.
I don't understand dismissing people because of what they like, unless one's identity is so wrapped up in his or her musical preferences that dismissing other is an act of self-preservation or self-validation?
"Kalpol Introl"
I don't understand dismissing people because of what they like, unless one's identity is so wrapped up in his or her musical preferences that dismissing other is an act of self-preservation or self-validation?
"Kalpol Introl"
"Have you ever noticed how anyone driving faster than you is a [jerk] and anyone driving slower than you is a moron?" - George Carlin
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- KVRAF
- 6606 posts since 2 Dec, 2004 from North Wales
Topic Starter
Exactly- bringing the sounds people created 20+ years ago back! 'Synthwave' seems to be about nostalgia and capturing that '80's' sound. Synths = Retro!telecharge wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 4:44 amI'm not all that familiar with modern pop, but it seems to me that synths are used a lot more than guitars these days. It's just that pop isn't synth-driven like it was in the '80s.
Wikipedia claims there's been a synth-pop revival: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synth-pop
The Weeknd and Dua Lipa are listed at the end of the revival section with a link to a BBC article titled "How Dua Lipa and The Weeknd are bringing the 80s back… again".
PC, BWS, Live and Studio One, Renoise, X32 Desk, Hardware Synths + Eurorack, MPC Live, A4 and RYTM, PT, TD27 V Drums, Guitars, Basses
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- KVRAF
- 1507 posts since 28 Mar, 2007
No one is dismissing you. If you like it, fine. You do not need validation for what you like or do not like.
I was dismissed a few posts back because I do not like this particular TYPE of electronic music, as if it is the only TYPE worth listening to.This was the comment.........
"It's evident that electronic music is not your thing."
A bit silly since my first synth was way back in 1989 and was a Juno 106.
As far as this type of music goes Deliah Derbyshire was doing it much better in the 1960s using just tape recorders.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVsqxNy8kkg
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- KVRAF
- 1507 posts since 28 Mar, 2007
- KVRAF
- 1848 posts since 12 Jan, 2019
- addled muppet weed
- 76596 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass
and sadly, until more recently, despite every uk kid around my age growing up on her music, few people knew much about her, until later artists started referencing influences.dellboy wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 5:39 amNo one is dismissing you. If you like it, fine. You do not need validation for what you like or do not like.
I was dismissed a few posts back because I do not like this particular TYPE of electronic music, as if it is the only TYPE worth listening to.This was the comment.........
"It's evident that electronic music is not your thing."
A bit silly since my first synth was way back in 1989 and was a Juno 106.
As far as this type of music goes Deliah Derbyshire was doing it much better in the 1960s using just tape recorders.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVsqxNy8kkg
look for the true freak label.
do not!feed the vampyr.
click link to hear the sounds of vurt coming into your ears
do not!feed the vampyr.

click link to hear the sounds of vurt coming into your ears
- addled muppet weed
- 76596 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass

look for the true freak label.
do not!feed the vampyr.
click link to hear the sounds of vurt coming into your ears
do not!feed the vampyr.

click link to hear the sounds of vurt coming into your ears
- KVRian
- 674 posts since 22 Feb, 2014
Yes, that's what synthwave is, but not all synth-pop is like that. I don't want to list a bunch of bands you've never heard of, but consider some of the other acts in the revival section like The Naked and Famous, Chvrches, and M83. LCD Soundsystem has already been mentioned, and there are other synth-driven indie pop bands who have enjoyed some success like Hot Chip and MGMT.SLiC wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 5:20 amExactly- bringing the sounds people created 20+ years ago back! 'Synthwave' seems to be about nostalgia and capturing that '80's' sound. Synths = Retro!telecharge wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 4:44 amI'm not all that familiar with modern pop, but it seems to me that synths are used a lot more than guitars these days. It's just that pop isn't synth-driven like it was in the '80s.
Wikipedia claims there's been a synth-pop revival: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synth-pop
The Weeknd and Dua Lipa are listed at the end of the revival section with a link to a BBC article titled "How Dua Lipa and The Weeknd are bringing the 80s back… again".
- addled muppet weed
- 76596 posts since 26 Jan, 2003 from through the looking glass
radiohead, while not using much in the way of synths, do use a lot of electronic processing 

look for the true freak label.
do not!feed the vampyr.
click link to hear the sounds of vurt coming into your ears
do not!feed the vampyr.

click link to hear the sounds of vurt coming into your ears
- KVRAF
- 1848 posts since 12 Jan, 2019
"Freeze Frame" and "Electric Energy" are cool. "Depression" reminds of sounds used in scenes of The Twilight Zone. The others are not my thing. None of it sounds as cool as "Kalpol Introl" to me.
"Have you ever noticed how anyone driving faster than you is a [jerk] and anyone driving slower than you is a moron?" - George Carlin