Synthwave and Retro Electronic

2dogs wrote: Actually I do like progressive electronic music right back to the 50s and 60s and earlier but was making the point that TD had already "combined House music with elements of 1980s Electronic music" before 2000. I like 70s TD copyists like Cosmic Ground when they get played on Krautrock-world web radio and that last "Sandtrommel" was a nice mixture of Kraftwerk, Cluster and TD but am a bit suspicious of retro, revival and fake musical movements in general and prefer to purchase the originals. It's also getting ridiculous when the people currently operating under the TD name actually cover a pastiche of an earlier incarnation of TD . Still, if the genre doesn't start until 2005 I will skip TDs first four Dream Mixes albums and post a couple of remixes of 1980s tracks from the 2010 Dream Mixes V . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB_UPpXOWRY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgiE_hyWFYs

That's true about TD already making music in a similar way, but I find they lack the same sense of nostalgia and sentimentality of 80s horror and sci-fi films, TV shows etc., which is part of the appeal of Synthwave. It's kind of schlocky. I'd heard TD's version of Stranger Things, and I think the concept is fun. I actually appreciate the ridiculous often. I definitely enjoy Cosmic Ground and some other ones that evoke an earlier era.

I enjoy retro quite a bit, and if say, Kosmischer Läufer had been from the 70s/ 80s, I would still love the music. In that case, I appreciate the whole story and hoaxiness of it. It's one that I'm sure people have been fooled by. Jon Brooks and Klaus Moorlock I find interesting too. I'm not really a fan of SYnthwave as I don't tend to appreciate house music, and I'm not generally big on re-mixes.   What interests me most here is music that evokes the feel of earlier Electronic music (be it 50s, 60s, 70s, early 80s...) and music that references certain cultural phenomena. I'm personally not interested in the ones that re-mix 80s pop and disco music (and add a beat), or really in simple re-mixes. The more interesting ones to me are those that have original music that sound of an earlier era, or update that sound but evoke a sense of nostalgia.

I'm more impressed by someone who comes up with original music that sounds like it could have been released decades ago than someone who takes existing music and turns into a house dance track, for instance. That said, I have heard some interesting and creative sampling and there can be a real art to that and various editing processes, but most of it does not strike me as that "inspired".

As for Tangerine Dream, I'm definitely most into the 70s period (I tend to return to the early half of the 70s ones the most, but grew to appreciate later releases). Generally, I also prefer to listen to music of its time, but I can appreciate and love music that evokes another time and "takes me back". While a comedy actor and having much comedy music, I love Matt Berry's retro music. This one would fit this topic as something of a tribute to earlier artists' music.





Edited by Logan - June 18 2019 at 17:22

Meltdowner wrote: I thought I'd mention Dallas Campell, he's here under PE (mainly for his more minimalist work). The list of synths he uses is simply impressive. https://magichappened.bandcamp.com

Love that, thank you.

An interesting retro case is "Klaus Morlock". https://klausmorlock.bandcamp.com/

Synthwave is fantastic. I find myself listening to lots of vaporwave lately. Good stuff!

Well, I love Tangerine Dream (especially in the 70s), and am much more into "Progressive Electronic" (Kosmische and others) to Synthwave (as defined earlier, though I do like various Com Truise and some others considerably): Tangerine Dream, Igor Wakhevitch, Zanov, Franco Leprino, Klaus Schulze, Anna Sjalv Tredje, Edgar Froese, Bobby Beausoleil, Mort Garson, Cluster, Richard Pinhas, Kraftwerk, Ose, Heldon, Harmonia, White Noise, Automat, Conrad Schnitzler, Jean Guérin etc. I love. My favourite of the retro electronic acts so far is Kosmischer Läufer (that Civil Defence is Common Sense is most of that ilk in this thread). Kosmischer Läufer's The Secret Cosmic Music of the East German Olympic Program 1972-83 Vols 1-4 I think evokes/mimics Kosmische/ Berlin School of the era brilliantly. It would be an interesting one for someone into earlier Tangerine Dream and related music. But if you haven't explored a lot of Electronic music from the 70s to early 80s yet, then I might wait a bit on that one.



Progressive Electronic is one of my favourite categories in PA.

By the way, this trailer is what got me to explore Synthwave (love the film, by the way):



Com Truise's Data Kiss (full track in my first post) still remains my favourite piece that I have heard of that ilk.

Edited by Logan - June 08 2019 at 15:01

Oh is all this late 90s Tangerine Dream stuff I have been listening to lately Synthwave?

Edited by Saperlipopette! - June 08 2019 at 11:30

Edited by S1973 - June 07 2019 at 09:19

Edited by S1973 - April 29 2019 at 14:01