Synthpop
Synthpop (also synth-pop, synth- pop and synthpop ) denotes a arisen in the 1970s style within the electronic dance music whose key feature is the use of electronic instruments ( synthesizers) as a style element. This traditional instruments should not simply be replaced by electronic (which did not make sense even by the then very high price and size of the equipment). Instead, it was started as an attempt thus, new artistic ways of creating sound design and style to go.
In addition to synth-pop, the terms " electro " and " Technopop " are used, the precise definition and limitation are discussed differently. What is meant is a produced with synthetic sound generation and / or pop music samplers, depending on the musical emphasis. Nevertheless, not every pop music electronically generated automatically called synth pop.
History
The beginnings (1970-1978)
The Synthpop is a - despite initial work of Terry Riley and Annette Peacock - mainly incurred in Europe style. Even the bands of the German Krautrock - wave end of the 1960s, experimented with synthesizers and electronic effects; the results, however, were usually too experimental to describe it as pop music can. In England, there were increasing in the early 1970s, the bands that inserting synthesizer ( for example, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Pink Floyd ). However, be noted that at this time electronic instruments were exceptionally expensive and therefore not eligible for any band in question.
As the first real electropop hit the single Popcorn by Hot Butter ( 1972) is considered. Significant influence on the development of style had but especially the German band Kraftwerk, which had begun experimental Although, after 1974, however, mainly produced catchy music. Hits like Highway, The Model, Radioactivity and Trans Europe Express made the band as well as the new musical style known internationally.
The " 80's Pop " ( 1978-1989 )
Goods are subject in the 1970s because of its cost just a few top earners among the musicians synthesizer, so in the late 1970s (relatively) cheaper and more compact instruments came increasingly to the market (especially the manufacturer ARP Instruments, Korg, Moog, Oberheim, Roland and Yamaha ), which were affordable for a wider circle of musicians.
The result was a veritable boom in synthesizer bands that released their first music to also resulting in large numbers of independent labels. Many of these bands clearly relied on power station, but a trend toward more compact, catchy and danceable songs a bit. As a representative of this first major wave of synth - performer (about 1978-82 ) would be Depeche Mode, OMD, The Buggles, New Order, Eurythmics, Soft Cell, Gary Numan, Blancmange, Yazoo, Ultravox and Visage mentioned. Within the flowering in England New Wave movement emerged subcultures such as the " New Romantics " or " Futurists ", which many synthpop bands were (especially by the music press ) assigned from time to time. From this period dates the term Synthpop or synth pop.
Early to mid- 1980s synth - pop reached its commercial peak with hits like Fade To Grey by Visage, Sweet Dreams ( Are Made of This ) by Eurythmics Tainted Love by Soft Cell, Blue Monday by New Order, Big in Japan by Alphaville, Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat or People Are People by Depeche Mode. By means of the so-called sampling could now be produced from short sound recordings impressive pieces of music. During this time also developed tailored for discos offshoot of the synth - pop as Italo - disco and euro disco.
Decline and brief revival (1990-1999)
The triumph of the techno movement of the synth-pop was pushed back into the ground. There, especially bands like De / Vision, Second Decay, Elegant Machinery and Pitch Yarn of Matter led typical of the 1980s sound on. With the advent of ever more powerful PCs from the mid-1990s keyboard synthesizer and sampling machines disappeared progressively and thus gradually the classic synth-pop.
At the same time, there was a brief synth-pop revival, but the one major success was denied. Setting the tone here were mainly Swedish and German labels such as October, with bands like Children Within, Kiethevez, Vision System, Forbidden Colours and State Machine, and Visage Records, with groups such as the Daily Planet and Point of View.
Derivatives
In the second half of the 1990s developed in conjunction with Techno Trance a form of music that became known around the turn of the millennium as a future pop and reached the charts.
To 2001, the synth pop to punk elements has been expanded, which led to the emergence of genres electroclash.
Synthpop influences also can be found in modern synth rock.
Pioneering bands and artists
- A Flock of Seagulls
- Alphaville
- And One
- Anne Clark
- Blancmange
- Boytronic
- Bronski Beat
- The Buggles
- Camouflage
- The Human League
- Power station
- Moskwa TV
- OMD
- Pet Shop Boys
- Propaganda
- Soft Cell
- Space
- Suicide
- Tears for Fears
- Twice a Man
- TalkTalk
- The Twins
- Ultravox
- Face
- Wolfsheim
- Yazoo
- Yello