Modern 1980s-Influenced Synth Music

mypetrobot · Post by **mypetrobot** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:46 am

For the last couple of years I've been really inspired by this style of primarily instrumental, 80s-influenced, oftentimes reverb-drenched, synth music. A lot of it actually almost sounds like it should be listened to over the telephone while on-hold.

Here are a few prime examples:
Moss of Aura - "Chase"
Silk Flowers - "Small Fortune"
Errors - "Tusk"

I've collected some tracks in a Spotify playlist, but I still need to trim it down to a slightly more coherent theme.

Does anyone have some good recommendations of similar artists/songs?
Not really looking for the obvious (ie. Com Truise)...

Thanks!

oootini · Post by **oootini** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:49 am

this is actually from the 80s, rather than being 80s inspired. amazing track though, from an overlooked producer...

[video][/video]

oootini · Post by **oootini** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 10:52 am

also, today i was digging on this:

https://soundcloud.com/palm-highway-chase

Spectrum Spools is putting out some great stuff these days...

mypetrobot · Post by **mypetrobot** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:15 am

oootini wrote:this is actually from the 80s, rather than being 80s inspired. amazing track though, from an overlooked producer...

also, today i was digging on this:

https://soundcloud.com/palm-highway-chase

Spectrum Spools is putting out some great stuff these days...

These are both really solid recommendations. The Enno Velthuys material looks like it is going to take some digging in order to find complete albums. However, the new Palm /|\ Highway Chase album is streamable on Spotify. Awesome. Thank you.

mypetrobot · Post by **mypetrobot** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:25 am

Although I haven't spent enough time with the album yet, it's hilarious how scathing this review of "Escape From New York" is. On the plus side, it mentioned the album "Channel Pressure" by Ford & Lopatin. Upon an initial listen, "Channel Pressure" actually sounds pretty rad.

Edit: Actually not digging Channel Pressure as much after the vocals kick in.

I also went back through the Spectrum Spools catalog and have heard many of the releases before. Good stuff. I'm going to have to check out what I've missed. Thanks again.

oootini · Post by **oootini** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:35 am

enno veltheuys died in poverty I think and generally had a pretty sad story. you can find his stuff on the obscure music blogs. well worth digging out. would live to see a collected/remastered greatest hits of his come out.

oootini · Post by **oootini** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:38 am

lol. that review can fuck right off. "staring into the void" indeed.

polyroy · Post by **polyroy** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:44 am

Xeno & Oaklander
Martial Canterel

Martial Canterel is the solo project of one half of Xeno and Oaklander. All good stuff, with a real 80s vibe. Their studio is amazing and they play live with loads of synths as well.

zedius · Post by **zedius** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 6:59 pm

I really like these guys. Most of the time I show them to people and they ask if I've heard of Com Truise... so it might fit into the '80s inspired but not obvious example?

Edit:

I should throw Austra in as well. It's a modern synth-pop act that takes a lot of influence from the 80s but has some songwriting chops instead of regurgitating.

TestSetRadio · Post by **TestSetRadio** » Tue Aug 06, 2013 8:48 pm

adderall canyonly http://adderallcanyonly.fieldhymns.com/

oootini · Post by **oootini** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 2:27 am

cool - xeno and oaklander. missed them when they played Dublin recently. must check out their stuff. any particular album worth checking out?

mypetrobot · Post by **mypetrobot** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 11:01 am

zedius wrote:I really like these guys. Most of the time I show them to people and they ask if I've heard of Com Truise... so it might fit into the '80s inspired but not obvious example?

TestSetRadio wrote:adderall canyonly http://adderallcanyonly.fieldhymns.com/

Both of these definitely fit the parameters and are similar to the examples I posted. Now I've got some listening to do, thanks!

pixelmechanic · Post by **pixelmechanic** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 2:37 pm

oootini wrote:cool - xeno and oaklander. missed them when they played Dublin recently. must check out their stuff. any particular album worth checking out?

I really like Sentinelle...

@ the OP, some of The Juan Maclean stuff is hilarious if you like Dare era Human League

Demi Jon · Post by **Demi Jon** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 2:57 pm

Kraftwerk Orange, of course

emdot_ambient · Post by **emdot_ambient** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 3:33 pm

+1 for Xeno and Oaklander. I pretty much have loved everything they do.

Vogelmensch · Post by **Vogelmensch** » Wed Aug 07, 2013 3:41 pm

Xeno & Oaklander and Canterel solo are cool, have to mention Led er est aswell.

Vogelmensch · Post by **Vogelmensch** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:31 pm

Not to forget : the soft moon

dougfresh · Post by **dougfresh** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 9:16 pm

Hillsong United has a new CD called Zion, it sounds pretty retro. Interesting to see church music getting back to synths too

mypetrobot · Post by **mypetrobot** » Thu Aug 08, 2013 10:30 pm

Vogelmensch wrote:Not to forget : the soft moon

Saw The Soft Moon back in January, their live show is pretty entertaining.

Many of you are missing the point though:

mypetrobot wrote:... really inspired by this style of primarily instrumental, 80s-influenced, oftentimes ...

Either way, all of the suggestions have been great, thanks!

poorpot · Post by **poorpot** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 5:59 am

Hell - Teufelswerk

Joe Goddard - Harvest Festival

lots of vocals but worth checking
Pnau - PNAU

mypetrobot · Post by **mypetrobot** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:41 am

poorpot wrote:Hell - Teufelswerk

Joe Goddard - Harvest Festival

lots of vocals but worth checking
Pnau - PNAU

So on my initial listen-through of Joe Goddard's album "Harvest Festival," the sound palette is right, but it's a little too "dancey" (maybe uptempo) perhaps to fit into the criteria outlined in my original post. The track "Half-Time Oranges" is pretty spot on though.

This DJ Hell stuff is similar. It's pretty Kraftwerk-ian at times (which is awesome), but I think I'm looking for more down-tempo pieces or even pieces that have more of a pop-rock song structure (without vocals of course).

Thanks for the recommendations though, even though some of this material isn't necessarily what I was looking for initially doesn't mean I don't like it.

rockthomas · Post by **rockthomas** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 7:55 am

Are Pulse Emitter, Rene Hell, Panabrite, Hobo Cubes, etc. too ambient? I find the whole cassette synth stuff really nice.

poorpot · Post by **poorpot** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 8:58 am

Tycho - Dive

Lindstrom - Smalhans

mypetrobot · Post by **mypetrobot** » Fri Aug 09, 2013 9:31 am

rockthomas wrote:Are Pulse Emitter, Rene Hell, Panabrite, Hobo Cubes, etc. too ambient? I find the whole cassette synth stuff really nice.

For the aforementioned style, yes. But this Rene Hell stuff is really nice.

poorpot · Post by **poorpot** » Sat Aug 10, 2013 11:04 am

love this cover version of can - mighty girl by lindstrom & prins thomas

[video][/video]

sorry, it's also pretty uptempo.

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Modern 1980s-Influenced Synth Music

Modern 1980s-Influenced Synth Music

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