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|bgcolor=silver
|bgcolor=silver
|color=black
|color=black
|stylistic_origins=[[Disco]], [[New Wave music|New Wave]], [[post-punk]], [[glam rock]], [[pop music|pop]], [[krautrock]], [[electronic music|electronic]]
|stylistic_origins=[[Disco]], [[New Wave music|New Wave]], [[electronic music|electronic]], [[pop music|pop]], [[post-punk]], [[glam rock]], [[krautrock]]
|cultural_origins= Mid-late 1970s & early 1980s in [[Germany]], [[Japan]], [[England]]
|cultural_origins= Mid-late 1970s & early 1980s in [[Germany]], [[Japan]], [[England]]
|instruments=[[Synthesizer]] – [[Drum machine]] – [[Bass Guitar]] – [[Tape loop]]s – [[Drum kit|Drums]] – [[Guitar]] – [[Music sequencer|Sequencer]] – [[Keyboard instrument|Keyboard]] – [[Vocoder]] – [[Sampler (musical instrument)|Sampler]] – [[Vocals]]
|instruments=[[Synthesizer]] – [[Drum machine]] – [[Bass Guitar]] – [[Tape loop]]s – [[Drum kit|Drums]] – [[Guitar]] – [[Music sequencer|Sequencer]] – [[Keyboard instrument|Keyboard]] – [[Vocoder]] – [[Sampler (musical instrument)|Sampler]] – [[Vocals]]
|popularity= Worldwide 1980s and late 2000s/early 2010s.
|popularity= Worldwide 1980s and late 2000s/early 2010s.
|derivatives=[[Electroclash]], [[ambient pop]], [[industrial music|industrial]], [[digital hardcore]]
|derivatives=[[Electroclash]], [[ambient pop]], [[industrial music|industrial]], [[digital hardcore]], [[Electro music|electro]], [[techno]]
|subgenrelist=List of electronic music genres
|subgenrelist=List of electronic music genres
|subgenres=[[Futurepop]],
|subgenres=[[Futurepop]],
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===Origins (1977–81)===
===Origins (1977–81)===
[[File:YMO2008(cropped).jpg|thumb|150px|right|[[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] in 2008]]
[[File:YMO2008(cropped).jpg|thumb|150px|right|[[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] in 2008]]
Early guitar-based [[punk rock]] that came to prominence in the period 1976-7, was initially hostile to the "inauthentic" sound of the synthesiser,<ref>S. Borthwick and R. Moy, ''Popular Music Genres: an Introduction'' (Edinburgh University Press, 2004), ISBN 0748617450, p. 122.</ref> but many [[New Wave]] and [[post-punk]] bands that emerged from the movement began to adopt it as a major part of their sound.<ref>D. Nicholls, ''The Cambridge History of American Music'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), ISBN 0521454298, p. 373.</ref> The [[DIY|Do It yourself]] attitude of punk broke down the progressive rock era's norm of needing years of experience before getting up on stage to play synthesizers.<ref name=SynthBritannia/> The American duo [[Suicide (band)|Suicide]], who arose from the post-punk scene in New York utilized drum machines and synthesizers in a strange hybrid between electronics and post punk on their [[Suicide (album)|eponymous 1977 album]].<ref>D. Nobakht, ''Suicide: No Compromise'' (SAF Publishing Ltd, 2004), p. 136.</ref> [[David Bowie]]'s "Berlin period" albums, ''[[Low (album)|Low]]'' (1977), ''[["Heroes"|Heroes]]'' (1977), and ''[[Lodger (album)|Lodger]]'' (1979), all produced by Brian Eno in Germany, would also be highly influential.<ref>Greg Villepique, ''Salon'', January 25, 2000. [http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2000/01/25/bowie/print.html] Access date: August 11, 2008.</ref> In 1977 [[Ultravox]] member [[Warren Cann]] purchased a [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] TR-77 drum machine, which was first featured in their October 1977 single release "[[Hiroshima Mon Amour]]".<ref>"The Man Who Dies Every Day Ultravox", ''All Music Guides'', {{Allmusic|class=song|id=t258253|pure_url=yes}} retrieved 25/07/09.</ref>
Early guitar-based [[punk rock]] that came to prominence in the period 1976-7, was initially hostile to the "inauthentic" sound of the synthesiser,<ref>S. Borthwick and R. Moy, ''Popular Music Genres: an Introduction'' (Edinburgh University Press, 2004), ISBN 0748617450, p. 122.</ref> but many [[New Wave]] and [[post-punk]] bands that emerged from the movement began to adopt it as a major part of their sound.<ref>D. Nicholls, ''The Cambridge History of American Music'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), ISBN 0521454298, p. 373.</ref> The [[DIY|Do It yourself]] attitude of punk broke down the progressive rock era's norm of needing years of experience before getting up on stage to play synthesizers.<ref name=SynthBritannia/> The American duo [[Suicide (band)|Suicide]], who arose from the post-punk scene in New York utilized drum machines and synthesizers in a strange hybrid between electronics and post punk on their [[Suicide (album)|eponymous 1977 album]].<ref>D. Nobakht, ''Suicide: No Compromise'' (SAF Publishing Ltd, 2004), p. 136.</ref> [[David Bowie]]'s "Berlin period" albums, ''[[Low (album)|Low]]'' (1977), ''[["Heroes"|Heroes]]'' (1977), and ''[[Lodger (album)|Lodger]]'' (1979), all produced by Brian Eno in Germany, would also be highly influential.<ref>Greg Villepique, ''Salon'', January 25, 2000. [http://archive.salon.com/people/bc/2000/01/25/bowie/print.html] Access date: August 11, 2008.</ref> In 1977, [[Ultravox]] member [[Warren Cann]] purchased a [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] [[Roland Rhythm 77|TR-77]] [[drum machine]], which was first featured in their October 1977 single release "[[Hiroshima Mon Amour]]".<ref>"The Man Who Dies Every Day Ultravox", ''All Music Guides'', {{Allmusic|class=song|id=t258253|pure_url=yes}} retrieved 25/07/09.</ref>


Japanese band [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] (YMO) helped pioneer synthpop with their [[Yellow Magic Orchestra (album)|self-titled album]] (1978) and ''[[Solid State Survivor]]'' (1979),<ref name="scaruffi">{{citation|title=A history of rock music 1951-2000|author=[[Piero Scaruffi]]|publisher=[[iUniverse]]|year=2003|isbn=0595295657|chapter=The new wave of pop and synth-pop|page=234|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=04KtwVkHNv0C&pg=PA234|accessdate=2011-05-26}}</ref> setting a template with less [[Minimalistic music|minimalism]], more varying use of synthesizer lines,<ref name="bogdanov_2001">{{cite book|last=Bogdanov|first=Vladimir|title=All music guide to electronica: the definitive guide to electronic music|year=2001|publisher=[[Hal Leonard Corporation|Backbeat Books]]|isbn=0879306289|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GJNXLSBlL7IC&pg=PT516|edition=4th|accessdate=26 May 2011|page=516}}</ref> and drawing from a wider range of influences than had been employed by Kraftwerk, they would be a major influence on early British synthpop acts.<ref name="sicko_brewster">{{citation|title=Techno Rebels|author=Dan Sicko & Bill Brewster|edition=2nd|publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |year=2010 |isbn=0814334385|pages=27–8 |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=h6TNjUt-QrkC&pg=PA27 |accessdate=2011-05-28}}</ref><ref name="guardian_ymo">{{cite web|last=Lewis|first=John|title=Back to the future: Yellow Magic Orchestra helped usher in electronica - and they may just have invented hip-hop, too|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jul/04/electronicmusic.filmandmusic11|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=25 May 2011|date=4 July 2008}}</ref> 1978 also saw UK band [[The Human League]]'s début single "[[Being Boiled]]" released, and in the US [[Devo]] began moving towards a more electronic sound. Others were soon to follow, including [[Tubeway Army]], a little known outfit from West London, who dropped their punk rock image and adopted synthesizers, topping the UK charts in the summer of 1979 with the single "[[Are Friends Electric?]]". This prompted the singer, [[Gary Numan]] to go solo and in the same year he released the Kraftwerk inspired album, ''[[The Pleasure Principle (Gary Numan album)|The Pleasure Principle]]'' and topped the charts for the second time with the single "[[Cars (song)|Cars]]".<ref>J. Miller, ''Stripped: Depeche Mode'' (Omnibus Press, 2004), p. 21.</ref> Prior to Numan the synth acts reflected the bleak and empty landscape of Britain of the late 1970s. In opposition to the anti hero punk attitude Numan desired to be a pop star.<ref name=SynthBritannia/> Giorgio Moroder collaborated with the band [[Sparks (band)|Sparks]] on their album, ''[[No. 1 In Heaven]]'' (1979). This zeitgeist of revolution in electronic music performance and recording/production was encapsulated by then would be record producer, [[Trevor Horn]] of [[The Buggles]] in the international hit "[[Video Killed the Radio Star]]" (1979).<ref name="scaruffi"/>
Japanese band [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] (YMO) helped pioneer synthpop with their [[Yellow Magic Orchestra (album)|self-titled album]] (1978) and ''[[Solid State Survivor]]'' (1979),<ref name="scaruffi">{{citation|title=A history of rock music 1951-2000|author=[[Piero Scaruffi]]|publisher=[[iUniverse]]|year=2003|isbn=0595295657|chapter=The new wave of pop and synth-pop|page=234|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=04KtwVkHNv0C&pg=PA234|accessdate=2011-05-26}}</ref> setting a template with less [[Minimalistic music|minimalism]], more varying use of synthesizer lines, a "fun-loving and breezy" sound,<ref name="bogdanov_2001">{{cite book|last=Bogdanov|first=Vladimir|title=All music guide to electronica: the definitive guide to electronic music|year=2001|publisher=[[Hal Leonard Corporation|Backbeat Books]]|isbn=0879306289|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GJNXLSBlL7IC&pg=PT516|edition=4th|accessdate=26 May 2011|page=516}}</ref> and drawing from a wider range of influences than had been employed by Kraftwerk.<ref name="sicko_brewster">{{citation|title=Techno Rebels|author=Dan Sicko & Bill Brewster|edition=2nd|publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |year=2010 |isbn=0814334385|pages=27–8 |url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=h6TNjUt-QrkC&pg=PA27 |accessdate=2011-05-28}}</ref> YMO also introduced the [[microprocessor]]-based [[Roland MC-8 Microcomposer|Roland MC-8]] [[Music sequencer|sequencer]]<ref name="discogs_ymo_lp">{{Discogs release|453067|Yellow Magic Orchestra – Yellow Magic Orchestra}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Sound International, Issues 33-40|work=[[Sound International]]|year=1981|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Sj5LAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=21 June 2011|page=147}}</ref> and [[Roland TR-808|TR-808]] rhythm machine to [[popular music]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Slaves to the rhythm: Kanye West is the latest to pay tribute to a classic drum machine|date=November 28, 2008|author=Jason Anderson|publisher=[[CBC News]]|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/music/story/2008/11/27/f-history-of-the-808.html|accessdate=2011-05-29}}</ref> and the band would be a major influence on early British synthpop acts.<ref name="guardian_ymo">{{cite web|last=Lewis|first=John|title=Back to the future: Yellow Magic Orchestra helped usher in electronica - and they may just have invented hip-hop, too|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jul/04/electronicmusic.filmandmusic11|work=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=25 May 2011|date=4 July 2008}}</ref> 1978 also saw UK band [[The Human League]]'s début single "[[Being Boiled]]" released, and in the US [[Devo]] began moving towards a more electronic sound. Others were soon to follow, including [[Tubeway Army]], a little known outfit from West London, who dropped their punk rock image and adopted synthesizers, topping the UK charts in the summer of 1979 with the single "[[Are Friends Electric?]]". This prompted the singer, [[Gary Numan]] to go solo and in the same year he released the Kraftwerk inspired album, ''[[The Pleasure Principle (Gary Numan album)|The Pleasure Principle]]'' and topped the charts for the second time with the single "[[Cars (song)|Cars]]".<ref>J. Miller, ''Stripped: Depeche Mode'' (Omnibus Press, 2004), p. 21.</ref> Prior to Numan the synth acts reflected the bleak and empty landscape of Britain of the late 1970s. In opposition to the anti hero punk attitude Numan desired to be a pop star.<ref name=SynthBritannia/> Giorgio Moroder collaborated with the band [[Sparks (band)|Sparks]] on their album, ''[[No. 1 In Heaven]]'' (1979). This zeitgeist of revolution in electronic music performance and recording/production was encapsulated by then would be record producer, [[Trevor Horn]] of [[The Buggles]] in the international hit "[[Video Killed the Radio Star]]" (1979).<ref name="scaruffi"/>


Albums such as [[Devo]]'s ''[[Freedom of Choice]]'' (1980), [[Visage]]'s [[Visage (album)|self titled debut]] (1980), [[John Foxx]]'s ''[[Metamatic]]'' (1980), [[Gary Numan]]'s ''[[Telekon]]'' (1980), [[Ultravox]]'s ''[[Vienna (album)|Vienna]]'' (1980), [[The Human League]]'s ''[[Dare (album)|Dare]]'' (1981) and [[Depeche Mode]]'s ''[[Speak and Spell (album)|Speak and Spell]]'' (1981), established a sound that influenced most mainstream pop and rock bands.<ref name=AMsynthpop>{{Citation | last = | title = Synth pop | journal = Allmusic | date = | url = {{Allmusic|class=explore|id=style/d18|pure_url=yes}} | archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5x6RaN2Dj| archivedate =10 March 2011}}.</ref> Synthpop's early steps, and the Numan Futurist movement in particular, were disparaged in the British music press of the late 1970s and early 1980s for its German influences<ref name=SynthBritannia/> and characterised as the "[[Adolf Hitler]] Memorial Space Patrol" ([[Mick Farren]]),<ref>The Seth Man, ''Julian Cope Presents Head Heritage'', June 1, 2004. [http://www.headheritage.com/unsung/thebookofseth/1114] Access date: August 14, 2004.</ref>
Albums such as [[Devo]]'s ''[[Freedom of Choice]]'' (1980), [[Visage]]'s [[Visage (album)|self titled debut]] (1980), [[John Foxx]]'s ''[[Metamatic]]'' (1980), [[Gary Numan]]'s ''[[Telekon]]'' (1980), [[Ultravox]]'s ''[[Vienna (album)|Vienna]]'' (1980), [[The Human League]]'s ''[[Dare (album)|Dare]]'' (1981) and [[Depeche Mode]]'s ''[[Speak and Spell (album)|Speak and Spell]]'' (1981), established a sound that influenced most mainstream pop and rock bands.<ref name=AMsynthpop>{{Citation | last = | title = Synth pop | journal = Allmusic | date = | url = {{Allmusic|class=explore|id=style/d18|pure_url=yes}} | archiveurl = http://www.webcitation.org/5x6RaN2Dj| archivedate =10 March 2011}}.</ref> Synthpop's early steps, and the Numan Futurist movement in particular, were disparaged in the British music press of the late 1970s and early 1980s for its German influences<ref name=SynthBritannia/> and characterised as the "[[Adolf Hitler]] Memorial Space Patrol" ([[Mick Farren]]).<ref>The Seth Man, ''Julian Cope Presents Head Heritage'', June 1, 2004. [http://www.headheritage.com/unsung/thebookofseth/1114] Access date: August 14, 2004.</ref>


===Commercial success and development (1982–90)===
===Commercial success and development (1982–90)===
Line 42: Line 42:
The emergence of synthpop has been described as "perhaps the single most significant event in [[melodic music]] since [[Beat music|Mersey-beat]]".<ref name="scaruffi"/> Particularly through their adoption by the [[New Romantics|New Romantic]] movement, synthesizers came to dominate the pop music of the early 1980s<ref name=malaysia>[http://ecentral.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/3/2/music/16390129&sec=music Dawn of the plastic age Malaysia Star March 2, 2007]</ref> as well as replacing disco in dance clubs across Japan<ref name="sarasota">{{cite journal|title=Computer rock music gaining fans|journal=[[Sarasota Journal]]|date=August 18, 1980|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7s4mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h44EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4481,2128223|accessdate=2011-05-25|page=8}}</ref> and Europe.
The emergence of synthpop has been described as "perhaps the single most significant event in [[melodic music]] since [[Beat music|Mersey-beat]]".<ref name="scaruffi"/> Particularly through their adoption by the [[New Romantics|New Romantic]] movement, synthesizers came to dominate the pop music of the early 1980s<ref name=malaysia>[http://ecentral.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/3/2/music/16390129&sec=music Dawn of the plastic age Malaysia Star March 2, 2007]</ref> as well as replacing disco in dance clubs across Japan<ref name="sarasota">{{cite journal|title=Computer rock music gaining fans|journal=[[Sarasota Journal]]|date=August 18, 1980|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7s4mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h44EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4481,2128223|accessdate=2011-05-25|page=8}}</ref> and Europe.


The early sound of synthpop was "eerie, sterile, and vaguely menacing", however, the definition of [[MIDI]] in 1982 and the development of [[digital audio]] made the creation and range of purely electronic sounds much easier.<ref>M. Russ, ''Sound Synthesis and Sampling'' (Elsevier, 3nd edn., 2004), ISBN 0240521056, p. 66.</ref>
The early sound of synthpop was often "eerie, sterile, and vaguely menacing", though the definition of [[MIDI]] in 1982 and the development of [[digital audio]] made the creation and range of purely electronic sounds much easier.<ref>M. Russ, ''Sound Synthesis and Sampling'' (Elsevier, 3nd edn., 2004), ISBN 0240521056, p. 66.</ref>
More commercially orientated bands like [[Duran Duran]] adopted dance beats to produce a catchier and warmer sound.<ref name=AMsynthpop/><ref name=Cateforis>[http://iaspm-us.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Cateforis.pdf The Death of New Wave] Theo Cateforis Assistant Professor of Music History and Cultures in the Department of Art and Music Histories at Syracuse University 2009.</ref> They were soon followed into the charts by large number of bands who used synthesizers to create three-minute pop singles. These included members of the [[New Romantic]] movement in the UK, who adopted an elaborate visual style that combined elements of [[glam rock]], [[science fiction]] and [[romanticism]] such as [[Spandau Ballet]], [[A Flock of Seagulls]], [[Culture Club]], [[Talk Talk]] and the [[Eurythmics]], sometimes using synthesizers to replace all other instruments.<ref name=Scaruffi2003>P. Scaruffi, ''A History of Rock Music: 1951–2000'' (iUniverse, 2003), ISBN 0-595-29565-7, pp. 234–5.</ref> Other successful synthpop artists of this era included [[Alphaville (band)|Alphaville]], [[Soft Cell]], [[New Order]], [[Blancmange (band)|Blancmange]],<ref>{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p15879|pure_url=yes}}</ref> [[Frankie Goes to Hollywood]],<ref name="malaysia"/> [[Pet Shop Boys]],<ref name=malaysia/> [[Thomas Dolby]], [[Yazoo (band)|Yazoo]], [[Art of Noise]], [[Heaven 17]], [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark|OMD]], [[Tears for Fears]], [[Thompson Twins]], [[a-ha]], [[Modern Talking]], [[Real Life (band)|Real Life]], [[Camouflage (band)|Camouflage]], [[Cabaret Voltaire (band)|Cabaret Voltaire]], [[The Beloved]], [[ABC (band)|ABC]] and [[Level 42]].
More commercially orientated bands like [[Duran Duran]] adopted dance beats to produce a catchier and warmer sound.<ref name=AMsynthpop/><ref name=Cateforis>[http://iaspm-us.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Cateforis.pdf The Death of New Wave] Theo Cateforis Assistant Professor of Music History and Cultures in the Department of Art and Music Histories at Syracuse University 2009.</ref> They were soon followed into the charts by large number of bands who used synthesizers to create three-minute pop singles. These included members of the [[New Romantic]] movement in the UK, who adopted an elaborate visual style that combined elements of [[glam rock]], [[science fiction]] and [[romanticism]] such as [[Spandau Ballet]], [[A Flock of Seagulls]], [[Culture Club]], [[Talk Talk]] and the [[Eurythmics]], sometimes using synthesizers to replace all other instruments.<ref name=Scaruffi2003>P. Scaruffi, ''A History of Rock Music: 1951–2000'' (iUniverse, 2003), ISBN 0-595-29565-7, pp. 234–5.</ref> Other successful synthpop artists of this era included [[Alphaville (band)|Alphaville]], [[Soft Cell]], [[New Order]], [[Blancmange (band)|Blancmange]],<ref>{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p15879|pure_url=yes}}</ref> [[Frankie Goes to Hollywood]],<ref name="malaysia"/> [[Pet Shop Boys]],<ref name=malaysia/> [[Thomas Dolby]], [[Yazoo (band)|Yazoo]], [[Art of Noise]], [[Heaven 17]], [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark|OMD]], [[Tears for Fears]], [[Thompson Twins]], [[a-ha]], [[Modern Talking]], [[Real Life (band)|Real Life]], [[Camouflage (band)|Camouflage]], [[Cabaret Voltaire (band)|Cabaret Voltaire]], [[The Beloved]], [[ABC (band)|ABC]] and [[Level 42]].


Revision as of 23:34, 21 June 2011

"Technopop" redirects here. For the game developer, see Technopop (developer). For the song by The Buggles, see The Age of Plastic.
Synthpop
Stylistic originsDisco, New Wave, electronic, pop, post-punk, glam rock, krautrock
Cultural originsMid-late 1970s & early 1980s in Germany, Japan, England
Typical instrumentsSynthesizer – Drum machine – Bass Guitar – Tape loops – Drums – Guitar – Sequencer – Keyboard – Vocoder – Sampler – Vocals
Derivative formsElectroclash, ambient pop, industrial, digital hardcore, electro, techno
Subgenres
Futurepop,
(complete list)
Fusion genres
Synthpunk
Regional scenes
Coldwave

Synthpop (also known as electropop, or technopop[1]) is a genre of music in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It originated as part of the New Wave movement of the late-1970s to the mid-1980s, and it has continued to exist and develop.

Characteristics

While most current popular music in the industrialized world is realized via electronic instruments, synthpop has its own stylistic tendencies which differentiate it from other music produced by the same means. These include the exploitation of artificiality (i.e., the synthesis of sounds from waveforms) where the synthesizers are not used to imitate acoustic instruments, the use of mechanical sounding rhythms, vocal arrangements as a counterpoint to the artificiality of the instruments, and ostinato patterns as an effect. Synthpop song structures are generally similar to those of other popular music. According to music writer Simon Reynolds the hallmark of 1980s synthpop was its "emotional, at times operatic singers" such as Andy Bell, Morten Harket, Marc Almond, Alison Moyet and Annie Lennox.[2]

History

Precursors

Experiments in tape manipulation or musique concrète, early computer music and early sampling and sound manipulation technologies paved the way for both manipulating and creating new sounds through technology. Electronic musical synthesizers that could be used practically in a recording studio became available in the mid-1960s, around the same time as rock music began to emerge as a distinct musical genre.[3] The Mellotron, an electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboard, which used a bank of parallel linear magnetic audio tape strips to produce a variety of sounds enjoyed popularity from the mid-1960s.[4] The initial popularity of the Mellotron would be overtaken by the Moog synthesizer, created by Robert Moog in 1964, which produced completely electronically generated sounds which could be manipulated by pitch and frequency, allowing the "bending" of notes and considerable variety and musical virtuosity to be expressed. The early commercial Moog synthesiser was large and difficult to manipulate, but in 1970 Moog responded to its use in rock and pop music by releasing the portability Mini-moog, which allowed much easier use, particularly in live performance.[5] Early synthesisers were monophonic (only able to play one note at a time), but polyphonic versions began to be produced from the mid-1970s, among the first being the Prophet-5.[6]

Progressive rock musicians such as Richard Wright of Pink Floyd and Rick Wakeman of Yes were soon using the new portable synthesizers extensively. Other early users included Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Keith Emerson, Pete Townshend and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown's Vincent Crane. Instrumental prog rock was particularly significant in continental Europe, allowing bands like Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Can and Faust to circumvent the language barrier.[7] Their synthesiser-heavy "Kraut rock", along with the work of Brian Eno (for a time the keyboard player with Roxy Music), would be a major influence on subsequent synth rock.[8] In 1971 the dark British movie A Clockwork Orange was released with a dark synth soundtrack by American Wendy Carlos. It was the first time many in the United Kingdom had heard electronic music. Philip Oakley of the Human League and Richard H. Kirk of Cabaret Voltaire as well as music journalist Simon Reynolds has cited the soundtrack as an inspiration.[9] and in 1972, jazz musician Stan Free, under the pseudonym Hot Butter had a top 10 hit in the United States and United Kingdom with a cover of the 1969 Gershon Kingsley song "Popcorn". It is considered a forerunner to synthpop due to the use of the Moog synthesizer.[10] The mid-1970s, saw the rise of electronic art music musicians such as Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, and Tomita. Tomita's 1972 album Electric Samurai: Switched on Rock featured electronic renditions of contemporary rock and pop songs, while utilizing speech synthesis and analog music sequencers.[11] In 1975 Kraftwerk played it's first British show and inspired concert attendees Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark to throw away their guitars and become a synth act. Kraftwerk had its first hit UK record later in the year. The group was described by the BBC Four program Synth Britannia as the key to synthpop's future rise there.[9] Germany's Giorgio Moroder paired up with Donna Summer in 1977 to release the electronic disco song "I Feel Love". While a disco song first and foremost, the programmed, arpeggiated beats had a profound impact on the bands which would soon be known as synthpop.

Origins (1977–81)

Yellow Magic Orchestra in 2008

Early guitar-based punk rock that came to prominence in the period 1976-7, was initially hostile to the "inauthentic" sound of the synthesiser,[12] but many New Wave and post-punk bands that emerged from the movement began to adopt it as a major part of their sound.[13] The Do It yourself attitude of punk broke down the progressive rock era's norm of needing years of experience before getting up on stage to play synthesizers.[9] The American duo Suicide, who arose from the post-punk scene in New York utilized drum machines and synthesizers in a strange hybrid between electronics and post punk on their eponymous 1977 album.[14] David Bowie's "Berlin period" albums, Low (1977), Heroes (1977), and Lodger (1979), all produced by Brian Eno in Germany, would also be highly influential.[15] In 1977, Ultravox member Warren Cann purchased a Roland TR-77 drum machine, which was first featured in their October 1977 single release "Hiroshima Mon Amour".[16]

Japanese band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) helped pioneer synthpop with their self-titled album (1978) and Solid State Survivor (1979),[17] setting a template with less minimalism, more varying use of synthesizer lines, a "fun-loving and breezy" sound,[18] and drawing from a wider range of influences than had been employed by Kraftwerk.[19] YMO also introduced the microprocessor-based Roland MC-8 sequencer[20][21] and TR-808 rhythm machine to popular music,[22] and the band would be a major influence on early British synthpop acts.[23] 1978 also saw UK band The Human League's début single "Being Boiled" released, and in the US Devo began moving towards a more electronic sound. Others were soon to follow, including Tubeway Army, a little known outfit from West London, who dropped their punk rock image and adopted synthesizers, topping the UK charts in the summer of 1979 with the single "Are Friends Electric?". This prompted the singer, Gary Numan to go solo and in the same year he released the Kraftwerk inspired album, The Pleasure Principle and topped the charts for the second time with the single "Cars".[24] Prior to Numan the synth acts reflected the bleak and empty landscape of Britain of the late 1970s. In opposition to the anti hero punk attitude Numan desired to be a pop star.[9] Giorgio Moroder collaborated with the band Sparks on their album, No. 1 In Heaven (1979). This zeitgeist of revolution in electronic music performance and recording/production was encapsulated by then would be record producer, Trevor Horn of The Buggles in the international hit "Video Killed the Radio Star" (1979).[17]

Albums such as Devo's Freedom of Choice (1980), Visage's self titled debut (1980), John Foxx's Metamatic (1980), Gary Numan's Telekon (1980), Ultravox's Vienna (1980), The Human League's Dare (1981) and Depeche Mode's Speak and Spell (1981), established a sound that influenced most mainstream pop and rock bands.[25] Synthpop's early steps, and the Numan Futurist movement in particular, were disparaged in the British music press of the late 1970s and early 1980s for its German influences[9] and characterised as the "Adolf Hitler Memorial Space Patrol" (Mick Farren).[26]

Commercial success and development (1982–90)

Depeche Mode live

The emergence of synthpop has been described as "perhaps the single most significant event in melodic music since Mersey-beat".[17] Particularly through their adoption by the New Romantic movement, synthesizers came to dominate the pop music of the early 1980s[27] as well as replacing disco in dance clubs across Japan[28] and Europe.

The early sound of synthpop was often "eerie, sterile, and vaguely menacing", though the definition of MIDI in 1982 and the development of digital audio made the creation and range of purely electronic sounds much easier.[29] More commercially orientated bands like Duran Duran adopted dance beats to produce a catchier and warmer sound.[25][30] They were soon followed into the charts by large number of bands who used synthesizers to create three-minute pop singles. These included members of the New Romantic movement in the UK, who adopted an elaborate visual style that combined elements of glam rock, science fiction and romanticism such as Spandau Ballet, A Flock of Seagulls, Culture Club, Talk Talk and the Eurythmics, sometimes using synthesizers to replace all other instruments.[31] Other successful synthpop artists of this era included Alphaville, Soft Cell, New Order, Blancmange,[32] Frankie Goes to Hollywood,[27] Pet Shop Boys,[27] Thomas Dolby, Yazoo, Art of Noise, Heaven 17, OMD, Tears for Fears, Thompson Twins, a-ha, Modern Talking, Real Life, Camouflage, Cabaret Voltaire, The Beloved, ABC and Level 42.

Throughout the United States, where synthpop is considered a sub genre of New Wave,[30] the genre became popular in large part due to the cable music channel MTV, which reached the media capitals of New York City and Los Angeles in 1982.[30][33] In addition, filmmaker John Hughes also played a major role in popularizing the genre through films such as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink.[34] At the end of the 1980s with the help of a gay audience Erasure, Information Society, Anything Box, and Red Flag made headway on the United States dance charts.[35][36]

Declining popularity and influence (1991–2000)

By 1991 in the United States synthpop was losing its commercial viability as alternative radio stations were responding to the popularity of grunge rock.[35][37] Exceptions during the decade were Savage Garden, The Rentals, and The Moog Cookbook.[35] By the end of the 1990s many of the 1980s acts had been dropped by their labels and added other elements to their sound.[35]

Synthpop proved influential on underground African American music, particularly in New York and Detroit.[citation needed] During the early 1980s, the electro style was largely developed by Afrika Bambaata, who was heavily influenced by Yellow Magic Orchestra and Kraftwerk.[38] Musicians such as A Number of Names and Cybotron developed a style of electronic dance music influenced by synthpop and funk that lead to the emergence of Detroit techno in the mid 1980s.[citation needed] Synth pop was a major influence on house music, which grew out of the post-disco dance club culture of the early 1980s as some DJs attempted to make the music less pop-oriented incorporating influences from Latin soul, dub reggae, rap music, and jazz.[39] During the 1990s the influence of 1980s New Wave Synthpop could be seen in various incarnations of Eurodisco and trance.[40][41] The band Freezepop gained popularity in the video game market.[42]

21st century revival

Lights, a Canadian synthpop singer who became popular in the late 2000s.

In recent years, the electropop sound and style have also arguably influenced many other mainstream pop artists. Madonna's 2005 album Confessions on a Dance Floor had many electropop elements.[citation needed] Australian singer Kylie Minogue utilized a strong electropop sound for her eighth studio album Fever (2001), including the worldwide smash hit "Can't Get You Out of My Head".[43][unreliable source?] More recently, many other pop artists began incorporating the genre into their music. English singer Lily Allen's second album It's Not Me, It's You (2009) is largely electropop as opposed to her ska-based debut album.[44][45]

Acts described as synthpop in recent years include Annie,[46] Chromeo,[47] Crystal Castles,[48] Cut Copy,[49] Ellie Goulding,[50] Empire of the Sun,[51] Goldfrapp,[52] Hot Chip,[53] Hurts,[54] Junior Boys,[55] The Knife,[56] La Roux,[57] Lady Gaga,[58] Ladyhawke,[59] Ladytron,[60] LCD Soundsystem, Lights,[61] Little Boots,[62] Metric,[63] Mike Posner,[64] Owl City,[65] Passion Pit,[66] Phoenix,[67] The Presets,[68] Robyn,[69][70] Röyksopp,[71] Shy Child,[72] and Tesla Boy.[73]

The British and other media in 2009 ran articles proclaiming a new era of the female electropop star and indeed 2009 saw a rise in popularity of electropop artists. In the Sound of 2009 poll of 130 music experts conducted for the BBC, ten of the top fifteen artists named were of the electropop genre.[74] Lady Gaga had major commercial success since 2008 with her debut album The Fame.[75][76][77][78][79] Music writer Simon Reynolds noted, "Everything about Gaga came from electroclash, except the music, which wasn't particularly 1980s."[2] Other female electropop acts that have emerged were La Roux,[80] Little Boots (who topped the Sound of 2009 survey),[74][80] Ladyhawke,[80] Uffie,[81] Róisín Murphy,[82] Kesha,[83] and Perfume.[84]

Male acts that have emerged included Calvin Harris,[85] Frankmusik,[86] Hurts,[87] Owl City (who scored a US number-one single with "Fireflies"),[88][89] Taio Cruz (who charted well in the US),[90] Kaskade,[91] and LMFAO.[92] Passion Pit vocalist Michael Angelakos said in a 2009 interview that while playing electropop was not his intention, the limitations of dorm life made the genre more accessible.[93] Some artists have used music technology to convert songs from other genres into synthpop; for instance, Paul Duncan of Warm Ghost remixed Mountain Man's folk pop song "Play It Right" and turned it into an electropop song.[94]

In late 2008, James Oldham—head of A&R at A&M Records—was quoted as saying, "All A&R departments have been saying to managers and lawyers, 'Don't give us any more bands, because we're not going to sign them, and they're not going to sell records.' So everything we've been put onto is electronic in nature."[80]

Artists

Main article: List of synthpop artists

See also

Bibliography

  • Depeche Mode & The Story of Electro-Pop, Q/Mojo magazine collaboration, 2005.
  • Electronic Music: The Instruments, the Music & The Musicians by Andy Mackay, of Roxy Music

References

  1. ^ T. Cateforis, Are We Not New Wave?: Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s (Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2011), ISBN 0472034707, p. 52.
  2. ^ a b The 1980s revival that lasted an entire decade by Simon Reynolds for The Guardian 22 January 2010
  3. ^ J. Stuessy and S. D. Lipscomb, Rock and Roll: its History and Stylistic Development (London: Pearson Prentice Hall, 6th edn., 2008), ISBN 0136010687, p. 21.
  4. ^ R. Brice, Music Engineering (Oxford: Newnes, 2nd edn., 2001), ISBN 0750650400, pp. 108-9.
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