New Retro Wave (80s Synth Pop from today)

[reznovka]

I guess a lot of you know "Kavinsky"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKES3IIbTl4

and while listening to his music I discovered the whole genre of "New Retro Wave" with amazing artists that create music to let you feel like you're in Miami Vice or Scarface.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J52rN0aNfYI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egAB2qtVWFQ

[I hope Trent won't see us sharing YT-links :P]

I'm born in 1988 and I sometimes think that should've been born way earlier just to experience the 80s in all their glory and trashiness...and to experience NIN right from the start...
Do you guys have any NRW acts you like?

[eversonpoe]

a lot of the score work being done for films right now (especially indie horror) has a similar sound & feel, and i love it. i'm also working on an album that isn't quite in this genre but it definitely has elements.

anyway, here are some things i really like that could i guess be called new retro wave:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kbM4AkBweU

mike simonetti - the magician, from the guest soundtrack


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVOe2oGoHLk

survive - hourglass, also from the guest soundtrack

the scores for You're Next and pretty much anything Steve Moore is doing (Cub, The Guest score) are also fantastic.

[reznovka]

Great tunes :D
Maybe you can post a track of your album here when you're done :D

btw:
this dude from my old hometown and he fucking kills it! :D


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZf15xVrOW8

[Camille]

The Le Matos soundtrack for Turbo Kid is a 80's inspired synth masterpiece https://lematos.bandcamp.com/

[Camille]

Try..
https://soundcloud.com/protector-101
http://telefuturenow.com/
http://www.codeelektro.com/
http://lazerdiscs.com/

There are dozens of these artists/labels at the moment, most of it is quite good.

[Deadpool]

My brother introduced me to Perturbator (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTN6cGmH2yM) a few weeks ago. Some really cool stuff. I think a lot of you guys would dig it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP1C-W8A69s

[implanted_microchip]

Trevor Something's a really great Miami artist that fits the description. His album Trevor Something Does Not Exist is a free download on bandcamp:

https://trevorsomething.bandcamp.com/album/trevor-something-does-not-exist

All his other stuff is streaming, as well.

If you've never heard the Hotline Miami soundtrack then go do yourself a favor.

[thelastdisciple]

Klayton from Celldweller and Circle of Dust has a kind of retro side project that I dig:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXtD_dqzE9g


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JE1jylkS_7w

[Space Suicide]

Power Glove is a well known artist in this genre. They made the super awesome Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon soundtrack too!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWuDwNysX-A

This my favorite track from the game and album:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEOB9wFiwgI

[Harry Seaward]

https://www.reddit.com/r/outrun/

[Harry Seaward]

Also, the new Wes Borland album fits into this genre quite while surprisingly.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e72kgDIBSWk&index=9&list=PLZJ1MkLYV0fTKnWs1f997u62mCDe4TVDO

[Jinsai]

I don't know... on some level I think chiptune is the dorkier cousin to retro-rock... I'm interested in all sounds, and I have nostalgic love for early video game sounds. I have a modded Commodore 64 in my synth arsenal, so I can't cast stones.

But I was there, I was a little kid playing around on a commodore and those sounds bring me back. Maybe the way musicians on the same page will emotionally insert that tone into their music will transform into something that ties the sound to nostalgia in a general way, even for people who were born decades later. But 80s wave revivalism, I'm sorry, but that's people making music that at this point is incredibly easy to make. It feels like a mockery, from people who (mostly) have no attachment. It's like Wolfmother was to 70s rock.

Retro music to me though feels like a lounge act, or even worse some kind of revival scene. I can't help but hate and resent it.

Sorry if I sound like an asshole here, but I would like to ask... how many of the fans of this genre really lived through the 80s?

EDIT: I don't mean to sound like I'm bashing you for liking it. I'm just a miserable bastard born in 1980 who hates it... and maybe on some level I'm a synth-dork who hates how simple these tones are at this point. Oh cool, another square wave! I am a little bothered by the fact that you could put this together with something called an 'Ultimate 80s!" bank, and even then, you wouldn't even need to do much research to emulate all these sounds from scratch. But they don't have to, so they won't, and I'm just going to hear a bunch of musicians retread a genre that's been played out since I was ten.

I'd rather hear people learn from older genres and do something new. But that's me. Everyone else should enjoy what they enjoy.

[RocketScience]

This thread needs a mention of Move to Pain (2014) by Sons of Magdalene, Joshua Eustis's post-TTA solo project. It's one of my all time favorites and for at least a year since its release I'd listen to it at least once. Very 80's, clearly influences by Depeche Mode, Talk Talk and the likes. Very dark and deeply personal subject matter.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fepEhc4MKo

[eversonpoe]

I don't know... on some level I think chiptune is the dorkier cousin to retro-rock... I'm interested in all sounds, and I have nostalgic love for early video game sounds. I have a modded Commodore 64 in my synth arsenal, so I can't cast stones.

But I was there, I was a little kid playing around on a commodore and those sounds bring me back. Maybe the way musicians on the same page will emotionally insert that tone into their music will transform into something that ties the sound to nostalgia in a general way, even for people who were born decades later. But 80s wave revivalism, I'm sorry, but that's people making music that at this point is incredibly easy to make. It feels like a mockery, from people who (mostly) have no attachment. It's like Wolfmother was to 70s rock.

Retro music to me though feels like a lounge act, or even worse some kind of revival scene. I can't help but hate and resent it.

Sorry if I sound like an asshole here, but I would like to ask... how many of the fans of this genre really lived through the 80s?

EDIT: I don't mean to sound like I'm bashing you for liking it. I'm just a miserable bastard born in 1980 who hates it... and maybe on some level I'm a synth-dork who hates how simple these tones are at this point. Oh cool, another square wave! I am a little bothered by the fact that you could put this together with something called an 'Ultimate 80s!" bank, and even then, you wouldn't even need to do much research to emulate all these sounds from scratch. But they don't have to, so they won't, and I'm just going to hear a bunch of musicians retread a genre that's been played out since I was ten.

I'd rather hear people learn from older genres and do something new. But that's me. Everyone else should enjoy what they enjoy.

i mean, i was born in '87 but spent my formative years listening to a ton of 80s music. i also, when i make stuff with arpeggiated synths, make sure to NEVER use a default preset. i always change things around to suit my needs, and i actually know how to program a synthesizer (be it a soft-synth of my akai ax-60) to get the sound i want. yeah, it's "easy" for people to make "retro" music these days, but that doesn't automatically make it bad or emotionless.

[october_midnight]

Agreed. I was born in 1981 and am in Jinsai's boat in that it's pretty obvious that it's sort of....hollow? Shallow might be a better word for it, in that it's all trying to capture that same vibe, so there's only so many different albums (i.e. on Telefuturenow.com) you can scroll through until it all just sounds the same. That being said, I enjoy it. Some of it more than others, sure...but I've been in to Timecop 1983 for a while now, and enjoy Arcade High and a few others. It's good background music when I'm working. Makes me wanna go play Bad Dudes on my NES or something lol.

[seasonsinthesky]

Perturbator makes the rest of this a shameful waste of time (imo of course).

[Jinsai]

tl;dr Millenials seem to love irony. A lot.

[NotoriousTIMP]

Perturbator makes the rest of this a shameful waste of time (imo of course).


I beg to differ, Le Matos has some really awesome tracks......example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6073eQowIrs

[ziltoid]

Perturbator makes the rest of this a shameful waste of time (imo of course).

I agree with the addition of Com Truise, Carpenter Brut and, Jasper Byrne.
Those four for me are amazing at making music and they do it damn well.

[Millionaire]

I agree that its a trendy genre, and that most of it is crap. But some of it is quite good. Com Truise is really relaxing, and the Hotline Miami soundtracks are awesome when you play the game. One of the best meldings of game and soundtrack ever, I think.

[eversonpoe]

I agree that its a trendy genre, and that most of it is crap. But some of it is quite good. Com Truise is really relaxing, and the Hotline Miami soundtracks are awesome when you play the game. One of the best meldings of game and soundtrack ever, I think.

i mean, at least the crappy stuff is still fun. what i don't get is vaporwave or whatever it's called...but that's for a different thread (which i think got shut down haha)

[Millionaire]

i mean, at least the crappy stuff is still fun. what i don't get is vaporwave or whatever it's called...but that's for a different thread (which i think got shut down haha)
Yeah, thats true. I think thats my general opinion of every genre- most of it is crap, but some of it is good. For this genre, pretty much any act mentioned here is all good to me.

[october_midnight]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0HCpGj65mU

[neorev]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qApOLaLYZb0

[frankie teardrop]

like some of y'all i'm really hit or miss with this stuff. some of it has blown my mind, while others are definitely a bit too "microKORG preset" for me. i do love the drive soundtrack and a lot of the italians do it better stuff (even though most of it pales in comparison to the true italo disco scene), and really love the beyond the black rainbow and it follows scores.

that all said, if it sounds like john carpenter film scores or tangerine dream, i'm definitely in. there was a resurgence of this stuff that popped up in 2008 or so that had this vibe and even traversed the ebm/electro/cabaret voltaire soundscape. this is a forever jam:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vulh4GLaqno

[frankie teardrop]

also maybe some of y'all will dig this:

https://open.spotify.com/user/1264807928/playlist/1dTcFiAt1UxsX6UAhgzxrN

[GulDukat]

Kristin Kontrol of the Dum Dum Girls opened up for Garbage on their tour. She's awesome. Fans of 80's synth-pop might like her.

[reznovka]

https://youtu.be/jnmCQAIEq2Q
wooohooooo <3

[Camille]

Kristin Kontrol of the Dum Dum Girls opened up for Garbage on their tour. She's awesome. Fans of 80's synth-pop might like her.
Yeah, her album is superb. Best pop I've heard in a long time.

[Camille]

that all said, if it sounds like john carpenter film scores or tangerine dream, i'm definitely in. there was a resurgence of this stuff that popped up in 2008 or so that had this vibe and even traversed the ebm/electro/cabaret voltaire soundscape. this is a forever jam:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vulh4GLaqno
Their "Fact" mix is superb https://www.mixcloud.com/FACTMixArchive/fact-mix-96-gatekeeper/

[reznovka]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5LCmQC_KeU

I got a new phone and the first thing I did was buying GTA Vice City to play it when I am not at home.
NRW from my iPod and this game is the greatest combination I know :D

[reznovka]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJqLH8EA2rM

[ziltoid]

This E.P. is a prelude to a full album, or so he says on face book. I'm interested in hearing more and I thought you guys posting in here might like to check it out.
https://miragem23.bandcamp.com/album/calling-from-the-future

I like it. It sounds like he took some elements from other artists songs and created something original with it.

[Deadpool]

I highly recommend Pye Corner Audio's new album Stasis – I had found about him within the past year or so, but this new LP is definitely my favorite thing I've heard yet. If the Stranger Things score has you craving more creepy analog synth goodness, this will absolutely scratch that itch!

[Jinsai]

this isn't usually my genre, but I'm digging this


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjrKrvF7JDA

[Camille]

I highly recommend Pye Corner Audio's new album Stasis – I had found about him within the past year or so, but this new LP is definitely my favorite thing I've heard yet. If the Stranger Things score has you craving more creepy analog synth goodness, this will absolutely scratch that itch!
I agree with you 100%. Love me some PCA.
Have you heard the live stuff on his soundcloud? It goes way beyond what you could call synthwave or whatever. Check them out https://soundcloud.com/pye-corner-audio/sets/pcalive

[reznovka]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HClyQjRkJbU

New favorite song <3

[Maximilian]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXoUhfOEIqY

[october_midnight]

Holy shit this album.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Qx7R655LI

Dug back in to the album before it and holy shit it's just as good.

Also, Timecop1983 just released the new EP Lovers Part II (https://timecop1983.bandcamp.com/album/lovers-ep-part-ii) and it blows the first EP away. Fuck yes.

[neorev]

For folks who like the more metal/horror inspired retrowave...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTtuxqc5Sq4

[Maximilian]

One of my favorites. This guy makes a lot of music, but nothing moves me like this one.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pbzUBg_AjY

[dlb]

He got considerable airplay in the states as well so you might enjoy the band Roosevelt from Germany for a more poppy approach to the genre:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCAHULR-_V4

And please do yourself a favor and go see Carpenter Brut if you have the chance! It's off the hook, neat visuals, hard hitting drums and live guitar. Really a mesmerizing show!

[NotoriousTIMP]

anyone ever heard of Com Truise? I dig his style/tempo

https://vimeo.com/229433605

[neorev]

Moskva-Kassiopeya, I absolutely love this guy's work. His releases are great because tracks flow into each other and an EP feels like one complete piece that grows and builds with peaks and troughs. Tracks are more live movements. Here's a little freestyle synth downtempo moment to the BLACK EP that is quite gorgeous. He's gotta dancey tracks as well, but I love the synths in this....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuPw26qNAeU

[neorev]

Where the track above is the 4th of the 4 track EP, here is track 2...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfH2QEMkM7I

http://moskva-kassiopeya.bandcamp.com

[neorev]

NSFW
Carpenter Brut put out an an amazing live album with his band. I actually like it more than his studio albums. Don't get me wrong, his albums are good, but they definitely got an energy live that takes the songs up a notch.


http://youtu.be/gsgTn6qbbis

http://carpenterbrut.bandcamp.com

[neorev]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4E4kjQIw6M

http://dancewiththedead.bandcamp.com

[october_midnight]

When listening to synthwave, I do tend to find myself listening to the mellower, dreamier stuff a la Electric Youth, etc. Both albums from The Midnight are just so good, such a cyberpunk meets John Hughes era 80's kinda vibe...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2D4iCzRW7E


edit: For this fucking amazing Futurecop! song...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woS37ZNzG4o

[Space Suicide]

Holy shit this album.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Qx7R655LI

Dug back in to the album before it and holy shit it's just as good.

Also, Timecop1983 just released the new EP Lovers Part II (https://timecop1983.bandcamp.com/album/lovers-ep-part-ii) and it blows the first EP away. Fuck yes.

Thanks for indirectly sharing and making me seek the album out. ;)


anyone ever heard of Com Truise? I dig his style/tempo

https://vimeo.com/229433605

Thanks for the reminder he exists. Great stuff.

[eversonpoe]

For folks who like the more metal/horror inspired retrowave...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTtuxqc5Sq4

this was fuckin' great! thanks for posting it :D

[october_midnight]

Had to preorder the new 3xLP album from 'The Midnight' to keep the collection complete. New track is hot.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcnqKWkZ9x4&amp;list=PLZUgNyzmqqQhXIBUCBc5j5O6 AJMcvN6n5