Synth-Pop
A pop style built mainly on synthesizers, drum machines and catchy electronic melodies.
History
Synth-pop grew at the end of the 1970s from punk, electronic music and disco s1. Early groups used only synthesizers and drum machines, with no guitars or live drums s1. Gary Numan's 'Are Friends Electric?' (1979) was a surprise number one in Britain and showed how popular the sound could be s1. The Human League's 'Don't You Want Me' (1981) and New Order's 'Blue Monday' (1983) became huge international hits s1. The music is melodic and often cold or robotic, with lyrics about modern life and love s2. British labels such as Mute, Virgin and Factory released much of it s1. Synth-pop shaped later electronic dance music, including house and techno s2. It is still a major influence on pop music today s1. The lyrics often described modern life, machines and love in a cool, distant way s1. Many of the groups used image and fashion as part of their act s2.
Sound
- Synthesizers instead of guitars
- Drum machines with a steady beat
- Catchy, simple vocal melodies
- Cold or robotic electronic textures
- A clean, futuristic production
Key figures
- Gary Numan — British musician behind 'Are Friends Electric?'
- The Human League — British group behind 'Don't You Want Me'
- New Order — British group behind 'Blue Monday'
- Depeche Mode — British group central to synth-pop
Labels
- Mute Records — London , 1978
- Virgin Records — London , 1972
- Factory Records — Manchester , 1978
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Early Electronic , Disco , Krautrock
Led to: EBM , Euro-Disco , Hi-NRG , Italo Disco , Detroit Techno
Sources
- Synth-pop — Wikipedia
- The history of synth-pop — Play Alone Records