Question about 80s Synth Pop

Well I was beaten to the punch but here is a second shout for him. I think there is a new compilation out. Thats Fad Gadget, he's synthy and he's poppy and his song 'Life on the Line' should make you cry or you are a heartless inhuman nasty person.

DAF might be of interest, find the greatest hits or the Gold und Leibe album. Hard shouty German synth pop, empasis on shouty and German.

SPK circa 'metal dance' too. They were a mentalist dour industrial noise terror outfit who suddenly tried to be the Thomson Twins for a while. It was so much better than I just made it sound.

the normal throbbing gristle 'dream baby dream' by suicide - thee perfect synth pop record.

abc weren't synth pop.

I recommend Pete Shelley's "Homosapien". Also Tubeway Army (Gary Numan's early band).

No one has mentioned A Flock Of Seagulls yet, and though you may mock and you may sneer 'Wishing (I had a picture of you)' is an absolutely astounding epic synth popsong. 'I ran' and 'Space Age Love Song' are pretty fine too, but the other ones I've heard are mainly dross.

I wish I knew more about the Pet Shop Boys but I do know that 'Always on my mind' is arguably the best 80s synthpop single. If anyone can recommend some more PSB (that aren't on the best of compilation 'Discography') then I'll be hugely grateful. 'The things that dreams are made of' is a rather fabulous song too, by the Human League.

I've been told that Heaven 17 are worth checking out, and yeah 'Temptation' is a big stomping shoulder pad of a song but that 'Fascist groove thing' song is truly one of the most horrible things ever. Am I wrong?

And umm, did The Associates use synths? If not they really should've done, with that voice.

And finally, for a new band that's redoing the 80s synth thing in a rather fabulous manner - think tight white suits, think big black shades, think short black hair, think dynamic stance, think piercing beams of light, think From The Future (in an 80s sense, natch) - check out Fine China. They've only got one song but my oh my it's a wonderful song - 'We Rock Harder'. It's waiting for you on Audiogalaxy. (In actual fact, they look shit - like a shyer Pavement, but one can dream...).

it's funny how that album pops up from time to time on threads about PSB as their definite standard

I read that they're making an indie-album at the moment (Neil bought guitars, Johnny Marr 's gonna play them )

oh my god, no synths? maybe it's the last time we can mention them on a synth-thread

Chris and Cosey produced a lot of non-dance music too. Simple Minds in the 'Sister Feelings Call' phase used syths subtly to augment guitar rock and ended up sounding like something in between.

Eno used synth really cunningly as part of the overall instrument arsenal, admittedely best on those four 'seventies pop albums, but on other stuff too.

The no-wave bands used synths as bright angry noise which fitted with the 'tacky' aesthetic -- a million miles from those 'new-romantic' would-be orchestraters, mother of a million soft-synth soundtracks, perhaps synths worst overuse along with that 'wow' affect synths provide church goers, serious 'industrial' music adolescants, new age mumbo and most worryingly, church of dance circa 2002.

The best synth use is when you can't tell it's synth, just interesting 'sound', and I guess that's all over the place, ..'keyboards'. Eno talked of 'textures' etc.. -- used properly synths can be part of the 'studio as instrument' overall approach, and maybe you can't tell just what instrument is doing what, which means you can't imagine some guitar pose, synth make-up -- let the music be somewhat faceless, mysterious.

Example: Peter Gabriel -- deft use of synth as orchestration almost saves poxy politically self-conscious post-punk 'singer-songwriter' ?

As a marketing angle in the '80s synths out front in the 'synth bands' were like some putrid day-glo advertisement for brothels -- cf: sublime Bowie/Eno on 'Low' or '70s Scott Walker. That there is a band called low (some sort of tribute/influence in their minds ?) -- them and their music maybe the dumbest angle yet in the serious music stakes.

Simple Minds in the 'Sister Feelings Call' phase used syths subtly to augment guitar rock and ended up sounding like something in between.

Er, I thought at that point Simple Minds were using guitar subtly to augment wad and wads of wierd synthy bits!!! In fact, there's some SM stuff from the early 80s that has hardly any guitars, (eg the title track from "Sons and Facination") and the "Reel to Reel Cacophony" and "Empires and Dance" albums seem to deliberately set about deconstructing normal rock 'n' roll standards. Mind you, 'Sister Feelings Call' (Is that Cher on the cover?!?!?) was one of their more "rock" albums from that period.

Back to the original question: anyone mentioned Carabet Voltaire yet? And do those funny "new wave" video bands like The Buggles and New Musik count?

George is right. Magazine used synths and they were fantastic. We can say the same thing about a lot of great post punk bands. But I think they're not synth pop. When Emma posted this topic she explained what kind of music she was talking about.

(Anyway, long life to Magazine, Eno, solo Pete Shelley and "synth punks" D.A.F.)

John Foxx "The Garden" is really, really great- better than Metamatic.

Alien Sex Fiend has done a few cool all-synth songs.

Camoflauge has some good stuff. Their best song I've heard, "Love is a shield", was written by Peter Godwin (ex-Metro, the obscure but supposedly amazing german glam era band that wrote Criminal life or whatever covered by Bowie on Let's Dance.) Peter Godwin has an uncommonly seen best-of comp that is really good. Look for it, it is definitely obscure and worth seeking out, since I belive he didn't make any albums, just some 12 inch EP's but it has new songs on it.

Rational Youth hasnt been mentioned. They are highly sought after and pretty obscure. I have their best album waiting at home which I got off ebay but can't get until I'm done travelling in a few months- dammit. Anyway, the band is mainly Tracy Howe, who was a founding member of the most arty-glam-version of Men Without Hats (my favorite stuff of theirs.) They are also incredible. Rythm of Youth, really classic.

Lets see what else I can remember- this is my favorite stuff!

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/41PVZ2RKFKL._AA240_.jpg

^^ Bought this used yesterday, now hearing it for the first time. It's great.

Am I the only one here with an appreciation for forgotten synth duo Gee Mr Tracy? I think I have everything they put out - one album and four singles. The single collection LP is the best thing out there. Nothing on cd as far as I know.
Ooh Bob Sh'Bam
Lava Man