As many of you are aware, synthwave has been around for quite some time. But what you might not be aware of is how it’s developed over the past few years. We’ve seen its popularity skyrocket in the last decade, and this is a trend that doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
So what is synthwave and what will the future hold? Let’s take a look at some of the history and discuss where things might be headed in the coming years.
The History Of Synthwave
Synthwave began as an underground music movement that was heavily influenced by 1980s film soundtracks, video games and cartoons. Some of the most popular tracks that emerged in this time period included “Danger Zone” by Kavinsky, “Nightcall” by Kavinsky and “A Real Hero” by College and Electric Youth.
While many people would describe synthwave as an ‘80s revival genre, there are several elements of modern composition techniques that play a role in its overall sound. As a result, it took off among younger generations who weren’t alive during the ‘80s but still yearned for a retro style of music with a
The upcoming decade will see a lot of changes in our world and the lives of those within it. In the next ten years, we will see new technologies and inventions that will change the way we live. These advancements will also impact our music, both as consumers and artists. There is no doubt that the future is bright for electronic music, but what exactly does this mean?
The genre of music known as Synthwave has risen to become one of the most popular genres in recent years. The term “synthwave” was coined by a Reddit user in 2010, but the style has been around since at least 1985 when it was used on an album by Depeche Mode called Music for the Masses (which was their first album to feature synthesizers).
Although synthwave was originally created by artists such as Vangelis or Tangerine Dream among others during this time period there are many modern musicians who are still creating new songs in this style today including Kavinsky and College which have gained popularity recently thanks to their usage in movies such as Drive featuring Ryan Gosling.”
What makes this genre so appealing to listeners? One reason might be its nostalgic aspect: these songs often evoke feelings from childhood or teenage years because it was during those periods that synthes
The ’80s have been making a comeback in music for some years now. However, synthwave has been one of the most distinct genres to evolve from this resurgence.
Synthwave is a genre which aims to recreate the sound and feel of 1980s cinema, video games and cartoons. It is heavily influenced by the soundtrack from films such as The Terminator, Drive and Blade Runner. Synthwave music is often described as the “soundtrack to an imaginary film”.
Synthwave started gaining popularity around 2008 with artists like College and Kavinsky becoming popular on Myspace. Whilst now it has become a popular internet meme with artists such as Perturbator gaining millions of views on Youtube. There are many different subgenres of synthwave which appeal to wider audiences such as dark-synth, retrowave, cyberpunk and others. Even more recently, there has been a crossover between synthwave and vaporwave which is known as futurefunk or futurewave with artists such as Timecop1983 combining elements of both genres into their music.
Synthwave, also known as retrowave, outrun and future funk, is a genre of electronic music first discovered by the general public in the early 2000s. The term synthwave is derived from the words “synth” which refers to synthesizers and “wave” which refers to waveform.
Synthwave artists utilize vintage analog synthesizers such as the Yamaha DX7 and Korg M1 as well as more contemporary synthesizers like the Novation Bass Station II to create music that evokes a retro atmosphere, hence why it’s often referred to as retro-futurism.
The genre was popularized by soundtrack composers of late 70s to 80s (Tangerine Dream, John Carpenter, Vangelis among others) who provided a sense of nostalgia for their youth.
In recent years, synthwave has gained popularity within the vaporwave community after vaporwave artists began incorporating elements of synthwave into their music. Furthermore, synthwave has even been featured in video games and movies (Drive, Stranger Things).
This music is known as Synthwave. The genre was born in the 2000s, evolving from the 1980s Electronica sound. The artists were inspired by the films, artwork and video games from this era.
So what is Synthwave? It can be broken down into two separate genres:
The first is ’80s influenced retro-futuristic synth music that draws influence from films and video games of the decade. The second is a more modern take on the genre, incorporating more modern synth sounds and EDM influences.
The retro style of Synthwave draws most of it’s inspiration from film and video game soundtracks of the ’80s. Some examples include films like Tron (1982), Blade Runner (1982) and Back to the Future (1985). On the video game side you have Outrun (1986), Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker (1990) and others.
While some artists such as Lazerhawk and FM Attack created a retro sound before this time, it wasn’t until 2009 when Kavinsky’s “Nightcall” was featured in Nicolas Winding Refn’s film Drive that Synthwave exploded in popularity. The scene grew rapidly after that, with an influx of new artists appearing on sites like Bandcamp.
Synthwave (also known as “Outrun”) is a genre of electronic music that pays homage to the 1980s. The genre developed from various niche communities on the internet, reaching wider popularity in the early 2010s. In its music and cover artwork, synthwave engages in retrofuturism, emulating 1980s science fiction, action, and horror media, sometimes compared to cyberpunk. The genre has also been described as an “homage to the pop culture of the 1980s”.
The term “synthwave” is conflated with other musical styles such as retrowave and futuresynth.
Synthwave originated in the mid 2000s when people began to take inspiration from the sounds of film soundtracks from the 80s and early 90s. Artists like Kavinsky and Justice took influence from artists such as Tangerine Dream and Vangelis to create a new genre.
Synthwave, also known as retrowave, is a genre of electronic music influenced by 1980s film soundtracks and video games. Early synthwave was heavily inspired by the original wave of movie soundtracks from the 70s and 80s. It usually features a melodic instrument like a lead synth or an electric guitar with plenty of delay used to create a nostalgic and dreamlike atmosphere.
The genre’s sound is often associated with artists such as Michael Jackson and Prince, as well as video games like OutRun and music genres such as EDM, trance, house, new wave and eurodance.
Synthwave is believed to be heavily influenced by early electro-pop artists such as Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder. Artists that have been most influential in the development of this genre include Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim and The Crystal Method.
Not all synthwave artists are from the United States; some are located in Europe. These artists include Depeche Mode, The Prodigy and Moby among others.