Recent "New Age" / 80s Synth music

so, there's like a shit ton of music coming out these days that is made of 80s synth arpeggiations, warbling pre-BOC pads, tangerine dream-klaus schultz-jd emanuel etc etc styles. you know what i mean, assholes.

now, on one hand i really dig a lot of this stuff, even some of the more derivative examples (eg josh burke's "prana") and there are some examples that really transcend the genre (fucking rene hell!)...you know, you can't help but love LPs full of lush analog synth sounds. on the other hand, however, a lot of this stuff, even the good stuff (OPN) really seems derivative and pre-dated and sort of "band-wagony." it's so conservative and contrived, like every one's just in on some inside joke in which that try to out-do one another by creating the most "authentic" sounding 80s synth album. it's really become such a fad lately, i wouldn't at all be surprised to meet any given random person who messes around with a juno 60 and some delay pedals.

like i said, some of it is really good (rene hell, polymer slug, parts of emeralds) but it strikes me that this is a sort of facile genre that's just taking advantage of a certain tongue in cheek hat-tipping to a past era wherein all the rules are already established so no one really has to venture out and take any risks...

discuss

last post

all I know is steve roach is awesome.

Casio Synthesizers for the win.

  On 2/9/2011 at 3:52 AM, nene multiple assgasms said:

all I know is steve roach is awesome.

dude, yeah. i bet a lot of these artists are fans too. or should be?

idunno. the bladerunner influence is always good, i hope it doesn't wear too thin.

Olde English Spelling Bee.

  On 2/9/2011 at 3:39 AM, Alcofribas said:

so, there's like a shit ton of music coming out these days that is made of 80s synth arpeggiations, warbling pre-BOC pads, tangerine dream-klaus schultz-jd emanuel etc etc styles. you know what i mean, assholes.

 

now, on one hand i really dig a lot of this stuff, even some of the more derivative examples (eg josh burke's "prana") and there are some examples that really transcend the genre (fucking rene hell!)...you know, you can't help but love LPs full of lush analog synth sounds. on the other hand, however, a lot of this stuff, even the good stuff (OPN) really seems derivative and pre-dated and sort of "band-wagony." it's so conservative and contrived, like every one's just in on some inside joke in which that try to out-do one another by creating the most "authentic" sounding 80s synth album. it's really become such a fad lately, i wouldn't at all be surprised to meet any given random person who messes around with a juno 60 and some delay pedals.

 

like i said, some of it is really good (rene hell, polymer slug, parts of emeralds) but it strikes me that this is a sort of facile genre that's just taking advantage of a certain tongue in cheek hat-tipping to a past era wherein all the rules are already established so no one really has to venture out and take any risks...

 

discuss

 

last post

there are major elements of "fad" to most of it but also there is some transcendent material in there, to the point i think it's one of the most interesting areas of music going right now, 2011

emphasis on "one of." i lump together the "witch house" or cult music, haunted music, and this newnewage style all into a new sort of aesthetic... reaching into the past instead of trying to look to the future, to come up with a new adventurous sound that shows a whole new side of craftstmanship and artistry dude it' s just too much for me to handle

  On 2/9/2011 at 3:39 AM, Alcofribas said:

so, there's like a shit ton of music coming out these days that is made of 80s synth arpeggiations, warbling pre-BOC pads, tangerine dream-klaus schultz-jd emanuel etc etc styles. you know what i mean, assholes.

 

now, on one hand i really dig a lot of this stuff, even some of the more derivative examples (eg josh burke's "prana") and there are some examples that really transcend the genre (fucking rene hell!)...you know, you can't help but love LPs full of lush analog synth sounds. on the other hand, however, a lot of this stuff, even the good stuff (OPN) really seems derivative and pre-dated and sort of "band-wagony." it's so conservative and contrived, like every one's just in on some inside joke in which that try to out-do one another by creating the most "authentic" sounding 80s synth album. it's really become such a fad lately, i wouldn't at all be surprised to meet any given random person who messes around with a juno 60 and some delay pedals.

 

like i said, some of it is really good (rene hell, polymer slug, parts of emeralds) but it strikes me that this is a sort of facile genre that's just taking advantage of a certain tongue in cheek hat-tipping to a past era wherein all the rules are already established so no one really has to venture out and take any risks...

 

discuss

 

last post

i hear you, i feel this way about a lot of retro style electronic music. There does seem to be a contest of who can outdo each other in sounded uncannily like a past artist. I am personally a huge tangerine dream fan, and i've tried my hand at doing music coming from a similar direction. The end result is usually pretty different sounding, it's more difficult to try to imitate sound than it is to put your own unique spin on it. This is why i admire artists like Brian E so much, his 80s music sounds almost like if an Italo disco act accumulated influences from videogame music and a bunch of modern influences with today's tools, it's not merely retro throwback but takes it to a new place original italo never went. Mr Oizo is another example of taking a classic sound and turning it into something very modern but hitting all the right nostalgic notes. And i really do have to admit Oneohtrix Point Never does a very decent job of what he does, some of it i'm not so into like the stuff with pitch shifted vocals but his 2xCD on Mego is pretty good..

Some artisst do this halfway, Com truise for example is a harold faltermeyer /Axel F theme kind of 80s throwback, and he elevates his music slightly from being purely retro fetishm by adding a shit load of slamming compression. No music in the early 80s sounded this in your face and meaty, with one small twist he makes it sound ever so slightly 'new'. edit: in principal i'd rather take something in a compositionally or new thematic direction rather than add modern production techniques but clone an old sound with precision. I could go on for hours about this phenomenon honestly, so ill stop here. (but i can't help it so i might do some edits)

Alcofribas, I'd be curious what you thought of some my T.Dream esque music.

So this has become cool lately? Heh. I'll tell the guys who've been doing it since the 70s regardless of popularity. Blokes in their 40s and 50s with huge racks of synths whose only real influence is the whole Berlin School era anyway. I suppose it's about time.

I have an album out on this label who tend to specialise in that kind of thing.

I should probably recommend Grey Mirrors by The Glimmer Room to anyone who fancies some amazing melodies and some very 'synth' sounding synths. One of my favourite records ever.

''New Age is an excuse for a lot of untalented people to make some very boring music'' - Vangelis

I love ambient music but I draw a line in the sand when it comes to dedicated New Age which is contrived shite made for ageing middle class hippes trying to relive thier youth now the brats have fucked off to uni and shopping at the body shop and buying dream catchers. Saying that there are many good artists that seem to be tagged to this genre e.g. Steve Roach, Robert Rich and the odd dabble from Pete Namlook although looking at the wiki guide none of these artists are mentioned anyway.

I think a New Age is now more an old age term for easy listening classical as the new wave of minamalist modern classical that seems to cross boundaries with modern electronic seems to have a lot more artistic credability in the chin scratching world of calm.

''New Age is an excuse for a lot of untalented people to make some very boring music'' - Vangelis

I love ambient music but I draw a line in the sand when it comes to dedicated New Age which is contrived shite made for ageing middle class hippes trying to relive thier youth now the brats have fucked off to uni and shopping at the body shop and buying dream catchers. Saying that there are many good artists that seem to be tagged to this genre e.g. Steve Roach, Robert Rich and the odd dabble from Pete Namlook although looking at the wiki guide none of these artists are mentioned anyway.

I think a New Age is now more an old age term for easy listening classical as the new wave of minamalist modern classical that seems to cross boundaries with modern electronic seems to have a lot more artistic credability in the chin scratching world of calm.

Yani can fuck off too.

i've been making 80's style music for about 10 years now, 80's cheese and the 80's in general was still considered pretty lame back then from what i can remember. im still not sure what to think of this recent fad though, since there are alot of new talented artists popping up, which is great, but then there are the ones who just wanna get into it for the sake of being trendy, which leads to tons of shit being produced and overflowing the internet. i dunno, the best ones aren't getting enough attention anyway. like this guy for example.

  On 2/9/2011 at 5:42 AM, Awepittance said:

  On 2/9/2011 at 3:39 AM, Alcofribas said:

so, there's like a shit ton of music coming out these days that is made of 80s synth arpeggiations, warbling pre-BOC pads, tangerine dream-klaus schultz-jd emanuel etc etc styles. you know what i mean, assholes.

 

now, on one hand i really dig a lot of this stuff, even some of the more derivative examples (eg josh burke's "prana") and there are some examples that really transcend the genre (fucking rene hell!)...you know, you can't help but love LPs full of lush analog synth sounds. on the other hand, however, a lot of this stuff, even the good stuff (OPN) really seems derivative and pre-dated and sort of "band-wagony." it's so conservative and contrived, like every one's just in on some inside joke in which that try to out-do one another by creating the most "authentic" sounding 80s synth album. it's really become such a fad lately, i wouldn't at all be surprised to meet any given random person who messes around with a juno 60 and some delay pedals.

 

like i said, some of it is really good (rene hell, polymer slug, parts of emeralds) but it strikes me that this is a sort of facile genre that's just taking advantage of a certain tongue in cheek hat-tipping to a past era wherein all the rules are already established so no one really has to venture out and take any risks...

 

discuss

 

last post

 

i hear you, i feel this way about a lot of retro style electronic music. There does seem to be a contest of who can outdo each other in sounded uncannily like a past artist. I am personally a huge tangerine dream fan, and i've tried my hand at doing music coming from a similar direction. The end result is usually pretty different sounding, it's more difficult to try to imitate sound than it is to put your own unique spin on it. This is why i admire artists like Brian E so much, his 80s music sounds almost like if an Italo disco act accumulated influences from videogame music and a bunch of modern influences with today's tools, it's not merely retro throwback but takes it to a new place original italo never went. Mr Oizo is another example of taking a classic sound and turning it into something very modern but hitting all the right nostalgic notes. And i really do have to admit Oneohtrix Point Never does a very decent job of what he does, some of it i'm not so into like the stuff with pitch shifted vocals but his 2xCD on Mego is pretty good..

Some artisst do this halfway, Com truise for example is a harold faltermeyer /Axel F theme kind of 80s throwback, and he elevates his music slightly from being purely retro fetishm by adding a shit load of slamming compression. No music in the early 80s sounded this in your face and meaty, with one small twist he makes it sound ever so slightly 'new'. edit: in principal i'd rather take something in a compositionally or new thematic direction rather than add modern production techniques but clone an old sound with precision. I could go on for hours about this phenomenon honestly, so ill stop here. (but i can't help it so i might do some edits)

Alcofribas, I'd be curious what you thought of some my T.Dream esque music.

i'm with you on mr oizo, he's a great example of some one who can uplift the retro thing into totally new dimensions. oneohtrix is cool but i can't help but feel i've heard it all before; i love listening to those juno 60 arps but after a while i just feel like the earlier stuff (tangerine dream) is so much deeper and more urgent compared to these guys. it just seems too stylized and lacks balls. i don't think a whole lot of this contemporary stuff can touch those classic tg albums (phaedre, stratoshphere, rubicon, exit) -- although emeralds' s/t sounds to me like what a "new" td album should sound like, easily their best record.

i guess i just feel torn b/c i really love synths, i've spent so many hours just messing about with various 80s polysynths having an amazing time...but when it comes to making something that seems to really matter i think these guys just need to fucking try harder. it strikes me as too safe and conservative, kinda like chip tunes or something.

so alcofribas says: he's torn

  On 2/9/2011 at 3:19 PM, soundwave said:

''New Age is an excuse for a lot of untalented people to make some very boring music'' - Vangelis

 

I love ambient music but I draw a line in the sand when it comes to dedicated New Age which is contrived shite made for ageing middle class hippes trying to relive thier youth now the brats have fucked off to uni and shopping at the body shop and buying dream catchers. Saying that there are many good artists that seem to be tagged to this genre e.g. Steve Roach, Robert Rich and the odd dabble from Pete Namlook although looking at the wiki guide none of these artists are mentioned anyway.

 

I think a New Age is now more an old age term for easy listening classical as the new wave of minamalist modern classical that seems to cross boundaries with modern electronic seems to have a lot more artistic credability in the chin scratching world of calm.

 

''New Age is an excuse for a lot of untalented people to make some very boring music'' - Vangelis

 

I love ambient music but I draw a line in the sand when it comes to dedicated New Age which is contrived shite made for ageing middle class hippes trying to relive thier youth now the brats have fucked off to uni and shopping at the body shop and buying dream catchers. Saying that there are many good artists that seem to be tagged to this genre e.g. Steve Roach, Robert Rich and the odd dabble from Pete Namlook although looking at the wiki guide none of these artists are mentioned anyway.

 

I think a New Age is now more an old age term for easy listening classical as the new wave of minamalist modern classical that seems to cross boundaries with modern electronic seems to have a lot more artistic credability in the chin scratching world of calm.

 

Yani can fuck off too.

the thing is, this distinction is no longer functional. the contemporary guys are clearly doing something "neo-new age" by indulging in the aesthetic of the trashiness of new age music from the 80s and early 90s just as much as they're tipping their hats to the more musically substantive stuff like klaus schultze or tangerine dream. i mean, look at the imagery used in the art work and videos of this genre (think james ferraro, or opn's youtube) -- it's clearly appropriating the "bad" (read: new age/easy listening) elements just as much as the "good/serious/artistic." and as much as i like the idea of exploring the trash and flotsam of pop culture, especially lots of 80s sounds and images that are stored in my brain from childhood (in stercore invenitur as the alchemists said) i feel that as a whole this new genre of kraut-rock-cum kosmische-via berlin school-per new age-by way of 80s goofiness comes dangerously close to a kind of disposable boy's club in which imitation is difficult to distinguish from innovation.

the struggle for me is that despite the intellectual difficulties i have swallowing this movement my wang can't help but be activated by it all: the swelling and bubbling glory of an echoing roland with slices of 80s ads or something...shit just speaks my language. i'm waiting, though, for some one to really take this to new levels and push the aesthetic out of the comfy repose of genre mores. we need a nietzsche with a jupiter 6 and a pro one.

honestly i dont really care if its New Age, synth music, much stolen from the 80S, inspired by the berlin school or if its a hipster trend : the only thing that actually matters to my ears is the "very good" music thing. & speaking of Emeralds (Allegories of allergies is bloody fabulous, just like Does it looks like i'm here) & OPN (Rifts), those are some of the best stuff i heard last year. So more power to them. Even if its not "new", i dont care at all, only the records matters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vfl5e0YofEU

  On 2/9/2011 at 8:52 PM, k h o v said:

honestly i dont really care if its New Age, synth music, much stolen from the 80S, inspired by the berlin school or if its a hipster trend : the only thing that actually matters to my ears is the "very good" music thing. & speaking of Emeralds (Allegories of allergies is bloody fabulous, just like Does it looks like i'm here) & OPN (Rifts), those are some of the best stuff i heard last year. So more power to them. Even if its not "new", i dont care at all, only the records matters.

Agreed, as a child of the 80s, I don't think about it too much, I just enjoy the good stuff for what it is. I like the old stuff too, just don't feel need to compare it...

this is the "music discussion" subforum, no?

so yeah i just like stuff whatever it sounds good cool story bro

try this remake here... plus free mp3..:D

http://www.xlr8r.com/mp3/2011/01/synthesist

Mark Isham'S Vapor Drawings is a favorite...

  On 2/9/2011 at 9:26 PM, Alcofribas said:

this is the "music discussion" subforum, no?

 

so yeah i just like stuff whatever it sounds good cool story bro

no it's not apparently criticizing the intricacies of music doesn't really work for some people, that's what i've been learning spending too much time on this forum. in reality there is no useful discussion besides 'i like this' or 'i dont like this' (joke)

  On 2/9/2011 at 8:03 PM, Alcofribas said:

i feel that as a whole this new genre of kraut-rock-cum kosmische-via berlin school-per new age-by way of 80s goofiness comes dangerously close to a kind of disposable boy's club in which imitation is difficult to distinguish from innovation.

 

This sums up my thoughts pretty well. But a good deal of this music is really addictive in spite of the novelty 80's kitsch thing that can get old if there isn't some really cool take on it. (Like Dam Funk!)

The second half of this track is so so classic and eargasmic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIVD67Vfhiw

This makes all booties shake.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARoHQ3MaMwA

Just realized Dam Funk has nothing to do with what the OP was talking about, but fuck it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3_iknY3Lps

  On 2/10/2011 at 4:35 AM, xxx said:

I just saw tonight that "Toeachizown Volume 1" is available as a 5LP box set from Stone's Throw....fuuuuu, I'm literally holding down the clicking finger with the other hand. I love Dam Funk

Definitely worth the money, xxx.

Anyone heard of peaceFIRE?

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wongpy43V1g

i have not heard of peacefire, but i'm liking what you posted. very proggy and full of changing melodies. any other good ones?

edit: i was going to say it sounds like a japanese Brian E, and i went to his myspace page and he is indeed from Japan. I want to get more stuff from this guy, it's great ( i have none now so if you have a link please contact me )

Some of Steve Roach's early material can be quite new-agey, but not everything is done is in that vein. You could also check out Max Corbacho, he tends do to ambient music in a lighter fashion.

  On 2/10/2011 at 12:03 AM, enxyme said:

Mark Isham'S Vapor Drawings is a favorite...

Wait... Sorry... I just realized this thread was for recent music... But check it anyway...