Synth-pop is a genre of new wave and pop music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic, art rock, disco, and particularly the Krautrock of bands like Kraftwerk. It arose as a distinct genre in Japan and the United Kingdom in the post-punk era as part of the new wave movement of the late 1970s to the mid-1980s.
Erasure are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member of synth-pop duo Yazoo. From their fourth single, "Sometimes" (1986), Erasure established themselves on the UK Singles Chart, becoming one of the most successful acts of the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. From 1986 to 2007, the pair achieved 24 consecutive top-40 entries in the UK singles chart. By 2009, 34 of their 37 chart-eligible singles and EPs had made the UK top 40, including 17 climbing into the top 10. At the 1989 Brit Awards, Erasure won the Brit Award for Best British Group.
Wonderland is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 1 May 1986 by Sire Records in the United States and on 2 June 1986 by Mute Records in the United Kingdom and Germany. Not an immediate success, the three singles released from it failed to crack the top 40 in the UK. "Who Needs Love Like That" would eventually make the UK top 10 in 1992, and "Oh L'amour" reached the UK top 20 in 2003, both in remixed form promoting their Pop! The First 20 Hits and Hits! compilations respectively. However, the album fared better in both Germany and Sweden, where it charted within the top 20.
"Who Needs Love Like That" is the debut single of British synthpop duo Erasure. The song was released in the UK on Mute Records in 1985 as a prelude to their debut album, Wonderland (1986). The accompanying music video was directed by John Scarlett Davies and produced by Nick Verden for Aldabra. While the original 1985 release enjoyed only minor success, the later "Hamburg Mix" version reached the top 10 in both the UK and Ireland.
"Breath of Life" is a song by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released as the fourth and final single from their fifth studio album, Chorus (1991), in March 1992. It was written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell with additional input from Pat O'Brien. An uptempo synthpop song, its dance music elements were strongly accentuated for the club remixes. For the single release, it was remixed slightly, including a shortened intro. In the United States, it was the third single released from the album.
"Kids in America" is a song recorded by English pop singer Kim Wilde. It was released in the United Kingdom as her debut single in January 1981, and in the United States in spring 1982, later appearing on her self-titled debut studio album. Largely inspired by the synth-pop style of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) and Gary Numan, the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks and number one in Finland and South Africa, and charted in the top 10 of many European charts as well as Australia and New Zealand. In North America, the song reached the top 40 in Canada and the United States. It was certified gold in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and Sweden; and has sold over three million copies worldwide. The song has been covered by many artists from different genres.
Love Is is the eighth studio album by Kim Wilde, released in spring 1992.
Parallels is a Canadian synthpop band from Toronto, Canada led by Holly Dodson. Dodson's vocals have been compared to Kate Bush and True Blue-era Madonna. In Flare Magazine's 30th anniversary issue, Dodson was featured as one of the "Hottest names to know in Canadian Music".
Tomorrow's World is the fourteenth studio album by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released by Mute Records in the United Kingdom on 3 October 2011 and in North America on 11 October 2011. As with their previous album, Light at the End of the World (2007), Tomorrow's World reached number 29 on the UK Albums Chart.
Light Asylum is a Brooklyn-based electronic music project from Shannon Funchess.
Synthwave is an electronic music microgenre that is based predominantly on the music associated with action, science-fiction, and horror film soundtracks of the 1980s. Other influences are drawn from the decade's art and video games. Synthwave musicians often espouse nostalgia for 1980s culture and attempt to capture the era's atmosphere and celebrate it.
Steven Schriver, also known as Shredder 1984 is a French American electronic/synthwave artist and video producer.
Nina Boldt aka NINA is a German singer-songwriter based in London and Berlin. Her music is a fusion of Pop, New Wave, and Electronic music. She released her debut album Sleepwalking in 2018 and her follow-up album Synthian in 2020. Her third major release Control was released as an EP via Lakeshore Records and features samples from Cliff Martinez' Drive film score which ultimately began a modern revival of the cliche 1980s music, art and graphics scene.
The Rise of the Synths is a 2019 documentary film written and directed by Iván Castell and narrated by filmmaker and composer John Carpenter. The film explores the origins and growth of the electronic music genre known as synthwave, charting its rise in popularity from the underground online music scene to its recent mainstream exposure, following use in retro-themed soundtracks, notably the 2011 film Drive and more recently, the television series Stranger Things.
Michael James Oakley is a Scottish synthwave producer and musician.
Aztec Records is an independent British record label. It is specializes in electronic and pop music, in the subgenres of Synthpop, Synthwave and Retrowave following the 80's. It was founded in 2010 by Laura Fares and Ariel Amejeiras.
Roxi Drive is a British singer-songwriter and actress. In 2017, she began writing and recording 1980s-influenced synth-pop, synth-rock and synthwave songs, having always had a passion for 1980s music. Her first song, "Run All Night ", was released in June 2017 as a collaboration with producer Sellorekt/LA Dreams. Later that year, she released her first extended play, Girl on the TV. She worked with several producers for her first studio album, Strangers of the Night, which was released in October 2018. She released several more singles, including "Dangerous" with Juno Dreams and "Polybius ", and her second album, Electric Heart, was released in October 2020. Her music has been received positively, with praise towards her songwriting and production.
John von Ahlen is an Australian musician, producer, vocalist, and instrumentalist based in Melbourne. He is the lead vocalist of the electronic pop and synthwave band Parralox, formed in 2008. Parralox caught the attention of the international EDM community within the same year. He has been additionally involved in other music projects, such as The Sound of the Crowd. and The Tenth Stage. Von Ahlen also hosts Neon Nights on Joy 94.9, Australia's largest LGBTIQ radio station. He is also an animal rights activist.
"Fallen Angel" is the third single from the album Neon released by Erasure on October 28, 2020.
"Hey Now (Think I Got a Feeling)" is the first single from the album The Neon by Erasure and was released on June 4, 2020. The track is upbeat similar to their older 80's songs and has gotten positive reviews. The song stayed in the BBC Radio 2 A list for 4 weeks and it was one of the most popular songs aired on UK radio in June and July 2020.
