This is done with the intent of increasing clarity, recognition, and most importantly, appreciation of the music.īecause this next section goes into detail about differences in music styles, it’s helpful to be familiar with the importance of music genres before moving on. For this reason, it’s useful to touch on differences between the various styles of Synthwave music and establish some demarcation lines. In early 2018, the borders of synthwave and the closely related Darksynth genre blend into Chiptune, Vaporwave, mainstream Pop, Dubstep, Aggrotech, and many other styles of music, including some Metal subgenres.Īs Synthwave continues to spill over into neighboring music styles and the term is increasingly applied to songwriting that bears no relation to the original genre, the identity and spirit of Synthwave music becomes obscured and more difficult to understand. Synthwave is rapidly evolving and shifting at the edges, closing the distance between numerous other genres. However, since 2015, the genre has seen an enormous influx of creators with different influences and backgrounds. What Are the Different Styles of Synthwave Music?Įven as recently as 2014, the question about synthwave subgenres and styles was an easy one to answer. As promoter Samuel Valentine succinctly puts it, “synthwave is the music for a future that never happened but everyone dreamed about in the ‘80s.” Naturally, this idea of retrofuturism can be far-ranging in its application, a fact that is represented in synthwave’s diverse artistry. Instead, it is a retrofuturistic evolution of elements from the past, amalgamated and taken into an alternative timeline with suitably distinct musical and visual aspects. Instead, synthwave is rooted much more deeply in European disco and electronic dance music.ĭespite Synthwave’s preoccupation with the ‘80s, it is not simply a rehash of old sounds and ideas few songs from the genre could pass for vintage creations, and very little music from the past sounds precisely like Synthwave. Generally speaking, there’s little overlap between the synthwave and synthpop genres. Similarly, Synthwave is not a new or synonymous name for Synthpop, which is a much older and very different style of music. Synthwave’s name can be misleading, as the music has very little in common with new wave, which is a rock-based genre that evolved out of punk acts of the ‘70s and flourished in Britain and North America in the ‘80s. Smaller elements like ‘80s jingles for television commercials, VHS production companies, and nightly news programs also played a role in the genre’s genesis. Early Synthwave artists put a retro-synth spin on these sounds while borrowing inspiration from ‘80s Euro disco, funk, and electro, as well as soundtracks for movies, television, and video games. Musically, Synthwave’s origins are tied to dance genres of the mid ‘00s, specifically house and nu disco. It also extends to ‘80s horror movies, which themselves frequently contained themes of science and technology. This aspect is expressed through synthwave producers’ interest in science fiction, computers, neon lights, and futuristic supercars. The second core conceptual element of Synthwave involves the ‘80s ubiquitous love affair with science and technology. The songwriting captures an idealized mental image of the ‘80s it’s the musical manifestation of a vintage postcard that says “Come to L.A.” in pink letters above an image of a crowded beach with people on surfboards and roller skates. This vision frequently orients itself on images of coastal US cities like Miami and Los Angeles, replete with palm trees and oceanside sunsets. The first conceptual aspect of Synthwave is a romanticized vision of carefree summer days spent on the boardwalk, at the beach, or at the video arcade. Conceptually, this interest in the past manifests itself in two significant, and often interrelated, forms. Synthwave is a distinctly modern music genre begun in the mid 2000s as an homage to the pop culture sounds and imagery of the 1980s and early 1990s. So, what is Synthwave? What is Synthwave Music?Īlthough it’s a common assumption for new fans to make, Synthwave is not a general or broad term for synthesizer music, and despite the genre’s retro stylings, does not include music from the ‘80s or other decades of the 20th century. As the genre pulls in new producers and fans from diverse music styles, and older fans become increasingly disenchanted with the traditional sound of the genre, it becomes more relevant than ever to discuss the nature of the music, where it has come from, and most importantly, where it is heading. Synthwave music has undergone a rapid and far-reaching transformation, both in terms of style and overall quality.
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