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Synthwave music has become very popular over the years. But a lot of questions still come up about it. What exactly is synthwave? How does it differ from other genres? And why should you listen to it? To know more, dive into this guide to synthwave.
Synthwave is a subgenre of electronic music characterized by its use of synthesizers, drum machines, and other instruments to create a unique sound and a nostalgic atmosphere. It also features dark melodies and lyrics.
The term was coined in the early 2000s by British DJ John Digweed, who described his style as “a cross between electro and house music.”
The genre, which is also often associated with video games, movies, and anime has since evolved to incorporate other styles such as dubstep and techno, which have been incorporated into synthwave.
Today, it is one of the fastest growing genres on the planet. In 2014, an album of the genre even won the award for Best Electronic/Dance Album at the Grammys.
In the early 2000s, a group of people started creating what they called ‘retro-futuristic electronic music’.
They were inspired by the music coming out of Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, America, England, Australia, and other countries. They wanted to create something similar but different. They also wanted to combine elements of synthpop with genres such as techno, house, rock, pop, electro, and hip hop.
This new genre was dubbed ‘synthwave’. The name came from the combination of ‘synthesizer’ and ‘wave’. This was done because these artists used synths to make sounds that resembled waves. These sounds were then combined with other musical elements to create an overall futuristic feel.
From then on, synthwave just exploded. Artists continued to release albums, and their popularity grew. Many fans loved the fact that you could listen to an entire album without hearing any vocals.
The Synthwave genre began with artists like Tangerine Dream (1973), Yellow Magic Orchestra (1972) and Kraftwerk (1970).
It later expanded to include artists like Yello (1980-1990), New Order (1983-1994), Gary Numan (1979-1996), Tears for Fears (1987-1995), Eurythmics (1984-1999), Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (1978-1998), Soft Cell (1977-1991), Erasure (1985-1997), Yazoo (1975-2001), Ultravox (1971-1992), A Certain Ratio (1976-1988), New York City (NYC) (1984-2003), Simple Minds (1974-2002), The Cure (1978-2004), Happy Mondays (1986-2006), etc.
Currently, some artists that follow the Synthwave genre are Skrillex (1991-present), Alan Walker (2007-present), Thomas Gold (2010-present), Mura Masa (2011-present), Martin Garrix (2012-present), Porter Robinson (2012-present), Zedd (2008-present), and many more!
Although Synthwave is arguably not fully familiar to a lot of people, it is actually highly present in mainstream media. This is due to two reasons: 1.) Synthwave has a very distinct sound which appeals to a wide audience; and 2.) There are a number of artists who have made songs within this style. As mentioned before, these artists include Skrillex, Porter Robinson, etc.
Synthwave can also be heard in many movies such as Ghost Rider (2007), Iron Man 2 (2010), Thor (2011), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), The Hunger Games (2012), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013),, Fifty Shades Of Grey (2014), Deadpool (2015), Suicide Squad (2016) Logan (2017), The Incredibles 2 (2018), Joker (2019), Toy Story 4 (2020), The Avatar 2 (2021), and so on…
Additionally, Synthwave has been used in television shows such as “Gotham” (Season 5), “The Flash” (Season 1), “Arrow” (Season 7), “American Horror Story” (Season 9), “Fear the Walking Dead” (Season 1), and others.
Synthwave has also been featured in video games, including Doom 2016, Fallout 4 (2016), Call of Duty: WWII (2017), Mortal Kombat 11 (2019), Watch Dogs Legion (2019), Far Cry 5 (2018), Halo Infinite (2019), Gears of War 4 (2018), Destiny 2 (2018), Fallout 76 (2019), Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018), Metro Exodus (2018), Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (2018), Resident Evil 2 Remake (2018), Monster Hunter World (2018), Borderlands 3 (2019), The Division 2 (2019), Cyberpunk 2077 (2019), For Honor (2019), Final Fantasy VII Remake (2019), Kingdom Hearts III (2019), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018), NBA 2K20 (2020), Minecraft Dungeons (2020), No Mans Sky (2020), Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2020), Pokémon Sword and Shield (2020), Anthem (2020), and others.
One reason why we love this genre is because it allows us to escape from reality.
Some people say that Synthwave gives us a feeling of nostalgia for the 80s and 90s. Others say that it reminds them of their childhood or even brings back memories of being young. This is probably due to the fact that we live in a world where technology is always evolving and advancing at an incredible rate.
We can no longer rely on our smartphones for everything. We need to be able to play games, listen to music, watch movies, etc., without using any kind of device. This is why we tend to gravitate towards music that takes us away from modern day life, and instead transports us back to simpler times.
Another reason why we love Synthwave is because it makes us feel good. When listening to this type of music, we often find ourselves smiling and laughing. Sometimes, we just want to dance around the room and sing along with the lyrics! And if we get really excited about anything, we usually end up dancing around the room too!
Moreover, Synthwave offers us something that other genres don’t provide. It provides us with a sense of freedom. As long as you have your favorite synth and some cool melodies, you are free to create whatever you like! You’re not limited by what other musicians think is cool or what they’ve done before. With Synthwave, you can make your own unique sound and express yourself freely.
Finally, Synthwave is fun! There’s nothing better than enjoying a song while doing something else at the same time. In fact, there’s nothing more enjoyable than having a great time while listening to music. If you enjoy creating music, then you’ll definitely enjoy Synthwave.
The answer is no.
Synthwave can actually also be found in other forms such as in visual arts. In visual arts, the synthwave genre is often characterized by its retro-futuristic aesthetics.
However, unlike traditional sci-fi, which tends to feature space ships and robots, synthwave artists focus on depicting characters who look like humans. They are depicted wearing clothes that were worn during the 1980s or 1990s. These outfits include t-shirts, sweaters, jeans, sneakers, shorts, hats, jackets, etc.
In addition to clothing, these characters are also portrayed with hairstyles that were commonly used during those years. Their hair includes mohawks, mullets, pompadours, dreadlocks, afros, sideburns, etc.
Some artists also depict futuristic environments that resemble those seen in science fiction films. These environments include neon lights, laser beams, holograms, computers, etc. The overall aesthetic of the artworks consists of bright colors, bold patterns, and vivid textures.
Synthwave is very popular among fans of video games.
Many gamers grew up playing Nintendo and Sega consoles in the 1980s and 1990s. Because of this, many of them still associate the 80s and 90’s with the style of graphics that was prevalent during those decades.
For example, when looking at artwork created by game developers, one might notice that most of the characters are dressed in clothes that resembled those worn by the players of old arcade games.
Synthwave has also become quite popular among anime fans. Anime is a Japanese animation medium that originated in Japan in the 1970s. T
oday, anime is considered to be an important part of Japanese culture. Many people watch anime for entertainment purposes. Some even consider anime to be their primary source of entertainment.
Therefore, anime fans tend to appreciate any form of media that resembles the styles of art and design that were common in Japan during the 1980s and 1990’s.
With all these knowledge about Synthwave, there is another genre to watch out for, especially because it tends to be the root of confusion on Synthwave. This genre is called Vaporwave.
Vaporwave can indeed be very similar to Synthwave. However, to tell them apart, the one thing you just have to remember is that vaporwave tends to be much darker than Synthwave.
Synthwave has a brighter tone. This is because Synthwave focuses more on melody rather than beats. On the contrary, Vaporwave sounds very dark and gloomy. Moreover, it tends to focus more on the ambient elements present in the songs.
In conclusion, Synthwave is a really interesting genre. It’s different from other genres, but it’s still extremely popular today and a lot of people love it. So whether you’re looking to start a career in music or just enjoy listening to new genres, I hope this article helps you discover the world of synthwave.
