Big wide synths
June 3, 2022 12:36 AM Subscribe
I really like the feel of the music in Blinding Lights by The Weeknd. I think it reminds me of sci-fi from years ago, films and games. However, when I listen to, for example, the Blade Runner soundtrack, it doesn’t have the same width (?).
1. What else sounds like this?
2. What is this called? Width doesn’t feel quite right.
I like to listen to it in my electric car, and it feels very satisfying and futuristic both driving through nighttime London, AND into the countryside. Help me build more of my film soundtrack!
I like to listen to it in my electric car, and it feels very satisfying and futuristic both driving through nighttime London, AND into the countryside. Help me build more of my film soundtrack!
Here is somebody covering the song with a series of synths. The video lists the (large) list of kit he used for that. You could ask this person for his take. But, for me, the "Big wide 80s sci-fi sound" that I think you might be talking about is summarised by bands like Flock of Seagulls - I Ran (the introduction) - which makes heavy use of a Prophet 5 -being fed through a stereo phaser see this remake. Also, stuff like ELO's "Time Album" - for example Epilogue going into Twilight - which made heavy use of an Oberheim OB Xa
posted by rongorongo at 1:41 AM on June 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by rongorongo at 1:41 AM on June 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
More JMJ: Zoolook reflects an era when the future held a promise of wonders unknown and a mere frisson of dystopia rather than the banal apathetic slide into global fascism and ecological ruin we're actually living through instead.
posted by flabdablet at 4:50 AM on June 3, 2022
posted by flabdablet at 4:50 AM on June 3, 2022
John Carpenter has three "Lost Themes" albums out which are all fantastic and will definitely scratch your itch. For example, Weeping Ghosts or Distant Dream.
posted by mustardayonnaise at 4:52 AM on June 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by mustardayonnaise at 4:52 AM on June 3, 2022 [5 favorites]
https://old.reddit.com/r/outrun
The opening sounds like outrun with the car, but it quickly gets more into New Retrowave, I think, or maybe Synthwave (note: /r/synthwave isn't the right place for the new music in that genre). I think New Retrowave is probably your best bet.
I would start with trying out a few albums from each of the sections from this Synthwave Essentials chart (which is linked on the /r/newretrowave sidebar) and then using those albums/artists as a basis for exploration on youtube or bandcamp in addition to bandcamp tags for specific genres.
A lot of these broad genres now have similar "essentials" charts like that one I linked. Here's one for City Pop, for instance. So I'd find a genre you like and then do a google image search for "[genre] essentials chart."
posted by msbrauer at 6:15 AM on June 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
The opening sounds like outrun with the car, but it quickly gets more into New Retrowave, I think, or maybe Synthwave (note: /r/synthwave isn't the right place for the new music in that genre). I think New Retrowave is probably your best bet.
I would start with trying out a few albums from each of the sections from this Synthwave Essentials chart (which is linked on the /r/newretrowave sidebar) and then using those albums/artists as a basis for exploration on youtube or bandcamp in addition to bandcamp tags for specific genres.
A lot of these broad genres now have similar "essentials" charts like that one I linked. Here's one for City Pop, for instance. So I'd find a genre you like and then do a google image search for "[genre] essentials chart."
posted by msbrauer at 6:15 AM on June 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Oh, I should also say that New Retrowave is also the name of a music label, but there is New Retrowave-genre music that is not on that label. However New Retrowave-label has a good youtube channel with hour long mixes that can be useful for finding music, though I think just on the label.
Also, check out The Midnight. Their album Endless Summer got a lot of people hooked on this stuff and it's a great entry point.
Two other things that really kickstarted the genre in the somewhat mainstream are the soundtrack to the movie Drive (especially Kavinsky) and the first season of Stranger Things (and some of the music from it).
There also used to be a Canadian radio show/podcast called Nightdrive95 that was good for discovering music, though veered further into things like vaporwave than just strict outrun and synthwave.
posted by msbrauer at 6:22 AM on June 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
Also, check out The Midnight. Their album Endless Summer got a lot of people hooked on this stuff and it's a great entry point.
Two other things that really kickstarted the genre in the somewhat mainstream are the soundtrack to the movie Drive (especially Kavinsky) and the first season of Stranger Things (and some of the music from it).
There also used to be a Canadian radio show/podcast called Nightdrive95 that was good for discovering music, though veered further into things like vaporwave than just strict outrun and synthwave.
posted by msbrauer at 6:22 AM on June 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
I think Com Truise* will be right up your alley: some very layered 80s synth-love.
Propagation, Air Cal, Ultrafiche of You
Also try other retro-80s bands (search for "chillwave"), though some may be a little trebly.
Neon Indian, Polish Girl
Toro y Moi, Still Sound
Tycho, Weather
a bit different but maybe scratching the same itch: LCD Soundsystem, I Can Change
...or some actual 80s source material:
*Berlin, Metro (I've assumed Berlin is part of the inspiration for the Com Truise name, but that's my headcanon)
Thomas Dolby, One of Our Submarines
Depeche Mode, Leave in Silence
Bronski Beat, Smalltown Boy
posted by miles per flower at 6:32 AM on June 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
Propagation, Air Cal, Ultrafiche of You
Also try other retro-80s bands (search for "chillwave"), though some may be a little trebly.
Neon Indian, Polish Girl
Toro y Moi, Still Sound
Tycho, Weather
a bit different but maybe scratching the same itch: LCD Soundsystem, I Can Change
...or some actual 80s source material:
*Berlin, Metro (I've assumed Berlin is part of the inspiration for the Com Truise name, but that's my headcanon)
Thomas Dolby, One of Our Submarines
Depeche Mode, Leave in Silence
Bronski Beat, Smalltown Boy
posted by miles per flower at 6:32 AM on June 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
You might like some original 80s synth driven music from a-ha like Take On Me, The Sun Always Shines on T.V. or Stay on These Roads. This remix of Blinding Lights and Take On Me shows how well they fit together.
(Blinding Lights is a great song for driving, so here it is looped into a 10 minute track, and a 30 minute track if you don't want to have to keep hitting repeat)
posted by underclocked at 6:42 AM on June 3, 2022
(Blinding Lights is a great song for driving, so here it is looped into a 10 minute track, and a 30 minute track if you don't want to have to keep hitting repeat)
posted by underclocked at 6:42 AM on June 3, 2022
Yah, "synthwave" is your key search term here. It's a very rich and innovative genre at the moment, in my opinion.
The artist that most comes to mind when I read your description is Carpenter Brut. It's a slow, glorious burn, but wait till you get to the drop in "Escape From Midwich Valley," and ye shall be rewarded with fat, thick synths.
posted by Dr. Wu at 7:41 AM on June 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
The artist that most comes to mind when I read your description is Carpenter Brut. It's a slow, glorious burn, but wait till you get to the drop in "Escape From Midwich Valley," and ye shall be rewarded with fat, thick synths.
posted by Dr. Wu at 7:41 AM on June 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
The only synths that sound 'wide' to me in that song are the synth bass. The synth melody is thinner.
Reminds me of New Order - Temptation , Depeche Mode - The Meaning of Love OMD - So in Love the verse more than the intro, which is trebbly piano.
A more modern band is Hot Chip -Boy from School is slower and the melody is a bit short and trebbly but the bass synth is wide.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:44 AM on June 3, 2022
Reminds me of New Order - Temptation , Depeche Mode - The Meaning of Love OMD - So in Love the verse more than the intro, which is trebbly piano.
A more modern band is Hot Chip -Boy from School is slower and the melody is a bit short and trebbly but the bass synth is wide.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:44 AM on June 3, 2022
I rarely ever "get" these types of questions so forgive me if I am way off here.
You might appreciate The Dandy Warhols: Every Day Should Be A Holiday
posted by i_mean_come_on_now at 8:12 AM on June 3, 2022
You might appreciate The Dandy Warhols: Every Day Should Be A Holiday
posted by i_mean_come_on_now at 8:12 AM on June 3, 2022
You might enjoy noodling around with Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music, which is comically granular in its genre-slicing. There are clips of everything. It is searchable—here's the entry for Synthwave, for example.
posted by adamrice at 9:07 AM on June 3, 2022
posted by adamrice at 9:07 AM on June 3, 2022
*Berlin, Metro (I've assumed Berlin is part of the inspiration for the Com Truise name, but that's my headcanon
Not that Metro is not a great song -but my vote for the influence (since it is also a good wide synth match) is this footage of Love on a Real Train by Tangerine Dream.
Also adding Georgia Morodo tracks like From Here to Eternity or Chase
posted by rongorongo at 9:12 AM on June 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
Not that Metro is not a great song -but my vote for the influence (since it is also a good wide synth match) is this footage of Love on a Real Train by Tangerine Dream.
Also adding Georgia Morodo tracks like From Here to Eternity or Chase
posted by rongorongo at 9:12 AM on June 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Check out this Switched on Pop podcast episode, How The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” used retro sounds and modern bass to break every record
that discusses why the song sounds like it does and is so appealing to people.
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:28 AM on June 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
that discusses why the song sounds like it does and is so appealing to people.
posted by lookoutbelow at 9:28 AM on June 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
'Blinding Lights' sounds like it has a Massive Attack influence. They're noted for some deep synth patches and heavy synth production.
posted by ovvl at 11:20 AM on June 3, 2022
posted by ovvl at 11:20 AM on June 3, 2022
I'll hop on the train of near-miss answers and add Future Islands
posted by confabulous at 3:22 AM on June 4, 2022
posted by confabulous at 3:22 AM on June 4, 2022
I like to listen to it in my electric car, and it feels very satisfying and futuristic both driving through nighttime London, AND into the countryside. Help me build more of my film soundtrack!
At this point we have decades worth of music to form a soundtrack of driving about in an ICE vehicle - but not much to evoke EV's: a composition gap to be exploited maybe? So I understand how a lot of the futuristic music of analogue synth days fits the bill: suggesting I Travel and Theme for Great Cities by simple minds, therefore.
The world of people making "electric dreams" with synths in the 70s and early 80s was quite small - and it seems all of them had been listening to Clockwork Orange, and Kraftwerk and reading J G Ballard. I would recommend the BBC documentary Synth Britannia -available in Youtube at this link to all, I believe. Many of the artists mentioned above interviewed.
posted by rongorongo at 2:10 PM on June 4, 2022
At this point we have decades worth of music to form a soundtrack of driving about in an ICE vehicle - but not much to evoke EV's: a composition gap to be exploited maybe? So I understand how a lot of the futuristic music of analogue synth days fits the bill: suggesting I Travel and Theme for Great Cities by simple minds, therefore.
The world of people making "electric dreams" with synths in the 70s and early 80s was quite small - and it seems all of them had been listening to Clockwork Orange, and Kraftwerk and reading J G Ballard. I would recommend the BBC documentary Synth Britannia -available in Youtube at this link to all, I believe. Many of the artists mentioned above interviewed.
posted by rongorongo at 2:10 PM on June 4, 2022
Response by poster: Thanks so much! I’ve marked the Switched on Pop podcast as a best answer because it literally describes what the wide sounds are (80s synths with super deep 808 as bass).
All the others are great too. I’m putting together a playlist of all of them as I go: wide sounds.
In particular, some of the John Carpenter is nearly exactly there, and Kavinsky from Drive. I trialled the playlist on a four hour drive yesterday, and it was pretty great!
posted by fizban at 12:04 AM on June 8, 2022
All the others are great too. I’m putting together a playlist of all of them as I go: wide sounds.
In particular, some of the John Carpenter is nearly exactly there, and Kavinsky from Drive. I trialled the playlist on a four hour drive yesterday, and it was pretty great!
posted by fizban at 12:04 AM on June 8, 2022
Response by poster: Hmm, playlist link vanished.
Trying again!
posted by fizban at 3:57 AM on June 12, 2022
Trying again!
posted by fizban at 3:57 AM on June 12, 2022
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It's basically a modern take on 80s synth (punched up to sound good to the modern ear).
https://old.reddit.com/r/outrun
Relevant terms:
Mitch murder
Mirror shades
Cyberpunk
Retrosynth
Vaporwave
M83
posted by bashism at 1:36 AM on June 3, 2022 [1 favorite]