Spec Me Some... Synthwave

Vern1961 · 14 Feb 2018 at 17:10

Normally I'm a prog rock/power metal guy with particular emphasis on Gilmouresque guitar leads.

However after reading on the Elite Dangerous forums that Synthwave can provide excellent complementary music over the game found a couple of tracks on YouTube and it is actually quite good. Kind of reminds me of the more progressive serious trance/techno that was the rage in the 00's (not the nightclub light stick monotone stuff)and I'm actually quite hooked.

So as the title suggests, point me in the right direction please!

CapitalOne · 14 Feb 2018 at 17:11

Monsieur Jean Michelle Jarre?

Shamikebab · 14 Feb 2018 at 17:18

Scandroid
Makeup and Vanity Set

PinkFloyd · 14 Feb 2018 at 17:43

Like with most Rock/Electronic the subgenres overlap hugely, but a few bands I listen to that overlap around Synthwave are...
Dance with the Dead
Gunship
Perturbator
Carpenter Brut
The Midnight

Dance with the Dead are pretty heavy, should overlap nicely with your interest in metal! Carpenter Brut are excellent, lots of varied sounds with influences from all sorts. Perturbator are quite intense, very busy sound but enjoyable. Gunship and The Midnight are both a bit more relaxed than the others I listed. It's also worth looking out for the "Rise of the Synths" album, it's a great compilation album. You also can't go far wrong listening to mixes on Youtube, found some pretty decent 80s/Synthwave mixes. The Tron Legacy soundtrack by Daftpunk fits in quite nicely with all of this too.

Going to have to listen to Makeup and Vanity Set now, I'd heard them mentioned before but never listened!

ttaskmaster · 14 Feb 2018 at 17:48

Look for the New Retro Wave channel on YouTube?

Vern1961 · 14 Feb 2018 at 18:40

Thanks for the suggestions. I think we've got Tron Legacy soundtrack on CD somewhere, (a freebie when Disney were doing points to redeem online) so might rip that to the PC.

uroboros · 14 Feb 2018 at 22:47

Kavinsky and College from a couple of years ago were pretty good. Not heard anything recent from either.

As for current try S U R V I V E.

Good call on the tron legacy soundtrack.

x-st · 14 Feb 2018 at 23:03

Chock up another recommendation for Perturbator. As someone who generally listens to Black Metal, they're not something I'd have expected to like but in fact they're incredible.

Yaayuh! · 15 Feb 2018 at 08:42

https://open.spotify.com/user/aveniner/playlist/6SmAghiXgbqYbJCZTjG7qj

EYEREX · 15 Feb 2018 at 11:02

Few

MookJong · 16 Feb 2018 at 08:17

Try:
Magic Sword
Megadrive
Powerglove

I'm busy working on a Synthwave album that will be on Bnadcamp / Spotify later in the year. It will have some heavy stuff on it. Unlikely to be the standard of these artists but it is a personal goal to get a release and just a very fun genre of music to make.

McGray · 16 Feb 2018 at 15:56

Just checked out Magic Sword.

So much awesome lol.

Vern1961 · 21 Feb 2018 at 07:43

Checked out Pertubator on YT and, yes quite awesome. Goes really well in Elite Dangerous driving the SRV around the surface of a distant world. Need to buy either the MP3's or CD version.

MookJong · 23 Feb 2018 at 12:20

The new Carpenter Brut album is out on Bandcamp today, only listened to the opening song on my commute....more of the same and that is no bad thing.

antijoke · 23 Feb 2018 at 13:23

Check out this YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmYTgpKxd-QOJCPDrmaXuqQ

Also check out Turbo Knight. The channel above has a mix of songs from Turbo Knight.

Vern1961 · 9 May 2018 at 19:53

Bit of a bump but another good artist I found is Carbon Based Lifeforms. Also "The Midnight".

There's also a guy called Ryan Leslie who does some great electric guitar (melodic) accompaniments to a variety of synthwave tracks. As a fan of that style of guitar sound, perfect fusion of axe and electronica. This one had me foot tapping and air-shredding...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQh-TmmFDPE

Shamikebab · 9 May 2018 at 20:09

I love Carbon Based Lifeforms but I wouldn't call it Synthwave. If you like them though check out their labelmates Solar Fields, Asura, Aes Dana, H.U.V.A. Network

Minusorange · 9 May 2018 at 21:07

Not technically Synthwave but it's just as chill (apparently classed as psybient) they all fall under the umbrella of psychedelic music

Vern1961 · 10 May 2018 at 18:45

Shamikebab said:
I love Carbon Based Lifeforms but I wouldn't call it Synthwave. If you like them though check out their labelmates Solar Fields, Asura, Aes Dana, H.U.V.A. Network

How would you categorise them? Obviously a very fine line between synthwave and trance/techno in some cases.

Shamikebab · 10 May 2018 at 20:04

chillout/ambient personally.