Synth-pop classic or dud?

Speaking of Canadian stuff, I adore the early Rational Youth singles like "City of Night," "Saturdays in Silesia," and "I Want to See the Light."

Actually you should check out Cybotron

― feargal czukay (NickB)

Ha, yeah, "Cosmic Cars" & A Number of Names' "Sharivari" are what I'd think of w/the US alongside all the synthpunk stuff.

Not much of a tradition in NZ (not much in the way of disco here, either) - there's Dolby/Devo-ish novelties like The Body Electric's Pulsing, pub electro like Mi-Sex's Computer Games, the Androidss' Auckland Tonight, and Peking Man's Room That Echoes (often the visuals provide a stronger link than the instrumentation), but the whole Flying Nun/Xpressway South Island axis was v.suspicious of synths as being part of frivolous/decadent/un-NZ Auckland. the Patea Maori Club's Poe E is probably the most famous synth-line in 80s NZ pop.
There's some interesting works reimagining this heritage - Disasteradio's Charisma mixes Devo/Sparks aesthetics with smalltown home computing nostalgia.

(ps: Turrican, have you checked out the Susanne Sundfør - Ten Love Songs thread? Seems right up your alley; was going to mention it on the Knife thread you revived, but this seems as good a place as any...)

Early 80s American synth pop brewed up more on the art-damage side of things -- wall of voodoo, the fibonaccis, tuxedomoon -- all fucking fantastic btw

re: Tuxedomoon, I'd recommend Winston Tong's solo album 'Theoretically Chinese' (produced by Alan Rankine!) if you're looking for US synthpop

I saw Chicago synth trio Scarlet Architect a couple times in the early 80s, figured they're completely forgotten now. Little did I know: European re-releases and they're crowdfunding a tour!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbnCkDlFUgc

The Units maybe?

― feargal czukay (NickB), Monday, August 3, 2015 10:53 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Actually you should check out Cybotron

― feargal czukay (NickB), Monday, August 3, 2015 11:00 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Haven't heard The Units, but I've definitely heard one or two Cybotron tracks in the past - not enough to really form an opinion, though, so I'm definitely going to be investigating further.

Canadian stuff:
Men without hats
Trans-x

― feargal czukay (NickB), Monday, August 3, 2015 11:05 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Again, haven't heard Trans-X. As for Men Without Hats, I was already familiar with the first album (Rhythm Of Youth), but while I enjoy one or two tracks on it, it's never really struck me as being something essential. Out of curiosity, I listened to Pop Goes The World today, since I hadn't really ventured past the debut album, and... yeah, let's just say it's not for me!

Early 80s American synth pop brewed up more on the art-damage side of things -- wall of voodoo, the fibonaccis, tuxedomoon -- all fucking fantastic btw

― Corn on the macabre (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, August 4, 2015 12:44 PM (8 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

This might not come as a surprise, but I fucking love Wall Of Voodoo, particularly Dark Continent and Call Of The West. Weirdly, though, I've never been much taken with what I've heard of Ridgway's solo stuff.

(ps: Turrican, have you checked out the Susanne Sundfør - Ten Love Songs thread? Seems right up your alley; was going to mention it on the Knife thread you revived, but this seems as good a place as any...)

― etc, Tuesday, August 4, 2015 6:06 AM (15 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I haven't yet, no, although reading the thread is making me wanna check it out ASAP!

"I will say that the American stuff always seems to have a very different feel to it than the British/European stuff; a cultural thing that I can't quite put my finger on."

Do you think it is that many of the early American synth pop groups were synths and drum machines incorporated into live bands where mome of the European groups were more just electronics, vocals and tracks built in studios?

GET THE FIRST MINISTRY ALBUM BRO

Do you think it is that many of the early American synth pop groups were synths and drum machines incorporated into live bands where mome of the European groups were more just electronics, vocals and tracks built in studios?

― earlnash, Tuesday, August 4, 2015 10:07 PM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hmm. I don't know, I'm not really sure it's that because Ultravox and Tubeway Army/Gary Numan were doing exactly that in the late '70s, as well as Bowie. I don't know what it is, but the American stuff seems to me to be coming from a different "place", and not just geographically.

GET THE FIRST MINISTRY ALBUM BRO

― chaki (kurt schwitterz), Tuesday, August 4, 2015 10:09 PM (26 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Oh shit, I forgot about With Sympathy... yeah, I've heard it, and quite like it!