Retrospective: Synthwave

A distinctly modern form of retro this month as we look at the uniquely charismatic charm of synthwave

Music consumption in the 21st century is unrecognisable to previous generations, with huge shifts in the spaces we associate with musical styles and their organic creation. In the ’80s the places you’d find electronic music were clearly defined: clubs, radio, MTV or other music television shows, record shops and maybe the music press. In 2021, you’re just as likely to discover music via video games, movie soundtracks, streaming TV series or social media platforms.

One perfect example of this shift in emphasis comes in the form of synthwave, the loosely defined genre that emerged in the first decade of this century, stylistically drawing on ’80s synth pop updated with modern production values. This distinctly retro microgenre emerged not via a particular club scene or an influential DJ, but from an organic coalescence of smaller trends, some online and some in other cultural spaces.

You find echoes of retro synth pop in music all the way back to the original synthpop explosion of the early ’80s, but a neat starting point for the synthwave movement is the release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in 2002. It wasn’t by any means the first video game to feature licensed music in its soundtrack, but the extensive choice of radio stations on offer was a phenomenon in itself. Cruising around a fictionalised 1980s Miami in a Lamborghini Countachinspired Infernus supercar, listening to the likes of A Flock Of Seagulls, The Human League and Gary Numan on the in-game Wave 103 radio station, helped define a retro aesthetic that chimed with emerging trends for retro dance music.

Perhaps the defining moment for synthwave came in 2011, with the release of Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn’s action drama movie starring Ryan Gosling as a stuntman and getaway driver. The movie’s soundtrack was a huge success, including tracks by Kavinsky, College, Johnny Jewel under his Desire and Chromatics projects and composer Cliff Martinez: sonically, it was a distinctly retro take on synth pop, updated in a knowing, arch style.

Much of the appeal of synthwave comes from the fact that it’s electronic music that’s defiantly removed from club culture. Sure, there’s a crossover with acts like Justice and Kavinsky who straddled both worlds, but a lot of synthwave is song-driven and lower tempo than similar genres like electro house or nu-disco. As such, synthwave’s relevance is unusual in electronic music terms. You’d be hard pressed to name a high-profile synthwave club night or even a major synthwave label which has crossed over from cult status to become a household name in broader music circles. Instead, it’s a genre that shows its relevance and impact in other ways. Take, for instance, the soundtrack to Netflix’s smash hit Stranger Things series, which premiered in 2016. As part of the retro styling of the 1980s-set show, the soundtrack featured original music by Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon of Survive, alongside period-correct music by artists from Tangerine Dream to New Order.

The wider retro culture and visual aesthetic of synthwave feels almost as important as the music itself. It even spawned its own term, Outrun, a reference to the 1986 video game

Out Run, another title in which driving and musical aesthetics went hand in hand, chiming nicely with Vice City and Drive. A 2019 documentary, The Rise Of The

Synths, explored the phenomenon.

Is synthwave still relevant? Consider the success of The Weeknd’s mega hit Blinding Lights, released in November of 2019 but still, at the time of writing, a fixture in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. More than just a passing fad, synthwave can stake a genuine claim to be a lasting cultural phenomenon.