Synthwave 101 with PRFSR TSTR

[samsonlonghair]

So I guess the place to start is square waves, triangle waves, and sine waves. Why don't you explain these waves to us PRFSR TSTR? What makes them similar, and what makes them different? Can you tell us why they sound the way they do?

[TSTR]

I was thinking mainly just analysis of the whole "scene" (for lack of a better term) from a cultural standpoint, but we can talk synthesis and the physics of sound at some point if you like. Although, that discussion is probably better suited to the musicians' thread.

[Forlorn Drifter]

I'm definitely interested. I got introduced through the various games in the last 5 years or so that have used this style of music, as well as the movies and such that have used it over the years. I haven't really done any digging into the style because of various reasons, such as the fact that there's just a huge swath of stuff available, and to my ear (admittedly untrained in this) a lot of it sounds samey excluding a few groups I really like.

[Ack]

So in this thread we talk about how much I enjoy Kavinsky, Carpenter Brut, Perturbator, and Gost, right? Also throw in some Power Glove and Lazerhawk for good measure.

[samsonlonghair]

OK, so if you don't want to talk music theory in Synthwave 101, how about you just post links to five tracks that you think will give us a good breadth of synthwave.

[TSTR]

So in this thread we talk about how much I enjoy Kavinsky, Carpenter Brut, Perturbator, and Gost, right? Also throw in some Power Glove and Lazerhawk for good measure.

Yes.

And sam, I'd do that, but five tracks aren't really enough. Otherwise I wouldn't have made this thread. Sit tight, bud, we'll get there.

[TSTR]

Bump for Synthwave Resource Roadmap. Figured I'd go ahead and do a general reference post for folks to check out stuff on their own before I start getting more in-depth, and to have something to build upon.

[Anapan]

Is Jan Hammer Synthwave?
I really like the art style associated with the term - Patrick Nagel's art is so awesome. Moonbeam City looks so good - too bad about the trying-too-hard comedy...

[TSTR]

Jan Hammer is an OG synth guy; I suppose you could consider him proto-synthwave or something. Same thing with John Carpenter, Vangelis, Jean-Michel Jarre, Harold Faltermeyer, Vince DiCola, and so on. Huge inspiration for many folks that work in this style, but before its time. This scene I'm referring to gets started in the mid 2000s, beginning to reference older style sounds and then gelling into an identifiable sound/aesthetic.

I also plan on at some point running through visual artists and TV/movies that apply here, but I'm gonna hit the music first.

And now, let's all listen to "Crockett's Theme" and have a piña colada -

[Xeogred]

This probably doesn't fit the thread completely, but earlier back Anayo here discovered that the Panzer Dragoon composer Yoshitaka Azuma did some solo work and man, it's utterly amazing: