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Pioneers of Electronic Music
Last Changed
01/19/2005
Depeche Mode
Speak & Spell
Speak and Spell is Depeche Mode's debut 1981 release. It's
filled with potentially meaningless boppy pop songs, but bodes well for one of
the first electronic pop albums ever released. There are others before it,
but few come quite as close as this to completely electronic songs built
around a pop structure - prominent drums beats and huge (sometimes
annoyingly) catchy melodies. If you have any interest in the origins of
electronic pop music, this is a must-have ... filled with quick hooks and
tons of melodic sugar! Get the Bonus Tracks edition with extra tracks - it's
definitely worth the extra cash!
A Broken Frame
DM's follow-up without Vince Clarke, A Broken Frame, is a more sombre and introspective album, but still carries the same kind of extreme
melodic, hook-filled electronic pop. This still has some significant sugary pop,
but this is intertwined with a more soulful approach to synth music. A synthpop collection without these albums
is simply an incomplete collection. |
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The Human League
Dare
On a scale of 1 to 10, Dare rates an 11! Most electronic bands
were influenced by The Human League in some fashion, and this album is one
of the prime reasons why electronic pop flourished so strongly in the 80's.
Released right at the advent of popular electronic music in 1981, this is
pure, unadulterated, melodic pop. It's almost an overdose of catchy melodic
structures surrounded by clever effects and unique sounds that you can't
seem to get enough of. This is absolutely essential for the electronic pop officionado collection.
Love & Dancing was the dub version of Dare, so get
the Dare/Love & Dancing combo and you've got it made.
Reproduction
1979 was the year, and Human League were starting to find a flavour. Nowhere
near the commercialism of Dare, Reproduction was less pop, less melody, more
atmosphere, and more darkness. It has it's upbeat moments too, but doesn't
quite have the polished outlook of most electronic albums, which is where
it's real character comes in. Experimental electronic pop at it's best.
Travelogue
It's 1980 and Human League are darker than they were on Reproduction, almost
haunting in some songs. This album seems more experimental and finding it
between Reproduction and Dare seems a little strange. However, it has a
quality not found in most other albums of this era, and is definitely worth
a look if you're keen on experimental electronic music.
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Kraftwerk
Computer World
The grandfather's of Techno rear their heads on this 1981 album. I could
have included several of their other albums released prior to this, but none
come close to the pop sound Computer World exudes. It has the electronic
monotony of early club techno, but clearly showcases why so many synthpop
bands site Kraftwerk as one of their influences. Blippy-bloppy drums and
homebrew melodic synth sounds abound. Yet another essential electronic
album! |
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Ultravox
Rage In Eden
Another 1981 release, Rage In Eden makes light work of melding guitars and
electronic sounds into a melting pot of melodic synthpop. This is one of
Ultravox's most electronic albums, but their uncanny knack of mixing
electric guitars with synths makes this a must-have for your collection. At
times a little pretentious, the album soars through several catchy,
hook-filled numbers and makes a point of pushing electrobeats right down
your throat. This is good stuff!
Vienna
Before Rage In Eden came Vienna, Ultravox's 1980 release. The
songs are a little less poppy and a little more experimental on this album,
but it is nevertheless still a monument to electronic music. The single,
Vienna, sounds as haunting and majestic today as it did when it was first
released. |
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Visage
Fade To Grey : The Best of Visage
Visage were around for such a short time that just about any of their
singles are worth a historic listen, and this collection showcases pretty
much what Visage were all about in the early 80's. Probably one of the most
artsy, pretentious bands out there, Visage were so intertwined with Ultravox
that they sounded like extensions of each other. There's no mistaking the
fact that this music was made to move to, so large beats are the order of
the day. This is amazing stuff!
Visage
Released in 1980, this is another must-have album. The songs have an edgy
electronic sound to them, sometimes almost dirty, but they definitely
contain sparkles to keep your ears interested. Some repeats on this album
from the singles, but the extras are definitely worth buying the album for. |
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Yazoo (Yaz)
Upstairs at Eric's
Say what you want, but Vince Clarke has a way with synthesizers, and Yazoo's
1982 album, Upstair's at Eric's, has all the trappings of sickly sweet
bubblegum synthpop. Vince was the master behind Depeche Mode's Speak and
Spell, and you can tell instantly from this album that the same
drum-n-melody magic is present. This is a classic!
You and Me Both
This is simply more of the same stuff ... a 1983 extension of their first
album. Once again you have a quirky, saccharin-sweet, boppy electronic album
from Vince, with all the electronic trimmings.
Best of Yaz
If you're not up to getting both of Yazoo's albums, then this should do the
trick for you. You may miss some gems from the other albums, but essentially
this will give you the heart of Yazoo in a nutshell. |
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Blancmange
Best of Blancmange
It's difficult, almost near impossible, to pick up any of Blancmange's
original albums on CD, but this contains the essentials in one neat package.
The Blancmange sound is sonically very similar to Yazoo, but the music is
completely different so it's definitely worth getting your hands on. It's
kind-of quirky, upbeat stuff, and you've just gotta love the sounds of this
era. There are some gems in this collection, including Living on the
Ceiling, Waves, Don't Tell Me, and I've Seen the Word. |
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The Thompson Twins
Quick Step & Side Kicks
This was a strange bunch. Bright neon clothes and weird hair, but you get
some highly underrated synthpop from this trio with a duo's name. Quick Step &
Side Kicks, originally released around 1983, is an amazing step into the synth world. A bunch of great, poppy, upbeat songs infused with a few
strange and haunting tunes. This album is getting very difficult to find
locally, hence the huge Japanese import price!
Into the Gap
The
Thompson Twins' 1984 hit album, Into the Gap, is a definite must-have for synthpop fans. Tom Bailey's mastery of inserting mini-tunes into a song is
unsurpassed, and thanks to Alannah Currie's overabundance of percussion, this
album is filled with atmosphere. Delicate and obvious layering of synths is
all over this album, and it makes it an absolute pleasure to listen to over
and over again. |
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Flock of Seagulls
The Best of A Flock of
Seagulls
These guys are probably best remembered for their front man's hairstyle
rather than their actual music, but if you don't have it then you're missing
out. Best remembered in the US for I Ran, but in the rest of the
world for Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You) and The More You
Live, The More You Love, their music will live on forever. There
are some very quirky tunes in this collection, but also some real gems so
it's definitely worth having. |
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Men Without Hats
Collection
It's difficult to get any of the original Hats' albums on CD, but you
couldn't do better than the Collection, which contains a
short-and-sweet rundown of their most popular. You may be forgiven for
only remembering Safety Dance, which is very unfortunate because the
music is abundantly melodic and contains hidden gems everywhere. I Like,
Safety Dance, Pop Goes the World, I Got the Message ...
they're all great synthpop songs and deserve to be in your collection. |
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Alphaville
Forever Young
1984 was a giant year for synthpop and out jumped Alphaville's
greatest achievement by far, Forever Young. The first single, Big
in Japan, was immediately catchy, and so was the next, and the next ... There's nothing unlikeable
about this. It's simply a majestic synthpop album filled with
tons of melodic overtones and drum-machine rhythms. It's like listening to a greatest hits
album! |
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Howard Jones
Human's Lib
No synthpop collection is complete without Howard Jones! His debut 1984
album, Human's Lib, is testimony to this man's genius on keyboards.
Nobody does synth bassline's like Howard Jones, and that's a fact! This album is truly a masterpiece
of melodic pop and should be staple in any collection.
Dream into Action
As if Human's Lib wasn't amazing enough, Howard almost trumps it with
his
second album released in 1985. On any given day you will struggle to decide
which album is better, and for what reasons. Filled with DX7 bass everywhere (Howard's the
king of DX), it's a
classic Howard Jones album - pristine, crystal-clear, crisp, sometimes
brittle, but definitely polished. The genius that is Howard Jones is clearly
evident on this album and his mastery of quirky synth bass lines becomes
obvious. Just listen to the bass line in Like to Get to Know
You Well, and you'll get what it's all about. This is one album you must
have! |
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New Order
It's extremely difficult to select a New Order album to fit into a synthpop
collection, because they tend to swing in between traditional synthpop, and
something else .. let's call it New Orderism. In their non-synthpop moments
they have a sound similar to The Cure, but in their true synthpop senses
they spring forth with a gem like Blue Monday, or Bizarre Love
Triangle. For this reason, I won't bother discussing any of their albums
at length and just tell you to buy a bunch of them. They will all be worth
it, trust me! |
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Pet Shop Boys
Please
PSB burst onto the scene in the early-to-mid 80's with a brand of synthpop a
little out of the usual vibe. With a love for Hi-NRG dance music, the PSB
managed to create a unique synthpop sound focused on dancefloor numbers.
This is a great debut album and well worth the listen.
Actually
Now this is where the PSB burst out and took over stereo systems
and dancefloors everywhere. With some truly memorable songs like Rent,
Shopping, and It's a Sin, this is one damned fine album.
Monotone vocals, a huge melodic sound, and thumping backbeats make for a great package.
Disco
This album is a prized possession! It consists of remixed versions of
previously-released songs, but these are sterling remixes. You don't get the
usual dubbed garbage, but reworked originals that are constantly on the
move. It you're going
to buy one PSB album in your life, let this be the one you take a look at
before buying anything else. |
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Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD)
OMD are a difficult band to choose an influential
synthpop album from. Frankly, all their albums contain amazing synthpop
gems, but always seem to be interspersed with extremely experimental stuff
as well, which kind-of shifts the focus away from the best parts of the
album. Pick up one of their greatest hits and you will not be sorry you did.
At their best, they are the best, so a singles or hits collection is the way
to go. However, if you're looking for their offbeat stuff then you couldn't
go wrong with one of the earlier albums like
Architecture & Morality, Dazzle Ships, or
Organization. |
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Thomas Dolby
Retrospectacle : The Best
of Thomas Dolby
Dolby didn't make too many albums and was probably a little too quirky for
most people's tastes, but he certainly shook up the world with She
Blinded Me With Science, and Hyperactive. Nobody sounded like he
did, and he sounded like nobody else. Just listen to these 2 singles and
you'll get the picture. Weird, but good, his singles collection should give
you your fill. |
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Gary Numan
The Pleasure Principle
If you're looking for a punky, Japan/Bowie type of electronic music, then
this is probably the album you should go for. It's a mixture of electronic
and acoustic stuff in a punky vein from the early 80's. It sounds a little
(or a lot) like Japan or David Bowie, depending on the song, but this is
great, groundbreaking stuff.
Premier Hits
If you don't feel like wading through the albums, just pick up the best of
the best in his hits albums and you'll be on your way. Numan has a harsh,
almost cold sound to his music and you'll either love it or hate it, but
take a listen anyway. |
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Erasure
Wonderland
It's all debatable really, but this is probably one of Erasure's most
synthpoppy albums of all time. There is something about the sound that sets
it apart from anything else around 1986. The cheapness, but
richness of the sound? The brittle synths? The overabundance of melody? I'm
not sure what it is, but it's definitely something you should consider
having in your collection. After All, Vince pioneered Depeche Mode and
Yazoo, so this can't be half-bad, right?
The Circus
Vince is back again on this 1987 album, with tons of melody and some
hard-hitting dancefloor numbers. This is probably the height of Erasure's
commerciality, but still an amazing album with some very amazing tracks.
The Circus and Leave Me to Bleed are both soaring tunes. |
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