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Synths are a vital part of emulating the 80s sounds, just like drum machines, rudimentary samplers, and wannabe-Bowie vocalists. If any single music genre defined the 1980s, it’d be synth pop. Synths were everywhere, with bands like OMD and Depeche Mode on the pop side; even Van Halen had their synth moment with Jump. Evolving from the behemoth systems of earlier years, synths were more portable, easier to use, and – sometimes – more affordable. Following the example set by Kraftwerk, bands might appear on stage with nothing but keyboards; pretty radical. This was synth ‘pop’ in the real sense, around singles and chart placings, instead of reflecting the more mature, technically complex music of the progressive scene. This more democratic era also squeezed out the virtuosi – the prog players of the world,
who played as if they were paid by the note (although prog didn’t go away, it just took a back seat for a while in commerciality terms). The songs were concise and catchy, and this movement spread through Europe before eventually reaching the rest of the world. The lingering punk DIY ethic where practising and recording at home became possible for the average person, drove this scene too.
> Step by step 4. Creating synth pop