a lot of the minimal synth bands from the 70s/80s got worse as time progressed a la neon, neon judgment, human league, depeche mode, and so on… I just wanted to know what other people think of this strange phenomenon. Do you think the synths ruined the bands or that these bands in general were at their best when they we’re totally innocent, because they we’re less restrictive creatively. Anyway, just wondering, because this is a topic that comes up a lot at my minimal synth dinner parites
its freakin Madonnas fault bra..really as a musician ,I think its the instruments…nowadays they play themselves…..I think it also has to do with the fact that the 70s entering the 80s new wave..a lot of the music industry took a chunk of these old once unknown bands.. they gave them an offer they couldnt refuse..same happend to the punk scene…some became something else.more commercial i guess.. another possibility is that ,well if we are talking about the same unknown bands, most, if not all,never released much music..mostly because it was either a hobby,band broke up,synth dude was cheating on the vocalist’s boyfriend,when on to do better things,etc…hmmmmm culture club broke it off because of a spicy issue….. with lots of tissues ..heh?other bands that stuck to it were not going to release the same style of music for ever.. look at depeche mode..we all love that good old depeche mode…i still like everything else, but the older stuff yum…I think depeche mode is a good example….
so in your next minimal talk soup -someones dipping their nacho into your moog’s recipe sauce,twice! i hate that- and they bust out with that question?? you tell’m Madonna gave boy-geroge a foo foo job during the “Black celebration”!! 101010101010101010101
Even when some of the original artists (human league, vice versa etc.) became commercial there were hundreds of new bedroom and garage musicians taking their place, so i don’t buy that argument.
No, it’s about zeitgeist. You think it’s a coincidence new wave / minimal collapsed around ‘85? Don’t think so bra. FUCK glasnost i perestrojka.
[quote author=“cr-78”]from vice versa to ABC….sad!
that’s not sad, it’s genious. One year still performing in your pyama onstage, the next year in a golden glittersuit on top of the pops. Maximum respect.
If you gonna sellout do it in a grand fashion. It doesnt get more new wave then that.
your telling me the music industry has nothing to do with it????..your funny man….its the oldest story in the industrie’s book..yes many more bedroom bands, but Im not sure what your point is…....money always talks man…“girl you know its true”!!.... BLAP…... oooo oooo oooo, you’re wrong….
[quote author=“Spartak”]No, it’s about zeitgeist. You think it’s a coincidence new wave / minimal collapsed around ‘85?
I think there’s def. something to that. Many of my fav. minimal/cold/wave seem informed by the cold war and the threat of nuclear oblivion. Even the general ‘dehumanized’ aesthetic of many of these bands seems to me to say ‘I feel powerless’ more than ‘I want to be a robot.’ And has it really changed? The end could still be nigh…
time to write songs comparing emotions to inanimate objects!
In my opinion, you should not forget that a lot of these so called minimal electro bands got this label just because they played the instruments that were available at that time, and thus NOT because they really want to make the music half of this forum (excuse me the word) is masturbating on. :wink:
I think Minicold has a good point there.
Most bands started out having almost no gear and the synths from those days were quite limted. Besides a lot of them had no prior musical training and just started to experiment. As time progressed and they got more gear and experience or even a recordeal, their sound started to change.
Vice Versa was a very good example. One night after a gig in Rotterdam they went to a studio and found out that Martin Fry was actually a very good singer. Since the music they were making wasn’t going to get them anywhere financially and they wanted to make money, they deceided to start a new project, ABC, in which they could add some soul elements ( as they were white northern soulboys at heart) ( Yes I know this is blasfemy, but that is what I gathered from the “Made in Sheffield” DVD))
Depeche Mode would probably have gone down the same path much earlier if they hadn’t had a fifth member in Daniel Miller.
