So who are the big synth bands these days?

Well, we all no that New Order can't do synthesizers anymore. Watching the new guy pretend to play a riff during Krafty ranks as a low point in the history of progressive synth pop.

I just saw Depeche Mode and almost cried and how pathetic the Bravery were before them. Even the Mode can't quite put it together without Alan Wilder.

Just looking for a few suggestions. I get depressed having to depend upon Erasure and the Pet Shop Boys for a few good lines and interesting beeps and bops.

And plese don't recommed the monotonous drone that constitues club music (Sasha, Oakenfold, etc) Just something a bit interesting (ie. Postal Service).

thanks

Really though, New Order have been synth pop in name only after PC&L and the the Arthur Baker singles. Even PC&L had its share of guitar-driven tracks (two of their very best as a matter of fact).

Iris were my favorite neo synthpop group, but they disappeared after the electroclash fad disappeared off the face of the earth. Get a hold of some tracks off Disconnect and Reconnect.

Wolfsheim is an older group of synth purists who effectively merge Depeche Mode style sound washes and krautrock vocal stylings, that is to say, less voice emoting than Bernard on Movement. My favorite two tracks of theirs' are Once in a Lifetime (no relation to Remain in Light) and Find You're Gone.

Tribeca is emo-meets-Depeche Mode. The faux-twee vocals and lyrics as popularized by the spotty Architecture in Helsinki, sum up everything I don't like about today's off-kilter indie synth pop fads. That being said, the actual composition and melodies on their album Dragon Down are catchy as hell for the most part.

I've heard a lot of hype over Boards of Canada being something along the lines of the next Postal Service. I haven't heard them, but i'm mentioning them as they sound along the lines of what you're looking for. Myself, i've never been big on the whole ambient music thing.

I like Les Rythmes Digitales. Be forwarned however that they used sampled vocals and have a slight dance edge.

Well, if using a guitar exludes you from being a synthpop act, I assume it requires you to use synths?

in that respect there are no synth pop bands, because from about 1987 onwards, no synths have been built. all(barring a few freaks) 1990's "synths" are in fact sample players with clever loop functions...D50 D70 M1 T3....all just big sample players.

For my money, the true holders of New Order's flame in the electronic music arena were orbital, and now I suppose it's the chemicals. Why? Because they do what New Order used to...play machines live, and fucking enjoy it too.

New Order may have the odd keyboard part on tape....but DM used to actually have a revox B77 sitting on stage with all their drums on it.(still at least they put it on stage).

I'm still not totally convinced that phil's miming wasn't just a tv-edit that stank. But BM is definitely a tape play-in karaoke. Aren't major labels fucking great. New Order have earned years of miming anyway through all the years of refusing to do it, when every other band was willing to suck BBC cock.

iris either has a new album out or one coming out soon.

anyhoo, for good synth stuff check out www.adifferentdrum.com

Try Traum as well

Try Traum as well

Try Traum as well

Steve's comments are spot-on wrt to the extinct-ness of 'synth-bands'.

Matthew - try Ladytron. Although I hear that they're using guitars on the new album.

Soulwax - live ?

LCD Soundsystem.

Goldfraff. Cool synth album and no guitars.

There is a German group named "Camouflage" and they had an album in 2003...they're pretty good. Unfortunately, not too many synth bands seems to be the mainstream...I don't know why...

leather_girl wrote: There is a German group named "Camouflage" and they had an album in 2003...they're pretty good. Unfortunately, not too many synth bands seems to be the mainstream...I don't know why...

Its out of vogue. Guitar bands are the rave now.

Home Video (http://www.homevideoband.com/index.html)have released a couple of singles on Warp Records. They cite New Order as an influence, but Depeche Mode are a more obvious source of inspiration. Still, if guitars and keyboards are your bag, it's as good a place as any to start.

You may also be interested in Oosterdok (check out http://www.oosterdok.com for the skinny). Again, they cite Ladytron and Depeche Mode as influences, but its strings and keyboards and the occasional hint of guitar that might turn Noolers' heads. Mind you, the none-more-English female vocals won't be to everyone's taste...

Plus they aren't very big, which I guess excludes them from this thread. But I can't be arsed to delete that now I've gone to the trouble of writing it all.

I dunno about a catchy synth pop tune....but after NO's recent spate of retro-luddite music, I'm sort of hoping for a truly evil dane track, done on their own, just to remind people that they were fucking TESTIFYING when half the "great and the good" (limp numpties) of the current dance scene were still swimming round their da's bollix. If it wasnt for NO the UK end of the dance scene would never have happened and all club tunes would sound like fucking tencity. I grow weary of hear whatever retro-indie garage escapees are in vogue this week paying lip service to the Order...what about, the next time they want to make a point about NO's relevance, they, ooooooh I dunno....get the fookin chemicals on the stage WALLOPING out that amazing temptation/star guitar thing.

Or almost any electronic act for that matter (except Big Name DJ's who have no interest in or capability with machinery), they all know who new order are and many of them, had exactly the same reaction to NO as Barney and Hooky had to the Pistols "fuck me if they can do it, we can fookin well do it too".

Air.

A french duo. They are 75% synth with some traditional live instruments thrown in for good measure. They use alot of Moog synths. Some of the best use of moog's I have ever heard.

A tad more down tempo than traditional pop, but sure to not dissapoint. Check out Moon Safari first, then Le Premiere Symptones. 10,000mhz has its moments, but is not as good as the previous. The newest, which I forget the name, is pretty good too. Oh, they also did the soundtrack to the Sofia Coppola flic Virgin Suicides.

Lemme know what you think!

Royksopp are pretty good to. But both Goldfrapp and Royksopp are klnda chill out or dinner party music. One thing I can never accuse of NO being (on either count).

goldfrapp are definatly my favorite synth band of the moment, royksopp are great as well. the bravery are also up there, but i fucking hate the killers so much.

junior boys put out a pretty good album. and the guy who does the music from postal service (jimmy tamerello or something like that) was(/is?) in a band named dntel, which put out a rather good, if very abstract, album a couple of years ago.
someone mentioned boards of canada a while back... they've been around for years. their first album, music has a right to children, is considered a classic. they don't quite qualify as synth pop though. a little too whispy for all that.
strange isn't it? i hadnt noticed how such little pop music made on synths has been coming out lately until someone asked. what with the whole post punk revisited shit over the past few years, you think someone would be doing more of that. oh well.

The Assassins opened for NO on May 3 at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom. They were awesome for an opener! I thought it was a codename for The Killers, but I was pleasantly surprised. They are band of 5, one is female; her occasional backing vocals are a kicker. Being a Chicago local, I followed up on them. They signed with Arista? right as it folded, so they got a false start. Someone from the band tells me to look for their first release in March. They are incredibly well produced and a pleasure to listen to, even if you personally won't rate them to your own degree of "synth."

I saw Hooky watching as they played. Good choice NO!

Listen here: http://www.myspace.com/assassins

I've always liked The Faint, myself.

Maybe not exactly what you're looking for, but there's a reason why Richard X's recent New Order remixes have worked so well - He is one of the few people today making overtly pop electronic mini-symphonies a la New Order in their heyday. His tracks for Annie ("Chewing Gum," "Me Plus One", M.I.A.("10 Dollar", "Amazon"), Rachel Stevens ("Some Girls," "Crazy Boys") and his remixes (New Order, Depeche Mode, Gwen Stefani), all remind me of mid-80s New Order's full embrace of pop dance music, no matter how odd or uncool (e.g. Barney was *clearly* listening to A LOT of cheesy Latin Freestyle).

If you can get past the uber-pop vocals on some of these tracks, then you can reall enjoy some pretty amazing productions. Do yourself a favor and find his extended remix of Freeform Five's "No More Conversations" - it's easily my favorite single of the year. In a similar vein is Jacques Lu Cont's 'Thin White Duke' remix of Royksopp's "What Else is There?" - these two mix quite well with Richard X's "Bizarre Love Triangle" remix.

Also, while I love Postal Service and Junior Boys, there's an insularity and an emo vibe to some other "indie-tronica" in both vocals and music that really seems to hold it back from a pure gleaming pop explosion (not the point for these groups really).

I also second Goldfrapp ("Number One" is great) and Ladytron (especially "Seventeen" and the new album - although they verge on goth and shoegaze at times). Certain tracks form Royksopp and Cornelius are also excellent for New Order fans. Many reviewers likened The Notwist to New Order, but the vocals put me to sleep.

As for DFA productions (Rapture, LCD Soundsystem etc), they can be great, but there's this annoying indie "ironic" distance that gets in the way for me (although the rather proggy new album from Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom is *amazing* but not really like New Order at all).

I'm throwing my chips in for Wolfsheim - I've been into them since Spectators via a friend, and I can't crow enough about them. It's a very nice middleground if you're looking for something that'll remind you of NO at times, but will have the lushness of PSB/erasure/DM/etc.

Straddling the synthpop line would be VNV Nation, some people love them, some hate them - I like them. I think their most "pop friendly" album is Empires. Very anthemized, very get-up-and-dance-or-revolt kind of music.

There's a guy who goes byLeiahdorus who puts out pretty quality synthpop in my opinion.

Anything Box used to be very synthpop, but this last album or so, they've moved more towards an indie rock/experimental kind of sound - if you've not got their earlier stuff, it's worth grabbing (even if they don't quite play the same anymore)

In the end, it seems there's not really any "big name" exclusively synthpop bands anymore, but the best place to find stuff you'll want is definitely at that A Different Drum site.

it just occured to me that no-one mentioned NIN or Mr Manson...I know there's a the odd guitar here and there, but it's usually a sample.

Bob Konkel wrote: Air.

A french duo. They are 75% synth with some traditional live instruments thrown in for good measure. They use alot of Moog synths. Some of the best use of moog's I have ever heard.

A tad more down tempo than traditional pop, but sure to not dissapoint. Check out Moon Safari first, then Le Premiere Symptones. 10,000mhz has its moments, but is not as good as the previous. The newest, which I forget the name, is pretty good too. Oh, they also did the soundtrack to the Sofia Coppola flic Virgin Suicides.

Lemme know what you think!

yeah Air are great, the newest album is called 'talkie walkie' more of a chill out band though.

Do Basement Jaxx, The Prodigy and The Chemical Bro's count?

A friend of mine keeps bangin on about a group called Mesh from the UK.

Australia can match the world's best REAL LIFE are an Aussie Band

Try listening to: Send me an Angel God Tonight Deep Sleep

Also there's another band in Australia called BOXCAR Australia's version of New Order. The singer's voice is similar to New Order voice.

Al Jarvis wrote: finally 'maturing' (if that's the right word?) into Erasure.

This is a Fcuking excellent thread because there is a definite starvation of synth bands as of late. Recently discovered The Postal Service album which is never off my car CD player.Ladytron are amazing live,although they are trying to gear towards festival rock on their newer stuff."Sugar" is more like Garbage than Ladytron. Air's Talkie Walkie is an excellent album,check out Surfing On A Rocket. And got to mention a grand-daddy of electro,who still can produce some good tunes,even if the LPs aren't all consistent....Mr John Foxx! His last album "Crash & Burn" particularly the title track,is definitely one for playing at full volume.Also "Ray One Ray Two" which is Plastic Bertrand on speed! Also Foxx & Louis Gordon's previous album,The Pleasures Of Electricity which is a great homage to Kraftwerk.

Synth bands: those that used synths fundamentally and are therefore synth-based as opposed to those who are guitar-based. New Order are quite rare in that they're both!

Big 'synth' bands currently? From a personal perspective I'd say Ladytron, Goldfrapp and Erasure, although you could probably add to that old stagers like The Human League, Sparks and John Foxx.

Goldfrapp's current album - their third - Supernature is easily one of the albums of the year and they're scoring another sizeable hit with Number 1 at the moment which is a top song (redolent of early Numan with some OMD and Yazoo thrown in). Ladytron delived their third album, Witching Hour, a short while ago. It's their first for their new label Island and their sound has moved on from the Kraftwerkian stuff of their debut, 604, and its sequel, Light & Magic. As yet they've not had a sizeable hit and the new material is a lot heavier and darker than their older material. They're a great band and I was at London's Koko a few weeks ago which was packed to the rafters. Both Ladytron and Goldfrapp are currently on tour.

Mr Foxx: yup, Crash & Burn is a cracking album and the stuff is both like his earlier Metamatic era stuff and different again. He's working on mastering the Nation 12 stuff he recorded with Bomb The Bass's Tim Simenon in the late eighties. His former band-mate from Ultravox, Billy Currie, is also grafting away on old Humania material for release. Humania were the short-lived but brilliant unsigned band Currie put together after Ultravox mark three fell apart (amid acrimony) in 1987.

Finally Sparks release their new album, Hello Young Lovers, on 6th Feb although how they'll beat their last one, Lil' Beethoven (2002), is anyone's guess as that's a masterpiece!

What is the biggest SYNTH available?

Roland system 100/system 700 Moog custom Modular, as owned by the late Dr Moog himself. T.A.N.T.O. (as operated by steve hillage/gong)

Not to mention Doepfer (sp?) who still make modular components and as such, you can make a synth as enormous as you like.

Digitals.... Synclavier's are kind large. PPG waveterm JD800 Yamaha DX1 (big inside too)

I'm off to have myself put down now.

ATR has played me a couple of Boards Of Canada EP's. They were very good. Ladytron as well. Still not got their last album but Destroy Everything You Touch is one of the tunes of the year.

Has anyone mentioned Client?

Thanks for all the responses! I've never even heard of some of the bands being recommended. I've got some catching up to do.

As far as a definition of "progressive synth pop" or "synth band" i would say any band that crafts pop music with a focus on synthesizers. I don't consider "synth pop" tied to any paricular moment in history.

New order were a "synth band" from PCL through Republic. I loved the way they merged drums and guitars in with the electronic sound, but make no mistake what separated New Order from Joy Division or who they've become today.

3:15 seconds into the Perfect Kiss you here what makes New Order so special and it ain't Hook's bass cause if it was then you'd think WFTSC was special :)

I was with you right up until you blasphemed. Hooky not special indeed. You know what makes New Order special? Having more than one special thing about them! It's OK to have God for a bassplayer, AND a couple of genius programmers. I still consider NO to be the bridge between fluffy synth pop and nasty dark club music, at least on the eastern edge of the pond.

As for "what is a synth band", for me, it's a band who put their faith in their silicon members live, Orbital, again for me, were the epitome of everything electronic music should be.

Steve Campbell wrote: I was with you right up until you blasphemed. Hooky not special indeed. You know what makes New Order special? Having more than one special thing about them! It's OK to have God for a bassplayer, AND a couple of genius programmers. I still consider NO to be the bridge between fluffy synth pop and nasty dark club music, at least on the eastern edge of the pond.

As for "what is a synth band", for me, it's a band who put their faith in their silicon members live, Orbital, again for me, were the epitome of everything electronic music should be.

I agree. It's also a damn shame that Orbital have retired...

leather_girl wrote: There is a German group named "Camouflage" and they had an album in 2003...they're pretty good. Unfortunately, not too many synth bands seems to be the mainstream...I don't know why...

i cant believe they are still around

Al Jarvis wrote:

Uncle Liam wrote: Has anyone mentioned Client?

What, they do music as well?!

And who's the new girl?!

LORDY LORDY!!! Aren't Client produced by either Alan Wilder or Martin Gore? I've come across Client before (fnar fnar).

I recognise that blonde girl in the middle of that band - it's that bird who used to sing in Dubstar....Sarah whatshername?

And the one on the right used to be in that band Frazier Chorus before being one half of that Creation duo Technique which also featured Alan McGees wife.

See? That's TWO New Order connections already!! :D :D

Anyway, I dare say that two of the current biggest "synth bands" are The Bravery and The Killers..... They wear enough eyeliner between them so I guess they qualify.

Ian Chirita wrote: Australia can match the world's best REAL LIFE are an Aussie Band

Try listening to: Send me an Angel God Tonight Deep Sleep

Also there's another band in Australia called BOXCAR Australia's version of New Order. The singer's voice is similar to New Order voice.

try something a bit newer like Cut Copy. They have even been compared to the Order sound. ok blasphamy.

The main one: AIR for me they are the best band that came from the late 90's (1st album: Moon Safary 1997). Less known but also very good are ZOOT WOMAN.

I didn’t remember this when I wrote the other post but Stuart Price a.k.a. “Les Rhythmes Digitales” and “Jacques Lu Cont” is Zoot Woman ‘s bass player and it is the producer of some tracks in WFTSC.

There's an act called Fixmer Mccarthy who comprise French techno producer Terence Fixmer, who records on DJ Hell's Gigolo label, and Douglas Mccarthy, the legendary vocalist of hard electro beat exponents, Nitzer Ebb.

I don't think you could call them big at present, but they sound fantastic. To mention The Killers and the Bravery is a total piss take to be honest, as they'd both give their right arms to sound like either Fixmer Mccarthy or Nitzer Ebb.

If you like the aggressive electronic dance element present in some of New Order's music (EGG, BM, Mesh, Hurt etc), you'd like this. Fucking amazing live as well.

Hannett of the Apes wrote: Really though, New Order have been synth pop in name only after PC&L and the the Arthur Baker singles. Even PC&L had its share of guitar-driven tracks (two of their very best as a matter of fact).

Iris were my favorite neo synthpop group, but they disappeared after the electroclash fad disappeared off the face of the earth. Get a hold of some tracks off Disconnect and Reconnect.

Wolfsheim is an older group of synth purists who effectively merge Depeche Mode style sound washes and krautrock vocal stylings, that is to say, less voice emoting than Bernard on Movement. My favorite two tracks of theirs' are Once in a Lifetime (no relation to Remain in Light) and Find You're Gone.

Tribeca is emo-meets-Depeche Mode. The faux-twee vocals and lyrics as popularized by the spotty Architecture in Helsinki, sum up everything I don't like about today's off-kilter indie synth pop fads. That being said, the actual composition and melodies on their album Dragon Down are catchy as hell for the most part.

I've heard a lot of hype over Boards of Canada being something along the lines of the next Postal Service. I haven't heard them, but i'm mentioning them as they sound along the lines of what you're looking for. Myself, i've never been big on the whole ambient music thing.

I like Les Rythmes Digitales. Be forwarned however that they used sampled vocals and have a slight dance edge.

Les Rythmes Digitales? Fookin great them. Especially the tune they did with Nik Kershaw...

Somebody is going to take the piss of me somewhere with what I am about to say, but stay with me.

But I have to say having heard Dido's "Stoned" (from "Life for Rent") it reminded me of all that late-80s synth, just before acid dance took off and the rest. You know the type I mean Pet Shop Boys a la Domino Dancing, Depeche Mode's Master & Servant, etc.

I have to say it is nothing like Dido has ever done (discounting her work with Faithless and Eminem). Big on synths with enough layers of swathing electro-pop to suffocate Neil Tennant's hamster.

What has this to do with NO? Quite simply NO spawned all this, whether we like it or not.

Okay you're probably pissing now (I don't give a fook), if you've heard it you'll know what I mean, if you haven't and you're laughing, FOOK OFF!

So what was NO's last great synth track, before dance/house took over; ie, everything from Republic onwards?

For me it was Round & Round. Oh, and how can I forget WiM?!

Maybe the last 'proper' synth (not dance) track they did was Vicious Streak. Certainly none on WFTSC, unless you count Krafty.