Synth Britannia

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2009/08_august/20/music.shtml

In the late Seventies small pockets of electronic artists such as The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle were inspired by Kraftwerk and J G Ballard to dream of the sound of the future against the backdrop of bleak, high-rise Britain.

Gary Numan's 1979 appearance on Top Of The Pops heralded the invention of synthpop, which would provide the soundtrack as Britain entered a new, ruthless era in the Eighties.

Depeche Mode, four lads from Basildon, came to embody the new sound, while post-punk bands such as Ultravox, Soft Cell, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and Yazoo took the synth from the pages of the NME and onto the front cover of Smash Hits.

By 1983 the Pet Shop Boys and New Order were pointing to where the future of electronic music lay – in dance.

Contributors to Synth Britannia include Philip Oakey, Vince Clarke, Martin Gore, Bernard Sumner, Gary Numan and Neil Tennant.

Synth pop could really be called Brit-disco. Guitars and a grittier, moody sound defining UK dance at that time.

Ultimately all electronic dance music has its roots in Germany, Northern Italy and Japan, but even Italo artists borrowed from the Human League, Numan etc.

Both scenes were influence by black New York and Chicago too. 'Confusion' is a text book example of NYC electro.

http://www.euroflash.net

Yup!

Apparently they'd really got into Arthur Baker's earlier stuff such as Planet Rock and Walking On Sunshine. Irpnically Baker was heavily influenced by Kraftwerk and a great deal of European electronic music. Confusion is a brilliant song; a perfect statement of where they were at that point and a milestone along the road of their development. They wanted to get close to the source of the stuff they were freaked out by and that was Baker and Robie. As a evolutionary step, it could have hardly been bettered.

I think Synth Britannia will be excellent. I shall adjust my wireless and tune in!

It seems that viewing the video is not available outside of the UK. Is it on YouTube or some other source? Downloadable?

Ta.

yeah, "Not Available in Your Area" sux

Modern synth music came from Germany, then spread to France & Italy and then to Britain. American blacks later on brought in party funkiness to the exquisite European synth melodies and then concentrated strictly on rhythms.

Groups like Cars & Styx brought only embaressement.

A trailer is now available for this, presumably, worldwide on youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNiGnTSrL5o