Given that there are discussions for every other genre that is somewhat tangential to industrial (free jazz, kraut, black metal, musique concrete, noise rock, etc) I think a synthpunk thread is warranted. Especially seeing as some of the earliest industrial output fall into my perceived boundaries of what synthpunk constitutes, such as Cabaret Voltaire ("Nag Nag Nag"), SPK ("Mekano") or why not some Chrome ("Anti-fade").
Granted synthpunk is a pretty nebulous term. Some are all out synth/electronic acts (Kas Product), some have a live drummer (The Screamers), while some are punks with a drum machine (Métal Urbain). But you know synthpunk when you hear it. Some of my lesser known favorites:
Chrisma - Black Silk Stocking (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DY-MYND-zg). The greatest synthpunk tune ever from an otherwise super lame Italian new wave duo.
Kitchen and the Plastic Spoons - Happy Funeral (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmRZ_sJWrKQ). Swedish punks that carved out their own niche, much like The Screamers.
Die Gesunden - Leutnant Miller (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf-j_jOE0vI). Originally known as Die Gesunden Kommen, existed only during a brief moment of time on the Berlin scene, played with Neubauten et al.
Are there any 21st century acts keeping the rambunctious spirit alive? What are some other unknown synthpunk gems that you dig?
Nice topic, looking forward to good recommendations coming in. I have a soft spot for Nervous Gender, especially this one: https://www.discogs.com/master/556847-Nervous-Gender-Music-From-Hell
I just to listen to this a lot when it came out
https://totalblack.bandcamp.com/album/burn-through
Good one, that Window release! I grabbed this from one of those MP3 blogs that were popular a decade ago. I wish I owned the original, might get it if I ever feel like spending € 100 or more on a 7". Plast - I Köket Desperat: www.youtube.com/watch?v=48brHIdjhnE&t=213s&ab_channel=DannyRamone
I'm interested in this stuff, but my knowledge of it is entirely pedestrian. And to be honest, I don't often know where minimalist synth or synthpunk ends and where new wave and late-70's/early-80's alternative begins.
I love the one Kas Product album I have (Loony Bin), but I know little else about them.
Screamers, all I have is that 'In A Better World' compilation that was 2 cds of demos and collected live and radio performances, either way it was amazing work compiled by Xeroid Recrods. I borrowed that DVD of videos by them at Target Video, that is good too. I like singer Tomatu Du Plenty's paintings a lot.
Nervous Gender I like that original album, I know Edward Stapleton has a new version of the band after leaving the remaining original line up, there may be two versions now, not too sure. Good work either way.
Constance Chlore sounds very "synthpunk" to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooZgP62Ez_s
Quote from: Phenol on April 04, 2023, 09:28:25 PM
Nice topic, looking forward to good recommendations coming in. I have a soft spot for Nervous Gender, especially this one: https://www.discogs.com/master/556847-Nervous-Gender-Music-From-Hell
Yes, Nervous Gender, definitely a classic. I've listened so much to that Live At Target LP which also has UNS/Z'ev, Factrix and Flipper on it. Great stuff! Overall I tend to prefer synthpunk with a real drummer which gives a special dynamic when blended with the synths. In this category I also love The Units - here a cool live clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27yIO2-yRdw). And DAF of course... borderline synthpunk.
Quote from: Decrepitude on April 04, 2023, 10:12:07 PM
I just to listen to this a lot when it came out
https://totalblack.bandcamp.com/album/burn-through
Thanks for the tip, very good! Doubtful if I'd call it synthpunk though, I'd lump them in with postpunk/darkwave revivalists such as Soft Moon and Cold Cave. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it a lot.
Yeah... synthpunk, artpunk, electropunk, minimal synth, minimal wave. Where does one end and the other start? I don't really know, I guess they are all somewhat overlapping and converging terms. I rely on my gut feeling when something is "synthpunk" to me.
Yeah, it's difficult to give any clear genre definition. Not sure if this is post punk or synth punk, but I have enjoyed it for many years. There's still guitars though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJsXoj7uxZ4&ab_channel=SchleimerK-Topic
If we're including cold wave stuff and stuff with guitar and bass, I guess Trop Tard would fit the bill too. I mean, they have a punky feel and use synths and drum machine, but do they have the synth punk feel, not sure...? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9qVz2xJsqQ&ab_channel=TropTard-Topic
Since the Cabs were mentioned, what about other early Sheffield bands like Vice Versa, f.ex?
I might be derailing thread here, though, there are plenty of (post) punk bands with synths that are not synth punk...
Personal favourite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIdlqWcGn_s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIdlqWcGn_s)
Quote from: Zeno Marx on April 04, 2023, 11:38:36 PM
I don't often know where minimalist synth or synthpunk ends and where new wave and late-70's/early-80's alternative begins.
For mine, it's not necessarily relevant. I like the idea of the kind of crossover and nurturing of genres that went on during those years and perhaps a bit later.
I guess when I try to define a term like synth punk or electro punk, I'd think - synthesisers or keyboards being the main or defining instruments (not always to the exclusion of other instruments), minimal, raw (not necessarily distorted in that sense, but I suppose in keeping with minimalism), and with the same kind of energy one would associate with punk, regardless of how fast or slow a tune might be. And I'd keep that at a very basic definition, meaning not necessarily excluding one project or another, despite how even they may have considered themselves at the time. For example, you've got to love Suicide's "Franky Teardrop", even though it isn't played on synthesisers.
I'm very into the idea of minimal, raw and energetic songs being done on synthesisers, more so these days. I'm a bit reluctant to seek out new projects, though, because of the ultra defining so many people have these days, and because so many people just blatantly ape earlier projects/genres now. I'm just sick of that.
is this within the realm of what you're after, and if not, why not?
https://moduretik.bandcamp.com/music
Quote from: Phenol on April 05, 2023, 02:52:02 AM
If we're including cold wave stuff and stuff with guitar and bass, I guess Trop Tard would fit the bill too. I mean, they have a punky feel and use synths and drum machine, but do they have the synth punk feel, not sure...? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9qVz2xJsqQ&ab_channel=TropTard-Topic
Since the Cabs were mentioned, what about other early Sheffield bands like Vice Versa, f.ex?
I certainly don't mind a guitar or bass being thrown into the mix. I did mention Métal Urbain above, they are one of the greats of this style imo. That Trop Tard track was totally ok but somehow lacks the grittiness and sense of urgency that is a core component of synthpunk, for me at least. As for Sheffield, never heard Vice Versa, gotta try them next. Human League on the other hand - we all know where they ended up, but early on they were pushing the envelope. "
The Path Of Least Resistance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6QLi2agHKU)" is knocking on synthpunk's door.
Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on April 05, 2023, 12:37:07 PM
Personal favourite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIdlqWcGn_s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIdlqWcGn_s)
You talk about synthpunk, and you will keep coming back to The Screamers. There's no way around it. This clip is awesome, so ahead of it's time. I like your definition of synthpunk btw, spot on!
Before posting I searched the forum for "synthpunk" to see if the topic was covered already. One of the search hits was a plug by you for the band The Primitive Calculators. I think they definitely need a mention here too. This video for "
I Can't Stop It (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry3mnxC0rrw)" is fast becoming a favorite around here. Backyard synthpunk, heh.
Will check up on some of those last suggestions. Here's a little song by Vice Versa. I guess it's not that far from The Normal in terms of sound. Maybe not aggressive like The Screamers, but there's definitely some punk aesthetic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PbNrsDUyho&ab_channel=electrozaps
Quote from: post-morten on April 05, 2023, 10:17:18 PM
One of the search hits was a plug by you for the band The Primitive Calculators. I think they definitely need a mention here too.
Did somebody say Primitive Calculators?
https://primitivecalculators.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-fucked (https://primitivecalculators.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-fucked)
Quote from: post-morten on April 05, 2023, 10:17:18 PM
Human League on the other hand - we all know where they ended up, but early on they were pushing the envelope.
Their ep "The Dignity of Labour" is, to me, something of a proto-Industrial classic. Perhaps because I first heard it on a radio show that also played a lot of SPK, Cabaret Voltaire, Test Department and so on. I have a lot of time for the pre-split material that I've heard so far. "Life Kills" is a great little track with nice, up-tempo energy and punk cynicism.
Early Human League is phenomenal! Sure they became a full blown pop band, but the 70s stuff has that synth tone that I cannot get enough of and some pretty dark songs alongside the more accessible ones.
I didn't know Primitive Calculators, but I like what has been linked to quite a lot.
Quote from: Zeno Marx on April 05, 2023, 08:05:17 PM
is this within the realm of what you're after, and if not, why not?
https://moduretik.bandcamp.com/music
Not sure if you were referring to a certain album by this artist? I randomly listened a bit here and a bit there. For me this doesn't quite cut it. It sure has the "synth" part but is lacking in the "punk" department.
Quote from: Phenol on April 06, 2023, 12:21:12 AM
Here's a little song by Vice Versa. I guess it's not that far from The Normal in terms of sound. Maybe not aggressive like The Screamers, but there's definitely some punk aesthetic.
Oh, I know this track, didn't remember who it was by though. Very good! Yes, I see it as aligned with The Normal and early Human League. Kids with a punk sensibility exploring the possibilities of the synth in their adolescent bedrooms.
Quote from: Zeno Marx on April 05, 2023, 08:05:17 PM
is this within the realm of what you're after, and if not, why not?
https://moduretik.bandcamp.com/music
There's nothing wrong with it but I tend to think of it more as "electronica", or something like that.
One thing I find objectionable to electronic music that I consider more "dancey" - and look, this is just pure bias - is that a lot of the rhythms are, for my tastes, too complex and syncopated. With the kind of music we're discussing here, I prefer a more straight forward, starker and minimal rhythm. To me, the sparseness of such beats makes up a part of the atmosphere of synth punk, electro punk, coldwave or what have you. Whereas more "built" type of beats/rhythms sound, to me, like they belong more in discos.
This Moduretik, from what I listened to, seems to prefer a more ornate and worked-on beat. Some of his synth sounds are fine, in that some of them have the harder, analog tone, but he also seems to mix in a lot of darkwave-y type sounds which to me is perfectly fine but not what I look for with synth punk/whatever. I seem to have a sort of "purist" attitude, but of course that's open to contradictions too.
I think I got it. Maybe. Good discussion.
The way you guys are talking, you had me thinking of Vilently Ill. It's not synth. It's not really related, but that's where I went.
https://www.discogs.com/artist/313297-Vilently-Ill
Suicide, Screamers, Devo are some obvious choices. Active Ingredients come to mind. They released 2 impossible to find singles. Also, Los Reactors, Futurisk, Red Asphalt, Suburban Lawns, Metal Urbain, etc.
Quote from: Zeno Marx on April 06, 2023, 07:24:29 PM
I think I got it. Maybe. Good discussion.
The way you guys are talking, you had me thinking of Vilently Ill. It's not synth. It's not really related, but that's where I went.
https://www.discogs.com/artist/313297-Vilently-Ill
I looked them up on YouTube and I get your point. It's the drum machine. But I'd class Vilently Ill as pretty much a hardcore punk project, straight up, drum machine or not.
Makes me think of that whole side of what's called Industrial that are basically rock and metal bands with drum machines and probably the odd synth or laptop. Not my bag but nothing wrong with it. Just tends to veer too closely to dance music for my biases.
I like this thread because I often think about the origins of what we can call popular electronic music, that is, the time when commercial synthesisers became cheap and accessible enough that anyone could get their clammy paws on them and just come up with anything. I mythologise that time as a very aesthetically fecund period. Not just the commercially popular types like Human League et al, but the underground popularity of people just jerking around with synths to see what kind of sounds they could come up with and inadvertently inventing genres people would be dealing with decades later.
I find the notion of that time - not so much the pure aesthetics, but the whole notion of being inspired to experiment with something that sounded weird and unlike other instruments - very inspiring.
Primitive Calculators are one of my favorite bands ever but synth punk is far too limiting a genre tag for them, even though they do indeed use synths (and drum machines), they probably make most sense just beneath the more vast post-punk moniker but they are also early noise punk, avant punk, or my preferred team of "avant sleaze."
Quote from: Andrew McIntosh on April 06, 2023, 06:58:23 AM
Quote from: post-morten on April 05, 2023, 10:17:18 PM
One of the search hits was a plug by you for the band The Primitive Calculators. I think they definitely need a mention here too.
Did somebody say Primitive Calculators?
https://primitivecalculators.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-fucked (https://primitivecalculators.bandcamp.com/album/the-world-is-fucked)
Not sure what bands represent "synth punk" the best.
Misfits on their very first release had a synth. Or was it "electric piano". Anyway there was no guitar on it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cough/Cool
Lately I have had some difficulties in categorizing Cursed Moon. Now, is it "synthpunk"? Anyway it is a cool project:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrOrCTILEwM&list=PLWz1psVwWXhdhZFxrgZJLZbkMflYsBkzy
And at least there's no drums in there, but a beat box.
Like Vilently Ill had.
I possess almost everything V.I. ever released. Even a few compilation tapes Andrew made for me back in the day.
As far as I remember, Vilently Ill used some synth only on their 2nd LP "Heal the Earth". The rest of the stuff was really primitive, rough punk with distorted guitar (although few tracks with non-distorted guitar) raw vocals and drum-machine. Main influence of V.I. was early American hardcore punk.
I remember Andrew once said majority of Violently Ill fans are losers/outcasts. I took it as no joke. Maybe he was right.
Andrew also had a noise/whatever project called Concrete:
https://www.discogs.com/artist/731879-Concrete-3
Quote from: Zeno Marx on April 06, 2023, 07:24:29 PM
I think I got it. Maybe. Good discussion.
The way you guys are talking, you had me thinking of Vilently Ill. It's not synth. It's not really related, but that's where I went.
https://www.discogs.com/artist/313297-Vilently-Ill
Quote from: P.i.L.-Lu on April 12, 2023, 07:10:50 PM
Anyway there was no guitar on it.
It does, but the keyboard is the main instrument.
Ur-punk and original industrial pretty much grew up together in the same milieu. This goes especially for the UK and California. Labels like Rough Trade and Subterranean Records catered for both styles. Zines such as Kill Yr Pet Puppy (their online archive (https://killyourpetpuppy.co.uk/news/) has loads of great d/l's) covered TG/PTV/C93 as much as Crass and The Mob. Punk and industrial had a couple of bastard children. One was the more experimental side of punkrock with bands like Swell Maps, Mekons, and Flipper. Another was the synthpunk we're talking about here. Loud and snotty groups with a lot of attitude using synth/keyboard/rhythm box as the driving instrument. Punk/hc bands using these devices merely for fleshing out the sound really isn't the same thing. This goes for suggestions like the Misfits, Vilent Ill, Suburban Lawns, or Active Ingredients. That's my take on it at least.
Quote from: Phenol on April 04, 2023, 09:28:25 PM
https://www.discogs.com/master/556847-Nervous-Gender-Music-From-Hell
Absolutely amazing. I picked up a cassette copy of this in Tokyo in 2016. I'm guessing everyone here has seen the Live At Target footage?
There was a synth-punk band from Melbourne, Australia about 10 years ago that played in the vein of Primitive Calculators, Slugfuckers, Suicide, Nervous Gender, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDjidDTrvvY
https://www.discogs.com/artist/1971160-Chrome-Dome-2
Quote from: morbid_dyspepsia on April 18, 2023, 05:44:52 PM
Quote from: Phenol on April 04, 2023, 09:28:25 PM
https://www.discogs.com/master/556847-Nervous-Gender-Music-From-Hell
Absolutely amazing. I picked up a cassette copy of this in Tokyo in 2016. I'm guessing everyone here has seen the Live At Target footage?
There was a synth-punk band from Melbourne, Australia about 10 years ago that played in the vein of Primitive Calculators, Slugfuckers, Suicide, Nervous Gender, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDjidDTrvvY
https://www.discogs.com/artist/1971160-Chrome-Dome-2
It's really good! There was a bit of a boom in punk mixed with synth and space rock (or something like that) some 10-15 years ago. I remember listening to a fair amount of bands that had that kind of sound, but don't remember that many of them now. Danish Tumor Warlord might fall in that category although leaning more towards space rock than synthpunk. Space organ punk, haha? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImkARadyzkA&ab_channel=TumorWarlord
Quote from: morbid_dyspepsia on April 18, 2023, 05:44:52 PM
There was a synth-punk band from Melbourne, Australia about 10 years ago that played in the vein of Primitive Calculators, Slugfuckers, Suicide, Nervous Gender, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDjidDTrvvY
https://www.discogs.com/artist/1971160-Chrome-Dome-2
Chrome Dome? Cool, another obscure Aussie gem. Their sound remind me quite a bit of Neon Judgement. Of course no one would put the synthpunk label on NJ, but I think in early tracks like "TV Treated" or "Factory Walk" they at least approximated the style.
A more recent Swedish group that perhaps were more arty than punky were Love Is a Burning Thing (corny name, got nothing to do with Johnny Cash). I liked them a lot, saw them live a few times. After releasing an album in 2014 they quitely faded away though. Here's a live clip from a TV studio (bonus: see an epic fail when one of the synths topple over after 1:25),
Dancer On a Chair (https://youtu.be/ed26YjOmdvY).
They were also really influenced by the Australian "little bands " scene that arose in the late 70s/ early 80s as well as The Normal, The Units and the New York no wave scene with bands like Mars and DNA.
Quote from: post-morten on April 04, 2023, 05:43:34 PM
Chrisma - Black Silk Stocking (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DY-MYND-zg). The greatest synthpunk tune ever from an otherwise super lame Italian new wave duo.
totally agree, I was friend with them and often hung around in the early 90s. Cristina was a vortex and a reak trouble maker, while he was a real gentleman.
they had a strong bond to industrial sub-culture, especially the "ideological" part, in fact they were the first in Italy to do cutup programs with late night channel footage from satellite tv mixing fun stuff, music, sexual content, ecc...
Cristina was dropdead gorgeous as well.
Regarding electro punk at the moment I am completely hooked with Kap Bimbo, as much as I'm not into hysterical female vocal lines, some tunes are incredibly good
Quote from: Phenol on April 19, 2023, 05:05:49 PM
Quote from: morbid_dyspepsia on April 18, 2023, 05:44:52 PM
Quote from: Phenol on April 04, 2023, 09:28:25 PM
https://www.discogs.com/master/556847-Nervous-Gender-Music-From-Hell
Absolutely amazing. I picked up a cassette copy of this in Tokyo in 2016. I'm guessing everyone here has seen the Live At Target footage?
There was a synth-punk band from Melbourne, Australia about 10 years ago that played in the vein of Primitive Calculators, Slugfuckers, Suicide, Nervous Gender, etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDjidDTrvvY
https://www.discogs.com/artist/1971160-Chrome-Dome-2
It's really good! There was a bit of a boom in punk mixed with synth and space rock (or something like that) some 10-15 years ago. I remember listening to a fair amount of bands that had that kind of sound, but don't remember that many of them now. Danish Tumor Warlord might fall in that category although leaning more towards space rock than synthpunk. Space organ punk, haha? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImkARadyzkA&ab_channel=TumorWarlord
Sick. I'll check it now
BTW here's a link for their material - https://www.discogs.com/master/333883-Chrome-Dome-Negative-Vibes
Quote from: tiny_tove on April 25, 2023, 10:05:42 AM
totally agree, I was friend with them and often hung around in the early 90s. Cristina was a vortex and a reak trouble maker, while he was a real gentleman.
they had a strong bond to industrial sub-culture, especially the "ideological" part, in fact they were the first in Italy to do cutup programs with late night channel footage from satellite tv mixing fun stuff, music, sexual content, ecc...
Cristina was dropdead gorgeous as well.
Regarding electro punk at the moment I am completely hooked with Kap Bimbo, as much as I'm not into hysterical female vocal lines, some tunes are incredibly good
Yeah, Cristina was a total bombshell. She looked like a larger-than-life type of glamour model, much like Amanda Lear. I love this 1978 clip from Italian TV, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTsR49YwHAI where the Tom Of Finland styled dancers make up for the atrocious lip synch.
Kap Bambino are very cool. They kind of straddle the line between synthpunk and digital hardcore. But much like Alec Empire's cohort they can only be digested in moderate doses, or you'll choke.
Four Plugs were another obscure late seventies English electronic maverick in the vein of The Normal. The person behind Four Plugs is doing synthpunk-ish stuff to this day under the Repetetive John moniker.
Four Plugs "
Wrong Treatment", https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfqylOJzqq8
https://repetitivejohn.bandcamp.com/
Laughing Gear -
https://youtu.be/JlPCXniha3Y
https://www.discogs.com/artist/8273403-Laughing-Gear-2
Someone recently reminded me of The Magits, Nick Blinko's old band before Rudimentary Peni. Amazing release. Raw, sparse, primitive, but musically maybe leaning more to Cold Wave? I love the dourness of it. It would have been a different world if Blinko kept with this instead of forming RP.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A-e-vbJQug (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A-e-vbJQug)
Never heard of The Magits - don't care if it's synth punk or not, it's fucking awesome. Thanks for that recommendation!
Kaos !
https://youtu.be/bGlN9YIjD-c
Fascinating! Apparently there were isolated pockets of punks and art school dropouts all over the place abusing their synths within the parameters of rock.
Here's an interesting synthpunk case. Crash Course In Science, who were contemporaries with the likes of Nervous Gender and The Units, pretty much lingered in obscurity until VOD released the box set with their collected works. Now they're gigging and touring like never before. Their most well-known song is arguably "It Costs To Be Austere" from 1981.
Then there's Dutchmen Plus Instruments, probably best known for their brief affiliation with Lee Ranaldo, and first active around the same time as CCIS. Their comeback album from 2013 features the track "Into Oblivion" which to my ears is too close to the CCIS track to be a coincidence. Especially the phrasing of the female vocalists.
It Costs To Be Austere, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZVfYSCRwI8
Into Oblivion, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ4_JkQFyfQ
Plagiarism? I dunno, you be the judge...
Quote from: post-morten on May 11, 2023, 05:46:45 PM
It Costs To Be Austere, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZVfYSCRwI8
Into Oblivion, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ4_JkQFyfQ
Plagiarism? I dunno, you be the judge...
I really like both those tracks, but I'm sorry, I really don't hear much correlation between the two, myself.
Quote from: Phenol on May 04, 2023, 11:58:26 AM
Never heard of The Magits - don't care if it's synth punk or not, it's fucking awesome. Thanks for that recommendation!
No worries.
Tarkamt - "Live at the Necropolis" (2018)
Egyptian synthpunk / noise.
https://doomtrip.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-necropolis
Quote from: post-morten on May 11, 2023, 05:46:45 PM
Then there's Dutchmen Plus Instruments, probably best known for their brief affiliation with Lee Ranaldo, and first active around the same time as CCIS. Their comeback album from 2013 features the track "Into Oblivion" which to my ears is too close to the CCIS track to be a coincidence. Especially the phrasing of the female vocalists.
Plus Instruments LP w/ crude lofi material from 79/80 coming soon on my label.
https://coseymueller.bandcamp.com/music
how about this? the first is more in a Kraftwerkian minimalist new wave area, but the second moves towards 80's indie territory. The first could almost be something on Galakthorro. I like them both quite a bit.