As an eighties kid, synth pop has been pumping in my blood ever since that first day I turned on my MTV. There’s some debate as to who’s considered a synth pop band and who isn’t. For this September Music Twitter challenge – #SynthPopSeptember – I’m focusing more on what’s considered synth pop, not who. The songs I’m featuring on Mental Jukebox this month aren’t solely composed of synthesizers. There may be drums, bass, and dare I say, electric guitars. But each of these songs were picked because the synthesizer is core to its being.
It would be sacrilegious to celebrate the genre of synth pop without uttering these two syllables: Vince Clarke. A pioneer. A journeyman. A musical genius who’s more than content to stay in the background. Any genre would be thrilled to have someone like this. He got Depeche Mode off the ground – and to this day “Just Can’t Get Enough” is a setlist staple more than 40 years after it was released. He went all in with a fast, dance-oriented brand of synth pop, pairing up with Alison Moyet. But my favorite era of Vince Clarke’s career is the first decade of Erasure with Andy Bell.
“You Surround Me” is a prime example of the duo’s ability to slow things down, while still illiciing a strong, unforgettable angular sound. The song is built around Clarke’s synth arrangements, an epic melody, and Bell’s baritone vocals. “You Surround Me” is enveloping. A refreshing departure on an album packed with faster tempo tracks like “Drama!” and “Star” and the mid-tempo anthem “Blue Savannah”. But thematically tied closely together with the shimmery synth sounds of Wild!
“If love wasn't here would we reinvent it?”