Today's post is for those of you who, like me, have been out of the synthpop loop for a few years. If you want to quickly get the best of the last seven years of the synthpop underground, here are my picks...
#1 Mesh: We Collide--Refer to my "podcast" review of We Collide for details, but this is simply an amazing album. Excellent vocals and programming lead to one cool song after another. Includes lots of really fast, catchy songs, but also features some top notch slow songs. Highlights(Too many to list, but I'll go with...): Crash, Step by Step, and Room With a View. Official site: http://www.mesh.co.uk/
#2 Echo Image: Compuphonic--The first word that comes to mind when I think of this album is "joy." The songs are so energetic, upbeat, and beautiful. Highlights: Standing Alone, Messing With Love, Skulk, Good Intentions. Official site: http://www.echoimage.com/
#3 Apoptygma Berzerk: Welcome to Earth--These former hard rockers make the switch to synthpop, with incredible results. Some songs have a slight hard edge to them. Highlights: Starsign, Eclipse, Paranoia. Official homepage: http://www.apoptygmaberzerk.de/apop/news/index_en.php
#4 Wolfsheim: Spectators--Wolfsheim are masters of mid-tempo synthpop. This album is widely considered a modern synthpop masterpiece. Highlights: Once in a Lifetime, Read the Lines, I Don't Love You Anymore, Sleep Somehow. Official homepage: http://www.wolfsheim.de/
#5 Neuroactive: Transients--This one grows on you like crazy. This album follows a theme, so you get the best effect with this album if you listen to it in order. Each song flows nicely into the next. Neuroactive imbues each song with an incredibly cool vibe that you have to experience to believe. This album has no less than seven of my favorite modern synthpop songs. Amazing stuff. Highlights: Innerspaceman, Wonders of the World, Play, Quiet Afternoon, You. Official homepage: http://www.elisanet.fi/neuroactive/
#6 Endanger: Addicted to the Masses--This album is full of fast-paced, catchy sythpop gems. There are also a couple of slower, gorgeous songs on here as well. The deep, dark voice serves as a nice counterpoint to the fast, upbeat music. Highlights: I Count on You, Give Me a Reason, Velvet Heart, Addicted to the Masses. Official hompage: http://www.endanger.de/
#7 Lavantgarde: Inside Out--This group isn't well known at all outside of Germany (where they were awarded Best New Artist a couple of years ago), but that's a travesty. Lavantgarde crafts catchy synthpop and makes it look easy. Each song on the album is memorable. Highlights: Take Me S.I.M., Things Have Changed (Again), Not Enough, Live Your Life (Rebirth), Airs and Graces. Official homepage: http://www.lavantgarde.de/
#8 Iris: Disconnect--This is another album that's considered a modern synthpop masterpiece. I love this one, but some of Iris' best songs are on their other albums. Still, every song here is somewhere between good and great. Highlights: Twilight, Annie Would I Lie to You, Loom, The Picture. Official homepage: http://www.irismusic.com/
#9 And One: Bodypop--Bodypop features very old-school synth sounds but jazzed up with high production values and fast beats. Their singer has a GREAT cool synthpop voice. Very catchy stuff. Highlights: Love You to the End, Stand the Pain, Military Fashion Show, Enjoy the Unknown, So Klingt Liebe. Official homepage: http://www.outofline.de/shop_neu/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=2187&products_id=6035
#10 Beborn Beton: Tales From Another World--This is their "Best of," and it includes some amazing work. Most of the songs tell a story to the listener, hence the album title. This is prototypical synthpop with great vocals and catchy beats. Highlights: The Colour of Love, Peach, Another World. Official homepage: http://www.bebornbeton.de/
It was very hard to limit this list to just 10 albums.
Honorable mentions include: Leiahdorus: Ashes Ashes, New Concept: Wheel of Love, Blue October: Incoming, De/Vision: Zehn, Mesh: Who Watches Over Me, Rename: Culture, Opium: Too Many Miles Between Us, T.O.Y.: White Lights, The Dignity of Labour: The Dignity of Labour.
The best places to buy these albums are either through Amazon.com, by clicking on my Amazon banner at the bottom of the page, or A Different Drum's online CD store.
