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132-435: The term electroclash describes a musical movement that combined synthpop , techno , punk and performance art . The genre was in reaction to the rigid formulations of techno music, putting an emphasis on song writing, showmanship and a sense of humour, and was described by The Guardian as one of "the two most significant upheavals in recent dance music history". The visual aesthetic of electroclash has been associated with

264-651: A Doughnut" in particular was an early techno-pop fusion track, which made early use of a music sequencer . Izitso reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 chart, while the song "(Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard" was a top 40 hit. That same month, the Beach Boys released their album Love You , performed almost entirely by bandleader Brian Wilson with Moog and ARP synthesizers, and with arrangements somewhat inspired by Wendy Carlos's Switched-On Bach (1968). Although it

396-624: A Kiki " exclusively via Spotify in some countries. Upon release, Magic Hour peaked at #4 on the UK Albums Chart and #35 on the US Billboard 200. The album reached #1 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums chart. The band embarked on a world tour in support of Magic Hour , starting with summer shows in North America. On July 10, 2012, they performed the American TV premiere of "Let's Have

528-581: A Kiki" on Bravo-TV's Watch What Happens Live . They toured Europe in September and October 2012. On October 23, 2012, while performing at the Camden Roundhouse , Scissor Sisters announced an indefinite hiatus. A year later, Ana Matronic insisted that the band, while still on break, had not permanently split. The band collaborated on a charity record with MNDR and released " Swerlk " on June 9, 2017, their first release in five years. Proceeds for

660-613: A Thousand Words " was released as the second single from the album, peaking at No. 19 in the UK. " She's My Man " was the third single released in March 2007, peaking at No. 29. " Kiss You Off " was the fourth and final single released in May 2007 but failed to dent the Top 40, their first single since their debut Laura to do so. The "Kiss You Off" video centered around Ana Matronic in a futuristic beauty salon. The group

792-538: A background in musical theatre, released his own synth-driven re-imagining of Irving Berlin's " Puttin' On the Ritz "; resulting in a subsequent long-play, After Eight , a concept album that takes music of 1930s sensibilities as informed by the soundscape of 1980s technology. The proliferation of acts led to an anti-synth backlash, with groups including Spandau Ballet, Human League, Soft Cell and ABC incorporating more conventional influences and instruments into their sounds. In

924-580: A brain aneurysm in April 2006, news that devastated members of the band. Many of Scissor Sisters' songs deal with themes in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community , relating to the fact that three of the band members, including the two founders, are gay. "Filthy/Gorgeous" is about transgender prostitutes while "Take Your Mama" deals with coming out of the closet to family members. Despite this, Shears stated, "I don't believe sexuality really matters when it comes to music." In an interview featured on

1056-475: A couple of singles to little success and began appearing at underground clubs on New York's Lower East Side . On a trip to Disneyland , the pair met Ana "Matronic" Lynch at a screening of Michael Jackson 's Captain EO . During a subsequent teacup ride, they discovered that they had a lot in common. Shears later remarked, "I really thought she was a freak but when I started singing " Another Part of Me " she showed me

1188-638: A duo where their partner played all the instrumentation. Although synth-pop in part arose from punk rock , it abandoned punk's emphasis on authenticity and often pursued a deliberate artificiality , drawing on the critically derided forms such as disco and glam rock . It owed relatively little to the foundations of early popular music in jazz , folk music or the blues , and instead of looking to America, in its early stages, it consciously focused on European and particularly Eastern European influences, which were reflected in band names like Spandau Ballet and songs like Ultravox's " Vienna ". Later synth-pop saw

1320-413: A great moment, made it feel like a great time to hang up our hats." After over seven years of inactivity, on October 29th 2024, the band's logo appeared on Glasgow's OVO Hydro and Manchester's Co-op Live arenas. The following day, the band's social feeds were updated with the text "31.10.24". On October 31st, the band confirmed that they were reuniting for a string of shows in 2025, in celebration of

1452-541: A hit in many dance clubs and, after sending Pink Floyd themselves a copy, the Scissor Sisters received positive remarks from the song's original writers Roger Waters and David Gilmour . The song proved to be particularly popular in the UK, where various record labels soon took an interest in the band. In 2003, they decided they would tour Europe where they believed audiences would be more receptive to them and their music than their native US. "Comfortably Numb" came to

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1584-445: A hit with their debut single " The Promise ". Several German synth-pop acts of the late 1980s included Camouflage and Celebrate the Nun . Canadian duo Kon Kan had major success with their debut single, " I Beg Your Pardon " in 1989. An American backlash against European synth-pop has been seen as beginning in the mid-1980s with the rise of heartland rock and roots rock . In the UK

1716-430: A large number of acts, a number of them enjoying huge mainstream popularity in the country, like Beograd , Laki Pingvini , Denis & Denis , and Videosex . In the mid-1980s, key artists included solo performer Howard Jones , who S.T. Erlewine has stated to have "merged the technology-intensive sound of new wave with the cheery optimism of hippies and late-'60s pop", (although with notable exceptions including

1848-618: A major influence on subsequent synth rock. In 1971, the British film A Clockwork Orange was released with a synth soundtrack by American Wendy Carlos . It was the first time many in the United Kingdom had heard electronic music . Philip Oakey of the Human League and Richard H. Kirk of Cabaret Voltaire , as well as music journalist Simon Reynolds, have cited the soundtrack as an inspiration. Electronic music made occasional moves into

1980-449: A major influence on the later synth-pop sound. David Bowie 's Berlin Trilogy , comprising the albums Low (1977), "Heroes" (1977), and Lodger (1979), all featuring Brian Eno, would also be highly influential. The Cat Stevens album Izitso , released in April 1977, updated his pop rock style with the extensive use of synthesizers, giving it a more synth-pop style; "Was Dog

2112-406: A member of the group, found a minimoog left behind in the studio by another band, and started experimenting with it. This led to a change in the album's sound to electronic new wave. Numan later described his work on this album as a guitarist playing keyboards, who turned "punk songs into electronic songs". A single from the second Tubeway Army album Replicas , " Are Friends Electric? ", topped

2244-457: A more conventional drum sound. Lyrics were generally more optimistic, dealing with more traditional subject matter for pop music such as romance, escapism and aspiration. According to music writer Simon Reynolds , the hallmark of 1980s synth-pop was its "emotional, at times operatic singers" such as Marc Almond , Alison Moyet and Annie Lennox . Because synthesizers removed the need for large groups of musicians, these singers were often part of

2376-502: A new tour called Electroclash tour, or Konerytmi, who made a special and fascinating Electroclash 2022 liveact presentation in a steampunk looked environment, or Norbert Thunder, who dropped "Fembot Actress EP" in 2022 with the "Groove, Style, Lights, Euphoria" festival hit track on it, the EP was promoted as trying to bring back again the sound of Electroclash to the modern world. Some labels also started releasing Electroclash vinyls/EPs again, like

2508-402: A part of the spirit of this band, especially at that moment in time. There were definitely conversations, and I think hopefully a good understanding of it just not being the right time. So it is a little funny [to be reuniting without her]. But also, there’s the people that want to hear this music again too. Maybe there is some future where Ana comes back and does stuff too. Who knows? She’ll be in

2640-417: A permanent basis, to which she agreed. The trio then began appearing at other clubs, dropping the word "Fibrillating" from their name. They primarily played electroclash , which was popular at the time in the underground club scene of New York with bands like Peaches and Chicks on Speed . They were soon joined by Derek "Del Marquis" Gruen on lead guitar, who had known Shears from when they both worked at

2772-428: A series of hit singles, beginning with their debut single " Planet Earth " and the UK top five hit " Girls on Film " in 1981. They would soon be followed into the British charts by a large number of bands utilising synthesizers to create catchy three-minute pop songs. In summer 1981 Depeche Mode had their first chart success with " New Life ", followed by the UK top ten hit " Just Can't Get Enough ". A new line-up for

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2904-534: A series of landmark releases within the genre, including the 1980 hit singles " Messages " and " Enola Gay ". OMD became one of the most influential acts of the period, introducing the "synth duo" format to British music. Vince Clarke , who co-founded the popular synth-pop groups Depeche Mode , Erasure , Yazoo and the Assembly , has cited OMD as his inspiration to become an electronic musician. Bandleaders Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys have been described in

3036-629: A shift to a style more influenced by other genres, such as soul music . Electronic musical synthesizers that could be used practically in a recording studio became available in the mid-1960s, around the same time as rock music began to emerge as a distinct musical genre. The Mellotron , an electro-mechanical , polyphonic sample-playback keyboard was overtaken by the Moog synthesizer , created by Robert Moog in 1964, which produced completely electronically generated sounds. The portable Minimoog , which allowed much easier use, particularly in live performance

3168-546: A string of singles. According to Babydaddy, their purpose was "to create a perfect pop rock album that would pick you up at the beginning, take you on a journey in the middle, and set you right back down again in the same place at the end." About six months after its British release, Scissor Sisters was released in the US. To publicize it the band appeared on the popular morning television show Live with Regis and Kelly , an event that Shears later recalled: " Kelly Ripa loved us, after

3300-488: A style of electronic dance music influenced by synth-pop and funk that led to the emergence of Detroit techno in the mid-1980s. The continued influence of 1980s synth-pop could be seen in various incarnations of 1990s dance music, including trance . Hip hop artists such as Mobb Deep have sampled 1980s synth-pop songs. Popular artists such as Rihanna , UK stars Jay Sean and Taio Cruz , as well as British pop star Lily Allen on her second album, have also embraced

3432-573: A style that was highly successful on the US dance charts, but by the end of the decade, the synth-pop of bands such as A-ha and Alphaville was giving way to house music and techno . Interest in synth-pop began to revive in the indietronica and electroclash movements in the late 1990s, and in the 2000s synth-pop enjoyed a widespread revival and commercial success. The genre has received criticism for alleged lack of emotion and musicianship; prominent artists have spoken out against detractors who believed that synthesizers themselves composed and played

3564-589: A synthesizer, I’m going to have you. Video Killed the Radio Star is putting musicians out of business." 1980 also saw the release of where "Video Killed the Radio Star" came from, the Buggles' debut album The Age of Plastic , which some writers have labeled as the first landmark of another electropop era, as well as what for many is the defining album of Devo's career, the overtly synth-pop Freedom of Choice . The emergence of synth-pop has been described as "perhaps

3696-660: A synthwave song by the Weeknd, peaked at number one in 29 countries, including the United States, in early 2020; and later became the Billboard number-one greatest song of all time in November 2021. This wave of revival not only popularized established acts but also enabled new artists like Dua Lipa , whose retro-influenced album Future Nostalgia won multiple awards and was hailed for its energetic embrace of vintage pop sounds. Meanwhile, indie artists such as M83 continued to explore

3828-593: A two-single deal. Their first single " Electrobix " dealt with gay men's obsessions with working out but proved to be less popular than its B-side, a cover version of Pink Floyd 's progressive rock classic " Comfortably Numb ". Matronic commented, "It's one of those songs that people were either gonna love or hate, and that's really, really powerful, because it basically means you're evoking a reaction in everyone. The first time I heard it, I thought that if it doesn't make us famous, it'll make us infamous because somebody will shoot us!" Their version of "Comfortably Numb" became

3960-657: A vocodered homage to Atari -era hi-jinks" is considered one of the pioneering tracks of the electroclash genre. Further early artists include Chicks on Speed , Peaches , ADULT. and Toktok vs. Soffy O with their year 2000 hit Missy Queen's Gonna Die . During their early years, Ladytron were sometimes labeled as electroclash, but others stated that they were not entirely electroclash and they also rejected this tag themselves. Goldfrapp 's albums Black Cherry (2003) and Supernature (2005) incorporated electroclash influences. From around 2022, an electroclash revival suddenly happened, thanks to artists like Dj. Hell, who started

4092-432: A woman in labour telephoned the show to share her experience with the band and they played " Push It " by Salt-n-Pepa for her. Several performances, interviews, and a humorous jingle that was written in an hour, were filmed and edited into a special seven-day, looped broadcast on BBCi . The album was released on September 18, 2006 in the United Kingdom, and on September 26, 2006 in the United States. According to Shears,

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4224-518: Is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock , electronic , art rock , disco , and particularly the Krautrock of bands like Kraftwerk . It arose as a distinct genre in Japan and the United Kingdom in the post-punk era as part of

4356-511: Is a huge fan of Paul McCartney and Wings , hence their track entitled "Paul McCartney". However, the band admits that their music is hard to categorise. The lyrics of their songs, largely written by Shears and Babydaddy, are known for their mixture of wit and tragedy. The songs on their debut album dealt with a number of subjects and issues in a variety of styles, from drug abuse within the gay community (" Return to Oz "), to Shears' deep platonic love for his best friend Mary ("Mary"). Mary died of

4488-581: The Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks in 2010. She also used the genre on her comeback single " Die Young ". Mainstream female recording artists who have dabbled in the genre in the 2010s include Madonna , Taylor Swift , Katy Perry , Jessie J , Christina Aguilera , and Beyoncé . In Japan, girl group Perfume , along with producer Yasutaka Nakata of Capsule , produced technopop music combining 1980s synth-pop with chiptunes and electro house from 2003. Their breakthrough came in 2008 with

4620-514: The We Are Scissor Sisters... And So Are You DVD, Shears states, "The fact that some of us are gay affects our music the same amount as it does that some of the members of Blondie are straight." The visuals for Scissor Sisters' self-titled first album and its singles featured artwork by an English illustrator named Spookytim, who had a studio in Brighton called Studiospooky. The artwork

4752-462: The Japanese Albums chart. Much like Japan, Korean pop music has also become dominated by synth-pop, particularly with girl groups such as f(x) , Girls' Generation and Wonder Girls . In 2020, the genre experienced a resurgence in popularity as 1980s-style synth-pop and synthwave songs from singers such as the Weeknd who gained success on international music charts. " Blinding Lights ",

4884-525: The New Romantic movement. Despite synth-pop's origins in the late 1970s among new wave bands like Tubeway Army and Devo, British journalists and music critics largely abandoned the term "new wave" in the early 1980s. This was in part due to the rise of new artists unaffiliated with the preceding punk/new wave era, as well as aesthetic changes associated with synth-pop's movement into the pop mainstream. According to authors Stuart Borthwick and Ron Moy, "After

5016-516: The TR-808 rhythm machine to popular music, and the band would be a major influence on early British synth-pop acts. The development of inexpensive polyphonic synthesizers, the definition of MIDI and the use of dance beats, led to a more commercial and accessible sound for synth-pop. This, its adoption by the style-conscious acts from the New Romantic movement, together with the rise of MTV , led to success for large numbers of British synth-pop acts in

5148-501: The new wave movement of the late 1970s. Electronic musical synthesizers that could be used practically in a recording studio became available in the mid-1960s, and the mid-1970s saw the rise of electronic art musicians. After the breakthrough of Gary Numan in the UK Singles Chart in 1979, large numbers of artists began to enjoy success with a synthesizer-based sound in the early 1980s. In Japan, Yellow Magic Orchestra introduced

5280-428: The " gay nightlife scene of New York ", the band took its name from the female same-sex sexual activity of tribadism . The band came to prominence following the release of their Grammy -nominated and chart-topping disco version of " Comfortably Numb " and subsequent debut album Scissor Sisters (2004). The album was a success, particularly in the UK where it reached number one, was the best-selling album of 2004,

5412-409: The 1980s, the introduction of dance beats and more conventional rock instrumentation made the music warmer and catchier and contained within the conventions of three-minute pop. Synthesizers were increasingly used to imitate the conventional and clichéd sound of orchestras and horns. Thin, treble-dominant, synthesized melodies and simple drum programmes gave way to thick, and compressed production, and

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5544-522: The 1982 cult film Liquid Sky . DJ Hell is widely credited as inventor and name giver of the genre, while DJ and promoter Larry Tee later popularized the term in the US by naming the Electroclash 2001 Festival in New York after it. Electroclash emerged in the late 1990s. The Munich -based label International DeeJay Gigolo Records , founded by DJ Hell , is considered the "germ cell" and "THE home" of

5676-560: The 1990s were Savage Garden , the Rentals and the Moog Cookbook . Electronic music was also explored from the early 1990s by indietronica bands like Stereolab , EMF , the Utah Saints , and Disco Inferno , who mixed a variety of indie and synthesizer sounds. Indietronica began to take off in the new millennium as the new digital technology developed, with acts such as Broadcast from

5808-545: The 20th anniversary of their debut album. The band's reunited line-up will be a trio, featuring Jake Shears, Babydaddy and Del Marquis, and will not feature the participation of Ana Matronic, Paddy Boom or Randy Real. Regarding Ana Matronic's absence, Shears noted: "I think it just didn’t line up. It’s not something that she wanted to do at this moment in time. And I didn’t want that to keep us from coming out and playing these songs." Babydaddy elaborated: "It’s more her story to tell than ours. Except to say that, I think she’s such

5940-681: The Angel Tour for a concert in Mountain View, California . Their first gig in the UK for promotion of the second album took place at the KOKO Club , Camden , London, on August 31, 2006, and was filmed for MTV . 2006 performances at the Bowery Ballroom and Siren Music Festival in New York and the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival allowed the band to showcase an array of songs from

6072-585: The Bravery and the Stills all left their synth-pop sound behind after their debut albums and began to explore classic 1970s rock, but the style was picked up by a large number of performers, particularly female solo artists. Following the breakthrough success of Lady Gaga with her single " Just Dance " (2008), the British and other media proclaimed a new era of female synth-pop stars, citing artists such as Little Boots , La Roux , and Ladyhawke . Male acts that emerged in

6204-517: The British music press of the late 1970s and early 1980s for their German influences and characterised by journalist Mick Farren as the " Adolf Hitler Memorial Space Patrol". In 1983, Morrissey of the Smiths stated that "there was nothing more repellent than the synthesizer". During the decade, objections were raised to the quality of compositions and what was called the limited musicianship of artists. Gary Numan observed "hostility" and what he felt

6336-549: The Communards . The Communards' major hits were covers of disco classics " Don't Leave Me This Way " (1986) and " Never Can Say Goodbye " (1987). After adding other elements to their sound, and with the help of a gay audience, several synth-pop acts had success on the US dance charts. Among these were American acts Information Society (who had two top 10 singles in 1988), Anything Box , and Red Flag . British band When in Rome scored

6468-710: The Dark (OMD) – to 'throw away their guitars' and become a synth act. Kraftwerk had its first hit UK record later in the year with " Autobahn ", which reached number 11 in the British Singles Chart and number 12 in Canada. The group was described by the BBC Four program Synth Britannia as the key to synth-pop's future rise there. In 1977, Giorgio Moroder released the electronic Eurodisco song " I Feel Love " that he had produced for Donna Summer , and its programmed beats would be

6600-546: The Human League along with a new producer and a more commercial sound led to the album Dare (1981), which produced a series of hit singles. These included " Don't You Want Me ", which reached number one in the UK at the end of 1981. Synth-pop reached its commercial peak in the UK in the winter of 1981–2, with bands such as OMD , Japan , Ultravox , Soft Cell , Depeche Mode, Yazoo and even Kraftwerk , enjoying top ten hits. The Human League's and Soft Cell's UK number one singles "Don't You Want Me" and " Tainted Love " became

6732-458: The IC Guys club where Shears had been a stripper. They were joined by a fifth member, Patrick "Paddy Boom" Seacor , on drums who (being heterosexual ) felt the need to explain to his mother that "it's not a gay band... there [are] gay members, but it doesn't matter. It's about the music and about performance." In 2002, the band signed with a small New York record company called A Touch of Class for

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6864-523: The Same Thing ", performed at the Live 8 concert, "Paul McCartney", "I Can't Decide", "Hybrid Man", "Forever Right Now" and "Hair Baby" (a title that refers to the phenomenon of tumors containing partially formed fetuses ). Among the assumed pseudonyms used to play a series of secret shows to test this new material were "Bridget Jones' Diarrhea", "Portion Control" and "Megapussi". Scissor Sisters were also one of

6996-707: The Tony-Award-winning musical Avenue Q . The show had a subsequent run in San Francisco on May 18, 2011 at the American Conservatory Theater . On October 31, 2011, Shears tweeted that the band's fourth album was in its final stages. A song from the new album titled " Shady Love " debuted on Annie Mac 's BBC Radio 1 show on January 2, 2012. "Shady Love" features guest vocals from Azealia Banks while Jake Shears performs under his pseudonym Krystal Pepsy. On March 13, 2012, Scissor Sisters announced

7128-586: The UK and top 40 in the US. and Thompson Twins , whose popularity peaked in 1984 with the album Into the Gap , which reached No.1 in the UK and the US top ten and spawned several top ten singles. In 1984, Frankie Goes to Hollywood released their debut album Welcome to the Pleasuredome (produced by Trevor Horn of the Buggles), with their first three singles, " Relax ", " Two Tribes " and " The Power of Love ", topping

7260-404: The UK chart. The music journalist Paul Lester reflected, "no band has dominated a 12-month period like Frankie ruled 1984". In January 1985, Tears for Fears' single " Shout ", written by Roland Orzabal in his "front room on just a small synthesizer and a drum machine", became their fourth top 5 UK hit; it would later top the charts in multiple countries including the US. Initially dismissed in

7392-415: The UK charts in the summer of 1979. The discovery that synthesizers could be employed in a different manner from that used in progressive rock or disco, prompted Numan to go solo. On his futuristic album The Pleasure Principle (1979), he played only synths, but retained a bass guitarist and a drummer for the rhythm section. A single from the album, " Cars " topped the charts. Numan's main influence at

7524-639: The UK, Justice from France, Lali Puna from Germany, and Ratatat and the Postal Service from the US, mixing a variety of indie sounds with electronic music, largely produced on small independent labels. Similarly, the electroclash subgenre began in New York at the end of the 1990s, combining synth-pop, techno, punk and performance art. It was pioneered by I-F with their track "Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass" (1998), and pursued by artists including Felix da Housecat , Peaches , Chicks on Speed , and Fischerspooner . It gained international attention at

7656-502: The UK. Several media outlets noted that Scissor Sisters "stick out like a sore thumb" on the list of artists who have sold over 2 million copies of an album in the UK in the 21st century, the others being James Blunt , Robbie Williams , Keane , Dido , Coldplay and Norah Jones —artists considered "mainstream" compared to the Scissor Sisters' brash and controversial image. The band had been particularly keen on producing an album that fitted together well rather than simply producing

7788-501: The US (unlike the UK), where synth-pop is sometimes considered a "subgenre" of "new wave" and was described as "technopop" or "electropop" by the press at the time, the genre became popular due to the cable music channel MTV , which reached the media capitals of New York City and Los Angeles in 1982. It made heavy use of style-conscious New Romantic synth-pop acts, with " I Ran (So Far Away) " (1982) by A Flock of Seagulls generally considered

7920-470: The US and Europe in 2003 and 2004. Other notable artists who performed at the festival and subsequent tours include Scissor Sisters , ADULT., Erol Alkan , Princess Superstar , Mignon , Mount Sims , Tiga and Spalding Rockwell . The electroclash label and the hype around it were fiercely criticized by some of its acclaimed protagonists in the early 2000s. For example, I-F and other artists signed an "Anti-Electroclash-Manifest", where they complained about

8052-555: The US during the Second British Invasion . The term "techno-pop" was coined by Yuzuru Agi in his critique of Kraftwerk's The Man-Machine in 1978 and is considered a case of multiple discovery of naming. Hence, the term can be used interchangeably with "synth-pop", but is more frequently used to describe the scene of Japan. The term "techno-pop" became also popular in Europe, where it started: German band Kraftwerk's 1986 album

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8184-408: The US the following year. The success of synth-pop and other British acts would be seen as a Second British Invasion . In his early 1980s columns for The Village Voice , music critic Robert Christgau frequently referred to British synth-pop as "Anglodisco", suggesting a parallel to the contemporary genres of Eurodisco and Italo disco , both highly popular outside the US. Indeed, synth-pop

8316-685: The United Kingdom. The Scissor Sisters ended their first UK tour at the Wembley Arena , London , from November 24 to 26, 2006, supported by new artist Lily Allen , who performed during the three days there. The band has also been in the Latin America Top 40 Airplay. "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" is still charting and is so far their biggest hit to date in Latin America, reaching No. 23, charting mostly in South America, particularly Peru . " Land of

8448-459: The album Game , which led to a renewed interest in technopop within mainstream Japanese pop music. Other Japanese female technopop artists soon followed, including Aira Mitsuki , immi , Mizca , SAWA , Saori Rinne and Sweet Vacation . Model-singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu also shared the same success as Perfume's under Nakata 's production with the album Pamyu Pamyu Revolution in 2012, which topped electronic charts on iTunes as well as

8580-406: The album Munich Machine from 1998 are seen as groundbreaking for the genre Electroclash. In the widely recognized film documentary Welcome to the club! 25 years of electronic dance music by European television network Arte , Miss Kittin describes the origination of the first songs of the new style together with DJ Hell and declares him the inventor of the Electroclash genre. Since DJ Hell gathered

8712-524: The album is a combination of 1960s psychedelia , glam rock and disco . It reached No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart in its first week of release, officially taking the top spot on September 24, 2006, marking a first for the Scissor Sisters, consisting of a single and album at the top of the UK charts simultaneously. The album Ta-Dah leaked onto the Internet on September 10, 2006, five days before its release in

8844-434: The album, as the band was less than satisfied with most of them. This was confirmed to be the case when the track list was revealed. Drummer Paddy Boom was absent at these gigs and it was later announced that he had amicably parted from the band. The band had come into contact with drummer Randy "Real" Schrager , who was known from his work on the downtown New York scene, playing with bands such as Jessica Vale and The Act. He

8976-421: The arrival of indie rock bands, particularly the Smiths , has been seen as marking the end of synth-driven pop and the beginning of the guitar-based music that would dominate rock into the 1990s. By 1991, in the United States synth-pop was losing its commercial viability as alternative radio stations were responding to the popularity of grunge . Exceptions that continued to pursue forms of synth-pop or rock in

9108-620: The attention of British label Polydor , who signed the group to a contract. Their first single for the label " Laura " (with two different music videos) had a limited release in 2003 and reaching number 54 in the UK Singles Chart , receiving little attention with the exceptions of British music paper New Musical Express , Channel 4's entertainment programme V Graham Norton , and the same channel's music programme Popworld for which they were interviewed. The track also received much radio play in Australia. Their track "It Can't Come Quickly Enough"

9240-414: The back of our minds, for sure. But in the meantime, for the 20th anniversary, it just felt like we wanted to see what these songs do out there." Scissor Sisters' music can be generally described as a mixture of glam rock , disco and alternative music. They appear to have been heavily influenced by Elton John (who co-wrote and played piano on "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'") despite Shears commenting that he

9372-463: The beginning of the new millennium and spread to scenes in London and Berlin, but rapidly faded as a recognizable genre as acts began to experiment with a variety of forms of music. In the new millennium, renewed interest in electronic music and nostalgia for the 1980s led to the beginnings of a synth-pop revival, with acts including Adult and Fischerspooner . Between 2003 and 2004, it began to move into

9504-522: The best moonwalk I've ever seen." Ana Matronic ran a weekly cabaret event known as Knock Off at a club called the Slipper Room in New York, where she liked to hire eccentric and alternative acts; one reporter described it as a place that "served up a racy, multigender revue of kitsch," and that a performer dressed as a giant vulva "enfolded me with her labia while singing "Lick Me in My Wet Spot" to

9636-610: The best selling singles in the UK in 1981. In early 1982 synthesizers were so dominant that the Musicians' Union attempted to limit their use. By the end of 1982, these acts had been joined in the charts by synth-based singles from Thomas Dolby , Blancmange , and Tears for Fears . Bands such as Simple Minds also adopted synth-pop into their music on their 1982 album New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) . ABC and Heaven 17 had commercial success mixing synth-pop with influences from funk and soul music . Dutch entertainer Taco , who has

9768-528: The boundaries of the genre, blending it with shoegaze and ambient music to create a complex, layered sound in their album Digital Shades Vol. 2 . The genre's adaptability and nostalgic appeal have contributed to its enduring presence and continued evolution in the music industry. Synth-pop has received considerable criticism and even prompted hostility among musicians and in the press. It has been described as "anaemic" and "soulless". Synth-pop's early steps, and Gary Numan in particular, were also disparaged in

9900-471: The commercial charts. "This is a finger, this is another... now write a song" —This quote is a take on the punk manifesto This is a chord, this is another, this is a third...now start a band celebrating the virtues of amateur musicianship first appeared in a fanzine in December 1976. British punk-influenced band Tubeway Army , intended their debut album to be guitar driven. In late 1978, Gary Numan ,

10032-568: The decision on a number of occasions. However, they continued their success in Europe by performing at the Brixton Academy in London for Halloween 2004, where they asked the audience to dress up as the characters from The Rocky Horror Show ; the band themselves did so too. Recording of the second album, Ta-Dah , commenced in mid-May 2005 at the Discoball; sneak previews of new songs were played at live performances, including " Everybody Wants

10164-560: The early " dominatrix " image of the Eurythmics' Annie Lennox . In the U.S. this led to British synth-pop artists being characterised as "English haircut bands" or "art fag " music, though many British synth-pop artists were highly popular on both American radio and MTV . Although some audiences were overtly hostile to synth-pop, it achieved an appeal among those alienated from the dominant heterosexuality of mainstream rock culture, particularly among gay, female and introverted audiences. By

10296-454: The electroclash sound. Gigolo featured many of the early electroclash songs, such as for example Christopher Just's I'm a Disco Dancer from 1997 or Chris Korda 's Save the Planet, Kill Yourself , which originally even had been released as early as 1993. Then in 1998, Gigolo released the songs " 1982 " and " Frank Sinatra " by French recording duo Miss Kittin & The Hacker , which were among

10428-494: The first band of the movement to have a hit single as the synth-driven " To Cut a Long Story Short " reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in December 1980. Visage's " Fade to Grey ", characteristic of synth-pop and a major influence on the genre, reached the top ten a few weeks later. Duran Duran have been credited with incorporating dance beats into synth-pop to produce a catchier and warmer sound, which provided them with

10560-641: The first hit by a British act to enter the Billboard top ten as a result of exposure through video. The switch to a " new music " format in US radio stations was also significant in the success of British bands. Reaching No. 2 in the UK in March 1983 and No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 six months later, Rolling Stone called Eurythmics' single " Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) " "a synth-pop masterpiece". Bananarama 's 1983 synth-pop song " Cruel Summer " became an instant UK hit before having similar success in

10692-454: The first time we played, she gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, 'I just want you to know that this is my favorite music performance we've ever had.' It was amazing." Nonetheless, neither the band nor the album proved to be a big commercial success in the US: major chain store Wal-Mart refused to stock it, claiming on its website that it contained "a snarling, swaggering attack on conservatism " in

10824-481: The form of the song "Tits on the Radio". The band refused to produce a "clean" version of the album, and Babydaddy remarked that, "We did have to slap a parental warning sticker on the disc, which is completely absurd. I think a kid listening to Eminem is getting a much more negative message than what we've been putting forward. We've only got one 'shit' and a few 'tits!'" Band members have shown their dissatisfaction with

10956-431: The genre as diverse but "characterised by a broad set of values that eschewed rock playing styles, rhythms and structures", which were replaced by "synthetic textures" and "robotic rigidity", often defined by the limitations of the new technology, including monophonic synthesizers (only able to play one note at a time). Many synth-pop musicians had limited musical skills, relying on the technology to produce or reproduce

11088-483: The genre. Scissor Sisters Scissor Sisters are an American pop rock band formed in 2000. The band's current line-up consists of Jake Shears (vocals), Babydaddy (various instruments) and Del Marquis (guitar, bass). Former members include vocalist Ana Matronic and drummers Paddy Boom and Randy Real. Scissor Sisters incorporate diverse styles in their music, but tend to sway towards pop rock , glam rock , nu-disco , and electroclash . Forged in

11220-423: The headlining acts at the British V Festival in 2005, where they collaborated on stage with Scottish rock group Franz Ferdinand to perform a cover version of David Bowie 's " Suffragette City ". The band fulfilled one of its dreams: Elton John collaborated with them on " I Don't Feel Like Dancin' " (as pianist and co-writer). The song reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2006, and remained in

11352-400: The hedonist anthem " Filthy/Gorgeous " which peaked at number 5 in the UK. All the singles came from their debut album Scissor Sisters , which reached number one in the UK Albums Chart and became the best selling album of 2004, beating Keane 's Hopes and Fears by 582 copies. As of 2018, it is the 20th biggest-selling album of the 21st century, and the 35th biggest-selling of all time in

11484-536: The international artists of the new genre at Gigolo in Munich and many of them gave their first performances in the city's nightclubs, Munich is considered the city in which electroclash "was significantly co-invented, if not invented". Soon the new style of music also spread to other cities such as Berlin, London and New York. Also I-F 's track "Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass", released in 1998 on Disko B, with its "old-fashioned verse-chorus dynamics to burbling electro in

11616-552: The lyrics and score for a world-premiere musical adaptation of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City , a much-loved series of novels (and later a television miniseries) about life in San Francisco in the 1970s. The musical was first developed at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center 's National Music Theater Conference in 2009, where Shears and Garden collaborated with a creative team that included playwright Jeff Whitty and director Jason Moore , of

11748-406: The lyrics of " What Is Love? " – "Does anybody love anybody anyway?") and Nik Kershaw , whose "well-crafted synth-pop" incorporated guitars and other more traditional pop influences that particularly appealed to a teen audience. Pursuing a more dance-orientated sound were Bronski Beat whose album The Age of Consent (1984), dealing with issues of homophobia and alienation, reached the top 20 in

11880-526: The mainstream with Ladytron , the Postal Service , Cut Copy , the Bravery and the Killers all producing records that incorporated vintage synthesizer sounds and styles that contrasted with the dominant genres of post-grunge and nu metal . In particular, the Killers enjoyed considerable airplay and exposure and their debut album Hot Fuss (2004) reached the top ten of the Billboard 200 . The Killers,

12012-781: The mainstream, with jazz musician Stan Free , under the pseudonym Hot Butter , having a top 10 hit in the United States and United Kingdom in 1972, with a cover of the 1969 Gershon Kingsley song " Popcorn " using a Moog synthesizer, which is recognised as a forerunner to synth-pop and disco . The mid-1970s saw the rise of electronic art musicians such as Jean Michel Jarre , Vangelis , and Tomita . Tomita's album Electric Samurai: Switched on Rock (1972) featured electronic renditions of contemporary rock and pop songs, while utilizing speech synthesis and analog music sequencers . In 1975, Kraftwerk played their first British show and inspired concert attendees Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys – who would later found Orchestral Manoeuvres in

12144-551: The media as "the Lennon–McCartney of synth-pop". Giorgio Moroder collaborated with the band Sparks on their album No. 1 In Heaven (1979). That same year in Japan, the synth-pop band P-Model made its debut with the album In a Model Room . Other Japanese synth-pop groups emerging around the same time included the Plastics and Hikashu . This zeitgeist of revolution in electronic music performance and recording/production

12276-609: The mid-1980s, synth-pop had helped establish the synthesizer as a primary instrument in mainstream pop music. It also influenced the sound of many mainstream rock acts, such as Bruce Springsteen , ZZ Top and Van Halen . It was a major influence on house music , which grew out of the post-disco dance club culture of the early 1980s as some DJs attempted to make the less pop-oriented music that also incorporated influences from Latin soul , dub , rap music , and jazz . American musicians such as Juan Atkins , using names including Model 500, Infinity and as part of Cybotron , developed

12408-529: The monochrome blacks and greys of punk/new wave, synthpop was promoted by a youth media interested in people who wanted to be pop stars, such as Boy George and Adam Ant ". The New Romantic scene had developed in the London nightclubs Billy's and the Blitz and was associated with bands such as Duran Duran, Visage , and Spandau Ballet . They adopted an elaborate visual style that combined elements of glam rock , science fiction and romanticism . Spandau Ballet were

12540-400: The most successful early hits of the new genre. This was followed by the hit " Emerge " by New York duo Fischerspooner , as well as the remake of Corey Hart 's " Sunglasses at Night " by Canadian duo Tiga & Zyntherius , both released on Gigolo in 2001. DJ Hell brought the artists of the new genre together on the label and acted primarily as their mentor. But also Hell's own releases like

12672-450: The music press as a "teeny bop sensation" were Norwegian band a-ha , whose use of guitars and real drums produced an accessible form of synth-pop, which, along with an MTV friendly video, took their 1985 single " Take On Me " to number two in the UK and number one in the US. Synth-pop continued into the late 1980s, with a format that moved closer to dance music, including the work of acts such as British duos Pet Shop Boys , Erasure and

12804-461: The music. The result was often minimalist, with grooves that were "typically woven together from simple repeated riffs often with no harmonic 'progression' to speak of". Early synth-pop has been described as "eerie, sterile, and vaguely menacing", using droning electronics with little change in inflection. Common lyrical themes of synth-pop songs were isolation, urban anomie , and feelings of being emotionally cold and hollow. In its second phase in

12936-516: The names Queef Latina and Debbie's Hairy. New songs included on the set list were "Television", "Who's Your Money", "Other Girls", "Major for You", "None of My Business", "Singularity", " Do the Strand ", "Who's There", "Not the Loving Kind", "Taking Shape" (with Babydaddy on lead vocals), and " Uroboros ". Shears stated on the band's website there was a possibility that none of these songs would appear on

13068-688: The new album. A free concert was given in Trafalgar Square to 10,000 ballot winners on September 16, 2006, to promote the Red charity. The band also headlined the 2006 Bestival festival on the Isle of Wight . Additionally, they were invited to BBC 's Maida Vale studios to perform different songs on every show broadcast on BBC Radio 1 . The event, dubbed "Scissor Sisters Day", culminated in them actually standing in for presenter Pete Tong and hosting his three-hour slot themselves. The show took an unexpected turn when

13200-513: The period 1976–77 was initially hostile to the "inauthentic" sound of the synthesizer, but many new wave and post-punk bands that emerged from the movement began to adopt it as a major part of their sound. British punk and new wave clubs were open to what was then considered an "alternative" sound. The do it yourself attitude of punk broke down the progressive rock era's norm of needing years of experience before getting up on stage to play synthesizers. The American duo Suicide , who arose from

13332-468: The post-punk scene in New York, utilised drum machines and synthesizers in a hybrid between electronics and post-punk on their eponymous 1977 album . Around this time, Ultravox member Warren Cann purchased a Roland TR-77 drum machine , which was first featured in their October 1977 single release " Hiroshima Mon Amour ". Be-Bop Deluxe released Drastic Plastic in February 1978, leading off with

13464-522: The release of UK band the Human League 's debut single " Being Boiled " and The Normal 's " Warm Leatherette ", which both are regarded as seminal works in early synth-pop. Sheffield band Cabaret Voltaire are also regarded as pioneers of the late 1970s that influenced the emerging synth-pop in Britain. In America, post-punk band Devo began moving towards a more electronic sound. At this point synth-pop gained some critical attention, but made little impact on

13596-408: The release of the band's second studio album Ta-Dah (2006), their second consecutive UK number one album which produced their first UK number one single " I Don't Feel Like Dancin' ". Their third studio album Night Work (2010) displayed a shift towards a more club-oriented sound, charting at number two on the UK Albums Chart, number one on Billboard 's Top Independent Albums chart and in

13728-714: The same period include Calvin Harris , Empire of the Sun , Frankmusik , Hurts , Ou Est Le Swimming Pool , Kaskade , LMFAO , and Owl City , whose single " Fireflies " (2009) topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In 2009, an underground subgenre with direct stylistic origins to synth-pop became popular, chillwave . Other 2010s synth-pop acts include the Naked and Famous , Chvrches , M83 , and Shiny Toy Guns . American singer Kesha has also been described as an electropop artist, with her electropop debut single " Tik Tok " topping

13860-452: The sellout of the style by those who would "rule the media waves" and only "sell the old freshly packaged". In 2002, Toktok vs. Soffy O. stated that when they were first asked about electroclash they just thought: "This is nothing else than what we've known for at least five years and what is now reaching the recycling peak for the third or fourth time". Synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop ; also called techno-pop )

13992-464: The single "Electrical Language" with Bill Nelson on guitar synthesizer and Andy Clark on synthesizers. Japanese band Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) with their self-titled album (1978) and Solid State Survivor (1979), developed a "fun-loving and breezy" sound, with a strong emphasis on melody . They introduced the TR-808 rhythm machine to popular music , and the band would be a major influence on early British synth-pop acts. 1978 also saw

14124-421: The single most significant event in melodic music since Mersey-beat ". By the 1980s synthesizers had become much cheaper and easier to use. After the definition of MIDI in 1982 and the development of digital audio , the creation of purely electronic sounds and their manipulation became much simpler. Synthesizers came to dominate the pop music of the early 1980s, particularly through their adoption by bands of

14256-514: The single were donated to the Contigo Fund, a nonprofit organization for LGBTQ individuals. In June 2019, Shears stated the impetus for the band's hiatus was the success of "Let's Have a Kiki" in the US and wanting to end things on a high note: "I didn’t know what the fuck to say after that song, quite honestly. When that song came out and did what it did [hitting #1 on the Billboard dance charts], I

14388-466: The songs. Synth-pop music has established a place for the synthesizer as a major element of pop and rock music , directly influencing subsequent genres (including house music and Detroit techno ) and has indirectly influenced many other genres, as well as individual recordings. Synth-pop is defined by its primary use of synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers , sometimes using them to replace all other instruments. Borthwick and Moy have described

14520-578: The spanish label Veintidós Rec., or the Italian label Rapid Eye Movement Records. In the U.S. the genre came to media attention when the Electroclash Festival was held in New York in October 2001 to "make a local breakthrough with this scene, presenting a select group of superstar and pioneer artists from Europe and the U. S." The Electroclash Festival was held again in 2002 with subsequent live tours across

14652-459: The time was the John Foxx -led new wave band Ultravox who released the album Systems of Romance in 1978. Foxx left Ultravox the following year and scored a synth-pop hit with the single " Underpass " from his first solo album Metamatic in early 1980. In 1979, OMD released their debut single " Electricity ", which has been viewed as integral to the rise of synth-pop. This was followed by

14784-449: The title of the album, Magic Hour , and revealed that the record would be released worldwide on May 28, 2012. The band also announced the release date of a new single, " Only the Horses ". Originally scheduled to come out on May 20, the release of "Only the Horses" was brought forward to May 13. The video premiered on Thursday April 18, 2012. On May 7, the band released the track " Let's Have

14916-580: The top 10 of several international territories. The band released their fourth studio album Magic Hour in May 2012. Scissor Sisters has performed around the world and have become recognized for their controversial and transgressive live performances. They also collaborated with a number of other well-known pop musicians, including Elton John and Kylie Minogue ; these particular collaborations have been received positively by both critics and other notable figures. In 2004, Bono , lead vocalist of rock band U2 , described Scissor Sisters as "the best pop group in

15048-635: The top spot for four consecutive weeks. "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" also peaked at No. 1 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart and the Euro Hot 100 . "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" became the group's biggest hit to date. Elton John also contributed to the song "Intermission" on Ta-Dah and played piano on a demo of the song Bad Shit (that can be found on the Lights CDsingle). In 2006, they acted as an opening act for Depeche Mode 's Touring

15180-482: The tune of " Hit Me With Your Best Shot "." Matronic invited the pair to appear at Knock Off, which they did on September 21, 2001. Shears dressed as his character "Jason the Amazing Back-Alley Late Term Abortion" whilst Matronic, dressed as a reject from Andy Warhol 's Factory , joined the pair on stage and sang. Shears and Babydaddy felt she was very effective and asked her to join the band on

15312-709: The world". They also collaborated with Global Cool in 2007 on one of their green lifestyle campaigns. Originally named Dead Lesbian and the Fibrillating Scissor Sisters , the final two words being derived from the lesbian sexual act of tribadism , the band was founded in 2000 after friends Jason "Jake Shears" Sellards and Scott "Babydaddy" Hoffman (who had met in 1999 in Lexington ) both moved to New York City , enjoying its open and gay-friendly ethos. They began producing music together, with Babydaddy composing music and Shears writing lyrics. The duo released

15444-402: Was "ignorance" regarding synth-pop, such as his belief that people "thought machines did it". OMD frontman Andy McCluskey recalled a great many people "who thought that the equipment wrote the song for you", and asserted: "Believe me, if there was a button on a synth or a drum machine that said 'hit single', I would have pressed it as often as anybody else would have – but there isn't . It

15576-554: Was all written by real human beings". According to Simon Reynolds, in some quarters synthesizers were seen as instruments for "effete poseurs", in contrast to the phallic guitar. The association of synth-pop with an alternative sexuality was reinforced by the images projected by synth-pop stars, who were seen as gender bending , including Phil Oakey 's asymmetric hair and use of eyeliner, Marc Almond 's "pervy" leather jacket, skirt wearing by figures including Martin Gore of Depeche Mode and

15708-418: Was also included on the soundtrack of the film Party Monster (2003), playing over its ending credits. Their first hit was in 2004 with the official release of "Comfortably Numb". Reaching number 10 in the UK, this success was followed by " Take Your Mama " which went to number 17, a re-release of "Laura" (with two different music videos) which went to number 12, the ballad "Mary" which went to number 14, and

15840-459: Was created by a wide variety of techniques and mixed traditional paper-based processes with digital and photographic elements in order to reflect the multi-referential nature of the band's music. Scissor Sisters are known for their extravagant live performances. In some of their early shows, Shears was known to remove all of his clothes onstage, harking back to his former profession as a go-go stripper ; in others, he threw inflated condoms into

15972-567: Was encapsulated by then would-be record producer Trevor Horn of the Buggles in the single " Video Killed the Radio Star "; the song topped the UK charts in October 1979 and it also became an international hit; two years later it was the first song aired on MTV. Geoff Downes , keyboardist for the Buggles, states, "When we did a rerecorded version for Top of the Pops , the Musicians’ Union bloke said, "If I think you’re making strings sounds out of

16104-462: Was highly praised by some critics and musicians (including Patti Smith and Lester Bangs ), the album met with poor commercial reception. The album has been considered revolutionary in its use of synthesizers, while others described Wilson's extensive use of the Moog synthesizer as a "loopy funhouse ambience" and an early example of synth-pop. Early guitar-based punk rock that came to prominence in

16236-408: Was initially brought on as a fill-in during Paddy Boom's leave of absence. Eventually, Randy was made part of the full-time line-up. Scissor Sisters spent much of 2008 and early 2009 in the recording studio. However, after working on new material for approximately 18 months, the band decided to shelve their third album. Shears explained: "In my heart I knew it wasn't right. I didn't really know what it

16368-487: Was just like, 'Well, there it is, I guess we did it.' I truly had no idea what to follow that up with. So I thought, we’ve been recording and touring for 10 years, and I felt like it was time. This wasn’t what anybody in the band had planned to do. So I thought it would be fun to end on a high note. But you know what? That’s not to say we’re never going to do anything again. The Scissor Sisters will be back." He later noted: "I think reaching that goal, and feeling like we were in

16500-494: Was later certified nine-times platinum by the BPI, and earned them three BRIT Awards in 2005. All five of its singles reached positions within the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart while " Filthy/Gorgeous " scored the band their first number one on Billboard 's Hot Dance Club Songs , despite the album's meager success in their native US. The album continued its success in countries around Europe, in Australia and in Canada before

16632-736: Was not familiar with his work prior to the release of their record. Shears has since stated that he has become a big fan. The band also has been compared to ABBA , the Bee Gees , Blondie , KC and the Sunshine Band , Duran Duran who were "the reason we got into music," Matronic stated, Supertramp , Siouxsie and the Banshees who Matronic "wouldn't be here without," David Bowie , 1970s-era Kiss , Queen , Chic , Richard O'Brien and various other dance, disco, rock, and funk acts. Shears also stated that The Beatles have been an influence for him and that he

16764-440: Was released on June 28, 2010. The album was described as "supersexual and sleazy" with its first single, " Fire with Fire " as "a really epic song that makes you feel really good". With the album, the band have toured worldwide on The Night Work Tour. As an opening act, they joined Lady Gaga for select dates on her third leg of The Monster Ball Tour in early 2011. Shears and Scissor Sisters collaborator John "JJ" Garden provided

16896-457: Was taken up across the world alongside the continuing presence of disco , with international hits for German synth-pop as well as Eurodisco acts including Peter Schilling , Sandra , Modern Talking , Propaganda , and Alphaville . Other non-British groups scoring synth-pop hits were Men Without Hats and Trans-X from Canada, Telex from Belgium, Yello from Switzerland, and Azul y Negro from Spain. The synth-pop scene of Yugoslavia spawned

17028-707: Was the main event during the New Year's Eve celebrations for 2007 in Berlin. On February 8 and 9, 2007, the group appeared on the American daytime soap opera Passions . They performed "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'" and "Land of a Thousand Words" from the album Ta-Dah . After touring the world in 2007, the band had a short hiatus in order to work on their next studio album. Premiering new material of this album at secret gigs in New York City's Mercury Lounge in October 2008, they assumed

17160-413: Was titled Techno Pop ; English band the Buggles has a song named "Technopop" and Spanish band Mecano described their style as tecno-pop. "Synth-pop" is sometimes used interchangeably with " electropop ", but "electropop" may also denote a variant of synth-pop that places more emphasis on a harder, more electronic sound. In the mid to late 1980s, duos such as Erasure and Pet Shop Boys adopted

17292-478: Was trying to say. It left me a little bit cold." Reportedly, an entire record had been worked on but that the group had "shelved it about a year ago." Shears admits, "If it wasn't something we could fully get behind and believe in, I think the band was going to be over." In June 2009, the band returned to the studio and began to work on new tracks that made it onto Night Work , their replacement third album. Produced in collaboration with Stuart Price , Night Work

17424-438: Was widely adopted by progressive rock musicians such as Richard Wright of Pink Floyd and Rick Wakeman of Yes . Instrumental prog rock was particularly significant in continental Europe, allowing bands like Kraftwerk , Tangerine Dream , Can and Faust to circumvent the language barrier. Their synthesizer-heavy " Kraut rock ", along with the work of Brian Eno (for a time the keyboard player with Roxy Music ), would be

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