The Sound of a Retro Future
Synthwave, also known as outrun, is a music genre that emerged in the mid-2000s, born from a deep-seated nostalgia for the culture of the 1980s. Its sound is defined by the tools of that era: prominent synthesizers, classic drum machines with gated reverb, and melodic structures reminiscent of 80s pop music. The genre is inextricably linked to the visual and auditory aesthetics of that decade’s cinema.
Synthwave is not merely inspired by 80s music; it is a direct love letter to 80s movie soundtracks. The primary influences are not pop bands, but rather the iconic scores created by composers and directors like:
- John Carpenter (Halloween, Escape from New York)
- Vangelis (Blade Runner, Chariots of Fire)
- Tangerine Dream (Risky Business, Legend)
- Giorgio Moroder (Scarface, Top Gun)
This inspiration created a feedback loop that brought the genre full circle. After Synthwave gained a following online, filmmakers began to incorporate it into modern films to evoke a sense of retro-cool. The turning point was Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 film Drive. Its soundtrack, featuring artists like Kavinsky and College, was a watershed moment that introduced the Synthwave sound to a mainstream audience. Since then, the genre has become a go-to sonic palette for films and series aiming for a retrofuturistic or nostalgic tone, most notably in the score for the hit Netflix series Stranger Things.