Hi all! My names Dr Jess Blaise Ward and this year I published a book on synthwave. It includes 150+ interviews with synthwave artists, 2 big surveys with over 150 responses from fans online, and much more! Here are the chapter titles:

  1. From Synthetix.FM to Stranger Things (2016-2025) Making Synthwave Subcultural Capital

  2. Making Synthwave Music with Music Technology

  3. Metalheads in the Synthwave Community – Making Darksynth

  4. Making Space for Vocals and Women: The Vocal Synthwave Subgenre

  5. Making ‘Live’ Synthwave Performances – Tensions in Live Synthwave Practices

  6. Keeping Synthwave ‘Alive’: Key Organisations, Events and Community Practices On/Offline

Link to buy the book with free shipping worldwide: https://www.routledge.com/Making-Synthwave-How-an-Online-Music-Community-Invented-a-Genre/BlaiseWard/p/book/9781032732039

Those interviewed include NINA, Miami Nights 1984, Jessie Frye, Bunny X, Michael Oakley, FM-84, The Midnight, Absolute Valentine, SIERRA VEINS, Dance with the Dead, Electric Youth, and so many more!

I spoke about the book at length on a couple of podcasts, including:

Nightride.FM https://open.spotify.com/episode/6eYgBud7arlksjxJxVbpli?si=xpCPOR1jRdutVMNPvrdjjQ

BEYOND SYNTH https://m.soundcloud.com/beyond-synth/441-jess-blaise-ward

Find me on insta or Bluesky @blaisejess

  • This sounds very interesting! As a long-time enjoyer of this genre, I've always wanted to learn more information regarding its origins. NINA is my favorite sythwave artist, so her being interviewed is a huge plus for me.

    parent

    She’s amazing isn’t she! There’s a whole feature section on her in chapter 4 :)

    parent root

    Incredible. Consider me sold.

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  • Invented?

    parent

    OP explains what this means in the book.

    parent root

  • This is interesting. I'll take a read. Congrats on the book. I'm surprised you only covered from 2016 when Synthwave roots really started back in 2007-2008 in Nantes with Kavinsky, College and the Valerie Collective. Obviously the roots go back even further to the 70s/80s, but the current "modern" Synthwave genre's roots are really back with Kavinsky and College.

    parent

    Hi, the 2016-2025 date refers to seasons 1-5 of stranger things (the years period in which all of those seasons came out). Whenever a show or film is mentioned the year it came out is in brackets (eg. Drive 2011). All of what you mentioned is covered in chapter 1, covering the musical roots from 70s/80s which influenced synthwave and then moving on to the mid to late 2000s by discussing French house, and people like the Valerie Collective. There’s a feature section on College, who I interviewed at length! :)

    parent root

    Oh awesome! Thanks for clarifying! That's great. Can't wait to read it! Do you cover what happened to all these artists about mid-2015. I have a theory that streaming services like Spotify killed off the music blog that really was the community and growth of Synthwave. I miss the curated playlists or mixtapes that Valerie Collective posted and the introduction of new and small independent artists.

    parent root

    Thanks! I’d love to hear your thoughts. The feature interviews (also in chapter 1) with Rick Shithouse (Synthetix) and Marko Maric (Synthwave Sundays) have some theories as to why synthwave changed a little during that time period! The survey responses that I analysed in chapter 1 also give suggestions as to why things changed in synthwave in the mid 2010s.

    parent root

    Ordered! Can't wait to read it! Looking forward to the discussion afterwards!

    parent root

    I look forward to it! :)

    parent root

    I wish I had known about the survey!

    parent root

    I tried to map out the full Synthwave genealogy/anthology a few months back. I'm currently travelling but would love to get your opinion on it when I'm back to see how it matches up with your own research. I subsequently created a set of playlists to take people on the journey from the 70s to today.

    parent root

    Ooo that’s really cool! I drew a Synthwave family tree at the end of chapter 3 which you might find interesting, which maps some of the musical influences and how different ones have trickled down to synthwave and then to different subgenres of Synthwave. Add me on Bluesky or insta (@blaisejess), I’d be happy to chat sometime! :)

    parent root

    Just followed you.🤟

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  • Ordered, thanks!!! Very cool.

    parent

    Thanks so much! I’d love to hear any of your thoughts when you’ve read some.

    parent root

    Will do :)

    parent root

  • Sooo I’m a longtime musician with little to no synth background. Absolutely love this genre but not sure how to create a lot of the staple sounds and whatever. Would this book point me in the right direction? Or is it more about interviews and history?

    Either way, massive congratulations- Publishing a book is quite an accomplishment! And the process of speaking with the artists must have been so fun. I’ll listen to the podcasts right now.

    parent

    Hi! Chapter 2 is what you’re looking for, it’s all about the musical and production ingredients of synthwave. I’m a music producer myself (as well as a huge synth head!) so that knowledge went into the book as well as all of the interviews, the history of, etc. Thanks for your kind words too! :)

    parent root

  • Hey Dr Ward, got the book before Christmas and I've been carrying it around on my vacation. Music is a huge part of my life. I got into music production because of a combo of listening to synthwave and going to EDM shows.

    Despite the influence of music on my life I hadn't spent much time thinking about it academically in the way you discuss it in your book. I spent a little time studying cultural anthropology so the book feels like a lot of my interests coming together.

    Thanks for putting all the time into this book! When I'm done I may reach out with some thoughts if that's cool.

    parent

    Thanks for your kind words! And of course, please do get in touch anytime, I’d be happy to chat!

    parent root

  • Very cool!! I love the synth community so it's awesome seeing it represented and celebrated with a deep dive like this. I really need to pick this up at some point.

    parent

  • Is there any AI involved in the making of this book?

    parent

    Absolutely none! I have a PhD and transferred that research into making this book.

    parent root

    The front cover was created by a graphic designer in the synthwave scene, David O’Meara. He did some of the artwork for some of Michael Oakley’s sample packs.

    parent root

    I love this. I’m sorry but when I first glanced this I thought “is this some AI slop…” which is just a sad and stressful reality now - constantly questioning if something is AI!

    This looks great and I’m dying to read it!

    parent root

    Totally understand, it’s so hard with AI now! Im so proud to say that this book is 100% Synthwave sweat blood and tears, and my complete devotion! 😂 it took 7 years to complete all of the research that went into it, I started in 2018!

    parent root

    Wow. I feel really bad for asking now, I hope it didn’t come across as a jab!

    parent root

    Oh not at all!

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  • Honest question: no Carpenter Brut interview?

    parent

    I would have loved to have interviewed Carpenter Brut!! I did reach their management but sadly an interview didn’t materialise. I did find some interview comments online by him which I referenced. Those can be found in chapter 3, which is all about the metal side of synthwave, and I interviewed Tony Kim of Dance with the Dead, as well as SIERRA VEINS at length about their work. I also interviewed Gost, Gregorio Franco, Tommy ‘86, Deadlife, Fixions, Irving Force, LeBrock, Meteor, and loads more from that end of the scene!

    parent root