Re: (idm) Synthpop

From Mark Kolmar
Sent Mon, Feb 22nd 1999, 22:54

On Mon, 22 Feb 1999, Michael Upton wrote:

> Early OMD is pretty cool, IMO. You have to like
> their 80s synthpop vocals and maudlin lyrics, etc,
> but they had quite an adventurous, and warm sound.

> Hearing them in more recent interviews, they seem
> pretty disparaging of those days as just being a
> bunch of funny noises, so it may all have just
> been a product of their lack of resources more
> than anything more intentional.

I love their album _Architecture and Morality_, although this seemed to be
one of the more difficult ones to find in the USA.  Well-written, with an
extremely warm sound...their use of Mellotron on the record contributes to
that in a major way.  Don't let some of the later pop-fodder deter you.

In a similar direction, look into China Crisis.  They, too, became slick
and irrelevant with time.  But their first album _Difficult Shapes and
Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain_ is a wonderful,
mellow, and rather melancholy synth-pop record.  It's of the same vintage
as early Depeche Mode, yet significantly different.  _Flaunt the
Imperfection_, produced with Walter Becker (Steely Dan) is slicker but to
good effect.  The quality dropped after that.

--Mark

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