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Synth pop duos
Anyone listen to Sylvan Esso and/or Niki & the Dove? I'm interested in finding more bands like these. Please share recommendations.
Comments
Does it matter how old they are?
Air
Röyksopp
I had Fischerspooner on heavy rotation many many years ago.
Odyssey was the album.
Niki and the Dove rules. Ode to Dance Floor is some prime Bob Dylan-quality lyric-spitting.
Carly Rae Jepsen’s Emotion album
Shura’s Nothing Real album
Are my fav synth pop albums of the last 10 years (Niki and The Dove a worthy runner up). They’re not as down and dirty in the weeds as Niki, but pristine synth pop nonetheless.
Also some out of print classic synth pop from none other than Prince. His two pet girl groups of the 80s. This stuff really kicks, almost as good as Prince’s own albums, and definitely in the funky and weird vein of Niki.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bMrQR9hAKvuNnsAzspBvUQFOJQBaz7jW/view?usp=drivesdk
Ela Minus “Acts of Rebellion” is a bit more towards the electronic vein, but it’s got a dark energy I like.
Sally Shapiro “Sad Cities” is impeccable if on the wintry side. Great, great synth work
Kate NV “Room for the Moon” is an awesome, squirrelly Russian pop album with plenty of Prince influence (great bass, prominent LinnDrum)
Ultraflex “Visions of Ultraflex” and “Infinite Wellness” are some 80s-fueled aerobic synth pop albums.
Romy “Mid Air” is the latest I’ve found and is really good.
And for a little fun, Sophie and Peter Johnson’s self titled album from ‘87.
Oh I almost forgot my fav of the last 3-4 years. Anything Magdalena Bay (“Mini Mixes” for a sampler,” A Little Rhythm” for a promising more straightforward debut, “Mercurial World” for some real stretching out. Bonus, they are a male female duo so matches your wish. The guy in the band is an absolute genius and total pro as a musician and producer.)
Ok I’ll stop now unless prompted for more. In sum, and considering what little I know of Sylvan Esso, I’d say Kate NV is the best place to start, followed by Ela Minus. Most of the rest don’t really have a lot of “weirdness” or quirks to them, just well done, smart music.
I can't get over Niki & the Dove "Play it on My Radio" which I recently discovered but feel like I've been listening to my whole life. Sylvan Esso equivalent for me is "Die Young". There's something magical to me about the female singer over a meaty synth tone in those two acts. I just prefer female singers typically.
Thanks for the reccos. Going to take some time to work through them all.
No problem, hope the recs all hit, it’s all in the vein of stuff I like and know best. Agreed on female singers. All I care about anymore.
Not sure if any acts are on the table for reccs but Yazoo should be on there if so. And Daft Punk of course. Less synth pop but still an electronic duo and RAM goes in that direction a bit.
Also Soft Cell, Eurythmics, Tears for Fears, and Pet Shop Boys.
Nice shout out with Emotion. Her albums following that are also great.
@HotStrange I know all those 80s-90s bands, but was more asking about current acts. I recently went back and checked out a Eurythmics concert video from the 90s and surprisingly less synth-y than I remember them being.
Perhaps I should have specified more synth than pop, and more distortion than bubblegum. Kate NV just didn't do it for me, but I'll try a few more of their songs. Doesn't really seem like a duo though. Magdalena Bay, Mercurial World, thumbs up, especially You Lose! and You Lose! (8-Bit) ... now that's what I'm talking about.
Oh gotcha! About to head to bed but I’ll get back with you tomorrow!
Been listening to Ela Minus, and that's what I'm talking about too. Is she doing all that solo? So talented.
How far back?
Silver Apples is where the duos began.
To be honest, was more asking about current acts, but I'm open to anything new to me. If you had told me Delia Derbyshire was in a duo, you'd be speaking my language
Had heard of Silver Apples, but never listened before today. My first reaction: Their music sounds really dated, straight out of the 1960s, and not timeless like for example the work of Wendy Carlos. I do like the synth + drums lineup idea, so if there any more modern duos with that combo fire away.
She was part of a trio in White Noise, who were contemporaries of Silver Apples.
Yeah, was listening to some of that earlier after I mentioned it, but not exactly the same aesthetic I was asking about. Now I'm just back to Niki & The Dove, Play it on my Radio, on repeat. That song is like a drug for me.
Wasn’t she also in the Radiophonic Workshop and did the music to Doctor Who?
I always kinda thought Silver Apples were ahead of their time. I guess I can hear that it’s a bit dated now but it was crazy stuff for when it came out. Them, Raymond Scott, and the Radiophonic Workshop did some really pioneering stuff. Those first 2 George Harrison albums also.
That's her. Pre-synthesis electronica, working with physical tape loops. I've had the KLF Doctorin' the Tardis on my short rotation recently, which is probably why she's top of mind. Hey there's a synth pop duo, the KLF. Didn't even think about them in those terms.
Thanks for the reminder on Air. Yeah, totally dig their work. Needed to go back and check out more of their albums, which I shall proceed to do immediately.
Röyksopp is new to me. What is their deepest, synthiest song that you can recommend?
She’s great. Those early Workshop days were something special. Very pioneering work.