The Rise of the Synths (80s retro music documentary)

Currently seeking funding on Kickstarter here.

"A documentary about the synthwave scene, 80s nostalgia, retromania & memories. Inspired in Carpenter, Moroder & Tangerine Dream legacy.

Feature documentary (90-120 min.) about the synthwave scene, 80s nostalgia, audiovisual collective memories and electronic music.

The natural way of the cultural wave: we generally experience that musical and cultural trends shift from an outstanding position within public opinion to near utter rejection, refusal and ridicule, through an ever-shortening period of time. However, if that period of time is extended, to often several decades, we can witness a renovation, a new heightened recognition – the rebirth of the wave. Through today’s global reach, powered by the internet, cultural waves and fascinations can resurface and manifest themselves, with an even much bigger fan impact than the original source.

The film is a travel in time towards the roots of a worldwide grass-root music scene known as Synthwave, an irresistible blend of modern electronic composition with 80s pop culture’s nostalgia, that over the last two years has transformed from a whisper on selected internet hubs, to an ever-growing scene, expanding rapidly as we speak. Accounting millions of plays on social media, devoted fans are legion, but nobody in the mass media knows about them.

Thousands of synthwave composers around the world are living out double-lives. Away from their normal everyday life they spend another half-life behind a faceless musical avatar, creating and uploading their own renditions of 80’s-styled film scores, sharing them with the world – surging the wave. They belong to an endless army of watchers for the master’s legacy: the sound that Edgar Froese, Giorgio Moroder and John Carpenter created in the late 70s.

A time travel into the universe of creating sounds. A love letter to human fascination and the collective memories of an universe that never existed."

Additional details at Kickstarter.

The rise of the synths (Sizzle reel) from Ivan Castell on Vimeo.

The Rise of the Synths on the radio show "Synthaves"

Published on May 10, 2016 The Rise of the Synths

"Our director talks about the project on the radio show "Synthaves" hosted by Noah Kaufmann on "KFAI" Radio. CROWDFUNDING NOW RUNNING ON KICKSTARTER: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...

The Rise of the Synths is a documentary about the Synthwave scene, nostalgia and the universe of creating sounds.

'The old soundtrack of a new generation'

The film is a time travel towards the roots of a worldwide grass-root music scene known as Synthwave, an irresistible blending of modern electronic composition with 80s pop culture’s nostalgia, that over the last two years has transformed from a whisper on selected internet hubs, to a ever-growing scene expanding rapidly as we speak. Accounting millions of plays on social media, devoted fans are legion, but nobody in the mass media knows about them.

A time travel into the universe of creating sounds. A love letter to human fascination and the collective memories of an universe that never existed.

Featuring: Electric Youth, College, Miami Nights 1984, Com Truise, Nightcrawler, Dynatron, Dance with the Dead, Maethelvin, Stellar Dreams, Vincenzo Salvia, Jordan F, Futurecop!, The Midnight, Power Glove, 80s Stallone, Betamaxx, Kristine, Darkest, Lazerhawk, Mitch Murder, Carpenter Bru, Timecop 1983, OGRE, Waveshaper, MPM Soundtracks.

A documentary about the universe of sounds created by: Giorgio Moroder, John Carpenter, Claudio Simonetti (Goblin), Tangerine Dream, Brad Fiedel, Stu Phillips, Vangelis, Harold Faltermeyer and Jan Hammer (to name a few). "