Electric Essay: A Synth Odyssey

Otherworldly Realms

Unlike acoustic instruments, which rely on strings, air, or skin, a synth creates its music from electricity itself. Voltage becomes melody, oscillations become rhythm, and a twist of a knob can open doors to worlds that exist only in dreams, or catapult you into distant galaxies and hidden dimensions.

It can whisper secrets of enchanted forests, roar across neon-lit cities, shimmer like starlight over oceans, or hum the pulse of unseen realms. It can imitate, distort, or invent entirely new timbres, shaping landscapes of sound that feel alive and infinite. The synthesizer is not just played — it is coaxed, guided, and sometimes challenged, as if it holds its own consciousness. Each patch, each modulation, each setting is a dialogue between human and magic, a journey across uncharted realms of imagination.

The beauty of a synthesizer lies in its boundless versatility. A single instrument can become a full orchestra of celestial choirs, the echo of ancient cathedrals, or the hum of cities yet to exist. It can radiate the warmth of analog circuits or the crystalline precision of digital pathways. It is at once futuristic and intimate, mechanical and profoundly emotional, bridging the worlds of reality and dreams.

Understanding the Magic

Before the synthesizer could shimmer across dreamscapes and travel through dimensions, it began as a whisper in the minds of inventors. In the 1950s, pioneers such as RCA’s Harold Bode and Hugh Le Caine started exploring electronic tones. Le Caine’s Electronic Sackbut allowed performers to shape sound with expressive gestures, a precursor to what we now take for granted in modulation wheels and sliders. Across the Atlantic, in France, Pierre Henry experimented with musique concrète, sculpting sound from tape and early electronics, while Gershon Kingsley, a German-born composer working in the United States and creator of the iconic Popcorn, began crafting playful, melodic circuits that hinted at pop and futurism yet to come. In Germany, Karlheinz Stockhausen composed with tape loops and oscillators, shaping journeys through uncharted sonic realms.

It was in the 1960s that the dream truly began to take form. Robert Moog transformed abstract theory into playable instruments, crafting synthesizers that were compact, expressive, and capable of endless variations of tone. Among his creations, the Minimoog became legendary — a gateway for musicians to summon entire universes of sound from a single instrument. Its rich analog warmth, intuitive controls, and portable design allowed artists to explore new musical landscapes, from cosmic explorations to intimate, personal soundscapes. The Minimoog was not just a tool; it was a companion in creativity, a vessel through which imagination could take flight.

Wendy Carlos brought these sounds to life with Switched-On Bach (1968), turning classical music into a radiant tapestry of voltage and oscillation, and opening a portal for the world to hear what electricity could sing. Meanwhile, Don Buchla in California was crafting instruments that defied traditional keyboards, encouraging exploration through sequences and gestures. Around the same time, Morton Subotnick released Silver Apples of the Moon (1967), demonstrating that electronic compositions could exist as independent works of art, vivid and immersive.

The early synths were temperamental, mystical, and magical. Oscillators drifted, filters sang unexpectedly, and patches required patience and intuition. Musicians learned to converse with the machines — coaxing, nudging, sometimes arguing with circuits to uncover hidden voices. Each sound was a discovery, each composition a voyage, each note a step further into uncharted realms.

Soon, these instruments escaped laboratories and academic studios, entering the hands of musicians who saw them as vehicles to other worlds. Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Jean-Michel Jarre, and Vangelis became important pioneers, shaping the path of electronic music. From pop to progressive rock, from avant-garde to experimental, the synthesizer became a bridge — between science and art, between reality and imagination, between human and machine.

With every innovation — from the Minimoog to the ARP 2600, from analog warmth to digital precision — the universe of sound expanded. The first pioneers had ignited a spark, and generations of musicians have since carried it, exploring dimensions of tone, timbre, and texture that had never existed before. The synthesizer’s journey from laboratory curiosity to magical instrument reminds us that creation often begins in wonder, and that music, like electricity itself, can illuminate entire worlds.

Synth Through the Decades

Once the synthesizer had learned to speak, musicians began to listen, to explore, to weave entire worlds from its voice. Across the decades, it has become a conduit for creativity, shaping genres, landscapes, and emotions that had never existed before.

The first sparks of electronic magic unfurled across soundscapes, where synthesizers became portals to cosmic and hypnotic worlds. During the 1970s, Michael Garrison created cosmic soundscapes; Klaus Schulze explored krautrock and Berlin School electronics; Mike Oldfield used synths in Tubular Bells (1973), later featured in The Exorcist; Space released pulsating electronic tracks; Giorgio Moroder shaped disco with synth-driven hits; Pink Floyd incorporated synthesizers on albums like Dark Side of the Moon.

In the 1980s, synthesizers moved into pop culture, cinema, and dance floors. Jan Hammer blended jazz, rock, and synths in Miami Vice scores; Harold Faltermeyer crafted electronic hits like Axel F from Beverly Hills Cop; Koto and other Italo-disco acts brought futuristic synths to European dance floors; John Carpenter, who broke through with Halloween (1978), evolved his signature minimal synth style throughout the 1980s in films like Escape from New York and The Fog; Vangelis created his timeless, atmospheric score for Blade Runner (1982), blending lush synth textures with futuristic noir moods; progressive and experimental musicians expanded textures with analog and digital synthesis.

During the 1990s, synthesizers became central to dance, trance, house, and club-oriented electronic music. Artists included Robert Miles (Children), Orbital, Future Sound of London, Guru Josh (Infinity), The Chemical Brothers, and Daft Punk, while Aphex Twin and Autechre continued to push experimental boundaries. Angelo Badalamenti also brought synths into cinematic scores, most famously in Twin Peaks. Synthesizers became indispensable tools for crafting immersive rhythms, melodies, and atmospheres on both dance floors and in film.

From the 2000s onward, artists like M83, Hans Zimmer, Daft Punk, Burial, Jon Hopkins, and Clint Mansell continued to shape modern music with synths, from cinematic scores to dream-pop, dance, and ambient works. The synthesizer remains an indispensable instrument, bridging past innovations with future explorations of sound.

An Instrument Not to Be Underestimated

To give an idea of how important the synthesizer has become, even though there was a time when these instruments weren’t always seen as 'real,' they have left a profound mark across music, shaping sound, atmosphere, and creativity in countless magical ways. Today, the synthesizer has become an indispensable instrument, woven into the fabric of modern music. Here is an overview of genres in which the synthesizer plays a central role.

Ambient / Space Music: Ethereal, drifting sounds that often float without rhythm, meant to create atmosphere and vast sonic landscapes. Synthesizers paint cosmic realms and hypnotic dreamscapes. Key artists: Brian Eno, Jean-Michel Jarre, Tangerine Dream, Michael Garrison.

Krautrock / Berlin School: Experimental electronic music from Germany, with repetitive sequencers, trance-like rhythms, and hypnotic structures. Synths form the heartbeat of these compositions. Notable pioneers: Klaus Schulze, Kraftwerk, Ash Ra Tempel, Manuel Göttsching.

Synth-Pop / New Wave: Pop music where synthesizers carry melody, basslines, and texture, often futuristic, melodic, and emotionally expressive. Key names: Depeche Mode, Human League, Gary Numan, New Order.

Italo Disco / Electronic Dance: Pulsing, rhythmic synths designed for dance floors, melodic and futuristic, inviting movement and adventure. Notable acts: Giorgio Moroder, Koto, Space, Droids.

Progressive Rock / Experimental: Rock bands integrating synths into complex compositions and immersive soundscapes. Synthesizers expand melody and atmosphere into new dimensions. Examples: Pink Floyd, Mike Oldfield, Yes, Genesis, The Alan Parsons Project.

Trance / Electronica (1990s): Dreamy, melodic electronic music with repeating structures and hypnotic pulses. Notable artists: Robert Miles, Orbital, Future Sound of London, Guru Josh.

Cinematic / Film Scores: Synthesizers as sources of tension, emotion, and atmosphere in film and television, from horror to sci-fi to surreal dream worlds. Key composers: John Carpenter, Vangelis, Hans Zimmer, Angelo Badalamenti.

New Age / Meditative / Healing: Synthesizers creating serene, contemplative, and otherworldly soundscapes, often used for relaxation, meditation, and spiritual journeys. Floating pads, gentle sequences, and evolving textures evoke inner landscapes and cosmic expanses. Key artists: Michael Stearns, Steve Roach, Deuter, Vangelis.

Pop / Mainstream Synth: Synthesizers used as central instruments in mainstream pop songs, shaping memorable hooks and melodies. Examples: Berlin, The Korgis, Time Bandits, A-ha.

The Synth and Me

My fascination with this versatile instrument began at a very young age, even before older acquaintances and family friends introduced me to new wave and darker alternative sounds (as I described in another essay).

One of my earliest memories comes from a local radio station that aired a two-hour request program every Sunday afternoon. Its opening tune was Jean-Michel Jarre’s Équinoxe Part 5. At the time, I had no idea what the piece was called or who performed it, but I was instantly captivated by its floating, otherworldly sounds.

In the late 1980s, the first edition of Synthesizer Greatest appeared — a compilation album of synth classics covered by Dutch virtuoso Ed Starink. It was one of the very first CDs I bought with my own pocket money. The series would go on to spawn many sequels, but that first album sparked something profound: it inspired me to explore the original artists whose work Starink had reinterpreted, opening up an entire world of discovery.

Film and television scores also played an important part: Klaus Doldinger’s music for The NeverEnding Story, Alain Pierre’s score for the Belgian animated film Jan zonder Vrees, both Tangerine Dream’s and Jerry Goldsmith’s contributions to Ridley Scott’s Legend, Vangelis’ iconic music for Blade Runner, and the memorable theme music of series like Airwolf (by Sylvester Levay) and Miami Vice (by Jan Hammer).

Did You Know?

The Moog synthesizer was originally designed as an experimental lab instrument for universities and research. Robert Moog created his modular system to aid sound designers, never anticipating its eventual influence on rock and pop. The MiniMoog, released in the 1970s, became one of the first portable and affordable synths for touring musicians, while early monophonic synths pushed artists to craft melodies and basslines with care.

The ARP 2600, a semi-modular synth from the 1970s, was prized by artists like Herbie Hancock for its rich analog tones and experimental flexibility. Similarly, the Korg MS-20, with its powerful filters and patching possibilities, found its place in early techno and experimental music. The Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, with fully programmable polyphony, was embraced by artists such as Genesis, Madonna, and Prince.

Tangerine Dream’s use of sequencers created hypnotic, rhythmic patterns impossible with conventional instruments. Vangelis often layered multiple synths — including Oberheim, Yamaha CS-80, and Roland — sometimes figuratively playing with “four hands” on a single keyboard to produce his rich, cinematic sound. The Fairlight CMI merged synthesis and sampling, shaping Peter Gabriel’s music and Jan Hammer’s Miami Vice score.

The 1980s brought new digital textures: the Yamaha DX7 introduced FM synthesis, transforming pop music, while the Roland Jupiter-8 offered lush polyphonic tones used by bands like Duran Duran and Depeche Mode. Oberheim’s OB-Xa added warm analog richness, and the TB-303 created the distinctive acid lines that defined acid house and techno.

For many artists, the synthesizer has been a portal to creativity. Jean-Michel Jarre remarked that it “allows me to create worlds that are only limited by imagination.” Herbie Hancock called it “magic,” enabling musicians to “hear what you imagine before it exists.” Martin Gore of Depeche Mode reflected, “Without the synth, our music would simply not exist,” while Brian Eno highlighted how synthesizers allow experimentation with time, space, and texture beyond acoustic possibilities.

Pioneers, Wizards, Architects and More

To wrap up, here is an overview of my favorite synth icons and bands that I highly recommend. This list includes both early pioneers and more recent artists who approach the synthesizer in all its forms with exceptional creativity, showing that the synthesizer is an instrument that continually expands the boundaries of sound, imagination, and musical expression.