Back in 1979 I bought my first synth: a monophonic Korg MS-20 which I still own. The cause of it were a British post-punk band from Sheffield: Cabaret Voltaire, which I saw at the Effenaar venue in Eindhoven in the same year.

They are included in the BBC-4 documentary Synth Britannia, which focuses on the rise of synth pop in the post-punk era. Although the focus is on “”pop” bands like The Human League, OMD, Depeche Mode and individuals like Gary Numan, the influence of more “industrial” outfits like Cabaret Voltaire,  Throbbing Gristle and The Normal is also mentioned.

The BBC 4 documentary links the rise of synth pop to the bleak landscape, economics and politics of ’70 s Britain. So a very interesting video to check out if you are into electronic music (history).

More information

• Cabaret Voltaire
• Throbbing Gristle
• Korg MS-20
• Synth Britannia documentary