8 Bit Synth

Retro Chip Sounds and Beyond. Inspired by the lo-fi hardware sounds of yesteryear. Dual-layer engine loaded with authentic hardware samples. Explore hundreds of custom presets and create your own

Since so many European labels have been reissuing lost and obscure 1980s Japanese ambient albums of late, it was probably inevitable that at least one label would put together a compilation paying tribute to the sound. It turns out that Jazzy Couscous has won the race with Kumo No Moko, a superb double album that does a terrific job in putting Japan's '80s ambient scene in context.

Emily A. Sprague’s Water Memory and Mount Vision are presented in new and vivid detail. Through sound and poetry, Emily’s craft focuses on fleeting moments of crystalline clarity and meditates on expanded lifetimes of intricate meaning-making. Memory and vision, ocean and mountains, question and answer, emotions and infinity. Sunshine, lizard, sea salt. Previously issued as small editions of self-released cassettes, Emily’s two albums have been resequenced and mastered by Taylor Deupree, each including previously unheard tracks.

Documentary following a generation of post-punk musicians who took the synthesiser from the experimental fringes to the centre of the pop stage. In the late 1970s, small pockets of electronic artists including the Human League, Daniel Miller and Cabaret Volatire were inspired by Kraftwerk and JG Ballard and dreamt of the sound of the future against the backdrop of bleak, high-rise Britain. The crossover moment came in 1979 when Gary Numan's appearance on Top of the Pops with Tubeway Army's Are Friends Electric heralded the arrival of synthpop.

New Order's Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert unpack a playlist of electro, pop and new wave classics spanning four decades. Stephen and Gillian have been married for 24 years and have been in New Order together for even longer, but they still manage to surprise one another with their musical tastes. While Stephen declares Captain Beefheart an early influence, Gillian confesses her teenage love for a disco classic. During an hour of top tunes, Stephen also reveals the moment he was mistaken for Stevie Wonder, and Gillian recalls how her Dad was a fan of punk.

New Order's Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert unpack a playlist of electro, pop and new wave classics spanning four decades. Stephen and Gillian have been married for 24 years and have been in New Order together for even longer, but they still manage to surprise one another with their musical tastes. While Stephen declares Captain Beefheart an early influence, Gillian confesses her teenage love for a disco classic. During an hour of top tunes, Stephen also reveals the moment he was mistaken for Stevie Wonder, and Gillian recalls how her Dad was a fan of punk. From Kraftwerk to Can, David Bowie to Kate Bush, Magazine to Grace Jones and many more, this stellar playlist by Stephen and Gillian is brimming with iconic performances.