The Rise of the Synths


The Rise of the Synths is a 2019 documentary film written and directed by Iván Castell and narrated by filmmaker and composer John Carpenter. The film explores the origins and growth of the electronic music genre known as synthwave, charting its rise in popularity from the underground online music scene to its recent mainstream exposure following use in retro-themed soundtracks, notably the 2011 film Drive and more recently the television series Stranger Things.

Production

The Rise of the Synths initially began as a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter in 2016 before later moving platforms to Indiegogo. The film had its world premiere at the In-Edit Festival in Barcelona on 1 November 2019, with its international premiere on 15 November in London at the Doc'n Roll Festival.

Cast

The film contains various interviews with both established and upcoming synthwave artists, exploring their sources of inspiration which range from early electronic pioneers such as Giorgio Moroder, Vangelis and Tangerine Dream to a collective love of 1980's films and video games. Artists featuring in the film include:
Reviewing the film, Cinemania said, "It will delight music lovers and fans of synthesizers". Rob Dyson of ForeverSynth says director and writer Ivan Castell "hits all the right notes in terms of why and how the music and iconic imagery appeals - even to those who weren't born in the 70s or 80s." Inaki Ortiz Gasoc at El Contraplano said "The aesthetic is careful and prevents this from being a classic boring documentary of talking heads" with "some fantastic film performances following the canons of the musical movement with its Delorean". Jorge Loser at Espinof commented that "Carpenter's voice serves as a connection between blocks with creative tips and reflections on his career and his role in this whole new movement." The view from the Guardian's Bill Beaumont-Thomas was more mixed, with him praising the film's “admirable production values”, particularly the “impressively produced interstitial segments”, but that the documentary was “stylish but shallow” and “trades deep analysis for platitudes and boring asides”.

Soundtrack

The film's original soundtrack is composed by OGRE Sound. In support of the film, Lakeshore Records also released an Official Companion Album in 2017 which received positive reviews and featured exclusive music from various synthwave artists.