Soul Surplus Violet Letter [WAV]

Synthesizers drove the sound of pop music in the 1980’s. Listening to iconic jams like “I Feel For You” by Chaka Khan, and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston showcase how the instrument was the base of many, if not most pop arrangements of the era. With the introduction of polyphonic analog synthesis in the late 70’s, as well as the introduction of FM synthesis in the 80’s, the pop music of yesteryear was a colorful palette of analog and digital synthesis. The perfect sonic complement to this was the signature gated reverb, “Phil Collins” drum sound of the 80’s. Drums were meant to sound big, and loud. In the 1970’s, drums were big, and loud, but usually dry and took on the sound of a small room. Fast forward a decade, and nearly every live and sampled drum sound is dipped in a glaze of digital, plate, or hall reverb.