10 Iconic Synth Bass Lines
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2020
- A day in the life of a Nordic synth artist and RUclipsr: • A day in the life of a...
10 iconic synth bass lines - cover by Espen Kraft
00:30 Eurythmics | Sweet Dreams (are made of this)
01:18 Giorgio Moroder | Chase
02:47 Madonna | Into The Groove
03:55 Depeche Mode | World in My Eyes
04:44 Phil Collins | Sussudio
05:54 Michael Jackson | Bad
06:45 New Order | Blue Monday
08:30 Kraftwerk | The Robots
09:21 Pet Shop Boys | West End Girls
10:41 Jean Michel Jarre | Oxygene (pt.4)
Sequenced live with the Alesis MMT-8 sequencer
Yamaha DX7s used as master keyboard only
Roland MKS-70
Roland Alpha Juno 2
Emax
Korg DSS-1
Sequential TOM drum machine w/Linn & DMX carts
Outboard and plugin effects and processing done in post. 
Видеоклипы
![[adult swim] - Smiling Friends Season 2 Episode 5 Promo](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/uStNEeR8LT4/mqdefault.jpg)
Madonna - Into the Groove synth bass line is absolutely fantastic :)
And so complicated!
Yep...I remember as a kid keeping the radio on hoping to hear it. I was somewhat enchanted by that bass line, haha.
Let's not forget that bass line on PYT from Thriller! That being said, the most amazing synth bass is Boogie On Reggae Woman by Stevie Wonder. Mind boggling!
West End Girls is such a masterpiece of the synth pop genre
every one of these songs are
Pet Shop Boys - I still remember watching the music video on MTV for that song; back in the day when MTV played music videos & not reality TV shows. Oxygene = the "Pure Moods" compilation. I would have liked to hear "Crockett's Theme" from the Miami Vice (1) soundtrack.. oh well...
I started singing along with it. XD
Totally agree 💯
Yes a much simpler rougher version of it was released and it went almost nowhere - they made it more sophisticated and professional sounding a year or so later and it went to #1 around the world. It’s all about class divisions found even in dating.
2:46 "And you can dance...
for inspiration" 😁🎧💃🏻
80s were something special!
Depeche Mode: Enjoy The Silence - best baseline of all.
It's epic for sure ;-) I did want that as well, but had already done to Depeche tracks for this video and I cut one other out as well. ;-)
genX totally agree
...but would Espen be able to reproduce it ?
Truly amazing bassline!!
@@MrBeen992 undoubtedly
That DX7 is just such a beast
And what a keyboard! My favorite.
Smalltown boy certainly deserves a place in the top 10
Oxygene is such a timeless piece of music
The pet shop boys bassline wins for me, magical, particularly the main bass hook at the start, love it.
DEPECHE MODE
Still love the 80s sounds. Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
Karl Bedford ‘you can dance you can dance, everyone look at your hands’
love the C64 in the background :D
Have you seen the video where I remake my most popular track using only that?
Sussido’s bassline is so catchy!
Soft Cell - Tainted Love, and Donna Summer - I Feel Love spring to mind. But oh man, all the tracks you chose were great... the PSB's West End Girls was what made me fall in love with synthpop all those years ago, and it was the bass that did it.
Had totally forgotten about Tainted Love!
Donna summer - i feel love is also made by Giorgio Moroder. But still a master song
No one ever includes PIL or Tones on Tail aka Bauhaus w/o Peter Murphy aka PreL&R
Erwin Feenstra and it was from the 1970s
yes for i feel love
wow, well done with that Madonna bass line. Not an easy one to figure out.
Thanks! :)
Is that bass actually from the dx7?
@@EspenKraft think you should do a cover and tutorial
@@XnazxulX I know that Madonna used a Moog Source for the bass line at Live Aid. ruclips.net/video/8mQgGMAfKEU/видео.html
There's a guy named William Kurk on RUclips who does a tutorial on replicating all the synth parts of "Into The Groove."
Espen “human arpeggiator” Kraft. Props. The Chase FTW BTW.
Gary Numan Cars, to me, the most iconic 70's 80's bass grooves. Gotta love the Minimoog. Great clip and nailed those bass lines
Thanks!
Equinoxe 7 is my personal favourite synth bass ever- haunting use of pitch bend generates melancholic yet funky atmosphere.
oh yeaaa, and bassline in chronology pt VI or funky bass in zoolook, I love that
I'm glad Oxygene is on here. It was part of my childhood.
An original DX7. Oh my dream synth!!!!!
Some of my favorite songs! New Order, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, and more.
That Giorgio Moroder bassline is the GOAT!!! Reminds me of that movie, midnight express.
Donna Summer - I Feel Love
Love the C-64 and Atari ST sitting in the background.
Sweet!
Flashlight by Parliament is to me the greatest synth bassline
Amazing how perfect your timing is - were your parents sequencers?
No, but since this is done to a rhythm and not free-playing keeping time is much easier. ;)
@@EspenKraft I'm afraid your secret of being half man, half atomic clock is now out!
DNA Sequencers
Espen Kraft
I wonder if you have a quantisation switch somewhere implanted🤪
@@MySoundscore That would imply his timing is sometimes less than perfect which is clearly absurd.
I think Naked Eyes is a criminally overlooked 80s act that has great bass lines. I'm especially fond of "when the lights go out".
I agree!
Imagination JUST AN ILLUSION!!!!!!!!
playing sussudio and blue monday bass lines by hand - wow.
BLUE MONDAY & West End Girls!! The perfection of keeping it simple!
Hahahahahahaha...........World in my eyes by Depeche Mode man...
Human League," Don't you want me "...
Yeah +1 for Don't You Want Me! Also "Don't Go", Yazoo.
@@macronencer ...and almost any song Vince made
Thinking more The Black Hit of Space.
Now thats too old :(
Definitely Don't You Want Me should be the first on the list!
YAZ - don't go
Or Situation, or most Yaz. Lol
still have that spooky groove for Blue Monday..
“ into the groove “ what a complex baseline :)
To analyze the rythm of this baseline , you can get silly.
It’s not about the complexity.....it’s about the sound!
...but if Madonna is the example, i'd prefer "vogue"
that looked HARD!
You have seriously good precision! I can improvise blues and a little jazz, but it takes real discipline to play a deceptively simple-sounding synth bass line and not screw up the rhythm. Much respect to you.
Thank you for saying! :)
Those quick riffs don't seem to perfectly match the playing we see. Pretty sure it's just playback to a sequencer.
@@viperhd70 Jealousy is a terrible thing to taste!
No jealousy at all. Just hate fake. See my other post with the time stamp that clearly shows what you see is not what you hear.
@@viperhd70 Will do. Perhaps it was just me that was jealous then! Have to admit that the timing did seem just a little too perfect.
Im glad you ended with Jean Michel Jarre. Brought a lot childhood memories. He is the Godfather of synth music
What a beautiful, futuristic and scientific music........ These inventions were ahead of 80's, and that's why they don't make you feel like in 80's or rather transport people's mind into distant hi-tech future.......
“When I Think Of You” Janet Jackson. “I Can’t Wait” Nu Shooz. “Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)” Scritti Politti. “Borderline” Madonna. “I Feel For You” Chaka Kahn. “Lessons In Love” Level 42. “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” Michael Jackson. “Things Can Only Get Better” Howard Jones. “Neutron Dance” Pointer Sisters. “How Will I Know” Whitney Houston. “Freeway Of Love” Aretha Franklin.
My guess is that Mark King played bass on the Level 42 song. His bass playing is so quick, punchy; and precise that it can sound like a sequenced part. 🙂
Agree about M. King. But LOVE “FEEL FOR YOU” on here!! 🤘🤘
Derek Baker this is so funny. I am currently watching a video of Mark King playing that bass part - he says it is one of the hardest things to play live. It DOES sound like a programmed bass line, and the effects used on the bass (and even perhaps the choice of strings and instrument) make it sound to my ears like a digital synth. But it’s not! I’ve been wondering about this for 33 years. Mystery solved.
AJ Constantine yes, I was wrong about Mark King, kudos to him for playing what sounded like a sequencer. Also, for I Feel For You, Wikipedia says: “bass synthesizer and programming by The System's David Frank using an Oberheim DSX sequencer, which was connected to his Minimoog via CV and gate”
@@IrnBruNYC Wow! Thank you for sharing that info. 👍👍
Just so beautiful to put my ears around it. Heaven.
Sweet! :)
Part 2
1. Ghostbuster
2. Axel F
3. I can’t wait
4. Mj Thriller
5. Everybody wants to rule the world
(please continue)
6. Donna summer/ Giorgio Moroder I feel love!
Knightrider
Blinding lights - The Weeknd
This is literally the first synth bass video I have ever looked up. I feel like I struck gold.
I want one!
I would add Visage's "Fade To Grey" and DM's "Enjoy The Silence"
Ian Wilson Visage’s Fade to grey is epic!
No, not Enjoy the silence, but everything counts.
@@MrQuatale
Photographic is an iconic one
Fade to grey without doubt .
The bass solo in Daft Punk’s around the world definitely deserves a place
Deserving of honourable mention:
Bee Gees - Jive Talkin' (never discount this bass line, it is awesome)
Herbie Hancock - Rock It (brilliant in its syncopation)
Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F (super funky)
Devo - Whip It (never been anything like it)
Depeche Mode - People Are People (so busy)
Yazoo - Don't Go (it's just perfect)
System - You are in my System (very challenging)
Endgames - First Last for Everything (perfect in its simplicity)
Human League - Don't You Want Me (what a hook - or perhaps Sound of the Crowd for its energy)
I'd add Styx - Too Much Time on My Hands but otherwise you got the ones I thought were missing too.
And the Robocop theme by Basil Poledourius
You can beleive it or not, when you begin to play the madonna tune, my tears began to flow, knowing that tune, but not aware what great music this was...
I appreciate you telling me man! :)
Two of my all time favorite synth bass lines. Early ones, yes, but still iconic:
- Ultravox - All Stood Still (Minimoog)
- Liaisons Dangereuses - Los Niños Del Parque (Korg MS20)
Both played over a C Minor chord.
Wow, man. Did we grow up together???
All stood still is a great bass line from a great track and I'm sure it was ripped off by Bauhaus on "Departure". I also really like the bass line on Ultravox's "We came to dance".
West End Girls was played beautifully! Thank you 😊
Many thanks! :)
"you are the one" by a-ha has a pretty catchy bassline. i have spent ages trying to figure out "die roboter" and never got there so thank you for that one. :)
Thanks! Yes, "you are the one" is great.
@@EspenKraft thak ou for the reply. it made my day .Im so happy that a youtuber noticed my comment i can't thank you enough!
I never leave comments but had to say its nice to see a synth enthusiast actually play in time with such precision! very impressive
Thanks!
When this man uses two hands to play a synth it certainly means something.
I remember hearing Chase back in the day... brought back good memories!
Michael Carey Chase was transformative for me hearing it as a child!
Gary Numan has 2 wicked tunes Are Friends Electric and Cars, with synth bass
Both excellent tracks, but both are anchored with electric bass guitar - not synth bass.
I need a playlist of 80s iconic synths
There are heaps! Spotify/RUclips both. Just put in a search for synthpop or something. Moog, DX7 and D-50 specific playlists are also prominent.
Thank you so much for including J.M.Jarre, Eurythmics, New Order and Depeche Mode. These are tunes from my childhood ;-)
Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F and a-ha's Take On Me, of course.
Since I have both these in my "top-10 synth riffs" video I didn't include them here. ;-)
A really good choice of famous synth basslines.
Cheers!
'Wood beez' by Scritti Politti - amazing minimoog line played by David Gamson!
West End Girls was too perfect for RUclips. One of my favorite songs!! Nice
Thanks man! It helps to have the same string patch on my Emax as they did use on the Emulator. ;-)
Axel F and 19 would be good contenders as well!
Yes, Axel F i have in my "Top 10 synth riffs" so I thought that was enough. "19" I had almost recorded, but the iconic voice-over felt so wrong to not have in place so I dropped that. "Rainforest" could have been cool though. :)
Espen Kraft ... love how interactive you are with your viewers. 👏👏
neilbradley agreed
Anybody that honors Kraftwerk and Jarre has my vote. So many don't understand how influential they were/are. You the man!
The Thin Wall by Ultravox. When I first heard it i thought, how the hell are they doing that? And the bass line carries the whole song.
Ultravox are brilliant,they have many cracking songs,Mr X has an amazing synthi Bass. :-)
JMJ - Oxygene... is my absolutly favorite... thanks
My pleasure, thanks :)
There are so many good bass lines from the 80’s. You could probably make a video a day for weeks covering them. Give it up to Phil for the best one in this group.
I could only chose my top-10, but there plenty more that is great! :)
Great choices! My alternative suggestions:
DAF - Der Mussolini
Skinny Puppy - Smothered Hope
Joe Jackson - Stepping Out
Front 242 - Headhunter
Clan of Xymox - A Day
Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone
NIN - Closer
"DAF - Der Mussolini" -> Absolutely!
Smothered Hope, great record. Just before Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly became separate bands. Still got Remission and Bites and Disorder somewhere... What about Nitzer Ebb's Lightning Man? Top bassline!
this is my sugestion Love Missile F-1 11 By Sigue Sigue Sputnik The Duel By Giorgio Moroder Running By Information Society Out Of Space By The Prodigy
Wondering if this is known outside Germany. If I recall correctly it was banned from playing in the radio.
Nights on Broadway by The Bee Gees,one of my favorite keyboard bass lines.
"Boogie On Reggae Woman" by Stevie Wonder is the best keyboard baseline EVER!
nu shooz - i can't wait
Herbi Hancock - Chamelion will always be my fave synth bass line, I think. :)
The first bass line I played when I bought an Arp Odyssey back in the day.
The King of the Synth Baseline, hands down.
"hi, I'm Espen Kraawft" love the intro
One of the most iconic basslines from the 80's for me is from Janet Jackson's "The Pleasure Principle"
Howard Jones 'What Is Love?' would have been great :P
Georgery R When Howard Jones found the DX7 he made a big fuss of it on that album, DX Bass on what is love is seismic 👍🏻
Espen Kraft's friend, Woody Piano Shack, is also a die hard Howard Jones fan, and covers his songs pretty well! :)
YES
Nice touch of retro with the Commodore 64 and Atari ST in the background ... I remember some superb synth soundtracks for some C64 games back in the day.
Yes, I use these a lot in both my productions, but also in videos. I have a very popular C64 video where I show how it's used to make some of my music. Cheers
fantastic iconic songs - many really were groundbreaking and pivotal points of electronic music. One that I truly love is the get into the groove bass... I wasn't a Madonna fan back in the day but that bass has stuck in my head forever.
Michael Cretu - Samurai. The bassline of this track is so unique and so characteristic.Hope to see you playing it in your next videos.
The Imagination track by him has an underrated synth bass as well
a LOT of what Michael Cretu/Sandra/Hubert Kah/Enigma did had amazing basslines, thats his real skill. The Sandra tracks - Maria Magdelena, You'll be mine, Hey Little Girl, Breakup of the world, Hi Hi Hi - alone are a full education on basslines.
1:20 makes me think Coast to Coast AM is coming on.
Blue Mondayyy!!!! 💙
I love the homura figure on your speakers, couldn't stop staring
The End Credits from Blade Runner by Vangelis
Not synth-pop but definitely synth-bass:
- Parliament - Flash Light
- Tom Browne - Funkin' for Jamaica
- Also honorable mentions to P.Y.T. and Workin' Day and Night by MJ
Some of the funkiest bass out there!
Bernie Worrell's Minimoog bassline on Flash Light is beyond epic!
Duran Duran
Flashlight!!!!
Tom Browne and Flashlight warm my heart ❤️
As a guitar player, I always find myself loving synths. Your video is a great rendition of all of the classics! I really enjoyed the Kraftwerk and Phil Collins...really good stuff here!
Thanks man!
Killer playing... especially that Madonna bassline
I have always loved the Bass line in Jean-Michel Jarre's Oxygene IV, nice surprise to see it at the end there.
Great Espen , I think that AHA : take on me is an ICONIC bass line with the famous DX7 BASS1 patch
Thanks, yes that's a great example. ;-)
Danger Zone
Musicians are magicians.
A Real Hero and Under Your Spell
10:42 "You're watching Adventure Call. My name is Falconhoof, and I will be your guide on your quest."
Yoooo!!!
donna summer - i feel love
Into the grooves bassline is tough as hell
Insane!
Amazing production for that sing. Possibly the first song to be recorded in two different country’s for one production. I believe they started it in England and finished it in Los Angeles.
Thank you, Espen! Perfectly played!
I watched just to see if Depeche Mode made the list. Was not disappointed.
Born in 1969.....I love 80’s music....and this channel. :)
Many thanks! :)
What the funk? Synth bass funk, hello? Chromeo - My Girl Is Calling Me A Liar (Claims its just a simple repeating bass riff - but you both know its the slick sexy cool breeze you are not. And synth solo ear candy - you're welcome.)
GAP Band - You Dropped A Bomb On Me (Genius intro - one sustained note pulls you along by your sleeve before pushing into the comfiest chair of a groove as it shares a fun friendly banter with a beat that says "I gotchu, playa")
GAP Band - Burn Rubber On Me (First thing you hear is an engine revving up to burn rubber - that's the synth bass arriving on time for your lesson in "It" and its supernatural ability to keep you chasing after that vibe carrot that you're never gonna get...)
LOVE your videos! Let us know how we can support you if things evolve for you in that direction.
Thanks!
I appreciate funk, as a listener. I do not have it in me to do funk. I'm almost entirely "pop" as you might have figured out by now. ;-)
I can only do the kind of music that speaks to my heart and has the right "color". Euro/Brit 80s synth-pop is my main vocation. ;-)
@@EspenKraft Oh goodness, Euro/Brit 80s synth pop is the gold standard and was a GOD SEND to kids and teens in trapped in the black hole in the US known as the midwest. We were endlessly dazzled by the shimmery exotic sounding synths and the colorful characters that came with them from across The Pond. My absolute favorite from then is still ABC's Lexicon of Love and its gorgeous mix of bells and sparkly sounds in arrangements that interact nicely atop the rock solid rhythm section....and even the lyrics are clever in content and perspective. Thanks again for the work you're doing here - and the gear videos!! It's like you are providing a glimpse into a secret magical world that younger people never even knew existed.
Thanks! I'll just make what I love, ;-)
1:19 - Anyone else waiting for Art Bell to say, "Live from the high desert Pahrump, Nevada...?" Just me? :)
Or for the "Deep Voice Guy" to say, "From the Kingdom of Nye, this is Art Bell."
World In My Eyes would have made such a good Bond theme tune
Rush 'Neutrotica' has a pretty sweet opening synth bass line.
I just learned I could probably listen to a synthesizer all day lol
I don't think I've ever appreciated the baseline for Get Into the Groove as much as I do now. It's the perfect amount of simple, funky, and groovy: baselines like that are legendary!
There's cool bassline in track Koto: Visitors
Koto Jabdah ... I like that bassline
Chaka Khan Aint Nobody, Fatback Band is this the future, Paul Hardcastle 19. Need a pt 2 and 3.
I might do a Vol.2. ;-)
@@EspenKraft Very cool! :)
SHITCHYESS!!!!!
Definitely thought nnnnNineteen when hearing West End Girls
Now you mention Chaka, her cover of Prince's I Feel For You has a great bass track.
OMG this is soooo good! 80s retro chills all over!! Excellent!!
Cheers!
That is the best cover of Chase I have ever heard
Many thanks! :)