Love this. You’re right, synthwave isn’t exactly authentic 80s, at least as far as we know them. The reason I dig the genre is that I feel like it transports us to an ‘alternate universe’s 80s’. Our 80s are complete (and I was too young to appreciate them fully at the time), but if we are able to fold back the membranes of the multiverse long enough to slip into the 80s as they occurred in a parallel reality, then this iconic time in the history of music becomes truly infinite!

One of the best synthwave tutorials on KZfaq: you really created strong 80s vibes in your track

Anemoia - the feeling of nostalgia for a time you never lived in! Stellar video as always, Jonas!

The kind of music we call Synthwave now wasn’t really a thing in the actual 80’s except for on corporate tutorial videos as background music. Instrumental synth music was getting easier to make with the introduction of synths that had presets like the DX-7 and the Juno-106. those also had MIDI, which brought new ways to sequence music with computers or popular devices like the Roland Micro Composers. There were no “DAWs” like we have now, it was much more primitive. Of course some of this music also appeared in movie soundtracks which is where the nostalgia comes from. You wouldn’t turn on the radio to hear synthwave style songs, unless you count Alex F by Harold Faltermeyer or Rockit by Herbie Hancock. Regardless of how it has evolved over time, synthwave and retrowave are now a huge part of our mainstream music culture and nearly ubiquitous on television shows where an upbeat electronic sound is desired without it sounding too “techno”. I think it’s a style of music that will continue to evolve although we are already seeing a lot of 80’s inspired synthwave bands now creating more 90’s and 2000’s inspired synth music which is ok but doesn’t resonate the same with a lot of people regardless of age.

Totally agree on this genre. I like it a lot, but it is not really what we had in the 80's.

The "imaginary" in the title is quite important, regarding Synthwave as a total genre. However, your track is so great and could quite easily be fitting in the actual 80s.

Ah, man, that was fantastic. 100% up my street. Gorgeous sounds, textures, and a driving bass line. As you said perfectly, the imaginary, hyper 80s of our imagination. Good to see you giving a shout out to Espen. He really is the undeniable master of authentic 80s sound. Both of your channels are my favourites for synth goodness.

It sounds better than many of the artists who are dedicated to this subgenre. Great job

Hey, just wanted to say that I learn from your videos A LOT, not exaggerating. It gives me energy to spend hours in a DAW just trying things and creating music that is better than what I did before. Thank you, keep rocking

That sounded fantastic. Glad your back with some content.

So nice to see a new video by you again Jonas, I always enjoy them. Great idea to make a synthwave track , you captured the mood perfectly !

Briliant work and the result is absolutely overwhelming. Nice to have you back Jonas.

Awesome, really really good Jonas!!

Excellent Synthwave track, Jonas! And nice shout-out to Espen's channel! You guys both make great music and have outstanding tutorials!

thanks as always for the showcase!

Was hoping you would tackle this at some point! Beyond stoked, because it's one of my favorite sub-genres 🙏😭 Another banger, like always!

Awesome track and great tutorial as always! Thanks!!

Another great video! Nice track

Oh Estuera, what brilliant creativity! Thank you and best wishes

man.. absolute perfection if you ask me! you made it sound exactly as it should, were able to capture the required mood, and it definitely surpasses alot of others artists who are making synthwave nowadays. again a top quality video from you Jonas. thank you and please keep doing this I love watching you produce tracks and listening to your explanation of every step :)

I think usually when people think Synthwave, they are talking about the more Synthpop and Italo Disco style songs made by the likes of Koto and Laserdance along with the typical royalty free music libraries you'd hear in low budget VHS instructional videos.

Another great song! Thank you for sharing your production skills.

You just hit the sweet spot with your chords! Delightful

Bravo! sounds great, thanks for the tips! ❤

So good, you nailed it.

This is excellent! You've really captured a more eighties than eighties vibe.

Really nice made and absolutely soothing track 🌻

Love that song! I find the 80s and early 90s were the last decade to have an actual identity with music, fashion, movies etc the last three decades seem to be inspired and take elements from all the other decades and mix them up so it’s sounds familiar but not unique

So glad you’ve you’ve tackled synthwave!

Wow, that really rewinds my memory. Great track!

Lovely track. I think it sounds much better than most synthwave I have heard. One thing that synthwave does compared to the actual 80s music is the big kick sidechain, kinda giving away that it came from 2015

The chords you use makes me think of Paul Young - Come Back and Stay. That helps tie it into the '80s a bit more ^^

I loved it! I love Synthwave. Thanks and congratulations!.

Another awesome video... Love your releases... :)

Well done 👍👍👍 I was there and this takes me right back.

Wonderful track, really brought back memories.

I am new to your channel, 58 years old, and just getting into beatmaking, I really enjoy your tutorials - and also your work as featured on spotify ❤🎉😊

Brilliant as always, really captured the imaginary vibe we all seem to identify with!

Nice job Jonas!

Jonas great to see you man! Love your videos - especially like that yo have and love one of my favorite keyboards, the CS1x! ;) Great job bringing the imaginary 80s to life hehe. Yeah I was here for the 70s so - hehehe I get that we were not listening to synthwave, but man I wish we were!! Thanks for your hard work man

You got the sound the way it should be, not because of plug-ins, but because you feel and understand this sound. Great track!

Absolutely nailed it, thought I was in the 80s.

I'm all of 90 seconds in and I have to say you are bang on the money! An excellent analysis

Wow! So nice 🔥

I've been listening to synthwave since 2015, and really like the clear explanation of how to build such a track.

Love it. Very inspirational thank you.

Hell yeah! I'm a big fan of synthwave, this was a nice one.

You make us wait... But you never disappoint!! Great track I particularly love the synth in th chorus. Got that space 80s I'm an android feel to it.

Awesome track! Really enjoy these Let’s Create vids… more please (when you’ve time of course!) 😊

Loved it! This video is really good stuff, thanks. I'm mostly into metal but for some reason I like this kind of music. I like it even better if you throw some heavy guitar sound into it. Cheers

Good to see a new video :) it sounds for me like italo mixed with a bit of 80's pop and with Jan Hammer's - Evan.

WOW, that is too good. Love It

Brilliant!

Yeah. It's nostalgia for a time that didn't really exist. Synthwave is always somewhere between Risky Business and Desperately Seeking Susan. Really nice job on the music! I always enjoy your videos.

Really nice video editing on the final track. You made a really nice job of this one. Sounds really cheesy and over the top like any good synthwave track!

I always enjoy these.

Awesome sound...👍

Awesome,

Geweldige track, love it!

Your version is most 80s synthwave that i heard, very good! And maybe someday you could make a truly 80s synthpop like Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, etc?

Niiice comeback video! Will definitely check out the Roland cloud thing as well - I love the Arturia retro VSTs, but I can't afford to buy them at the moment, so a subscription based service might be worth a look. I think I'll experiment maxing some synth techno

Janas, I miss you brother!! Glad to see you making videos again.

I closed my eyes and could picture Miami Vice with Crocket and Tubbs driving into the sunset in a Ferrari Testarossa! Excellent 😉 Thanks Jonas.

I think I'll love this one!

I think another major influence of synthwave genre / 80s nostalgia is soundtrack to Drive (2011) movie.

I'd class this as more legit 80's than synthwave (other than the more gentle production and nicer effects). You got the 'layered while still being absorbable' thing right where most SW either goes super sparse or ultra-complex now.

well finally Jonas. Was hoping you'd cover this genre.

That was great. You captured that synth wave vibe. Your track could have featured in the movie Flashdance it was so authentic. More please. I love these videos.

Wooooow.... Love it

What a nice surprise to have a new Estuera video!

Nice, reminds me a little bit of Stephen Bray's basslines. I love it!

I liked this a lot and I totally get the concept. I might even have a go at it myself. But it instantly reminded me of Heartbeat City by the Cars, the overall feel of it.

You make really informative and constructive vids. Always look forward to watching. My son and I are trance producers, some of the sounds in this production would fit well in our music

People born in the late 90s: “wow this is 80s music!!” People born in the 70s: “let’s have a chat kid” 😂

I love it!!!

this was cool. have been waiting on your next video. i found out about italo disco a few years ago, especially Clio "Faces". might be cool to make some of that.

I think what you've created here is a good, catchy television theme song-like track with grandiose, more-80s-than-80s tropes. Synthesized sound was used in many ways and in many genres throughout the decade, just like it is now. So, I see the Synthwave genre as, generally, a sort of plastic, astroturfed product without the spirit of 80s synth composition. This is why your track sets itself apart - the compositional spirit is peaking through.

Come back and stay for good this time (Did you write the book of love?) - fits nicely 😊

Nice one Jonas ! And you're right, GTA Vice City initiated something. Driving towards the sunset listening to Crockett's theme was something that felt really nostalgic.

Nice as always! One thing to add: The Synthwave sound already started much earlier in the Gothic and Independent scene, where Darkwave & Synthpop / Electropop not only evolved more and more into this sound, but also some famous 80's bands never stopped producing and had much success in the darker music scene ;) Camoufage for example!

Love the faux nostalgia! The Jupiter-8 arpeggiated chords are especially reminiscent of… The sound my AirPods make when the battery is about to die. But seriously, great video - thanks.

ja fantastisch man, leuk gedaan 🎉 die eerste juno akkoorden alleen al: ik voelde meteen weemoed en melancholie prachtig 🤗

That Jupiter 8 reminded me of Felix - don't you want my love. Took me back haha

That you look like you just got back from skiing definitely lends itself to a synthwave vibe. XD Seriously though, I love synthwave's paradoxical nostalgia, but also something of a brand new genre influenced but not entirely parroting the music of our youth. It's the good shit for sure!

Sounds great. Would love for you to put out a vid making something with an Access Virus TI btw

What I'd really be interested in seeing is a video about recreating a new wave sound (like like New order or Depeche Mode style). That's my favourite type of music and you're probably my favourite production channel.

Love this so much. brilliant breakdown too, need more of this style of music in my life. Thank you so much, did I hear a track you made that sounded to me like dark wave ?😮😊

All it needs is a woman with big hair and a plunging neckline, singing about "the night".

Very nice! It’s giving me very Paul Young “come back and stay” vibes

Wow, perfectly executed, brings back old memories. The graphics remind me to the Amiga era, it could perfectly match a Miami Vice episode.. Am I getting old?

I can imagine this could be on Vice City! Great work!

Niiiiice

Its a great music. It make a sense exactly dreaming 80s. Thank you Jonas. Could you make another video about Italo Disco music?

Nice one, as always! What's next? Eurobeat?

I'm trying to figure out how to connect my synths together with my daw. Can you make a video showing how you have your gear connected? Maybe show your audio interface, and midi setup? It would be really helpful!

Brenda : How do you go from this tranquility to that violence? Sonny Crockett : I usually take the Ferrari. (quote from: Miami Vice, TV series 1984-1989)

Pop a vocal over this and it will be a hit ❤️👍

Back to the 80s! (I was there... some time ago 😅)

Nice one! Would love to see you trying to make a 90's psychedelic goatrance track! Idk if you know, but Belgium is one of the only countries with an oldschool goa-trance scene! With many known labels such as Suntrip Records! (I've asked before, but I keep doing so until you do it! :D )

Synthwave is more about reimagined 80s... than imaginary 80s! 😁