MINIMAL WAVE

Late 70s

Minimal wave has a different history from other genres: the name only appeared in 2005, when Veronica Vasicka decided to create a label called "Minimal Wave". This is why today it can be complicated to define the genre. However, in the 2010s the term was taken up by several artists: the minimal wave has therefore become a much more documented and concrete genre.
Today, we talk about minimal wave for music released at the end of the 70s, mainly in North America, France and Japan. Minimal wave is very similar to cold wave - some say that cold wave is a sub-category of minimal wave, but then we find the same debate as for cold wave and dark wave.

The sound of minimal wave could be described as follows: a minimal sound, without complex structure and quite repetitive, unpolished, a synthesizer and a drum machine with quite mechanical sounds. The sound then emerges quite artificial, which contrasts the voice.

Bands that could be described as minimal wave are Autumn, Martin Dupont, Oppenheimer Analysis and Lebanon Hanover.

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Playlists to listen to:

- gothique