Spacesynth – an 80s electronic music genre blending Italo Disco, Synthpop and Space Music. Detailed overview of the style, BPM, key artists (Laserdance, Koto) and its modern sound.
Spacesynth is a genre of electronic music that emerged in the 1980s at the crossroads of Italo Disco, synthpop, and space music.
It captures humanity’s dreams of stars, the future, and advanced technology in shimmering arpeggios, warm analog synths, and endless melodic lines.
Origins and inspiration
Spacesynth appeared in Europe in the mid-1980s — the era of VHS sci-fi, laser shows, and the first affordable home synthesizers.
Inspired by cosmic aesthetics and the electronic soundscapes of Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis, producers like Raymond Donnez (Don Ray), Laserdance, Koto, Cyber People, Hypnosis, and Proxyon began creating instrumental tracks that felt like a space odyssey.
The genre became a natural extension of Italo Disco, but largely without vocals, focusing instead on synthesizer-driven rhythms and cosmic themes.
Formation of the style
Unlike dance-oriented Italo, Spacesynth was closer to a soundtrack — featuring long instrumental passages, a sense of infinite journey, and its signature "space arpeggio": fast repeating notes that create the illusion of flight.
Main sonic traits:
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Tempo: 110–125 BPM
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Drums: electronic (Roland TR-808, LinnDrum)
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Bass: sequenced, sine or square wave
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Synths: Roland Jupiter, Juno, Korg Polysix, Yamaha DX7
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Melodies: lyrical, dreamy, often in minor keys
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Effects: delay, phaser, space reverb
Classic artists and projects
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Laserdance — pioneers and gold standard of the genre. Their album Future Generation (1987) is a defining Spacesynth classic.
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Koto — Italian project by Anfrando Maiola / Michiel van der Kuy, responsible for iconic tracks like Visitors and Jabdah.
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Cyber People — atmospheric, sci-fi driven compositions (Polaris, Void Vision).
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Hypnosis, Proxyon, Galaxy Hunter, Vanello — artists who carried and evolved the tradition.
Later, a new wave of projects inspired by retro space aesthetics appeared: Mindflair, Dyva, Amorphous, SynthOne, Spacehawk, Dreamtime, Stellarscape.
Visual aesthetic
Spacesynth is a universe of retro-futurism:
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neon grids, star highways, galaxies;
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robots, glowing control panels, astronaut helmets;
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album covers reminiscent of 80s sci-fi posters (Tron, Blade Runner, Starcrash).
This visual language helped inspire whole movements in digital art — from retrowave to synthwave art.
Spacesynth today
With the revival of interest in retro electronics in the 2000s, Spacesynth found a second life.
New labels and fan communities emerged (including SPACESYNTH.RU, Hyperspace Records), along with producers who blend vintage synths with modern DAW production.
Today, Spacesynth is actively used in:
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soundtracks for retro-style video games,
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fan remixes inspired by Star Wars, Mass Effect,
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ambient and chillout compositions.
Fun facts
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The genre is often considered the instrumental branch of Italo Disco.
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Most early releases came out on vinyl and cassette.
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Many tracks were built as narratives — essentially “wordless sci-fi movies” in music form.
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Spacesynth gained particular popularity in Poland, the Netherlands, and the USSR, where it was played on major radio stations in the late 80s.
Why we love Spacesynth
- for its nostalgia for the VHS and arcade era;
- for its sincere belief in a future where music is the language of the universe;
- for melodies you can follow endlessly.
Spacesynth is music where every note travels through the stars.
