Coldwave Music Guide: History and Sounds of Coldwave

Coldwave is a type of punk rock music that was popularized in Europe in the late 1970s. As a music genre, coldwave is characterized by its minimal use of synthesizers and guitar, gloomy tone, and slower rhythms. The name “coldwave” refers to its detached and depressive sound and is derived from the term [new wave](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/new-wave-music-guide), which encompasses the collective sound of most electronic music and [punk music](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/punk-rock-music-guide) styles in the 1970s. Coldwave would later be considered a subgenre in the category of minimal wave or minimal synth, and it is a very close cousin to darkwave, goth rock, and death rock. Coldwave was born out of the experimental sounds of 1970s post-punk: - __Origins in post-punk__: In the 1970s, punk began to shift away from its rock roots as new avante garde punk bands entered the scene. This [post-punk movement](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/post-punk-music-guide) introduced new electronic sounds as basic synthesizers became more widely available. - __Coldwave in the UK__: In the late 1970s, the term coldwave was starting to be used to describe the gloomy and minimal style of the new music entering the punk scene. Kraftwerk’s minimalist *Trans-Europe Express* album was released in 1977, and in that same year, Siouxsie and the Banshees introduced their own cold and simple sound. - __Coldwave in France, Belgium, and Poland__: In the early 1980s, a new scene of French, Belgian, and Polish artists began to emerge. French bands like Marquis de Sade, KaS Product, and Asylum Party produced darker sounds with simple synthetics. The French movement was called “la vague froide,” which translates to coldwave. - __Twenty-first century coldwave__: While coldwave never quite took off in the ‘70s and ‘80s, the music genre saw a resurgence in the 2000s as record labels like Wierd Records cycled songs back into compilations. Additionally, bands like Xeno & Oaklander and Blacklister brought the sounds of coldwave into the late 2000s. There are many coldwave artists and bands that defined the punk genre sound: 1. __Asylum Party__: A French coldwave band that Thierry Sobézyk and Philippe Planchon formed in 1985. The group released albums including *Picture One* and *Borderline*. 2. __Charles de Goal__: French artist Patrick Blain’s project. He was largely anonymous until 1985 when his first coldwave album, *Algorythmes*, became a major hit. 3. __Siouxsie and the Banshees__: A British punk band that emerged in 1977 during the height of coldwave. Their first album, *The Scream*, was a major success; it featured the popular track “Hong Kong Garden.” 4. __Joy Division__: An English punk rock band formed in 1976 that shifted from traditional punk to the more minimal styles of coldwave. They saw wide success by blending coldwave minimalism with electronic and dance music styles; “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” one of their biggest hits, is a coldwave classic. 5. __Kraftwerk__: A German [synth-pop](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/synth-pop-music-guide) band that emphasized heavy use of synthesizers and pioneered the coldwave sound with *Trans-Europe Express*, their minimal and industrial album. 6. __Martin Dupont__: A French punk group born in the 1980s that pioneered minimal synths with both male and female vocalists. They disbanded in 1988, having defined the sound of the coldwave underground movement. 7. __KaS Product__: A French music duo with Spatsz and Mona Soyoc, who combined electronic sounds with jazz sensibilities to create a unique sound in coldwave. 8. __Norma Loy__: A French coldwave band formed in 1981 that produced coldwave music under their own record label, CPM Records. They began as a traditional punk band but transitioned to coldwave during the post-punk era, and they continue to make music today. 9. __Opera Multi Steel__: Also known as OMS, this French coldwave band formed in 1983. They blended electronic music with Medieval and Renaissance sounds. 10. __Xeno & Oaklander__: A US punk band formed in 2004 in Brooklyn, New York, that helped create a resurgence in coldwave in the 2000s. They are known for updating the coldwave sounds with analog synths and no post-processing. Become a better musician with the [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com). Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including deadmau5, Armin van Buuren, Usher, St. Vincent, Timbaland, Sheila E., Tom Morello, and more. Coldwave music was born out of the 1970s post-punk scene, though the style was later categorized as a subgenre of minimal wave or minimal synth.