Musical Lecture: "Friends Are Electric: How New Wave and Synth-Pop Shaped Pop Music"

Punk showed us how to make hits with the bare minimum. Post-punk transformed the sound of those hits. Then synth-pop and new wave completed the revolution, reshaping how pop music could sound and look. Nearly 45 years later, we’re still living in the era of the new wave.

In his lecture on the history of new wave and synth-pop, journalist and music critic Nikolay Ovchinnikov will explore:

- Who truly gave birth to the new wave?
- How did synthesizers and a new approach to production reshape pop music’s sound?
- Why was the visual side of new wave so important - and how did this new sound break through on the newly launched MTV?
- Which records defined the “golden age” of new wave?
- What happened to new wave and synth-pop, and where do we see their influence today?

Nikolay will dive into all of this at his talk on July 31st at Laska V21.

Nikolay Ovchinnikov is a journalist known to many as the editor of Volna Latvia. He frequently writes about music and contributes to Delfi, Republic, Novaya Gazeta Europe, and other independent media outlets. From 2019 to 2022, he led the Music section at the influential Russian-language magazine Afisha Daily. He also runs a Telegram channel, Voice. His upcoming book focuses on the history of alternative rock in Russia in the 2000s.


👉🏻 FREE ENTRANCE
*The event will be held in Russian.
*** By attending this event, you agree to have photos or videos of you taken for Laska V21 marketing purposes. You can refuse to be photographed or filmed by informing the photographer or cameraperson.

You may also like the following events from Laska V21:

• This Friday, 18th July, 06:00 pm, Terrace Night + BBQ | Bread N’ Beats w/ sākumskola & ieraugs in Riga
• This Saturday, 19th July, 10:00 pm, Terrace Night | Taran & Lomov + BBQ in Riga
• This Sunday, 20th July, 07:00 pm, Open Decks - 20/07 - 19:00 + BBQ in Riga