Synth Britannia

The synthesizer was an obscure, expensive keyboard/gadget that was unknown in the age of loud guitars. But a few mavericks made use of the various sounds the instrument can do and inspired an entire generation of innovators and talents to take the promise of the instrument to the next and higher level. "Synth Britannia" chronicles the origins of the instrument from its simple beginnings to its dominant peak and eventual decline to its permanent place in the musical landscape. Tracing its start to the soundtrack of "A Clockwork Orange" and the German band Kraftwerk the documentary moves to its main theme of the music's hold on Britain and its story there. The early practitioners are well covered like Throbbing Gristle, The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, The Normal, Ultravox and OMD. The floodgates burst open with the success of Gary Numan and Classic Synth was born, paving the way for the much maligned genre to be finally accepted in the mainstream ushering in a new wave of superstars like Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, Yaz and previously ignored acts like the aforementioned The Human League and OMD. Interviews and footage present a Britain in a time of social and economic turmoil with a hyper capitalist society and the talented musicians who emerged from these. Dismissing the traditional format of Punk while retaining its independent ideology the synth luminaries created some of the most compelling and groundbreaking music. With its cold, distinct, multifaceted sound the synthesizer dominated its time and changed music forever.