Warning: Unless you have your aviators, Nintendo Power Glove, and retro gear at the ready, you might not be prepared for this nostalgia.
In 2016, most of the country became obsessed with a Netflix show called “Stranger Things”. The show offered thrills, action, comedy, and even some romance, but one feature that stood out was the time period. It was 1983, signs were neon, cars had some style, and grainy and synthesized music and television were the new thing. This show introduced a new generation to the synthwave lifestyle that was the front of the 80s and early 90s. A time when Star Wars, Breakfast Club, Top Gun, and Footloose were only just starting their popularity brought back memories to when the world felt a little more Rad.
However, if you are part of the car community, the 80s and 90s were special for a different reason. Audi created the iconic Quattro rally car, McLaren broke the production car top speed record, the JDM sports car wars began, Marty McFly traveled through time in a DeLorean, Fujiwara Tofu delivery took control of Mount Akina, and cars still had personality. In what may seem forgotten to many in the world, the car community was strong and the vibes were good.
Fret not, since the revival of the Rad (1980s-1990s) era has never been stronger. Yes, digital dashboards, pop-up headlights, and the ever-important manual gearbox are thriving more than ever before. One look at the market now shows how many JDM, Euro, and USDM vehicles have either held value or shot up shows that the 80s and 90s are not only not forgotten, but are cherished by both those who were able to experience it and by those who look fondly to it as what could have been.
The current generation has made it clear how much these years influenced their life with modern takes with it. Movies like Kung Fury, TRON Legacy, Drive, and Ready Player One very clearly show their influence from the 80s, Even popular cartoons like Regular Show and Sym-Bionic Titan have obvious heavy influence in the 80s and 90s. One major thing that comes hand in hand with movies and TV is music. Balanced between lo-fi beats, synthesizer, echo effects, and heavy bass, synthwave was born.
Synthwave, as well as vaporwave, made a massive comeback a few years back initially as a meme online. Vaporwave became linked with aesthetics, with the musical content shown with a bright colored background, some type of grid along the bottom, and generally fairly odd images such as statues or the sky randomly placed throughout. It caught on as something to listen to while driving, studying, and even sleeping. As more programs began using it, its popularity increased more than ever before.
One common theme connected to synthwave, unlike many other genres, is the obsession and connection to cars. Bands like The Midnight and Betamaxx either feature car-related titles like Betamaxx’s Redlining 6th or have some image of a car such as the Midnight’s Days of Thunder. Sung’s Auto Ran features a dashboard of an 80s right-hand drive car, while other albums show a Ferrari Testarossa on the cover. The question when it comes to synthwave and vintage cars is “why?”.
One answer could be the other genres of music. Many genres will mention cars in their songs but mostly to show off wealth (ex: Maserati, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, etc…), and the use of cars in dubstep and eurobeat have a heavy influence as well. Eurobeat especially comes into the mix with 80s and 90s cars, since it was featured prominently in Initial D and racing videogames.
Another answer to why there is this connection is simply the personal taste and interest of the musicians who made the music. Betamaxx talked briefly about his personal car collection, including Datsuns and C4 Corvettes. Many of the musicians have either fond memories of growing up during the 80s and 90s, or have stories from family members from the time. Maybe the cars attract these musicians because they remind them of a time when things were more enjoyable.
Regardless of the reason, no one can deny that there is something both soothing and exciting about a good drive while listening to good synthwave or vaporwave. While not pulse-pounding and exciting, it borders on slightly hypnotic and enjoyable as a result. Whatever the connection may be, there are few things more enjoyable than a night drive through a neon-lit area while listening to synthwave.
6th Gear Auto 