Soviet Synthpop

Himene tarava is a traditional a cappella choral form from Tahiti and the Society Islands in French Polynesia. The term “himene” derives from the English word “hymn,” introduced by Protestant missionaries in the 19th century, but tarava denotes a specifically Polynesian, highly ornamental and powerfully resonant polyphonic style. Performed by village and church choirs, himene tarava features dense, multi-part harmonies that swell and recede in dramatic waves. Male and female sections interlock through antiphony, staggered entries, sustained pedal tones, and cascading inner parts. The effect is at once devotional and communal: a sonic tapestry of glissandi, tight voice-leading, vocables, and Tahitian-language poetry projected with remarkable volume and intensity.

New rave is a mid‑2000s British-born fusion of indie rock energy and 1990s rave sonics, dressed in day‑glo aesthetics and festival‑size hooks. It pairs live drums, guitars, and chant‑ready vocals with club‑minded synths, sawtooth leads, and heavily sidechained kicks to produce high‑octane, dance‑floor‑friendly songs. Propelled by blogs, MySpace, and hype magazines, the style emphasized communal euphoria and neon futurism while borrowing breakbeats, acid squelches, and rave stabs from earlier UK dance culture. The result is a glossy, maximal sound that feels both nostalgically 90s and distinctly 2000s in its pop-savvy immediacy.

Electronic is a broad umbrella genre defined by the primary use of electronically generated or electronically processed sound. It encompasses music made with synthesizers, drum machines, samplers, computers, and studio/tape techniques, as well as electroacoustic manipulation of recorded or synthetic sources. The genre ranges from academic and experimental traditions to popular and dance-oriented forms. While its sonic palette is rooted in electricity and circuitry, its aesthetics span minimal and textural explorations, structured song forms, and beat-driven club permutations. Electronic emphasizes sound design, timbre, and studio-as-instrument practices as much as melody and harmony.

VIA (an acronym in Russian for “Vocal‑Instrumental Ensemble”) refers to the state‑sanctioned pop/rock vocal groups that dominated mainstream Soviet popular music from the late 1960s through the early 1980s. Musically, VIA bands blended beat‑group pop and light rock with “estrada” (stage/pop) arranging, close choral harmonies, and elements of local folk melody. Typical ensembles combined electric rhythm sections (guitars, bass, drums) with keyboards and often brass or strings, delivering polished, danceable songs with optimistic or romantic lyrics. The sound is tuneful and clean, with clear diction, strong group vocals, and arrangements designed for large concert halls and television. Culturally, VIA was both a musical style and an institutional format: groups worked under regional philharmonics, toured widely across the USSR, and presented Western‑influenced pop within officially approved aesthetics.