I was born in ‘79 so my childhood was in the 80s. I don’t have to search for a long time to know why I dug and wanted to make sounds and noises and sound design. The 80s are the sound design decade, the golden age as we like to say when we’re getting old and saw some shit.
Dude, sound design was fresh and new and everywhere from this:
AKA the sound design Bible.
To this:
Anime and its unique, particular sound design, so inventive and fascinating.
To this:
How many 80s action movie with fantastic sound design? Too many. Maybe I should have used Robocop or Terminator or Aliens or Raiders of the Lost Ark or Top Gun. And let’s not forget comedy like Airplane! or Police Academy, I mean a character is literally making sound effects to make you laugh. What about Gremlins or Ghostbusters or Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. E.T. It’s crazy.
To this:
That Speed Demon song is obviously using sound effects but even the music is very “sound effect” based, percussive and playful with short sounds, from the crazy DX7 slap bass line to the beat or vocal harmonies. And that part, loved it so much as a kid. Cars by Gary Numan with its weird FX synth sounds. Funkytown by Lips Inc with cars honking. Here Comes The Rain Again by The Eurythmics with its rain-sounding arpeggiator’d intro. How many albums or songs with intros and sound design, I don’t know, tons since Pink Floyd’s Money. Back to MJ with Thriller, how could I forget this one?
And of course:
“Video” games. And their brand new computer sounds.
Sound effects were that new thing all across entertainment.
To me it’s almost weird that people who grew up at the same time are not into sound design more. It’s so offensive when for most people design means graphic design when design is design. You design sound or visuals or places or interiors or games or clothes.
Anyway, if there’s a reason to love and remember that decade, it’s definitely for its unquestionable love for SOUND.