Idol Era - What is the equivalent of this music today?

Sandii – 'Idol Era': A Synthpop Masterpiece—Does Anything Today Compare?

There’s something irresistibly bold about Sandii’s "Idol Era"—it crackles with attitude, channels Yellow Magic into a mechanical heart, and teases Kate Bush’s art-pop eccentricity (though Sandii’s voice making it a master piece of her own). 

This track is quality techno or synthpop— a razor-sharp fusion of both, dripping with innovation. The percussion punches, the vocals slink like neon in the rainstorm from the cyber scene you remember, and Haruomi Hosono’s production feels both futuristic and deeply of its time—that late ‘70s/early ‘80s moment when electronic music seemed to leap forward daily.

But here’s the question: What even rivals this today?

Decades later, "Idol Era" still sounds advanced. Not just in its tech—any DAW can replicate those sounds now—but in its fearless energy. Where’s the modern equivalent? The track’s metallic sheen, its balance of cold precision and human warmth, its sheer daring? Much of today’s electronic music feels either trapped in nostalgia or desperate to chase trends. But this—this was new. You can feel the voltage humming in the studio when they made it, that electric thrill of discovery.

It’s a shame nothing quite matches it now… but god, I’m grateful this exists. A reminder that music can still shock, decades later. Play it loud. Let it fry your speakers.