Forget everything that you've heard about "electronica" in 1999. From trip-hop to trance, from drum'n'bass to deep house, electronic music has traditionally been an area in which outwards expansion is the ground rule. Yet, despite the growing profile of the thriving electronic underground, the synthpop movement has been one of its best kept secrets.

Commonly lumped in with the "new wave" scene of the early 1980's, synthpop shares that era's appreciation of melody over pure texture, but each of the bands working within the genre has found unique ways to expand either sonically or aesthetically on the principles of those earlier performers. 1999 may be the year in which the growing stable of labels, bands, songwriters, and Internet collectives who thrive under the "synthpop" umbrella, finally comes up for air.

At the forefront of this trend is the CMJ New Music Marathon, which, for the first time in history, has assembled a hotly-tipped Synthpop Showcase Night on Friday, September 17, 1999. In association with CMJ and Denki Tiger, promoter Neville Wells has collated acts from all over the world for the Showcase, which takes place at DownTime (aka the Bat Cave), at 251 W. 30th St., in NYC. The show runs from 8 PM until 4 AM, leaving time for both curious newcomers and hard-core club kids to sample some of the sounds on offer:

Anything Box (L.A., 1AM) achieved notoriety with their canonized synthpop classic "Living In Oblivion." Info:http://www.anythingbox.com

Secret Secret (San Francisco, 10PM) mixes male and female vocals, English, French, Japanese, and synthesizers to create a fresh electro sound. Expect catchy melodies, danceable rhythms and social commentary sweetened with a Gothic flavor from this Denki Tiger recording artist. "If there was any justice in the world (Secret Secret's) 'Nichiyobi' would be number one on the Billboard charts." - Dave, Lexicon Magazine.
Info: http://www.secret-secret.com.

KieTheVez (Sweden, Midnight), a quartet out of Gothenburg, have played together in the current constellation since 1991. Their sound incorporates a melancholy and romantic mixture of harmonies and electronic additions. Their sound has since matured into more complex forms, with the addition of guitar, bass and live drums. This wider and more vivid sound will be showcased on a new CD due before Spring of 2000. Info:http://www.octoprod.se/ktv

Science Park (3AM) is the nom du disque of Bostonian avant-pop experimentalist Myke Weiskopf, whose moody midnight pop strains round out the night with a highly literate and unabashedly queer bent. Science Park's second album Futurama has received rave reviews everywhere from SPIN Online to CMJ, from the Advocate to Amazon.Com. "A near-masterpiece of innocent modern pop." - Jim Fouratt, The Advocate.
Info: http://www.obscure-disk.com.

Cosmicity (Detroit, 2AM) officially consists of only one member, Mark Nicholas, who handles everything from vocals to song writing to synth programming. A formally trained electronic musician, Nicholas has released seven albums in five years, appearing alongside synthpop legends such as Alphaville, Information Society, and Anything Box. Info: http://www.cosmicity.com

Carol Masters (NYC, 11PM) is 'e-pop' - electronic pop music for today's modern world. Billy Miller sings, Alex Dziena strums and Rui Camarinha sequences. Together the trio write, produce and play ultra-melodic pop music. The musical influences are wide and deep rooted in pop culture throught the decades: At any given time the music can be linked to any decade, with hints of soul, bubblegum, and '80s techno-pop. The future is here, right now.
Info: http://www.carolmasters.com

Additional information about the showcase can be obtained from the Denki Tiger web site: http://www.denki-tiger.com.