Spacesynth

Spacesynth is the instrumental, space-themed branch of Italo disco that flourished in the early to mid-1980s. Where Italo disco kept vocals, spacesynth productions by the Dutch duo *Laserdance* and Italy's *Koto* replaced them with vocoders, sequenced arpeggios and cosmic sound effects, building tracks around science-fiction imagery and titles. Released largely as 12-inch singles on labels such as #ZYX# and #Hotsound#, the style was a European club and radio phenomenon; *Koto*'s "Visitors" (1985) sold around 200,000 copies, and *Laserdance*'s "Future Generation" became its best-selling album.