Alphaville - Forever Gold

Alphaville - Forever Gold

Author: ITMW Music September 20, 2026 Duration: 32:41

The German band Alphaville formed in 1982 and built their music and sound around synthesizers, drum machines, and layered electronic keyboards becoming one of the great synth-pop bands from the era.

The band was co-founded by vocalist Marian Gold and keyboardists Bernhard Lloyd and Frank Mertens. Led by Marian Gold, the band released their debut album, Forever Young, in 1984 which included two classic hits, the title track “Forever Young” and their first single released, the number 1 hit, "Big in Japan". 

Using catchy and lush electronic hooks, moody and cinematic atmospheres, and Gold's dramatic soaring vocals, Alphaville's music often explored bittersweet nostalgia, romanticism, and dystopian futures while influencing subsequent generations of synth-pop and new wave artists.

The band performs today led by Marian Gold, the only original member with the band and who has been a continuous member of the group since their inception.

This episode tells the story of Alphaville and their early days, the classic debut album, the following albums from the band into the 90's, and Marian Gold who has forever imprinted himself in the world of music with "Forever Young". 


Journey back to the heart of the 1980s alternative music explosion with Inside the Milky Way-A Look at Early Alternative Music. This podcast digs deep into the fertile ground that gave rise to post-punk, dark wave, synth-pop, industrial, and the foundational indie scenes. Each episode is a curated exploration, weaving together the stories of iconic and overlooked artists, the influential contributors behind the scenes, and the seminal tracks that defined a generation. We discuss the cultural themes and pivotal events that shaped this transformative era, from underground clubs to breakthrough moments on the charts. The show’s title, inspired by The Church’s 1988 classic "Under the Milky Way," reflects our focus on the dreamy, introspective, and often gritty soundscapes that characterized the time. Listen for a rich blend of music history, critical discussion, and personal reflection on the bands and movements that refused to follow the mainstream. Inside the Milky Way is more than a retrospective; it’s an immersive audio experience for dedicated fans and curious newcomers alike, offering context and connection to the music that built a lasting alternative culture. Tune in to hear the stories behind the sounds.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Inside the Milky Way - A Look at Early Alternative Music
Podcast Episodes
Björk - The Sugarcubes Years [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:06
The Sugarcubes were an Icelandic alternative band that formed in 1986, and by the time the band ended in 1992 they had become Iceland's biggest music group. During this short career, The Sugarcubes were a complex post-pu…
Cabaret Voltaire - The Original Sound of Sheffield [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:24
The story of Cabaret Voltaire began when they formed in Sheffield, England in 1973 by Chris Watson, Richard H Kirk, and Stephen Mallinder. The band would go on to one of the most innovative, influential, and pioneering i…
Primal Scream - The Loaded Screamadelica [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:49
Screamadelica, the 1991 third studio album from Primal Scream, was a defining album as it successfully fused indie rock with electronic, techno, and house dance music. The album was instrumental in bringing this musical…
Origins of Alternative Music: The Velvet Underground [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:50
The Velvet Underground formed in New York City in 1964 and has been considered by many as one of the most influential American rock bands. The band's music contained experimentation with instrumentation and sounds while…
45 Grave - Halloween from the Grave [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:53
When 45 Grave formed in Los Angeles in 1979, their music would combine punk rock with a dark and horror themed aesthetic becoming one of the first American gothic rock bands as they helped create the genre, deathrock. Af…
Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi and a Dark Field [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:51
When Bauhaus created the song “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” and released it as their debut single in early 1979, they did not realize the impact the song and the band's aesthetic would have on culture and music. The song would be…
Chrome - Sonics of Another World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:32
Chrome was one of the more unusual alternative bands that arrived on the 70's San Francisco music scene. Chrome’s music would often take on sci-fi themes while employing tape loops, distortion and overloaded acid rock gu…
Blancmange - The Sweet Synth of Luscombe and Arthur [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:57
Blancmange formed in London in 1979 behind vocalist Neil Arthur and instrumentalist Stephen Luscombe. On their way to becoming a classic synth-pop duo, they would take a more exotic approach to the music than others in t…
The Raincoats - Storming the Social Conscience [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:08
In 1977 two art school students in London, Ana da Silva and Gina Birch, would start the post-punk band, The Raincoats. Not only did they develop an unusual sound and approach to music incorporating experimental and other…