Top 5Seen using
Photo: Simon Wedege Petersen (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY 3.0
Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Aqua. Every item links to its public source.
7 items · Last checked What gear does Aqua use?
Aqua have been seen using the Roland JV-2080, the synth Rolling Stone credits with changing their sound before Barbie Girl. René Dif has said they love Rick Astley, Lene Nystrøm has said they love Michael Jackson and Annie Lennox, and Søren Rasted has named Simple Minds, David Bowie and U2.
Top 5
Where to start with Aqua's gear.
01
02
Rick Astley
Rick Astley records
Top 5Has said they love
Rick Astley
Rick Astley records“But my all-time favorite, and always will be, is Rick Astley. I really, really love Rick Astley.”
Said in Rolling Stone: People Probably Want to Kill Us, The Oral History of Aqua's Barbie Girl, April 2022
No store page for this one.
03
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson records
Top 5Has said they love
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson records“Michael Jackson has always been my favorite, but when it comes to female singers, I have to go with Annie Lennox.”
Said in Rolling Stone: People Probably Want to Kill Us, The Oral History of Aqua's Barbie Girl, April 2022
No store page for this one.
04
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox records
Top 5Has said they love
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox records“Michael Jackson has always been my favorite, but when it comes to female singers, I have to go with Annie Lennox.”
Said in Rolling Stone: People Probably Want to Kill Us, The Oral History of Aqua's Barbie Girl, April 2022
No store page for this one.
05
Simple Minds
Simple Minds records
Top 5Has said they love
Simple Minds
Simple Minds records“I was into Simple Minds, David Bowie, and U2.”
Said in Rolling Stone: People Probably Want to Kill Us, The Oral History of Aqua's Barbie Girl, April 2022
No store page for this one.
What gear Aqua uses: a sourced gear guide
Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.
Studio
Seen using
Records René loves
Rick Astley
Rick Astley records
Has said they love
Rick Astley
Rick Astley records“But my all-time favorite, and always will be, is Rick Astley. I really, really love Rick Astley.”
Said in Rolling Stone: People Probably Want to Kill Us, The Oral History of Aqua's Barbie Girl, April 2022
No store page for this one.
Records Lene loves
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson records
Has said they love
Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson records“Michael Jackson has always been my favorite, but when it comes to female singers, I have to go with Annie Lennox.”
Said in Rolling Stone: People Probably Want to Kill Us, The Oral History of Aqua's Barbie Girl, April 2022
No store page for this one.
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox records
Has said they love
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox records“Michael Jackson has always been my favorite, but when it comes to female singers, I have to go with Annie Lennox.”
Said in Rolling Stone: People Probably Want to Kill Us, The Oral History of Aqua's Barbie Girl, April 2022
No store page for this one.
Records Søren grew up on
Simple Minds
Simple Minds records
Has said they love
Simple Minds
Simple Minds records“I was into Simple Minds, David Bowie, and U2.”
Said in Rolling Stone: People Probably Want to Kill Us, The Oral History of Aqua's Barbie Girl, April 2022
No store page for this one.
David Bowie
David Bowie records
Has said they love
David Bowie
David Bowie records“I was into Simple Minds, David Bowie, and U2.”
Said in Rolling Stone: People Probably Want to Kill Us, The Oral History of Aqua's Barbie Girl, April 2022
No store page for this one.
U2
U2 records
Has said they love
“I was into Simple Minds, David Bowie, and U2.”
Said in Rolling Stone: People Probably Want to Kill Us, The Oral History of Aqua's Barbie Girl, April 2022
No store page for this one.
Questions
About Aqua's gear.
What synth did Aqua use on Barbie Girl?
Aqua have been seen using the Roland JV-2080, a synth module that Rolling Stone's 2022 oral history says changed the group's sound in the run up to Aquarium and Barbie Girl.
Who is René Dif's all-time artist?
René Dif has said they love Rick Astley, telling Rolling Stone in 2022 that Rick Astley is his all-time pick and always will be.
What music does Lene Nystrøm love?
Lene Nystrøm has said they love Michael Jackson and, among female singers, Annie Lennox, and that she grew up on classic rock (Rolling Stone, 2022).
What music inspired Søren Rasted?
Søren Rasted has said they love Simple Minds, David Bowie and U2, the acts he was into when he met Claus Norreen at about 18 (Rolling Stone, 2022).
Related gear guides
Setups that share gear with Aqua.
Armin van Buuren
Trance
33 itemsSee Armin van Buuren's gear →
Shadow Child
Garage house and UK garage
23 itemsSee Shadow Child's gear →
N-Trance
Trance
21 itemsSee N-Trance's gear →
Bingo Players
EDM and big room
18 itemsSee Bingo Players's gear →
Long Island Sound
Breakbeat and UK bass
11 itemsSee Long Island Sound's gear →
Named in this guide
A
Aqua
About this guide · Last checked
Aqua is the Danish-Norwegian dance pop group behind Barbie Girl, Doctor Jones and Turn Back Time, with Lene Nystrøm, René Dif and Søren Rasted. This guide covers the synth tied to their breakthrough sound and the artists the members have said they love.
truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Aqua didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.
Report an error or ask for removal. We fix or remove within 72 hours. You don't need to sign up.
Are you Aqua?
Claim this page to make it yours: verify with your Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, keep what's right, drop what isn't, and add your own.
Claim this pagetruerecs gear guides are independent research from public sources, not made or approved by the artist. Store buttons on this page may be affiliate links: truerecs may earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Aqua isn't paid for them. Report an error or ask for removal. Full disclosure.