B R O T H E R A L P H A B E T wrote:
quoted 2 lines what makes gothic music "gothic"...i mean what attributes?> what makes gothic music "gothic"...i mean what attributes?
> Also...what groups are gothic...
Normally I would refer this discussion to alt.gothic, but since everyone's
discussing encryption schemes on there I guess this is as appropriate a
place as any :)
It is hard to define what makes certain music "gothic" - if this were so
easy to do, much of the enigmatic attraction of the genre would disappear.
Most people would agree, however that it corresponds to a certain emotional
state. Some common themes associated with this state are: obsession with
beauty in decay (not necessarily death) in a deeply historical and spiritual
sense; respect for the recurring cycles of destruction and in nature,
critical examination of religion (and its counterpart - death of religion) as
coexisting with a wide array of (mostly European) cultural archetypes. At
least this is what makes certain music "gothic" for me. Most differences in
taste relate to how deeply the above themes are integrated into "pop" culture
(vampire/horror flicks, etc..). For the more philosophical types this stuff
can get awfully pretentious. Anyway, it also important to remember that the
experience of feeling "gothic" is a very personal one; what is "gothic" for
me is not necessarily what is "gothic" for you. This is due, once again, to
the high level of emotion involved - emotions are quite nebulous. Some
people find it best sitting in a room with all the lights off (perhaps
alone, perhaps with a girlfriend), CD of your choice spinning out the
ambience of the night. Some people would rather go to a club, dressed all in
black with plenty of eyeliner, smoking two packs of cigarretes (Death brand:))
and talking the whole night about being a bat. The point is, whatever
experience is valid for you, is a valis member of the set of all possible
experiences. This applies especially to music.
Although there are many examples of classical music (both ancient and
modern) that instill this type of feeling, I would have to say that because
of the particular historical sensibilities involved (concerning our
particular place in history) the "gothic movement" is a necessarily
postmodern, postpunk phenomenon. Never before have we had the opportunity to
be conscious of so many historical movements at once. Never before have we
enjoyed the pluralism necessary for reflecting on this unique position. With
this in mind, most people assume the first "goth" band to be Bauhaus,
although early Siouxsie, Joy Division, and the Damned provide serious
alternatives. Then came the Sisters of Mercy and Christian Death ... later Fields of
the Nephilim - these are still the most popular goth bands today, and what
you'd here most people talking about. However, considering these alone
leaves out a plethora of concurrent achievements, many of which delve deeper
into the entire "gothic" thing while also touching on other styles. The
following are some excellent bands considered to be "goth" besides those
mentioned...
And Also the Tres
Coil (early stuff only)
Clock Dva (Advantage album only)
Current 93
Death in June
Dead Can Dance (early stuff)
Legendary Pink Dots (some stuff)
Ordo Equitum Solis
Sixth Comm
Sol Invictus
... and almost anything on Projekt (Lycia, Black Tape for a Blue Girl, Love
is Colder than Death, etc...)
Of course there are a lot more - I just listed the ones I'm partial to.
SOmeone has the "complete goth band list".. i'll mail you a copy when I find
it.
ObIDM:
As far as idm goes, I agree little has been tried in this genre. Some Coil
perhaps but this is really stretching it. Actually one idm-track I consider
to be very gothic is "Blue Calx" by the Aphex Twin. This has to be heard to
believed, and I am so happy he's including it again on SAWII so more people
can hear it. All the machines winding down as the sun sets for the last
time... beautiful.
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"categories strain, crack, and sometimes break | Harvey D. Thornburg
step out of the space provided" -NWW | hthornbu@osiris.ac.hmc.edu
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