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Gothic-music

What is Gothic music?

It is very simple: it is music Goths like to listen to.
At the beginning of the 1980s Gothic revived in its present form and this also saw the coming of many new bands.
Some famous names from those days are among other things: the Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees and the Damned.

The Cure

Halfway through the 1980s bands such as Sisters of Mercy emerged.
Bands like Kraftwerk too became very well-known at the end of the 1970s.
Just like any other kinds of music Gothic music is a broad concept.
There are several styles within Gothic, such as gothic-metal, gothic-rock, electro, industrial, dark wave, medieval etc.

Gothic rock/Death rock

This is the origin, although the genre, apart from the occasional exception, is no longer in use.
Simple bass and drums are accompanied by vocals and guitars are drowned in reverbs, in order to achieve a bombastic gothic sound. Famous bands: Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, Joy Division. Today their heritage is being continued by dark wavers.

Sisters Of Mercy

EBM, also known as: Electronic Body Music

This genre is completely electronic. Characteristic for this music are the hard 4/4 beats, staccato bass lines and tragic melodies. The vocals are often distorted but not necessarily so. Famous bands are: VNV Nation, Cyborg Attack, Accessory, Suicide Commando. This type of music emerged around the 1980s and currently knows a revival.

VNV Nation

Dark wave

This is the more electronic variety of gothic rock. Synthesizers and drum computers were introduced into the gothic rock style and soon dominated the genre. Atmospheric beats, dark vocal parts and dark echoing vocals. Bands: Deine Lakaien, Clan of Xymox, Diary of dreams, Diorama.

Clan of Xymox

Neofolk

Many bands in this genre consist of industrial musicians who have rediscovered acoustic instruments. Melancholic, peaceful music played on acoustic guitars, flutes, violins and cellos. The texts often deal with the simple life of the old days and esoteric themes. Bands: Death in June, Of the wand and the moon, Current 93, Ostara.

Death in June

Industrial/rhythmic industrial music

Factory noise is combined with distorted beats. This genre consists of grinding sound scapes and hard violent music containing rhythmical sounds only. Bands: Converter, Morgenstern, Asche, Imminent starvation.

Asche

Dark ambient

Dark sound scapes and peacefully rippling synth tones are combined with a dark underground. It is dark chill music. Bands: Ah Cama sotz, The Law-rah collective, Raison d'etre.

Ah Cama sotz

Synth/future pop

Generally speaking this is the more popular and more cheerful form of EBM. Song structures that have a beginning and an end with sing along choruses and nice songs which do well on the dance floor. Bands: Depeche Mode, De/Vision, Echo image, Mesh.

Depeche Mode

Medieval

Medieval music is either carried out in the traditional way or in the modern way. This type of music often has dark wave influences for a more dramatic effect. Bands: Corvus Corax, Helium Vola, Arcana, Qntal.

Corvus Corax

Gothabilly

This style is the odd one out. Gothabilly combines Rockabilly and Psychobilly with gothic rock and death rock. It is as though both Elvis Presley and Andrew Eldritch, joined together in one single person, have sold their souls to the Devil. Gothabilly is fast music, with surf like guitar works which are drowned in reverb, rolling jungle drums with Gothic rock'n'rollers plucking contrabasses. The texts are about B horror movies, murder and (kinky) sex. Bands: Psychocharger, Cult of the Psychic fetus, Deadbolt, Empress of fur.

Cult of the Psychic fetus

New Wave

Everyone thought that this style was dead, but has re-emerged in the 21st century. Experimental, dark pop music. Not as melancholic as its dark brother Dark wave, but nevertheless not very happy music. In the past: Talking Heads, Wire, Echo & the Bunnymen, now: The Faint, Phantom Limbs en Interpol.

Talking Heads

Electro/electro clash

This music is a borderline case just like Gothabilly. Synthpop, which originated in the early 1980s, is combined with New Wave, Disco, Electro-hip-hop, Techno and EBM. Some bands can almost be labelled EBM. (Terence Fixmer, Charles Manier), others are heading for the disco direction (Legowelt, Parallax corporation), and some of them are approaching synth-new wave (Porn.darsteller, Miss Kittin & the hacker).

Miss Kittin & the hacker

Martial/ritual/Military pop

Bombastic music based on classical samples with often military themes. This genre is characterised by recited lyrics, often about war and political and geopolitical events. Some bands are inclined towards a songlike approach. Of late these bands are also considered to be "Militairy pop". Famous names: Der Blutharsch, Arcana, Derniere Volonte, A challenge of honour.

Der Blutharsch

Powernoise/Powerelectronics

This genre finds its origin in the legendary cult band Throbbing Gristle. It hardly knows beats, but consists of pulsating drones (electronics), or just unstructured noise. The texts are usually malicious and are about serial killings, genocide and the dark, bloody side of the human race. Some acts (The Grey Wolves) also lean towards Dark ambient. Bands: Haus Arafna, Genocide Organ, Suttclife Jugend, Subliminal, Thorofon.

Throbbing Gristle

Shoegazer

Music consisting of simple (often sampled) drum patterns, and murmuring guitars, that have been drowned in effects into the extreme. Often the female singers sing in thin and dreamy voices. The music is noisy, but also very relaxed and lethargic. Bands: My bloody Valentine, Ride, Pluramon, Lush.

Gothic-metal

In Gothic-metal there are often bands with a female singer with a high clear voice and a singer with a low, raw tone of voice.
Some Goths think this is not Gothic music, but others do.
An example is Tristania.

Tristania

There are also bands that have rather been influenced by classical music. An example is Lacrimosa.

Lacrimosa

Some bands cannot be categorised.
An example is Sopor Aeternus.

Sopor Aeternus

In my opinion the best Gothic band is and will always be Malochia.
Unfortunately, this band no longer exists.