Can Instrumental Music be Goth?

[4mytribe]

Im interested in that I am an instrumental artist. I dont know exactly how to classify my music but its probably contempory Piano or something and not Goth. So Im not trying to play off like I'm a Goth.

I do like the people here and am just interesting in what you would have to say to that.

[roserougesang]

I think it can, many bands I've listened to have had at least one instrumental track. Some recommended instruments include violin, harp and piano.

[4mytribe]

Originally Posted by roserougesang

I think it can, many bands I've listened to have had at least one instrumental track. Some recommended instruments include violin, harp and piano.

Interesting as I have never been exposed to Goth I would be interested in some instrumental Goth music or music you feel is that way.

I'm real not playing games. I love different styles and feel they have allways helped me evolve as an artist. Thanks if you have the time to dig them up I will listen and I'm sure it will influence me as all new things do.

Thanks

Your friend,

Marcus Danis

[horrorgirl]

Midnight Syndicate is a really cool band that does horror themed instrumental music. A lot of haunted house attractions use their albums as backround music. You should check them out.

[tenet_2012]

I listen to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Grieg, Vivaldi, ect...

I consider myself goth; not in appearance but in thought and attitude.

[Mood]

There can be Gothic inspiration in almost any kind of music. Vivaldi, for example, has some very Gothic-sounding, bone chilling pieces, for example Pax Hominibus, that express depressed feelings of death and darkness far better than any electronically enhanced guitar band.

[4mytribe]

Originally Posted by Mood

There can be Gothic inspiration in almost any kind of music. Vivaldi, for example, has some very Gothic-sounding, bone chilling pieces, for example Pax Hominibus, that express depressed feelings of death and darkness far better than any electronically enhanced guitar band.

I feel you - I just released a piece - its not gothic but its mine - www.soundclick.com

A song for Mary-Ann and her friend

i'm tired


night

[Mood]

You slut your music around a lot, don't you?

[4mytribe]

Originally Posted by Mood

You slut your music around a lot, don't you?

At least I'm not a real whore like a politician. That would really be discusting and I dont think that I could live with that. Man I gotta go to bed I'm tossed.

[Kali Maxwell]

Yes, it can be. It doesn't have to have words to be Gothic.

Midnight Syndicate is very good, but in my opinion, Nox Arcana is far better.

[pitseleh]

You know, sleepyhead, that if you keep shilling you music like that someone might eventually give you an honest critique of it. Is that what you want? All you have to do is ask, man...

On answering your question: Of course, a lot of instrumental music has elements one could associate with a gothic atmosphere. It could be the guitars are playing certain minor key scales, it could be there are eerie scraping cellos, an overall echo-y sound... For me it's kinda like, if I hear something, some component of a band's sound, that I can relate to some 80's post-punk/gloom-pop act on 4AD or Mute, that makes me happy. I would never call something like Godspeed You! Black Emperor a "gothic" band, but the dark atmosphere is definitely there.

Usually though, I find most instrumental acts that consider themselves gothic/darkwave have a way of writing songs that never stray far from the set boundaries of certain sullen moods, and generically played instruments swathed in reverb. There's a lot of good darkwave out there, sure, but as a genre it can be a bit too restrictive. I like instrumental music to be more free-form, with an organic sound. Like the aforementioned, and also Mogwai, Shora, Amber Asylum... But hey, I like electronic/ambient and some jazz too. Miles Davis, now that's some instrumental music. Check out the "Bitches Brew Sessions" box, for instance...

[Mood]

To me, it isn't that the artists meant for their music to be Gothic, but that the Gothic community found it that way when they heard it.

If you try to write Gothic music, you're stuck within the perimeters of the stereotype. When you are merely writing about the emotion you feel or the experience, it becomes way more relevant and human than any "goth" song could, making it all the more Gothic...if you understand what I mean.

[DAAS]

hmm well i guse it could be classafied as gothic orcestra or some thing like that

[Nemesion]

I don't think that purely instrumental music could ever be given a classification. If the people who listen to it happen to be goth, it doesn't mean the music should be labelled so.

[end.of.eternity]

Of course instrumental music can have gothic features.

[Snugglekeeg]

Dead Can Dance write a lot of instrumental and tribal music, and they are very well recieved by the "goth" community. And if you haven't noticed there is quite a lot of diversity when it comes to "goth" music, just take a look at the Dresden Dolls for instance.

[Nemesion]

Originally Posted by end.of.eternity

Of course instrumental music can have gothic features.

My previous post was rather inadequate. I was thinking that the thread was purely about classical music. Had I read more of this thread's posts, then I would have agreed with end.of.eternity.

[aspendeath]

Has anyone ever listened to Black Aria by Glenn Danzig? That's a gothic instrumental album if I've ever heard one..

[A Simple Poet]

The Phantom of the Opera overture comes to mind. Mozart's Requium too, perhaps.

I think that there are a lot of "gothic" elements present in a variety of the classical artists previously mentioned. I, like Tenet, consider myself Goth without necessarily looking the part ... this can also translate to my choice of music as well.

[ECAkeris]

Originally Posted by 4mytribe

Im interested in that I am an instrumental artist. I dont know exactly how to classify my music but its probably contempory Piano or something and not Goth. So Im not trying to play off like I'm a Goth.

I do like the people here and am just interesting in what you would have to say to that.

I'm strongly inclined to so no, i can only think of one instrumental Goth track and that's Incubation by Joy Division, but they use Electric guitar, bass and drums.

I'd have to hear it first obviously, but without vocals it's very unlikely to be Goth. It would probably come under Ambient, and possibly Dark Ambient (there are a lot of sub-genres).

[Niels]

Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig von Beethoven is a beautiful sad, sort of depressing piano masterpiece.

Maybe not 'gothic' but very inspiring.

[Virulent Dryad]

In answer to the original question. Yes, instrumental music can be classified as gothic music. On a wider scale, a part of the gothic sub-culture is Romanticism, both literature and music. So music from the Romantic era could very well pass off as gothic, it just depends on the tune. There's a lot of darker, more eerie sounding tunes like Beethovens 5th symphony or even many works by Wagner have that sort of sound to them. It may not be modern gothic, but it's good enough for me.

[bedlam babe]

Urggg I went to the Ministry/Revolting Cocks concert thinking that they were going to play some good industrial(Everyday is Halloween or Beers Steers and Queers)but no,they had to play all this metal CRAP!!

I was so upset that was a waste of 60$ damn dollars. . . someone please console me.

Plus there were no cute industrialbois no all there were was smelly biker men.oh what can you expect from Houston.

[Defy]

Why not?

I think goth music is come from the sound of instument.
if the sound make you feel goth, it' goth

[CreepyTendencies]

I think that instrumental music can absolutely be "gothic." Midnight Syndicate and Nox Arcana are two great examples of spooky, atmospheric soundscape artists whom I think are excellent examples of this. Also, The Shroud has some very haunting instrumental pieces on their albums. The Mediaeval Baebes have some great arrangements too that have arguably gothic undertones.