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evilpoppy · 07-16-2007, 01:19 AM

Firstly I don't want to turn this into a muso elitist bitching session, but this is something that has come up in a number of threads and I am just kind of interested.

I just wonder how people naturally think about the labels we use to describe ourselves and the music we listen to.

I remember being informed when I wandered into some girl by mistake at a Goth club that 'Goth' was whatever music 'Goth's listened to.

But for me 'it is all about the music'. A Goth is someone who listens to Goth music, and Goth music is in general a sound that dwells in the continuum between Punk and Post-Punk, and heads a little into rock (although IMHO the later Goth Rock sound of the late '80's almost qualifies as a separate genre.)

What makes a this certain brand of Punk-Post-Punk unique is hard to define. But for me I guess it is a moving beyond the simple images of destruction and rebellion offered by elements of Punk into the ground of dark, artistic, glam, camp, subversion. Especially subverting religious imagery and that which people fear and reject or suppress (the Jungian Shadow).

So I guess it makes perfect sense to use the Gothic label beyond the boundaries of the punk-post-punk musical genre. However its use often seems rather obscure. It seems to work with aspects of Shoegaze, Dreampop, Minimal Industrial and Ethereal but less so with Dark Elektro and Metal. And of course I realised recently that even the term Goth-Industrial has totally different meanings in different geographical locations.

I am also fascinated by the label 'Alternative'. Alternative to what I wonder? Much music labelled under 'Alternative' seems to be far more mainstream than the music I might listen to that would be labelled 'Indie'. Alt.Rock seems to mean big label, heavily marketed, with an image of rebellion that is straight out of the 1950's (wind up your parents).

So the question is: Is Goth still usably a musical genre term, and what musically does Goth mean to you? And I am genuinely interested, not just looking to bitch my Batcave bum off.

07-16-2007, 01:19 AM	#1
evilpoppy Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: UK Posts: 60	Labels - 'Goth', 'Alternative', etc. Firstly I don't want to turn this into a muso elitist bitching session, but this is something that has come up in a number of threads and I am just kind of interested. I just wonder how people naturally think about the labels we use to describe ourselves and the music we listen to. I remember being informed when I wandered into some girl by mistake at a Goth club that 'Goth' was whatever music 'Goth's listened to. But for me 'it is all about the music'. A Goth is someone who listens to Goth music, and Goth music is in general a sound that dwells in the continuum between Punk and Post-Punk, and heads a little into rock (although IMHO the later Goth Rock sound of the late '80's almost qualifies as a separate genre.) What makes a this certain brand of Punk-Post-Punk unique is hard to define. But for me I guess it is a moving beyond the simple images of destruction and rebellion offered by elements of Punk into the ground of dark, artistic, glam, camp, subversion. Especially subverting religious imagery and that which people fear and reject or suppress (the Jungian Shadow). So I guess it makes perfect sense to use the Gothic label beyond the boundaries of the punk-post-punk musical genre. However its use often seems rather obscure. It seems to work with aspects of Shoegaze, Dreampop, Minimal Industrial and Ethereal but less so with Dark Elektro and Metal. And of course I realised recently that even the term Goth-Industrial has totally different meanings in different geographical locations. I am also fascinated by the label 'Alternative'. Alternative to what I wonder? Much music labelled under 'Alternative' seems to be far more mainstream than the music I might listen to that would be labelled 'Indie'. Alt.Rock seems to mean big label, heavily marketed, with an image of rebellion that is straight out of the 1950's (wind up your parents). So the question is: Is Goth still usably a musical genre term, and what musically does Goth mean to you? And I am genuinely interested, not just looking to bitch my Batcave bum off.