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Dark culture (German Schwarze Szene; Portuguese cultura obscura; Spanish escena oscura; Italian scena Dark or scena gotica), also called dark alternative scene, is a mixture of thematically related subcultures including the goth and dark wave subculture, the dark neoclassical/dark ambient scene, parts of the post-industrial scene (with the genres electro-industrial, EBM, aggrotech and dark electro) parts of neofolk and the early gothic metal scene. [1] Dark culture's origin lies in followers of dark wave and independent music, but over the decades it has developed to a social network held together by a common concept of aesthetics, self-representation, and individualism. The musical preferences of the dark scene are characterized by a mix of styles ranging from gothic metal, to industrial dance music and dark ambient, to dark neoclassical, neo-medieval and dark folk music, to gothic rock, dark wave and post-punk, the darker ends of electropop. [2] [3]
Dark culture has historically been used as an umbrella term to describe several subcultures, only emerging as its own movement in the late 1980s. Dark culture includes goth and dark wave culture, electro subculture and parts of the neofolk and post-industrial subcultures. Sometimes referred to as 'dark alternative scene', the term is rarely used in the English language, despite its significance in shaping several other movements and subcultures that emerged throughout history. In this context, the "culture" should not be understood as closed subculture, but as a social environment, consisting of people with similar preferences. [4] Dark culture is regarded as a community defined by common interests such as art, fashion, philosophy, and arguably most significantly, by music. Originating from the shared appreciation of dark wave and independent music, the term now collectively used as 'dark music', dark culture emerged to represent a group of people who define themselves through internal symbols and alternate forms of media. In the 21st century, the culture is appreciated as a heterogeneous collection of different subcultural currents, [5] without being tied to a particular style of music, associated thinking, behavior, or dress code, despite most members sharing similar interests of such due to its emergence from the dark scene.
The scene is not a musically or aesthetically closed and homogeneous group but rather it is composed of many different currents, some of which may be diametrically opposed in their musical or fashion ideals. The anchor that holds all elements of dark culture together can be viewed as the color black with all its associated symbolism. It is seen as an expression of seriousness, darkness and mysticism, but also of hopelessness and emptiness, melancholy, as well as its association with mourning and death. [2] [6] The dark scene is a community which defines itself through the characteristic fashions of the different currents, as well as through its media and meeting places, especially events and dance clubs.
Although the significant movement of 'dark culture' only emerged in the late 1980s, a deeper history exists that inspired this movement dating back to the 1600s during the emergence of witchcraft and witches in Early Modern Europe, as well as the influence from Victorian iconographies. [7] The origin of the term 'dark culture' initially appeared in Berlin, its use slowly emerging in more magazines and reports, finally becoming a widely-used term in the 1990s.
The term was used initially to target a specific group of magazine readers who shared similar interests in the dark scene, the magazine Zillo [8] considered the most important media platform for dark culture and was at the forefront of anchoring the term 'dark culture' into modern language. Mostly used as a generic term for all sub-scenes and trends in the black scene, nowadays the term is preferred by a large number of scene followers. By 2010, it can be said that the term had properly established itself, particularly in sociology and youth culture research. Due to its emergence in Germany, an assessment was done to conduct the size of German dark culture in 2004, resulting in an estimation of around 50,000 to 100,000 members of people, [9] this number later re-confirmed in 2010. This number has since grown and spreads internationally by the day, members of dark culture forming in many countries around the world.
The broad spectrum of dark culture has many elements that comprise the movement's general description. Music, the colour black, and fashion can be viewed as the main features of dark culture and are a few of the characteristics that allow for individual expression within the movement itself. The element of religion has been historically scrutinised as a signifier of dark culture, however many members of the scene attribute occultist ways of thinking to religious beliefs.
Dark culture is divided into different currents, some of which are in stark contrast to one another in their musical and fashion ideas. [10] The musical preferences of the different supporters of the black scene are characterized by a style mix that covers a broad spectrum from avant-garde to electronic pop music, early music, neo-classical and folk to punk rock, techno and ambient. [11] The term dark music is preferred in the social and cultural studies of music within dark culture, used as a collective term for the entirety of the music received in this scene. [4] Alternate dark waves of music includes darkcore, dark ambient, dark cabaret, dark folk, dark psytrance, and dark wave music which is part of the new wave movement.
Due to its internationally recognized events and the high proportion of music produced in Germany, the German subculture is perceived as outstanding and special. Much of dark culture's foundations can be attributed to beginning in Germany, where the movement is celebrated by many, particularly visible in the element of music. Throughout Germany, dark music is very popular and each year the country hosts a number of festivals that celebrate this musical genre. 'Wave-Gotik-Treffen' is an annual festival held in Leipzig, Germany, which honours 'dark music' and 'dark culture', attracting between 18,000 - 20,000 [12] attendees each year. The event is one of the largest worldwide celebrations of the gothic, cybergoth, steampunk, and rivethead subcultures, hosting up to 200 alternate bands each year.
The colour black within dark culture can be noted as the lowest common denominator in recognizing features of this movement. Black is a central part of communication within dark culture, symbolizing and representing a vast spectrum of elements this scene represents, within emotion, fashion, music, and general behavior. Among other things, it is a visual expression of feelings surrounding hopelessness, melancholy, darkness, and is moreover most significantly used as a reference towards grief and death.
In addition to the color black, aesthetic awareness and a theme of individuality has been at the center of dark culture. These factors require a constant individual self-presentation against the background of what can be considered as 'the norm'. Thus, the main points of social demarcation are stylistic and visually aesthetic, whereby the fashion and style becomes the core content of self-expression.
Since its emergence, dark culture has differentiated a range of sub-scenes, resulting in a variation of emerging styles, all independent however in close similarity to a general 'gothic style'. The different currents of dark culture often intrinsically influenced one another throughout the gradual development of the movement. [13] While there were always dominant style elements in the different time periods in which dark culture has existed, these were often combined with other current or past styles, however all generally corresponding to a typical 'gothic style' which has existed for many years and can be dated back to styles existing during the Victorian era. Despite the deep rooting in the history of dark culture's fashion, the evolution of stylistic elements and their fluid nature means that the scene cannot be reduced to a certain appearance. A general similarity can only be determined in the dominance of the color black, the general appearance of dark culture usually corresponding to a mixed form of different stylistic elements.
The colour black and the rise of consciousness surrounding aesthetics and visual self expression have been developed through the stylistic elements that dark culture represents. Although the fashion of the movement cannot be narrowed down to one particular style, there are notable common aesthetic choices made by members of the scene. Body jewelry such as piercings and tattoos are just as common as clothing in the realm of self-expression in dark culture. Jewelry is mostly worn in silver and steel and often include animal symbols in the form of spiders, snakes and scorpions as well as religious and mythological symbols. [14] Furthermore, alternate materials that are generally seen as more 'alternate' fashion choices are enjoyed by dark culture designers such as leather, mesh and velvet. Articles of clothing that are also seen as more androgynous are common within the scene, such as men's skirts and more masculine fits of clothing worn by females to challenge societal gender norms.
Religion as an element of dark culture has been viewed by many in the scene as an abstract topic that is constantly critically questioned. The concept of death which stands as a main theme within dark culture, as well as the human emotion in dealing with mourning is considered by some members of the movement to be relative to religious content. Throughout recent years, the attention to the topic of faith has been attributed to humanity's continuation in attaining the meaning behind the concept of being, which has been seen as especially prevalent within youth. This engagement with finding a higher power of meaning in life, specifically within religion, although not directly relative, has been considered by some to be a leading element of what dark culture represents. In the scene, religious rituals and ceremonies have been explored yet are not engrained in the foundations of what dark culture was bred from. Despite this, the theoretical and practical preoccupation with occultism and esotericism has always been a permanent part of dark culture, and in some ways can be attributed to religious movements and ways of thinking.
Although the term dark culture has been used in scene media and the press since the 1990s, the misleading title Gothic, referring to a sub-flow of the scene, is wrongly used to describe elements specifically linked to dark culture. [15] Since circa 2004, term 'Gothic' has been used by non-members of the dark scene to wrongly title members of dark culture, leading to much confusion and controversy regarding all sub-cultures and sub-flows of dark culture. The "Gothic subculture" is specifically linked to the post-punk, gothic metal and dark neoclassical subsets within the scene, while the term "goth subculture represents an even more narroved down subset, specifically linked to dark offshoots of post-punk music," and thus only represents a small portion of the large spectrum of dark culture, despite Gothicism being used as an overarching term to name all members of the dark scene. [13] Due to this, the use of gothic subculture as a term has sparked controversy within dark culture, most notable in the music press industry and international use of the term, such misuse rooted in confusion and lack of knowledge of the subcultures and their differentiating elements.
Throughout history, highly significant events have evolved in the celebration and acknowledgement of movements surrounding dark culture. A significant event is World Goth Day, which originated in the United Kingdom in 2009; held on 22 May, its observance has spread internationally. Aspects of dark culture's fashion, music, and art are celebrated on this day and combine to honour the history of this movement and the inclusivity and dark expression that it represents. [16]
Events that celebrate the movement include festivals, such as Blackfield, Castle Rock, and Dark Dance which all focus exclusively on interpretations of dark culture. Other events that are not specifically attributed to the celebration of dark culture, however, feature dark music artists and bands include Amphi festival, Dark Malta festival, Secret Garden festival, and Zita rock festival.
Goth is a music-based subculture that began in the United Kingdom during the early 1980s. It was developed by fans of gothic rock, an offshoot of the post-punk music genre. Post-punk artists who presaged the gothic rock genre and helped develop and shape the subculture include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, the Cure, and Joy Division.
Gothic rock is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and the Cure.
Deathrock is a rock music subgenre incorporating horror elements and gothic theatrics. It emerged from punk rock on the West Coast of the United States in the early 1980s and overlaps with the gothic rock and horror punk genres. Notable deathrock acts include Christian Death, Kommunity FK, 45 Grave, and Super Heroines.
Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the goth subculture. A dark, sometimes morbid, fashion and style of dress, typical gothic fashion includes black dyed hair and black clothes. Both male and female goths can wear dark eyeliner, dark nail polish and lipstick, and dramatic makeup. Styles are often borrowed from the Elizabethans and Victorians. BDSM imagery and paraphernalia are also common. Gothic fashion is sometimes confused with heavy metal fashion and emo fashion.
Dark wave is a music genre that emerged from the new wave and post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Dark wave compositions are largely based on minor key tonality and introspective lyrics and have been perceived as being dark, romantic and bleak, with an undertone of sorrow. The genre embraces a range of styles including cold wave, ethereal wave, gothic rock, neoclassical dark wave and neofolk.
A rivethead or rivet head is a person associated with the industrial dance music scene. In stark contrast to the original industrial culture, whose performers and heterogeneous audience were sometimes referred to as "industrialists", the rivethead scene is a coherent youth culture closely linked to a discernible fashion style. The scene emerged in the late 1980s on the basis of electro-industrial, EBM, and industrial rock music. The associated dress style draws on military fashion and punk aesthetics with hints of fetish wear, mainly inspired by the scene's musical protagonists.
Cybergoth is a subculture that derives from elements of goth, raver, rivethead and cyberpunk fashion.
Electro-industrial is a music genre that emerged from industrial music in the early 1980s. While EBM has a minimal structure and clean production, electro-industrial tends to have a grittier, complex and layered sound with a more experimental approach. The style was pioneered by Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Numb, and other groups, either from Canada or the Benelux. In the early 1990s, the style spawned the dark electro genre, and in the mid-/late-1990s, the aggrotech offshoot. The fan base for the style is linked to the rivethead subculture.
Ethereal wave, also called ethereal darkwave, ethereal goth or simply ethereal, is a subgenre of dark wave music that is variously described as "gothic", "romantic", and "otherworldly". Developed in the early 1980s in the UK as an outgrowth of gothic rock, ethereal wave was mainly represented by 4AD bands such as Cocteau Twins, This Mortal Coil, and early guitar-driven Dead Can Dance.
Neue Deutsche Härte, sometimes abbreviated as NDH, is a subgenre of rock music that developed in Germany and Austria during the early-to-mid 1990s and early 2000s. Alluding to the style of Neue Deutsche Welle, the term was coined by the music press after the 1995 release of the German rock and metal band Rammstein's first studio album Herzeleid.
Alternative fashion or alt fashion is fashion that stands apart from mainstream, commercial fashion. It includes both styles which do not conform to the mainstream fashion of their time and the styles of specific subcultures. Some alternative fashion styles are attention-grabbing and more artistic than practical, while some develop from anti-fashion sentiments that focus on simplicity and utilitarianism.
The Toronto goth scene, the cultural locus of the goth subculture in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and the associated music and fashion scene, has distinct origins from goth scenes of other goth subcultural centres, such as the UK or Germany. Originally known as the "Batcavers", the term "goth" appeared only after 1988, when it was applied to the pre-existent subculture. Distinctive features included internationally recognized gothic and vampiric fashion store 'Siren', a goth-industrial bar named 'Sanctuary: The Vampire Sex Bar', and Forever Knight, a television series about an 800-year-old vampire living in Toronto. In Toronto, the goths did not seek to reject mainstream status, and achieved partial acceptance throughout the mid to late 1990s.
A number of overlapping punk rock subgenres have developed since the emergence of punk rock in the mid-1970s. Even though punk genres at times are difficult to segregate, they usually show differing characteristics in overall structures, instrumental and vocal styles, and tempo. However, sometimes a particular trait is common in several genres, and thus punk genres are normally grouped by a combination of traits.
Futurepop is an electronic music genre that has been characterized as a blend of synth-pop, EBM and dance beats, based on trance and techno.
Sonic Seducer is a German music magazine that covers gothic rock, new wave, EBM and other kinds of electronic music and culture. The magazine is noted for organizing the annual M'era Luna Festival. Since its inception in 1994, the Sonic Seducer has become one of the major publications of the dark culture in Germany.
Neue Deutsche Todeskunst is a musical genre that developed in Germany in the late 1980s. It is credited with establishing the German language in the dark wave movement, although there were already such German bands as Xmal Deutschland, Geisterfahrer, and Malaria!.
Zillo was a German alternative music magazine, published monthly, originally edited by Rainer "Easy" Ettler. It was in circulation between 1989 and 2014. The headquarters of Zillo were in Lübeck.
Orkus is a monthly German music and culture magazine published by the Zoomia Media Group. Despite its subtitle and its web tagline, it includes all popular music genres including metal, medieval rock, Neue Deutsche Härte, alternative rock, electro and futurepop. The gothic rock, dark wave and industrial music genres have had only a minor presence since the late 1990s.
Modern pagan music or neopagan music is music created for or influenced by modern Paganism. Music produced in the interwar period include efforts from the Latvian Dievturība movement and the Norwegian composer Geirr Tveitt. The counterculture of the 1960s established British folk revival and world music as influences for American neopagan music. Second-wave feminism created women's music which includes influences from feminist versions of neopaganism. The United States also produced Moondog, a Norse neopagan street musician and composer. The postwar neopagan organisations Ásatrúarfélagið in Iceland and Romuva in Lithuania have been led by musicians.