There are still goths? Cool. I thought they were swallowed up by the emo/hipster thingamadoodle. posted by Malice at 2:03 PM on January 6 [4 favorites]
Making fun of earnest young people is probably a sign of being old, bitter, and mean. It is also irresistible. posted by GenjiandProust at 2:05 PM on January 6 [28 favorites]
To be honest, there's not a great deal of difference between those three pieces of music. The Combichrist track is just the Vengaboys one with the Doctor Who theme laid over the top. posted by pipeski at 2:06 PM on January 6 [6 favorites]
Combichrist seems kind of cool. I will have to check them out. posted by koeselitz at 2:08 PM on January 6 [5 favorites]
Hm. Well, Combichrist seems kind of like a Nine Inch Nails retread, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. posted by koeselitz at 2:11 PM on January 6
And One basically made their career out of the fact that EBM and Eurodance are indistinguishable save for some extra drilling noises. posted by griphus at 2:12 PM on January 6 [8 favorites]
Yeah, my hubs and I are now interested in Combichrist. Gonna listen to some more of their music. posted by Malice at 2:14 PM on January 6
"Two Goths" Well aggrotech is a subdivision of Industrial (well ok Electro-Industrial) so I think techincally it makes then Rivetheads
(I'm just happy I've already heard of Combrichrist so I'm totally down with the kids still, right? Right?) posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:15 PM on January 6 [5 favorites]
Hm. Well, Combichrist seems kind of like a Nine Inch Nails retread, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
I think the big difference between bands like Combichrist (and Wolfsheim and VNV Nation and Apop and etc.) and NIN is that Reznor's music was dance-y only incidentally, right up until the point when he realized what he was actually trying to do with music. posted by griphus at 2:16 PM on January 6 [3 favorites]
Yeah. I guess I don't mind dance music, though – and I like the idea of dancing goths. We need more dancing goths.
"OK Goths, you can defend that end... yeah that's it put your bags and coats down for a goal... hey, you do know you are only supposed to have one goalie, right? What... what are doing... where are going now?!" posted by fearfulsymmetry at 2:22 PM on January 6
Baby, dye your hair black and make your face glow
Meet me in the fields out behind the dynamo posted by davebush at 2:23 PM on January 6
I guess I don't mind dance music, though...
Oh, EBM is wonderful dance music; I didn't mean that NIN was in some way better for not being dancey. Some of my best times in college was going to EBM/cybergoth nights and dancing to exactly this music. Poorly, I might add. posted by griphus at 2:23 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
I read agrotech and I was not disappointed. posted by ouke at 2:29 PM on January 6 [3 favorites]
There's a goth club just beside my company's office. Probably the last of its kind. And I swear that one of these days I'll wear some black and visit. I say I'd visit because it would be ironic. I actually would because I'm curious and it seems strange and fun. I probably won't because I'm too nervous. posted by sixohsix at 2:30 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
You may want to read about some of the political positioning of combichrist, before you get too deep into them. This is via one of their openers at a festival that actively protested them (er, the opener protested, not the festival). posted by jonbro at 2:32 PM on January 6 [4 favorites]
I don't know about other areas, but in the tiny Phx scene the goths and the rivits are at the same clubs, dating between genres, and are generally just the same scene. My wardrobe holds black lace on velvet and shiny buckles on lycra. It's because "goth" has become the label for anyone wearing black (just look at the media every time some kid shoots up a school and happens to have a black outfit.) We never liked any of the labels.
Come to the clubs, please. We are like any other group and we are actually friendly to those that are not in all black. posted by _paegan_ at 2:45 PM on January 6 [9 favorites]
This is the best MetaFilter post ever. posted by silby at 2:46 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
I think this may be the first time I've ever seen a music recommendation on the Internet that resulted in my finding music I liked. Where the hell have you all been? posted by Michael Roberts at 2:57 PM on January 6
I CAN RECOMMEND YOU MORE MUSIC LIKE REDNEX, MICHAEL ROBERTS
JUST DO A GOOGLE SEARCH FOR 'REDNEX' OR 'MUSIC TO MURDER MY FAMILY TO WITH AN AXE MADE OF METH'
YOU WILL FIND PLENTY OF THINGS
PLENTY
OF
THINGS posted by robocop is bleeding at 3:00 PM on January 6 [4 favorites]
Someone shopuld do it with Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Most of the goths I knew when I was a teenager were generally goofy or friendly types (if a bit prone to drama at times). This post seems like it would be up their alley. posted by not_on_display at 3:19 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
The Combichrist track is just the Vengaboys one with the Doctor Who theme laid over the top.
I liked this meme a lot better when it was Laurel and Hardy. Maybe I'm just being too fussy today, but this is tripping my "everybody points and laughs at the weird kids" alarms. Maybe the goths themselves are enjoying the attention, I don't know. posted by Ursula Hitler at 3:54 PM on January 6
I don't know about other areas, but in the tiny Phx scene the goths and the rivits are at the same clubs, dating between genres, and are generally just the same scene.
It's the same in London which is by no means a small scene. Actually the majority of the music played in London's goth clubs is industrial, EBM, etc. posted by atrazine at 3:56 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
They look like they are having so much FUN dancing to the Vengaboys.
(Ursula Hitler - I was one of the weird kids everyone pointed and laughed at. I don't think the maker of the videos meant any malice - the original's had over a million views, and goths having fun is almost a trope now - and I wouldn't have posted this if I had. Emo kids are basically modern day Mennonites, with their gathering and their hugging outside Marks and Spencers.) posted by mippy at 4:23 PM on January 6
This reminds me of Mexican Breakfast/Walk It Out from a few years ago. posted by SisterHavana at 5:26 PM on January 6 [1 favorite]
My google-fu is failing me, but I'm sure there was an online widget posted here that lets you put the audio of one YouTube onto the video of another. So many other dance songs that could be applied here... in fact, I'm kinda surprised nobody has gone "Gangnam Style" on these goths yet... posted by oneswellfoop at 5:26 PM on January 6
Goths generally have a sense of humor about things and do not take themselves too seriously. That is one of the reasons why there are still goths. Well, that and the fact that a black trenchcoat looks just as sharp when you're 50. posted by Scientist at 5:33 PM on January 6 [5 favorites]
And One basically made their career out of the fact that EBM and Eurodance are indistinguishable save for some extra drilling noises.
That and the fascist/militarist couture and imagery. posted by acb at 6:02 PM on January 6
Well, that and the fact that a black trenchcoat looks just as sharp when you're 50.
Wait, goths dance like R&B tour supporting dancers now? Or is that technically High NRG, or hardstyle, or eutotrash? I don't even know any more.
Those fancy dance steps are disturbingly perky for goths. I'm worried that they might be having some kind of breakdown, fugue or drug psychosis.
Besides twitching like an electrified Jackson 5 backup dancer they seem to be outside. During the day. In some kind of wide open field, no less, that is distinctly lacking in gravestones. I know it appears to be overcast but the sun could come out at any moment and I'm actually deeply concerned for their safety.
(If you liked Combichrist your genre keywords are hardcore, speedcore, terrorcore and darkcore and you may like some of this:
Related keywords: Breakcore, Free Tekno, Narcotek, noisecore, Darktek.
You may also like some of the newer stuff from Demdike Stare which isn't like the above stuff at all, but a lot of it is mellower, less beat-oriented drones and noises and stuff. And probably spookier.
The only place I have ever heard Cotton Eye Joe played was at a goth club in DC in the 90s. They also liked the Macarena, don't ask me. posted by empath at 9:01 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
The description reminded me of this, which I'd seen earlier. But through the magic of related links:
I really, really dislike Combichrist, for many reasons, some of which were linked above by jonbro, but mostly because I am old and hate the music. It's all doof-bang-grar-fuck-dance-bang-fuck.
But Icon Of Coil were okay.
If I remember the original video was some kind of Vampire Freaks contest.
So, really, I think there's a lot of Worst of the Internet associated with this. *grump*
Sadly, Xorcist's cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit (from '92-ish) is missing so we can't mix it up, and I can't even find Type O Negative's cover. posted by Mezentian at 11:40 PM on January 6 [2 favorites]
Making fun of earnest young people is probably a sign of being old, bitter, and mean.
Nobody makes fun of goths the way goths make fun of goths.
Those fancy dance steps are disturbingly perky for goths. I'm worried that they might be having some kind of breakdown, fugue or drug psychosis.
Nah, just working up a realistic fatigue for the dying-bird-swoopy-arm thinger we do to Bauhaus.
Incidentally, there is a well established trend of what I like to call Comedy Music Hour, where the DJs play all manner of absolutely incongruous music. Here in Brisbane the cornerstone is KC and the Sunshine Band's Rasputin but I've seen the phenomena in other major cities too. Last time I was in Melbourne it was Gwen Stefani's Tic Tock followed by Michael Jackson's Don't Blame it on the Boogie, at which point I fled to the metal room for an auditory flushing out of the system, so to speak. Brutal. Glad it's not just an Australian phenomena. posted by Jilder at 12:41 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
KC and the Sunshine Band's Rasputin, Michael Jackson's Don't Blame it on the Boogie and Gwen Stefani's Tic Tock seem wrong.
I might not know my popular music, but would that not be Boney M, Jackson Five and Ke$ha?
A popular song around here, back in the day, was Aqua's Barbie Girl. posted by Mezentian at 12:51 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
This old-school rivethead has never understood why that industrial dance (a.k.a. "two goths") video gets so many views. If we have to settle for the music of Combichrist - one of my least favourite industrial bands - could we at least watch some betterdancers? posted by velvet winter at 12:56 AM on January 7
I might not know my popular music, but would that not be Boney M, Jackson Five and Ke$ha?
What is this I don't even.
I have heard Barbie Girl on occassion. posted by Jilder at 1:30 AM on January 7
unless you're thinking of Gwen Stefani's What You Waiting For? which does feature a lot of "tick-tock" and predates Ke$ha by some years? posted by heeeraldo at 2:23 AM on January 7
Probably. I leave the club for those, and participate in another proud Australian goth club tradion, Footpath Club, where at least a quarter of the club's patrons pay for entry then spend most of the night hanging out on the footpath out the front. posted by Jilder at 2:38 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Footpath Club only existed because the crappy venues goth clubs were forced to use didn't have air con for summer.
These days, it's probably the smoking bans. posted by Mezentian at 2:43 AM on January 7 [2 favorites]
Those fancy dance steps are disturbingly perky for goths. I'm worried that they might be having some kind of breakdown, fugue or drug psychosis.
I think they might just be having fun - I can't speak for the US, but there's a healthy vein of self-knowledge and indeed deadpan in much northern European goth culture, from outsider observation.
(Conversely, there is a much-told tale about a chap who wanted to be known as Dream - this being the height of the Sandman's hold on our gothic brethren - and became known informally as Dream On, as a warning against taking oneself too seriously.)
Looking at mippy's link to Peanutgirly's later output, it looks like she may have described an arc towards a perkier look, replacing black with pink*. Whereas her dance partner, in a useful evocation of the relative speed of sartorial adaptation between the genders in goth culture, has... taken off his jacket.
The emo look here (emo in the UK sense - not 'emotional hardcore' but kids in eyeliner who liked Korn and Marilyn Manson - I'm not fluent enough in goth to know if Proper Goths looked down on these kids) incorporated a lot of pink. If you imagine the 'scene queen' look except on both boys and girls who were either fairly large or fairly skinny, then it looks a bit like that. (I was 18 in 2000 so just too old to have friends who were emo - kids in my home town were either into poor happy hardcore/Vengaboys or stoners who liked Nirvana and Metallica. I was the only indie/wannabe riot grrl about.)
UK emogoths all seemed to worship Nicky Wire, so maybe that's why the boys went perky effeminate rather than the Miss Haversham effeminate that was popular in the 80s. posted by mippy at 3:33 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Incidentally, there is a well established trend of what I like to call Comedy Music Hour, where the DJs play all manner of absolutely incongruous music. Here in Brisbane the cornerstone is KC and the Sunshine Band's Rasputin but I've seen the phenomena in other major cities too. Last time I was in Melbourne it was Gwen Stefani's Tic Tock followed by Michael Jackson's Don't Blame it on the Boogie, at which point I fled to the metal room for an auditory flushing out of the system, so to speak. Brutal. Glad it's not just an Australian phenomena.
The goth/industrial night I was at for new year's eve played Gangnam Style.
Oppan Gothnam Style. posted by atrazine at 5:59 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
Here, I thought Goths slept all day or hung around bleary eyed in dark cafés smoking. But because of this post, I will now imagine that they go out to pretty rural areas and practice their dance moves in the sun. posted by RedEmma at 6:49 AM on January 7
Am I the only one who was expecting "Norwegian aggrotech" to be, um, more aggressive? (I was thinking Norwegian speed metal mixed with Atari Teenage Riot or something) posted by shoepal at 7:33 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
I was going to object to Combichrist being called Norwegian, as they're based in Atlanta, and fronted by a guy named Andy LaPlegua, which is a very un-norwegian name. Then I read his bio, and saw this: Andy LaPlegua, (born Ole Anders Olsen) born September 15, 1975.
Now THAT'S a very Norwegian name. He could have dropped the Ole and just gone with Anders, rather than Andy, because it has this built-in joke via Workaholics.
And, I have to say, the material in this whole thread is awesome. posted by grajohnt at 7:51 AM on January 7 [1 favorite]
The only place I have ever heard Cotton Eye Joe played was at a goth club in DC in the 90s.
Woooo Traxx! I think I started going there when I was 15. Ah, fun days.. But on a more serious note, yeah fuck Combichrist. Those guys have been dulling up the dance floor for some years now, and then being total assholes to top it off. posted by FatherDagon at 11:27 AM on January 7
Do you ever have a moment when you are sitting in your quiet open work environment, everyone concentrating on spreadsheets and the like, and then you get the giggles and just. cannot. stop. laughing.
I am experiencing this right now. posted by pencroft at 12:31 PM on January 7
Damn. Didn't we spray for goths last week?
posted by Mezentian
Oh, the mocking never gets old... even after 25 years. posted by _paegan_ at 5:32 PM on January 7 [1 favorite]
This is via one of their openers at a festival that actively protested them
I am very glad that I went out dancing last weekend or watching all these dance videos would be killing me! posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 2:47 AM on January 8
I don't know about you guys but Peter Fucking Murphy is touring right now, in the hottest summer in Australia ever, so this week I will be watching the middle-aged goths dancin' like I'm mining a mound of handbags. posted by Mezentian at 7:14 AM on January 8
Oh, the mocking never gets old... even after 25 years.
Actually, it has only been about 15 years since that particular joke was coined,...
Actually, since I wasn't being specific about the joke but about the mocking, I fail to see why a correction is necessary. posted by _paegan_ at 2:31 PM on January 8
Oh. My bad, as the kids say. posted by Mezentian at 12:51 AM on January 9
Any Australians in this thread sitting on the fence about seeing Peter Fucking Murphy this week (unless you are in Adelaide, I suppose), I can simply say that was close to being my favourite concert ever.
That man's voice made me all tingly in the whatsists.
He does quite a bit of Bauhaus too.
Feeling the bass of Stigmata Martyr in my sternum is something I will never forget in my life.
Here endith your dereail.
Your favours, you know what you should do with them.
*tilts cowboy hat* posted by Mezentian at 3:41 AM on January 10
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posted by Malice at 2:03 PM on January 6 [4 favorites]