| Neofolk | |
|---|---|
| Other names |
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| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1980s, England |
| Derivative forms | Martial industrial |
| Other topics | |
Neofolk (originally known asapocalyptic folk) is amusic genre that originally emerged during the 1980s through the Britishpost-punk andindustrial music scene. It is primarily characterized by acoustic instrumentation and draws influences fromdark wave[1] andpost-industrial styles such asdark ambient.
Neofolk blends elements oftraditional andcontemporary folk music with post-industrial andavant-garde influences, distinguishing it from mainstream folk traditions. It is commonly defined by the use of acoustic instruments. Artists incorporate influences from genres such asdark wave anddark ambient. Vocals may range from melodic singing to spoken word, with arrangements emphasizing atmosphere and mood over conventional song structures.[2] Most neofolk artists stem from Nordic countries, Germany and Italy. The style often incorporates lyrical themes drawn frompaganism,nature, andEuropean history andmythology.[2]
Neofolk has its origins in 1960s musical groups who began taking influence from traditional folk music.[2] Folk musicians such as Vulcan's Hammer, Changes,Leonard Cohen, andComus could be considered harbingers of the sound that later influenced the neofolk artists. Also the later explorations ofVelvet Underground's band members, specifically those ofNico, have been called a major influence on what later became neofolk.[3]
Neofolk originated in the 1980s, with bands from thedark wave,[1]post-punk andindustrial music scenes, includingDeath In June,Current 93 andSol Invictus, who began taking influence from this sound.[2][3] The sound was embraced bySwans on their early 1990s albums such asLove of Life (1992),[4] by the time of their 1997 disbandment, they had become whatExclaim! writer Dimitri Nasrallah called the "leading lights in the early 2000's neo-folk movement". The embrace of the genre continued into the releases of lead vocalistMichael Gira's subsequent bandAngels of Light.[5] During the late 1990s, the sound of the genre began to be embraced by bands who had previously playedblack metal, such asEmpyrium andHaggard.[2]
As a descriptor, the term "apocalyptic folk" predates neofolk and was used by Current 93's David Tibet to describe the music of his band during the late 1980s and early 1990s.[6] Initially, Tibet did not intend to imply connection with the folk music genre; rather, that Current 93 was made by "apocalyptic folk": in other words, apocalyptic people.[7] Tibet and Current 93 produced some covers of traditional English folk songs, and Tibet himself was a great advocate for reclusive English folk singerShirley Collins.[8] Other vague terms sometimes used to describe artists of this genre include "dark folk" and "pagan folk". These terms areumbrella terms that also describe various other forms of unrelated music.[1]
A majority of artists within the neofolk genre use archaic, cultural and literary references. Local traditions and indigenous beliefs are also heavily portrayed, as are esoteric and historical topics.[2] Various forms ofneopaganism andoccultism play a part in the themes touched upon by many modern and original neofolk artists.Runic alphabets, heathen European sites and other means of expressing an interest in the ancient and ancestral occur often in neofolk music. The sociologist Peter Webb describes this as a legacy fromromantic poetry and a reaction against therationalism of theEnlightenment. Webb writes that for bands likeSol Invictus, this leads to "a type of esoteric spirituality where paganism comes to the fore because of its respect for nature, its openness about sexuality, and its rituals and ceremonies guided by the seasons".[9] Aesthetically, references to this subject occur within band names, album artwork, clothing and various other means of artistic expression. This has led to some forefathers of the genre and current artists within the genre attributing it to being an aspect of a broader neopagan revival.[10]David Tibet ofCurrent 93, one of the most influential neofolk bands, regards himself as a Christian, but believes that truth always is hidden and is more interested inapocalyptic andapocryphal literature than any Christian canon.[11] During a period of heavyamphetamine andLSD use in the 1980s, he began to revere the children's characterNoddy as aGnostic deity.[12]
Many bands use metaphors, sometimes borrowing terms such asErnst Jünger'sWaldgänger and usingfascist symbols and slogans, which has led to an association of the genre with the far-right, though this is contested by fans.[13] References to occult, pagan and politically far-right figures and movement are often intentionally ambiguous.Stefanie von Schnurbein has described the genre's approach to these types of material as an "elitistNietzschean masquerade" which expresses a "(neo-)romantic art-religious attitude".[14] Some bands have stated opposition to the perceived fascist apologia and themes in the genre and the related genre of martial industrial.[15]
Martial industrial (also known asmilitary pop) is a genre developed very closely to neofolk and includes militaristic or political themes.[16]