By Logan Langlois
NASHVILLE, TN — Black influence on alternative genres outside of funk, disco, and hip-hop/rap are often overlooked in mainstream discussion. One such counterculture that has seen substantial Black influence from the scene’s foundations into the current decade is the Goth scene.
Goth music wasn’t directly headed by Black musicians, though Black music would strongly influence what would become the pinnacle of Goth culture. One such staple was the August 6 1979, release of Bauhaus song Bela Lugosi’s Dead, an homage to a song dedicated to one of, if not the first, widely celebrated gothic icons, Bela Lugosi’s 1931. In 2018, Bauhaus bassist David J reflected that, “We were very influenced by reggae, especially dub. I mean, basically, Bela was our interpretation of dub.”
In the late 2000s Goth culture would see the addition of two bands who would be celebrated as being breaths of fresh air regarding their interpretations of what Goth was. These additions would include the Black-fronted band O. Children hailing from London, U.K.
O. Children would release music in the late 2000s but would see their greatest success in the early 2010s. It was at this time that the band was lauded for continuing musical Goth traditions such as allowing chunky bass lines and open drums to drive certain songs.
The early 2010s would see the Brooklyn-based duo Light Asylum explode into goth-influence with a far more electronic inspiration. Light Asylum would also become well known for their incredibly intense live concerts. These would lead to the pair being described by Pitchfork as “channeling the dark new wave of the 1980s without seeming like a re-trend.”
During this time, Goth culture saw a major explosion of conversation surrounding the ‘minority within a minority’ conversation and began to be talked about more within alternative culture. Members of the Gothic community began to speak up regarding their experience within the culture, many of which reflected a largely positive experience while still recognizing that it could be alienating.
“In white communities, they look at alternative people as less than, so when you throw people of color in that madness, it’s like we’re basically nonexistent,” Washington D.C. Afro goth, Brat, said in a Vice interview. “People don’t relate those types of things to Blackness or any other race but white.”
In the late 2010s leading into the 2020s, several other Gothic bands stepped onto the scene containing Black members. These bands included The Wraith, who have been praised for their unique blend of Punk and Goth culture. Fearing has been praised for its haunting imagery and symbolism to match its haunting music. As well as Black-duo Pitch After Dark have been celebrated for its stripped-to-direct style with low post-production.
During a Coilhouse interview, San Francisco-based writer, artist, and model Shamika “Meeks” Baker said, “The only time I experienced anything racial in the scene was at Death Guild [a San Francisco goth night].”
“A guy walked up to me, shouted ‘scuse me!’ and shoved me aside,” she continued. “Of course, when I grabbed the back of his Fun Fur coat and yanked him back to demand an apology, he started screaming ‘get your black hands off of me!’ Happily, after I finished scaring him and turned around, I discovered several of my friends behind me and ready to back me up. [Other than that incident], I’ve found that the goth scene has been really welcoming and open.”
