So, as of recently, I've been mulling over the possibility of adding a bit more futurism to my wardrobe (I really want me some PVC), and I've been using kaRIN from Collide as a template. Now, Collide is considered, by some, darkwave, industrial rock, and/or electrogoth. Much like the term "darkwave", "electrogoth" seems to be even less universally defined genre, and I see it used interchangeably with the word "cybergoth" in conversation, which is in the same conundrum as both of those words, but is more widely used. That's were I see bands like Angelspit be considered industrial, rock and/or cybergoth.

Now, I admitted that I'm really not a big fan of Angelspit, or similar bands like Ayria and Pzchobitch, and I even said at one point, "I don't like the majority of cybergoth music" and even though I think the style of dress can be really cute, it's a little over-abundant for me (what with all of those hair falls and tubes going everywhere and all). But at the same time, I feel like a hypocrite when I say that I don't like cybergoth because I listen to bands like Collide, Android Lust, and Ego Likeness all the time!

That's were I've started noticing stuff - that maybe some people aren't really using the terms "electrogoth" and "cybergoth" as interchangeably as I would have thought. Because I've noticed that the two clusters of bands that I've mentioned do have different atmospheres surrounding them: one seems a lot "lighter" than the other, both in musical style and dress.

Angelspit vs. Collide
Ayria vs. Ego Likeness

Even goth-darling Adora Batbrat calls herself "an old school electrogoth" which by old school, it means (at least to me), "I've never heard of any of these Swedish bands before." And she doesn't dress like a typical "cybergoth" would (and I also take inspiration from her).

I digress though: maybe I'm being a bit biased, since I'm only focusing on these bands, and overall, I'm not the hugest listener of this sort of electronic-based music (since I try to stick to the most basal forms of darkwave). So I would like to hear back from all of you guys: do you think I'm spot on if there is a difference between cybergoth and electrogoth, or do you think I'm just putting a bigger rift in the goth music scene. If you pick either one, then my job is done.


(Bleh. Always when you try to dissect the electronic genres.)

Eh.... I never really thought there was a difference. The picture of Collide you have there suggests Steampunk to me, and I never made a stylistic connetion between Ayria and Angelspit. I don't think I've actually listened to anything Ego Likeness did themselves, but I have a few remixes of other stuff around.

I can't actually listen to Adora Batbrat, her voice goes through my skull as if made of rusty barbed wire for some reason, so I can't comment on her at all.

I never actually noticed anyone using the term Electrogoth locally, but I can't see it being the same as Cybergoth unless it's following the same transhumanist train of thought.

Unrelated: I personally have witnessed Zoog Von Rock of Angelspit dancing to Marvin Gaye.

Electrogoth is a style of music - a subgenre of darkwave where gothic rock elements are superimposed over electro-industrial/EBM song structures. Examples: Collide, Diary of Dreams, newer Clan of Xymox, Android Lust, Oneiroid Psychosis, Kirlian Camera, Switchblade Symphony, Cindergarden, Untoten, etc.

Cybergoth is a style of fashion - A type of bright, colorful flamboyant fashion combining elements of futurism and gothic makeup. Often cybergoth combines plastic or PVC fabric in bright neon or metallic colors, with complimentary makeup and hair extensions, and often futuristic or science-fiction themed accessories. This style of fashion first became popular in Japan, heavily inspired by Japanese anime series like Gundam and Macross, and is currently popular overseas with many fans of the electro-industrial, EBM, and aggrotech genres.
Examples: just do a Google image search for DJ Sisen(Japanese EBM DJ)

I guess collide have changed their wardrobe, but I often associate their look with the typical electro-industrial fashion: long black leather trenchcoats, minimal makeup, and a more monochromatic look, a la Frontline Assembly/Die Form.
Somewhere between rivethead, goth, and cyber, I suppose......

Wait wait wait.....

Macross inspired some Japanese Cybergoth? Link plz! NAO!

*contemplates wearing a Valkyrie costume to WGT*

I could show you infinite examples of how people have cosplayed that show and infinite others, but the purple uniform here takes the cake.....http://blog-imgs-32.fc2.com/y/o/s/yoshi ... ross-2.jpg

but yes, as far as I know, the roots of the fashion took a lot of cues from Japanese anime cosplay.

So...what's the difference between this and cyberpunk?

From the sound of it, you are just calling cyberpunk by a different name.

I admit: I purposely chose that photo because it's one of my favorites of the band. ^_^; I never thought of it as pure steampunk, but their style is very reminiscent of it (maybe it's a hidden reason as to why I like them) - that and Statik's eye-wear is totally kick ass.



Yeah. I admit that Jessica from Ayria is a lot more toned down in her look, but I guess it's more of the musical similarity for me... which is probably why I haven't really thought much of the music overall.



Listen to "Breedless"! I beg you!



Oh yeah. I totally forgot that she was in a band.
I think she should stick to making make-up and DIY videos. :P

I can always count on you for an in-depth post, centurion. So by what you just explained to us, would you personally still include bands like Angelspit and Pzchobitches into the electrogoth style of music?

Just pretend that we didn't already think the same way about them. XD

And cybergoth from Japan?? Get out. O_O

That's Frontier though, I've been dressing Cybergoth for a few years before that came out. I can see how some of the costumes there would work but the earlier series are distinctly lacking in goth elements.

On it.

That's all I knew she did, but that was enough to make my brain hurt.

I know the word comes from the UK, but it's possible that the style started in Japan.

Quite literally, night and day.

Cybergoth is full of color with an emphasis on flamboyance.

Cyberpunk is not a fashion, but a genre of fiction like steampunk, with an emphasis on a dismal dystopian world existing in the near future, a la Blade Runner.

-- Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:30 pm --



I don't really think they've got enough gothic elements to be called electrogoth, honestly, at least not in the dark atmospheric sense.
Angelspit reminds me more of that "industrial punk" style Atari Teenage Riot used to play.....
I admit to not hearing enough Pzychobitch to make that call, but what I've heard sounded more like straight 4x4 EBM/futurepop/dance music....

-- Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:35 pm --



I dunno, my image of "goth elements" would be dark and otherworldly, while cybergoth fashion is more focused on being bright and flashy....
I gotta watch those old Macross/Robotech episodes to be sure, as my childhood memory fails me..... back when I was a kid, the only characters in shows I ever cared about were either monsters, aliens, or bad guys.... human protagonists were just boring extras in my book.

At best then you've got the Protodeviln from 7 really, although the cyborg conspiracy in Frontier kind of counts based on conceptional similarity to the Dark Future novels.

Well, I typed "cyberpunk" in Google Images, and several photos of girls dressed in an unique fashion popped up.

And why is Macross named here? My beloved Klan Klan is neither goth nor cyberpunk

Macross is cyberpunk......
In fact, a huge majority of Japanese anime is, like 80%, with the rest being either steampunk(Hayao Miyazaki's stuff) or straight up sci-fi, or cutesy Kitty cartoons for pedophiles.

There's also a small set of dark fantasy series (yea-uh! Berserk and Claymore!).

But centurion is pretty spot on with the Japanese fascination with a dystopic futuristic setting, whether it's a totalitarian state like Battle Royale or some desolate wasteland like Fist of the North Star.

That and that whole mecha genre that, more likely than not, overlaps either landscape.

Quoted for truth here. Macross has definitely had cyberpunk elements from start to finish, and never were they more clear than in Frontier.

Dystopia is pretty much the entire defining point of cyberpunk that seperates it from other genres of science fiction, though I believe Battle Royale is supposed to be set in modern times.
Therefore to me, cybergoth fashion is almost like the antithesis of cyberpunk because the fashion is bright, clean, pretty, cute, and appears as if they've come from some cute Utopian future of hot pink fluffybots and neon green teddydroids.
If cyberpunk was a fashion, it would be more like how Frontline Assembly, Skinny Puppy, Amebix, or Fields of the Nephilim dress..... Futuristic, but dirty and grotesque: gasmasks, fucked up hair, barcode tattoos, prosthetic weapons, etc. Like characters from Fist of the Northstar/Hokutono Ken