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 Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 10:41 pm
I realise that this is mostly an opinion subject, but... what, to you, constitutes "steampunk" music? smile
*Where the people in the band have steampunk(-ish) personas? (Abney Park, Rasputina, etc)?
*Where the songs have steampunk themes? (Err... Abney Park's the only one I know of with this, but I'm sure there's more)
*Classical music from the period? (Brahms, Wagner, Strauss, etc)
*Classical music from the period, with a modern touch (electric instruments, for example)? (Err... Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I know of, but no others come to mind at the moment... sweatdrop )
*Or just any band that has a slight Victorian feel to it? (The Decemberists, for one...)
Do any of these fit your idea of what steampunk music is? Are there any different requirements to you? Or doesn't it really matter at all, and this is a waste of a post?* XD
*I'm bored, and have been thinking about how lovely a steam-driven "violin" player would be.... XD
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2008 1:19 am
I don't think steampunk music could be a truly defined "genre". Everybody has their own interpretation.
To some people, steampunk may include the imagery - and thus, dress a certain way, or even build steampunk-ish instruments!
To others, it's a particular sound - whether thematic to reflect the anachronistic era, or whether it's an actual style of music within the time.
Almost always though, there's that anachronistic element for sure.
This is a great question, but yeah, in the end, it doesn't really matter. wink Everybody has their own interpretation and all the groups reflect it as such quite well. =)
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2009 3:38 am
The first time I thought of steampunk music, I immediately thought of the Decemberists!
All the talk about chimney sweeps, petticoats, parapets, and whalers always conjures up the right images, even if there's nothing actually steampunk about them or their music. Unfortunately I watched one of their music videos on YouTube and now I can't out of my head the motion that the lead singer does with his mouth when he draws out some syllables. It's a sort of unnecessary circular, almost cud-chewing sort of motion that makes his jaw look like it's on a bent hinge...
Also, needs more cowbell!
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Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2009 2:55 pm
Like I posted in another thread, I think that steampunk music ought to have a mix of both old, Romantic/Neo-Classical influence, as well as newer musical conventions to go along with the whole theme of anachronism.
But, steampunk is such a loosely-defined genre in itself; I don't really think that there's really one definitive steampunk band/artist/composer. Sure, Abney Park has the æsthetic and their music has steampunk themes, but one could argue that the music itself isn't really steampunk.
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Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2009 5:50 pm
Misguided Fate *Classical music from the period, with a modern touch (electric instruments, for example)? (Err... Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I know of, but no others come to mind at the moment... sweatdrop ) TSO! *wearing a Trans-Siberian Orchestra shirt* But- I had to comment on this. Vanessa-Mae uses an electric violin. :3
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Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 4:53 pm
I think anything that isn't 'popluar' can be Steampunk. When I'm listening for Steamy sounds, I try to stick with acoustics or synthesized instruments. I avoid things like heavy electric guitars, computerized voices, or 'pop' stylings.
[The difference between synthesized and computerized is that synth is a mimickry of a sound, while computer's modify the original sound.]
I like Abney Park, mainly, but some new age styles and swing/jazz work well when I'm feeling active. It all depends on the mood, really.
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Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 2:59 am
There, that's one of the few downsides of living in good olde Europe - I've never even heard of Abney Park before. Good thing my trustworthy old friend Amazon operates on weekends... 3nodding
As to the original question, I would say all of those would qualify for Steampunk Music in my opinion. Actually, to me the only real requirement is that, like with my previous speaker, it puts me into the right mood.
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:13 am
I think that it's imageand subject matter first off
Then you could other cool stuff
Like take the band The Decemberists, a band entirely about sailing and sailors and what not. Not only do all their songs fit with their subject matter they use old instruments that are reminiscent of the time period (that coincides with Steampunk) like accordians and mandolin as you can hear best in The Mariners Revenge Song. A Steampunk band could do things like that.
Honestly though I've never found an actuall Steampunk band
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Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:22 am
I've been giving this a lot of thought.
I've concluded that, as is the nature of all things steampunk, if it works, it works.
We're being creative, here, aren't we? Steampunk is a world of the imagination, as divers and variform as we allow. Music creates atmosphere. I say that if it were played at a hypothetical steampunk soiree, and all the elegant ladies and dashing gentlemen in attendance did not protest, it's steampunk.
Leon Termen recorded his own compositions on his invention, the theremin. Steampunk win.
A great deal of the stuff on my iPod feels steamy to me. In the music of Zoviet France and Test Dept., I hear strange broadcasts from a hundred years ago, scientists and revolutionaries conducting their grim, vital tasks over newly-discovered airwaves.
I get a steamy feel from certain tracks by Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Rachel's, GY!BE/ASMZ, Legendary Pink Dots, Silver Apples, Kronos Quartet, and a lot of others.
Hissing and crackling old recordings from the thirties don't spoil a steampunk atmosphere. Berlin cabaret songs work really well.
The classical music from this period that I like the most was usually considered too carnal by the Victorians, Niccolo Paganini; you wouldn't be hearing his music on the gramophone in the drawing room. But I'm really not a huge classical fanatic. I appreciate it, but I rarely buy classical CDs.
I love it when steampunks start getting hung up on historical accuracy. I mean, think about that...
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Posted: Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:17 pm
Ha ha. Good point about historical accuracy. Doesn't make too much sense in a fantasy environment that meshes time eras. I personally think anything that has the old meets new feel counts as steam punk. As such, I find a lot of modern bellydance beats have a bit of a steam punk feel. Like Pentaphobe: Kitten PigIt's certainly not Victorian but is does have an old industrial feel, particularly with the cacophonous sounds and broken piano.
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