Do they still have clearly demarcated sub-cultures in this post-Hipster world? Are there still Goths, Nerds, Jocks, and the women who love them? Is it simply Millennials and Baby Boomers? Is there further granularity with ‘lit’, ‘woke’, ‘entitled’ and ‘old’?

You’ll have to pardon my ignorance. I’m old, and all of your young people music sounds the same to me.

Which is why this wasn’t something I expected to ever hear again. A pre-Manson Goth song in the post-Manson era. The grandfather of Emo, Lorde and Billie Eilish raised from the dead in the moth torn clothing and pale form of Black Velvet Butterfly.

True to the pure 80's Goth style, yet touching on the 2000's rebirth, ala A Dream of Poe and Faces of Sarah in the breakdown, their debut single, O.M.G. (Oh My Goth), is a love song for the sexily departed. All minor chords and cathedral keyboard patches. drum machines and reverb. A song that drops, instead of peaking. The goal of Goth music after all was enhancing your depression through morbid reflection and dance, not elevation and reaching for the lasers, .

This is an obvious passion project. The single and the video. A lot of work from one person has gone into it. “DIY. It’s in our DNA.” so the tagline goes. This is never truer than for a musician in New Zealand. As a profession and art form frowned upon by the target audience of the advert (and beyond), you have to do what you can yourself, because unlike America, there is no industry behind you to prop you up.

I know from personal experience how time consuming it is to create a single and animated companion video yourself. This artist’s journey mirrors my own personal path to failure in places. That’s why it’s earned my respect, but why I know it will never receive the listens it deserves, or likely even enough to make up for the hours that would have gone into this track and video.

There’s no place in this world for this song, but that was always the essence of Goth. Best parodied by South Park in the lyrics of the song played on the tape deck behind the Goth Kids; “I’m not part of your society / I don’t follow your fads and rules”.

For that reason, Oh My Goth gets five stars. While arguable, anything outside of the original body of Goth music can be considered a tribute, this song is true to the form and nature of the source. It's also my favourite genre, and most adored aesthetic.

It’s going to be tough to follow up. At least now they’ve exhibited their output they’re more likely to find band members.

You can find the O.M.G. (Oh My Goth) video on YouTube, and single on Bandcamp. Black Velvet Butterfly is on Facebook and Instagram for you Boomers and Millennials respectively.

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• 4
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