'If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.' Lampedusa
For me here in London there was no such end. The bands I loved in
the early Eighties were growing in popularity and finding their own voice. 4AD
and Factory, the labels best known for the brooding sounds of The Cocteau Twins
and Joy Division were diversifying and embracing the dance and grunge music
that was emerging from America and Europe. Simultaneously releasing
breakthrough albums by The Pixies and Happy Mondays, along with those of
established acts Dead Can Dance and This Mortal Coil.
Even Joy Division, surely the darkest and most melancholy band of
the post punk era, metamorphasized into a dance band after Ian Curtis' suicide.
And although I have no doubt that had he lived, Ian Curtis would have continued
to write maudlin lyrics, musically Joy Division's sound was already evolving
into that of New Order, as early as Transmission, continuing on that same
trajectory until Ceremony right at the end.
Music is a living breathing entity and it cannot stand still or live
in isolation, change is what feeds it, what keeps it fresh. Musicians will
always be influenced by other artists and cultures and there will always be new
ground breaking Innovations in technology which totally revolutionalise each
generation of music makers. Building on the rich tapestry of our musical
heritage so that different types of music can co exist and compliment each
other.
Dark, melancholy music has always existed, from Bach's solo Cello
pieces through Mahler, Billie Holiday and beyond, it is as necessary for the
human spirit as oxygen is to the body, and will continue to console and inspire
people irregardless of fashion until the end of time.
©Ari Neufeld
©Ari Neufeld
Categories:
DUSK MEMORIES
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