Coldwave
Encyclopedia
Coldwave, also written as Cold Wave, is the French
variant of Dark Wave, gothic rock
and post-punk
music, primarily spread in France
, South Belgium and Romandy.
and goth
groups, such as Siouxsie & The Banshees
and Joy Division
and specifically Martin Hannett
's production for the group, prominent in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Early French punk rock groups, forerunners to the scene, included Stinky Toys
, Métal Urbain
, The Cure
and The Opposition
. As the scene took increasing influence from post-punk, and disco
the musicians Marquis de Sade, KaS Product
, Siglo XX
, Martin Dupont, Asylum Party, Twilight Ritual, Norma Loy, Pavillon 7B, Résistance, Clair Obscur, Richard Pinhas
, Artefact, Opera Multi Steel, Trisomie 21, Lizzy Mercier Descloux
and Die Form
emerged. In the late 1980s, groups such as Asylum Party, Little Nemo
and The Breath of Life continued to practice the style. The journalist Jean-François Bizot
initially documented the scene. The original coldwave groups were generally not distributed in the United States and did not sing in English. Pieter Schoolwerth describes the style as similar to The Cure
's on the albums Faith
and Seventeen Seconds
. Maurice G. Dantec, later a Canadian cyberpunk
author and conservative polemicist, was very active in the scene.
The groups began to achieve mainstream coverage in France in 1980, when Patrick Zerbib wrote an article for the magazine Actuel, covering Marquis de Sade, Artefact and Jacno, titled "Les jeunes gens modernes aiment leurs mamans" ("The Modern Young People Love Their Mothers").
A recent retrospective article enumerates various stylistic and conceptual influences:
Wierd Records
is credited with establishing interest in the style in the United States, while The Liberty Snake Club did a great deal to popularize it within the United Kingdom. The Tigersushi Records
compilation So Young But So Cold, compiled by Ivan Smagghe
, is one document of the scene.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
variant of Dark Wave, gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
music, primarily spread in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, South Belgium and Romandy.
History
Inspired by post-punkPost-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
and goth
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
groups, such as Siouxsie & The Banshees
Siouxsie & the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bassist Steven Severin. Initially associated with the English punk rock scene, the band rapidly evolved to create "a form of post-punk discord full of daring rhythmic and sonic experimentation"...
and Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
and specifically Martin Hannett
Martin Hannett
Martin Hannett , sometimes credited as Martin Zero, was a record producer and an original partner in Factory Records with Tony Wilson...
's production for the group, prominent in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Early French punk rock groups, forerunners to the scene, included Stinky Toys
Stinky toys
Stinky Toys were a punk band from Rennes, France which started in 1976 and featured Elli Medeiros , Denis Quilliard, alias Jacno, , Bruno Carone , Albin Dériat , and Hervé Zénouda ....
, Métal Urbain
Métal Urbain
Métal Urbain was one of the first French punk groups, formed in 1976 in Paris.-Career:They were heavily influenced by The Clash and The Sex Pistols on one hand, and on the other by an electro approach related to "Metal Machine Music" by Lou Reed...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
and The Opposition
The Opposition
The Opposition is a long running post-punk band from London, England, that featured Ralph Hall, Marcus Bell, Mark Long, Sterling Campbell, Lol Ford, Terence Devine King and Jean Daniel Glorioso....
. As the scene took increasing influence from post-punk, and disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
the musicians Marquis de Sade, KaS Product
KaS Product
KaS Product is a French electronic duo. Their music has been considered part of the French coldwave and electro punk movements. Formed in 1980, the duo consists of Spatsz on electronics and rhythm machines with Mona Soyoc on guitar, vocals and piano...
, Siglo XX
Siglo XX (band)
Siglo XX was a Belgian Coldwave, Darkwave and Gothic rock group from Genk active from 1979-1989. The group's sound was influenced by Joy Division and Factory Records. Siglo XX was one of the more well-known Belgian coldwave bands and by 2010 was considered to have been a key influence on the...
, Martin Dupont, Asylum Party, Twilight Ritual, Norma Loy, Pavillon 7B, Résistance, Clair Obscur, Richard Pinhas
Heldon
Heldon is a French electronic rock band created in 1974. The name of the band was taken from the 1972 novel The Iron Dream by Norman Spinrad....
, Artefact, Opera Multi Steel, Trisomie 21, Lizzy Mercier Descloux
Lizzy Mercier Descloux
Lizzy Mercier Descloux was a French singer and musician, a pioneer in the worldbeat genre, as well as a writer and painter....
and Die Form
Die Form
Die Form is a French post-industrial and electronic band formed in 1977-78. The name 'Die Form' means ' form/shape' in German, like the Bauhaus diary and is a play on the English homonym 'deformed' and on the French homonym 'difforme' ....
emerged. In the late 1980s, groups such as Asylum Party, Little Nemo
Little Nemo
Little Nemo is the main fictional character in a series of weekly comic strips by Winsor McCay that appeared in the New York Herald and William Randolph Hearst's New York American newspapers from October 15, 1905 – April 23, 1911 and April 30, 1911 – July 26, 1914; respectively.The...
and The Breath of Life continued to practice the style. The journalist Jean-François Bizot
Jean-François Bizot
Jean-François Bizot was a French journalist and writer.Born in Paris, Bizot was the founder and owner of the Paris based radio station, Radio Nova, which first broadcast in 1981. He was also the creator of the Actuel publication.Bizot died of cancer in Paris, aged 63.-External links:* *...
initially documented the scene. The original coldwave groups were generally not distributed in the United States and did not sing in English. Pieter Schoolwerth describes the style as similar to The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
's on the albums Faith
Faith (The Cure album)
Faith is the third album by British band The Cure, released in April 1981.- Overview :Faith is generally a brooding, atmospheric, and sombre album, although it has a flash of anger in the form of the song "Doubt", and some edge in the driving single "Primary"...
and Seventeen Seconds
Seventeen Seconds
Seventeen Seconds is the second studio album by The Cure, released in April 1980 by Fiction Records. It is the only Cure album to feature keyboardist Matthieu Hartley, and was featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The album reached number 20 on the British album charts...
. Maurice G. Dantec, later a Canadian cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
author and conservative polemicist, was very active in the scene.
The groups began to achieve mainstream coverage in France in 1980, when Patrick Zerbib wrote an article for the magazine Actuel, covering Marquis de Sade, Artefact and Jacno, titled "Les jeunes gens modernes aiment leurs mamans" ("The Modern Young People Love Their Mothers").
A recent retrospective article enumerates various stylistic and conceptual influences:
Wierd Records
Wierd Records
Wierd Records is an American independent record label, founded in New York City by Pieter Schoolwerth in 2006. "Wierd" is also the name for an associated weekly DJ night started at Southside Lounge in Brooklyn in 2003, but having been held at Home Sweet Home for the last three years...
is credited with establishing interest in the style in the United States, while The Liberty Snake Club did a great deal to popularize it within the United Kingdom. The Tigersushi Records
Tigersushi Records
Tigersushi Records is an independent record label based in Paris, France. They have released music by MU, Ivan Smagghe, Poni Hoax and John Tejada, among others.-External links:* *...
compilation So Young But So Cold, compiled by Ivan Smagghe
Ivan Smagghe
Ivan Smagghe is a French DJ and producer. He was originally known as Ivan Rough Trade, after his job in the Rough Trade record store in Paris. His musical style has been described as electrohouse and "minimal electro.". Smagghe's Death Disco compilation was a key release in the electroclash...
, is one document of the scene.