Make a goth track!

After our exploration of all things synth last month, we now have a tutorial on the gloriously gloomy and grimly grandiose genre that is darkwave… or goth!

EXT. THE MOORS – NIGHT

Wan figures both male and female rise slowly from the dense fog as a reverberant bass drum throbs a slow, funereal rhythm.

INT. CRUMBLING GOTHIC CATHEDRAL

A gloved hand grasping a candelabra comes into view as a dense synth drone rises up, joined by a throbbing, darkly melodic bass.

EXT. THE MOORS- NIGHT

We move in on the vampiric figures, now crawling up a hillside. Startled by a sudden burst of distorted guitars, they turn into view, revealing pasty white faces and empty sockets where once there were eyes. A sombre voice begins to sing in a deep baritone...

Sound familiar? If you were around in the 1980s, it might seem positively passé. By that time, the seismic aftershocks of punk had settled. Post punk had given way to New Wave and some of the, erm, serious New Wavers had left a mark. Inspired by the alienated angst of Numan’s synth-rock, the introspective agony of Joy Division, and the art-glam of Bauhaus, some purveyors of what had been dubbed “gothic” music took cold comfort in technology, producing a rich catalogue of drum machinedriven dark romanticism.

This new “darkwave” sound was the ideal escape from the slicked-back superficiality of an era obsessed with conspicuous consumption.

Darkwave artists benefited greatly from the MIDI revolution, allowing entire arrangements, thick with sputtering sequences and synchronised beats. As such, it’s a doddle to recreate the sound with our Studio plugins. So step into our chamber, and we’ll begin...