Various A Life Less Lived: The Gothic Box
It‘s 1984, and George Orwell’s corpse rolls with laughter as Ronald Reagan declares, “I am […]
It‘s 1984, and George Orwell’s corpse rolls with laughter as Ronald Reagan declares, “I am pleased to tell you… the bombing begins in five minutes.” Margaret Thatcher has enjoyed a second election win, due in part to her propensity to demonize: Russia, the working class, and society itself. The resounding, blackout reverb of Bauhaus’ “She’s in Parties” rings throughout the United Kingdom, pausing mid-dub with Peter Murphy’s deadpan ironic declaration: “Happy days are here again…” It’s not hard to see from whence came that most maligned-yet-immortal of underground musical movements: goth. A pervasive sense of fear and anomie across America, Europe, and especially Britain had the early 1980s brimming with a darkened musical creativity (mirroring medieval artists‘ preoccupation with death and darkness during the time of the plague). In the earlyoduction, everything-this 12″ is strong.