Neue Deutsche Todeskunst

Neue Deutsche Todeskunst (Translated as "New German Death Art") is a musical genre that was developed in Germany in the early 1990s.

History

In the late 1980s, a number of southern German musicians combined music in neo-classical, Gothic Rock, and Darkwave styles with German philosophical texts and a highly theatrical stage show.^[1] The music was based on the Gothic Rock of bands such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sisters of Mercy and Fields of the Nephilim and the Darkwave sounds of bands like Joy Division, The Cure and Depeche Mode. The words often paid deep homage to German philosophers like Andreas Gryphius, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Nietzsche and Gottfried Benn, as well as international poets such as Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Baudelaire, and Jean-Paul Sartre. The concerts of these groups put a great emphasis on costumes, lights and pyrotechnics. The performances were designed to stimulate all the senses and convey an overall dark, brooding atmosphere. Lyrical themes include transience, evil, nihilism, surrealism, expressionism, existential philosophy, criticism of religion, violence, madness, isolation, depression, and especially death.

The greatest Neue Deutsche Todeskunst successes include Gottes Tod by Das Ich (1990), Verflucht by Relatives Menschsein (1991), Der Ketzer by Lacrimosa (1991), Das Ende by Goethes Erben (1992) and Regentanz by Endraum (1992). Many NDT artists gravitated to the Danse Macabre record label.

Origin

The expression Neue Deutsche Todeskunst was first used in 1991 by Danse Macabre's label magazine MagazinOphon.^[2] It was picked up by Sven Freuen, a journalist for Zillo magazine, who used it to classify bands like Relatives Menschsein, Das Ich and Goethes Erben.^[3]

Significant Albums

1991 · Das Ich · Die Propheten 1991 · Lacrimosa · Angst 1992 · Goethes Erben · Das Sterben ist ästhetisch bunt 1992 · Relatives Menschsein · Gefallene Engel 1992 · Mental Inquisition · Hilarious 1994 · Endraum · Morgenröte 1994 · Misantrophe · Der Tod zerfraß die Kindlichkeit 1994 · Christian Dörge · Lycia

1996 · Sanguis et Cinis · Schicksal 1996 · Other Day · Sodium Amnital 1996 · Illuminate · Verfall 1997 · Law of the Dawn · Dämmerung der kalten Schatten 1998 · Leib & Seele · Amada 1999 · Sopor Aeternus · Dead Lovers’ Sarabande 2004 · eXplizit einsam · Auf ewig 2005 · Leichenblass · Allgemein Mensch

References

1. ^ Kirsten Wallraff · Die Gothics · Musik und Tanz · Musik als Kunst · Seite 50 · 2001 · ISBN 3-933773-09-1
2. ^ MagazinOphon No.1 · Studioreport, Interviews, Szenebericht, Plattenbesprechungen, Hörspiel · MCine No.1 · 1991
3. ^ Sven Freuen · Zillo Musikmagazin · Heft-Nr. 12/91 · Kassettenbestellmarkt · Seite 6 · Dezember 1991