Cyber (subculture)

Cyber, is the name given to a contemporary subculture having roots in multiple music and fashion scenes including the European and American rave/clubbing scenes and dark culture scenes. Someone who identifies with the cyber subculture can be referred to as a "cyber", or "cyberkid". The term "cybergoth"and"cyberpunk" refers to those who those that maintain some common elements with "cyberkids", but lean more towards a goth or industrial aesthetic.

"Cyberkid" is a slang terms for young people who attend trance/hard dance and hardcore clubs. While science fiction inspired fashion and an interest in electronic dance music are two areas that define the cyber subculture, cybers also tend to have a general interest in new and future technology, an optimistic view of its influence on society, and other such cyberculture topics. The subculture enjoys niche status and a relatively small following. The music style is usually associated with a modern electronic or synthesized, computer-driven beat.

Music

In the first decade of the 21st century, rave and hard dance, or trance music nightclubs continued to be a popular draw in Europe and Canada, but became less common in the United States. The generic, instrumental, computer driven, synthesized hypnotic tempos and textures of Rave/Trance music from the late 1990's was transformed into futurepop, a term coined by Ronan Harris of the current UK band VNV Nation. The combined effect of this transformation and new technology created a newer, stronger, darker, and more powerful musical genre than was possible with the musical instruments and computers in decades past.

The Cyberpunk Subculture did not begin as a musical movement, but rather was associated with a literary genre.

[ [http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/music.html "the Cyberpunk project"] "the Cyberpunk project"] The word "punk" in "cyberpunk" did not refer to punk rock music when it was coined. The suffix "punk" added to the word "cyber", reflected only the subversive spirit of computer hackers.

In terms of genre, Cyberpunk music has not been defined to any specific degree by critics or fans. Because cyberpunk refers to a literary fiction genre, cyberpunk music is typically music from any musical genre that has lyrical content incorporating cyberpunk themes. Such themes often include hackers, artificial intelligence, and depictions of a dystopian future.

While most music associated with these themes is usually found in music shops in the pre-existing categories Goth/Industrial or Darkwave, artists in other genres, such as Billy Idol's "Cyberpunk" album, have explored such themes as well.

Other associated music is heavily electronic in nature, covering both alternative electronic genres such as the previously mentioned futurepop, rivethead, electronic body music, power noise and all club-oriented dance music styles such as hard dance, drum and bass, synthpop, gabber and intelligent dance music.

Fashion

Cyberkid

Cyberkids reflect their deeper connection with the rave/hardcore/hardance scene with their clothing that usually includes neon or "hyglo" colors such as pink, green, blue, yellow, orange, and purple. Brightly glowing clothes, arm warmers, leg warmers(also known as gators), miniskirts, 3/4 length trousers, shorts, T-shirts, cloaks, vests, tank tops, and battery-powered flashing lights, such as an LED dog collar are common in Cyber Nightclubs. Blacklight or glowing makeup is sometimes used to form designs such as dots or swirls around the face. Accessories such as plastic, glowing bracelets (also known as kandy), watches, and dummies are also often worn.
Cybergear can sometimes take on the appearance of robotic parts, in which the wearer is covered head to foot in glowing tubes or glowsticks, having the appearance of wires and electronic body parts. Mechanical or electronic elements are sometimes also temporarily glued to the body.

Brightly coloured and often stylised hair is common in the cyber community, either dyed and styled real hair or, more commonly, elaborate extensions or wigs either braided or somewhat resembling dreadlocks known as 'falls'. Falls can be made out of synthetic hair, thick plastic ribbon, yarn or more exotic materials such as computer cables, foam strips and tubular crin (known as CyberLox). Since cyber fashions typically aim for an artificial or heavily-stylised look, materials that are very obviously not real hair are particularly common.

Cybergoth

Etymology

The term 'Cybergoth' was invented in 1988 in the United Kingdom by a game company known as the "Games Workshop". The name was used in a roleplaying game known as "Dark Future", set in parallel universe in which the world is destroyed and disintegrating. A constant battle rages between the "Renegades" or outlaws and the "Sanctioned Ops" or bounty hunters who use rampant high technology to track and capture or destroy the Renegades. [ [http://www.streettech.com/bcp/BCPgraf/Manifestos/cybergoth.htm"] "StreetTech | CyberGoth"]

Fashion

Cybergoth fashion resembles a combination of rave, rivethead, and goth fashion, as well as drawing inspiration from science fiction. Androgyny is common.cite book |last=Kilpatrick |first=Nancy |title=The Goth Bible: A Compendium for the Darkly Inclined |year=2005 |publisher=Plexus |location=UK |pages=55 |isbn=085965365X ] Current fashionable concepts include the use of one starkly contrasting bright or neon-reactive theme colour such as red, blue, neon green, chrome, or pink [2002-09-13 [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/09/13/1031608320631.html "Dead fashionable"] "The Age" (Retrieved on 2007-12-06)] set against a basic, black gothic outfit. Matte or glossy black materials such as rubber and shiny black PVC can be mixed and matched in an effort to create a more artificial look as in the Cyber subculture. These stylistic differences help to discern a Cybergoth from a Cyberpunk.

The common use of a single theme color set against mostly black attire can appear in a variety of forms, including brightly colored hair, artificial make-up, cybernetic patterns such as live LED circuit boards, various forms of body modification and superfluous goggles (especially aviator-style), typically worn on the forehead or around the neck rather than on the eyes. The most common use of a theme color is in the hair and/or eye make-up. Artificial, extended hair or “falls” are sometimes used to create this added effect. Falls can be made of various non-human materials ranging from yarn to fluorescent tubing to electrical wiring [ [http://www.sykospark.net/goth/cyber/"] "Sykospark.net | CyberGoth Fashion"] Popular club gear for Cybergoths includes tight black pants, tight armageddon-style black vests or shirts cut from desecrated or ripped, solid or fishnet fabrics resembling costumes from 19th Century Gothic novels, early black and white Gothic horror films from the mid 20th century.

Cyber-influenced, cyberpunk, or cybergoth clothing labels include the British chain Cyberdog, Plastik Wrap, Tripp NYC, Lip Service, Shrine, and shoe and boot manufacturers New Rock, Swear Alternative, Transmuter, and Demonia.

The darkly futuristic costume designs presented in "The Matrix" are known to have inspired many cyber style clothing manufacturers in the recent past. [ [http://www.cyberpunkreview.com/what-is-cyberpunk/"The Cyberpunk Review"] "The Cyberpunk Review"]

Locations

Much of the culture centres around nightlife or the Internet; in the United Kingdom the former is provided by clubs such as the Slimelight in London, The Wendy House in Leeds, Electrotribe and Autonomy in Leicester, Tech Noir in Newcastle, Chaos Theory in Nottingham, Chains on Velvet in Norwich, Ascension, Cyberia or yearly Dark City Festival in Edinburgh, Bedlam at the Queen Margaret Union in Glasgow, and the yearly Infest festival. In the United States, clubs such as Leland City Club in Detroit, The Castle in Tampa and Das Bunker in Los Angeles show a strong cyber presence. In Canada, the cyber subculture is exemplified by Toronto's Savage Garden Nightclub, the associated PosePod cybergothic superstore and Les Foufounes Électriques in Montreal

ee also

*Cyberculture
*Cyberpunk, Cyberpunk derivatives
*Goth
*Subculture
*Industrial fashion
*Happy hardcore

References