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The late 1970s and early 1980s were one of the most incredible periods of music, especially for fans of the more experimental forms of rock music. Artists were pushing boundaries, finding creative new expressions in both instrument and voice, and using music more artfully than ever to express attitudes in support of, or against, the changing tides of culture.

As I outlined in the playlists for 1976 and The Birth of Punk and the explosion of modern rock in 1977, there occurred a marked divergence in rock music, with many flavours branching out from the experimental and ground breaking sounds of those two years. By the end of 1977 punk was going strong and getting more polished in its sound and construction, and those not wanting to thrash out were still expressing strong attitudes in pub rock in the UK and power pop in the US. Electronics were just starting to make their presence known, and art rock was redefining what could be considered rock music.

The Playlist - artist \ song (year)

The Stranglers \ Nice ‘n’ Sleazy (1978)
Magazine \ The Light Pours Out of Me (1978)
Siouxsie & the Banshees \ Hong Kong Garden (1978)
Japan \ Suburban Berlin (1978)
Gary Numan & Tubeway Army \ Listen to the Sirens (1978)
Joy Division \ Digital (1978)
Tuxedomoon \ No Tears (1978)
The Teardrop Explodes \ Sleeping Gas (1979)
The Cure \ 10:15 Saturday Night (1979)
Punishment of Luxury \ The Message (1979)
Fingerprintz \ Wet Job (1979)
Public Image Ltd \ Memories (1979)
The Damned \ I Just Can’t Be Happy Today (1979)
The Boys Next Door/The Birthday Party \ The Hair Shirt (1979)
A Certain Ratio \ Flight (1980)
Psychedelic Furs \ Fall (1980)
Echo & The Bunnymen \ Rescue (1980)
Comsat Angels \ Total War (1980)
Bauhaus \ Terror Couple Kill Colonel (1980)
Section 25 \ Girls Don’t Count (1980)
Killing Joke \ Requiem (1980)
The Fall \ Totally Wired (1980)
Adam & the Ants \ Dog Eat Dog (1980)
Gang of Four \ What We All Want (1981)
Scars \ Leave Me In Autumn (1981)
Positive Noise \ Hypnosis (1981)
Au Pairs \ It’s Obvious (1981)
Theatre of Hate \ Nero
Modern English \ Smiles and Laughter (1981)
New Order \ Everything’s Gone Green (1981)
Christian Death \ Romeo’s Distress (1982)
Ministry \ Cold Life (1982)
Romeo Void \ Never Say Never (1982)
Cocteau Twins \ Wax and Wane (1982)
Red Lorry Yellow Lorry \ Beating My Head (1982)
Tones On Tail \ There’s Only One (1982)
Shriekback \ My Spine Is the Bassline (1982)
Kissing the Pink \ Watching Their Eyes (1982)
Southern Death Cult \ All Glory (1983)
The Chameleons \ Up the Down Escalator (1983)
The Creatures \ Dancing On Glass (1983)
Cabaret Voltaire \ Just Fascination (1983)
Gene Loves Jezebel \ Bruises (1983)
Xmal Deutschland \ Incubus Succubus II (1983)
Lords of the New Church \ Dance With Me (1983)
Sex Gang Children \ Sebastiane (1983)
Specimen \ Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (1983)
Flesh for Lulu \ Roman Candle (1983)
Breeding Ground \ Reunion (1983)
Sisters of Mercy \ Body Electric (1984)
Alien Sex Fiend \ Dead and Buried (1984)
Skinny Puppy \ Smothered Hope (1984)
Vital Sines \ Collage (1984)
The Bolshoi \ Giants (1985)
Love & Rockets \ The Dog-end of A Day Gone By (1985)
Jesus & Mary Chain \ The Hardest Walk (1985)
New Model Army \ Brave New World (1985)
Dead Can Dance \ Advent (1985)
Sonic Youth \ Starpower (1986)
The Mission \ Wasteland (1986)
National Velvet \ Flesh Under Skin (1986)
Clan of Xymox \ Muscoviet Musquito (1986)
Shine On \ The House of Love (1987)
Fields of the Nephilim \ Moonchild (1988)

After 1978 these trends diversified in volume and quality that cannot be covered in a single playlist. While broadly labelled much later as modern rock, at the time the varied styles were more likely to be referred to as post-punk, indie, or new wave as artists, fans, and critics tried to make sense of the variety. It was hard to define the emerging genres, but you knew it when you heard it – it was simply, different.

In the retrospective on new wave we explored one major strain of the new styles. New wave was defined as being more synth-based, melodic, lighter in tone and brighter in sound with a tendency towards major keys, and with the guitar for accent rather than as a lead instrument. Concurrent to that genre’s development was another strain that similarly fed off the attitudes of punk but in which the guitar remained prominent, synths were for flavour or ignored, and rhythms were usually the driving force as bass and drums came to the fore. The minor key was the common modus operandi and as a result the songs’ dark tones, moody atmospheres, and for many artists, their sombre, dark and horror influenced fashions, gave this strain a gloomier and more sinister milieu. Most of these artists were termed as post-punk or even more broadly as new wave, but such applications were too broad to make sense of the array of sounds, so following the narrowing of the new wave definition, this playlist presents the offsetting half of the scene under the moniker of dark wave.

Dark wave hasn’t been broadly adopted as a specific genre though was commonly used in the ‘80s in the UK and Europe like how I’m applying it. Cold wave was another term used for some of these bands. These styles were predominantly pursued in the UK – 46 of the 64 songs in this playlist were from England, with another 5 from Scotland – and many of these artists straddled genre lines and planted the seeds for more definitive genres that would emerge, such as goth, industrial, no wave, and dream pop or shoegaze; therefore many early artists from those scenes will also be captured here. Synth music also regularly explored dark waters, offering stark and atmospheric songs that were dark wave in nature, but by bands best located in the new wave or industrial genres since the bulk of their work trended that way – from this category you can place acts like Depeche Mode, OMD, Nitzer Ebb, Revolting Cocks, and The Human League, all of which have been omitted from this playlist, but some others have been kept in order to still explore a bit of that dynamic. All that said, there’s no better way to illustrate what was going on in dark wave than to listen to it and explore the artists that made it happen.

First, a couple notes on the playlist. It is not exhaustive of the dark wave movement nor is it intended to be a greatest hits package of the genre. Consider it a healthy sample and a jumping-off point if you want to explore further. I have also restricted it to one song per artist, tending towards their earlier work or songs that best exemplified their dark wave sound. If I’ve profiled the artist or they’ve appeared in other genre playlists, I’ve tried to select a song I haven’t used before, so there are some deeper cuts as a result (which hopefully offers a more interesting listen than the typical Spotify playlists). Alright, let’s get into it.

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy \ The Stranglers (1978) – This song appeared on The Stranglers’ third LP, Black and White, released in May 1978. “Nice ‘n’ Sleazy” was the first single from it released in April. The Stranglers were never a clean fit with the punk movement given their keyboard flavoured sound, but their aggressive, dark tones, punk-like energy, and innuendo laden lyrics made them total punks in spirit. They had arrived in sensational fashion over the course of late ’76 and through ’77 with their two LPs hitting #2 in the UK, the same peak reached by Black and White. “Nice ‘n’ Sleazy” was a slightly lesser hit, with a #18 peak in the UK singles chart, compared to the trio of top tens they’d achieved in ’77 with “Peaches,” “Something Better Change,” and “No More Heroes.”

The Stranglers are a natural starting point to explore dark wave given they were the darkest and most differentiated of the first wave punks. The sounds on Black and White started their move away from punk and into more experimental and varied compositions. The adjoining single to the album, “Walk on By,” was a fantastic example of how they could expand their sound into a more ambitious and thrilling result. The mid-tempo and guttural basslines of “Nice ‘n’ Sleazy” along with Hugh Cornwall’s mostly spoken lyrics also exemplified the band’s different take on punk. I picked this song because it wasn’t used on their profile (linked above) and also, after attending a show recently at the Glasgow club of the same name, was inspired to give it a spotlight.

The Light Pours Out of Me \ Magazine (1978) – Released in June of ’78, Magazine’s debut LP, Real Life, was one of the most engaging and intriguing albums of the era. Led by ex-Buzzcocks singer, Howard Devoto, Magazine was an assembly of musicians that would go on to help shape the Manchester and broader UK music scenes for years to come: John McGeoch on guitar and sax, Barry Adamson on bass, Dave Formula on keyboards, and Martin Jackson on drums. Their sound defied categorization with its swirling dark tones filled with menace and aggression, yet without the energy and raw power of punk’s guitars. It was too heavy for pub rock and even had the familiar structures of straight up rock music. “The Light Pours Out of Me” was co-written by the Buzzcocks’ Pete Shelley, as was the album’s single, “Shot By Both Sides,” released the prior January. It was a slightly more familiar sound with its punk and rock overtones, but “The Light…” really captured the band’s more nuanced style.

Hong Kong Garden \ Siouxsie & The Banshees (1978) – Also coming out of the punk scene was Siouxsie Sioux (Susan Ballion), who to that point was best known as one of the most visually arresting, controversial, and defining fashion statements of the King’s Road punk scene in the Chelsea area of London. As a member of the Bromley Contingent she’d been part of the Sex Pistol’s rise to infamy and was involved in the Bill Grundy television interview that skyrocketed the band’s infamy. Ever the individualist, as the punk scene coalesced around the Pistols, Siouxsie shifted out of that environment and set about starting her own band with friend and fellow scenester, Steve Severin (Bailey).

The duo first appeared at the legendary 100 Club Punk Festival in September 1976 and over the course of 1977 assembled a band and started playing shows and building a following. After a John Peel session and an appearance on the seminal Tony Wilson TV show, So It Goes, they landed a recording contract on Polydor in 1978. The debut single was “Hong Kong Garden,” released in August. It previewed their first album, The Scream, released in November. The single cracked the top ten in the UK and the LP reached #12, setting Siouxsie & The Banshees on their way.

The Banshees’ music was fitted to Siouxsie’s bondage and fetish fashion, dark make-up and hair, and mysterious air. At times stark and distant, at others swelling with drama and power, their sound was always marked by Siouxsie’s amazing voice, which could be subtle and chilling or echo grandly beyond the musical flourishes. Her vocals were instantly one of the most defining sounds of the modern rock era. The band’s unique sound and look were also a landmark in the UK music scene, giving a strong lift to the profile of women in modern rock and helping give birth to the nascent goth music genre.

Suburban Berlin \ Japan (1978) – In late October, Japan released their second LP, Obscure Alternatives. While their stupendous debut released that prior April, Adolescent Sex, had been mixes of punk, glam, and rock, this LP offered more subtle and textured takes that moved beyond those genres. In “Suburban Berlin” we heard another example of how keyboards, guitar, Mick Karn’s always beguiling basslines, and David Sylvian’s unique vocal presented a different, darker sound that wasn’t quite new wave, had some pop and rock moments, but was altogether different than what was evolving across the rest of the newer modern rock sounds. Along with the 1980 album Gentlemen Take Polaroids and 1981’s Tin Drum, Japan helped shape the dark wave sound. However, parts of Obscure Alternatives and most definitively, the 1979 album Quiet Life, also made Japan one of the most quintessential new wave artists. They showed how subtle shifts in tone, atmosphere, and instrumentation could move music easily between new and dark wave and exemplified how the two were essentially two sides of the same coin.

Listen to the Sirens \ Tubeway Army (1978) – Likewise, Gary Numan and his band, Tubeway Army, also exhibited an evolution from punk to dark wave to new wave. Issuing their first LP in November, the self-titled release was a brilliant mix of punk-toned, tight rock songs flavoured with keyboards and Numan’s stylized vocals. The album also had atmospheric, acoustic songs and early new wave styles. The album was a launching pad for Numan who would become a leading light of the new wave synth scene. But before he got there, he offered these transitional sounds that bridged punk, dark wave, and new wave. “Listen to the Sirens” was the album’s opening track, blending raw guitars, punk energy, and darkly tinted keyboards to achieve a dark wave sound.

Digital \ Joy Division (1978) – By the end of 1978 Joy Division was establishing themselves as one of the most interesting and exciting new bands in the UK scene. Still mostly only known in their Manchester locales, their Ideal for Living EP that summer and appearance on So It Goes in September were raising their profile. In December their new label, Factory Records, issued a 7” sampler which included two songs from Joy Division, including “Digital.” The song was the first sign that something special was brewing with this act, paving the way for their ground-breaking album Unknown Pleasures in June 1979. Driven by Peter Hook’s marching bassline, energized by Ian Curtis’ impassioned vocals, anchored by Stephen Morris’ drumming and accented with Bernard Sumner’s smart guitar work, “Digital” was dark, angry, persistent, and contained a nervous energy that was neither punk nor rock. Joy Division’s divergent take on punk gave them significant claim on establishing the dark wave/post-punk sound.

No Tears \ Tuxedomoon (1978) – One more entry from 1978 and the first on the playlist not from the UK. San Francisco’s Tuxedomoon came out of a long tradition of experimental music from the city, which had helped build the foundations for modern rock. Tuxedomoon’s varied compositions drew from punk and electronics, making them another act that straddled the line between dark and new wave. No Tears was the first of two EPs they’d issue prior to their first album, 1980’s Half-Mute. “No Tears” has become a classic of the post-punk genre with its raw guitars and droning tempo.

Sleeping Gas \ The Teardrop Explodes (1979) – Filled with catchy elements, great performances, and intoxicating rhythms, Kilimanjaro, the debut LP from The Teardrop Explodes, was an instant classic. It included great tunes like “Sleeping Gas,” the LP’s first single issued in February 1979, “Ha Ha I’m Drowning,” “Bouncing Babies,” and “Treason (It’s Just A Story).” Kilimanjaro was a pop album, a psychedelic ‘60s throwback, a new wave entry, and an art punk exercise, and when it all came together it was something entirely new. Led by the talented Julian Cope, the band was formed in Liverpool out of predecessor acts that included Ian McCulloch, who we’ll visit later. Deserving of more success than they achieved, The Teardrop Explodes put out two albums before dissolving; and after a brief hiatus in seclusion, Cope re-emerged to a moderately successful solo career through the ‘80s before returning to The Teardrop Explodes for a third album in 1990. The mix of punk, pop, psychedelia, and with Cope’s bass driving the rhythms, this band offered a darker side of the Britpop sound.

10:15 Saturday Night \ The Cure (1979) – This was The Cure’s second single, issued in June 1979. It followed their controversial debut single from the year before, “Killing An Arab,” for which “10:15 Saturday Night” had been the B-side. It was also the lead single for their first LP, Three Imaginary Boys, issued in May. The Cure’s early work may have been the most consummate work of dark wave bands. Though their lighter, more keyboard driven songs on the early albums also linked them to new wave, the moody, textured, atmospheric style that evolved over the three LPs of 1982 to 1984, Seventeen Seconds, Faith, and Pornography, were the very essence of dark wave. Their music got so dark that after Pornography, arguably their greatest album and one of the best of this genre, Robert Smith decidedly moved the band into a new, more pop-oriented direction. But in the beginning, the sparse, dark tones of songs like “10:15 Saturday Night” set the stage for all that would follow, in which contributions from the likes of Porl Thompson on guitar, Lol Tolhurst on drums, and Simon Gallup on bass (from the second LP onward), and of course Smith’s inimitable vocals explored a gloomier side of modern rock that set itself apart. Like Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure also helped build the goth rock genre.

The Message \ Punishment of Luxury (1979) – Northern England was a breeding ground for dark wave. To the west we’d already seen contributions from Liverpool and Manchester, and now moving to the northeast coast we found the dramatic, punky, quirky offerings of Newcastle’s Punishment of Luxury. Laughing Academy, issued in September 1979, would be their only proper album and their avant garde style would never gain them a large audience. Featuring catchy rhythms, heavy guitar riffs, and intriguing lyrics they were an uneasy fit for punk and too heavy for new wave. The first side of Laughing Academy was one of the best album sides of anything issued in that period, driven by powerful, sinister pairings of guitar and bass. “The Message” was the third track of the side’s five songs and was a great example of how their songs were driven by catchy rhythms.

Wet Job \ Fingerprintz (1979) – Scotland has played a big part in the evolution of modern rock, and dark wave was no exception. Fingerprintz was another that straddled new and dark wave and was actually formed out of London, though founders Jimmie O’Neill and Cha Burns were Scottish. The band held together until 1985 and issued three LPs but couldn’t find an audience despite the quality of their music. They infused a punky tone and spirit with catchy rhythms. In “Wet Job,” taken from their first LP, 1979’s The Very Dab, the dark wave sound was well captured as a dub-style vibe rode under spoken lyrics and an echoey, sparse guitar. Dark wave could capture a dance groove too. O’Neill and Burns would go on to greater success with their next band, The Silencers.

Memories \ Public Image Ltd (1979) – Johnny Rotten made a rather quick turn after the demise of the Sex Pistols, immediately pairing with long time friend Jah Wabble (John Wardle) to form P.I.L. in 1978. John’s intention was to steer away from the punk and rock worlds as he returned to his name, Lydon, and abandoned his ‘Rotten’ punk persona. Yet he was still the same, irascible individual seeking to poke a stick in the eye of any established norms and institutions.

At first just called Public Image, the ‘Ltd’ would be added shortly after as they developed a concept of the band as a multi-faceted, multi-media entity that would do performance art, music, advocacy, and anything else that struck their fancy. As Wabble took up the bass, the duo was joined by Keith Levene on guitar and Jim Walker on drums, and the band released their first LP in December 1978, titled Public Image: First Issue. The notable track was “Public Image,” an invective against Lydon’s former manager, Malcolm McLaren, that was a pulsating, driving track with punk flavour but delivered in a more polished, darkly tinted rock composition. Lydon’s singing also shifted from his snarling Pistols’ delivery to more of a wailing, operatic style, a change that would mark much of P.I.L.’s sound evermore.

Walker then left the band and a series of drummers stepped in as the next album was recorded. The next single was released in June 1979, “Death Disco,” a fantastic beat-driven, hypnotically rhythmic tune in which the melody from the opera “Swan Lake” was played over top on guitar. The song would appear in different form as “Swan Lake” on the next LP, Metal Box, released in November 1979 (it was originally packaged in a metal cannister like a film, and was later re-released in conventional album packaging and re-titled as Second Edition). The single released in conjunction with the album was “Memories,” another exercise in Lydon wailing over intriguing mixes of guitar and repeated rhythms of catchy drum and bass, with ear-catching breaks and shifts in tempo. P.I.L. was instrumental in forging a post-punk sound that, with its dark, dub moodiness introduced a new experimentalism into the scene.

I Just Can’t Be Happy Today \ The Damned (1979) – Also released in November 1979 was The Damned’s third LP, Machine Gun Etiquette. The band had been one of the earliest of the UK punk bands, holding the honour of being the first to issue a single with “New Rose” in October 1976 on the label, Stiff Records. The line-up of Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensible (Raymond Burns) on bass, Brian James on guitar, and Rat Scabies (Chris Millar) on drums had established The Damned as one of the darker, more frenetic pioneers of the punk movement. Their first two LPs, both issued in 1977, Damned Damned Damned and Music for Pleasure, gathered followers to the burgeoning genre, led by songs like “Neat Neat Neat.”

Though the first LP had cracked the top forty in the UK album chart and “New Rose” had made it into the top hundred on the singles chart, the second LP and its singles failed to chart. It would be the third LP, however, that ensured The Damned didn’t become a footnote in the punk formation, as the album and two of its three singles cracked the top forty and offered some of punk’s most enduring classics. The first single was “Love Song” which was a typical fast paced, guitar and bass driven punk tune. The second single was “Smash It Up,” which on the LP came in two parts, a slower, more traditional rock composition that then ramped up into its punkier form at the two-minute mark, while the released single was only the second part. Still, even in its punk form, it featured sinister turns, melodic guitar underpinnings, old school harmonies, and a drum solo.

The Damned, with Vanian up front in vampire style, were always a darkly styled punk band. As they shifted away from a pure punk sound, they were finding a style that matched their music to their image. Machine Gun Etiquette had plenty for their punk fans but it also had songs like “I Just Can’t Be Happy Today,” a dark-pop song full of organ, harmonies, and melodic turns over repeated rhythms. It was the start of an evolution that saw The Damned eventually become a goth band by the mid-‘80s, having abandoned their punk sound entirely and blending their dark wave sound with a purer pop vibe.

The Hair Shirt \ The Boys Next Door (The Birthday Party) (1979) – Dark wave influences were taking hold in other parts of the world, In 1976, The Boys Next Door were formed in Melbourne, Australia with Nick Cave on vocals, Mick Harvey on guitar, Phill Calvert on drums, and Tracy Pew on bass. They had started while in school in the early ‘70s playing covers of glam songs, and as they came out of school shifted their sound with the arrival of punk. When Rowland Howard joined on guitar in ’78 their style moved past punk into an experimental, dark style marked with feedback and disjointed rhythms underlining the deep tones of Cave’s vocals. It was a chaotic, jazz-like form of dark wave.

The Boys Next Door’s first recordings were on Missing Link Records and included an LP, Door, Door, released in June 1979, followed by an EP, Hee Haw, in December. “Shivers” was the single off the album and gained them a following despite radio stations’ reluctance to play it. “The Hair Shirt” was from Hee Haw and was one of the more accessible songs from their repertoire while still incorporating their free-form characteristics.

The band moved to London in 1980 (though frequently returned to Australia to record and tour) and renamed themselves The Birthday Party, releasing three LPs over the next three years. The third, Junkyard, made it to #72 in the UK chart as the British audiences were more open to the Aussie’s frenetic, dark wave sound. Their success was lifted by singles, “The Friend Catcher,” “Mr. Clarinet,” and the fantastic, “Release the Bats,” all of which cracked the top forty in the UK indie chart. Their first LP, The Birthday Party, was first released under The Boys Next Door moniker but then subsequently re-issued as a Birthday Party release. It included two songs from the Hee Haw EP including, “The Hair Shirt.”

By 1982, and not the least due to songs like, “Release the Bats,” the band was associated with the emerging goth scene. The band also moved to West Berlin in ’82 and after line-up changes and more tours, broke up in ’83 after releasing two final EPs that year. Nick Cave then formed his new band, The Bad Seeds. It included Mick Harvey, who would also team up with Rowland Howard in 1985 to form the band, Crime and the City Solution. The legacy of The Birthday Party, and Nick Cave in particular, has outgrown the limited commercial success of their music. Cave has become a well-known icon of the dark wave genre and the music of The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds have influenced a generation of artists.

Flight \ A Certain Ratio (1980) – By the start of the new decade, punk was mostly in the rear-view mirror and ebbing into the niche corner it would reside in for the next ten years. Disco too, was dropping away in favour of R&B and soul-based pop music along with the ever-present rock, now being joined by a growing wave of hard rock and heavy metal acts. In modern rock, new wave was taking over as all its variants, such as synth-pop and new romantics, were blossoming and even starting to gain some commercial attention. Dark wave also gained momentum, still based predominantly in the UK, and also started to coalesce into sub-varients.

As noted previously, the northern regions of the UK were a strong breeding ground for the dark wave sound, especially Manchester, England’s second largest city and, along with London, it’s most richly endowed region for ground-breaking music. Factory Records, led by TV personality and journalist Tony Wilson, was tapping into the vibrant music scene, notably led by the increasingly impressive Joy Division. One of the more experimental and interesting acts in its stable was A Certain Ratio, yet another band that focused on rhythms to create a fascinating mix of songs, notably due to its unabashed embrace of non-rock formats such as disco, funk, and Latin music.

ACR was formed by Simon Topping and Peter Terrell in 1977, building the band out to a sextet as they flushed out their vibrant sound with electronics and horns. They released their first single, “All Night Party,” in May of 1979 and it was followed by a cassette-only release in February 1980, The Graveyard and the Ballroom. It was a studio recording on side A (‘The Graveyard’) and a live performance on side B (‘The Ballroom’). It was followed by a single in August, the wonderfully danceable cover song, “Shack Up,” and then another in October, “Flight,” which had also appeared in both recorded and live form on The Graveyard… The song captured the band’s darkly textured rhythms and became their first of several of their songs to crack the top ten on the UK indie chart.

Fall \ Psychedelic Furs (1980) – Also together since ’77, London’s Psychedelic Furs were led by brothers Richard and Tim Butler and had been developing their own brand of booming, dark, post-punk music highlighted by sultry sax accompaniments. Their first LP, a self-titled release in February 1980, was an instant classic and, by reaching #18 in the UK album chart, one of the more successful dark wave albums at that point, a sign of the broadening reach of the sound. Anchored by the album’s first three songs, the epic “India,” the seductive “Sister Europe,” and the beguiling “Imitation of Christ,” that trio was followed by “Fall,” a sax and drums tune that modelled the rhythm-based formula of dark wave nicely. As always with the Furs, Richard’s raspy voice floated in the mix giving the song the Furs’ characteristic personality. They would be a leading act of the dark wave genre, enjoying success over four successive, outstanding LPs up to 1984 before moving to a more standard rock sound and losing much of their fan base over the second half of the ‘80s.

Rescue \ Echo & the Bunnymen (1980) – Back north to the Merseyside and another of dark wave’s leading acts, Liverpool’s Echo & the Bunnymen. Led by singer Ian McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant, they formed the band in 1978 and released their first single, “The Pictures on My Wall,” in May 1979 on local indie label, Zoo Records. It was issued as the B-side to “Treason” by The Teardrop Explodes, for which it was noted earlier that McCulloch had played in their predecessor bands. The single reached #24 on the UK indie chart getting the band noticed.

The Bunnymen’s first LP, Crocodiles, was released in July 1980 and was preceded by its first single, “Rescue,” in May. It was the first release for Korova, a sub-label of Warners based in London. It caught the ear of a broader UK audience, reaching #62 on the UK singles chart and propelling the album to a #17 spot on the albums chart. It was the start of a career that made Echo & the Bunnymen one of the most commercially successful of the dark wave acts, achieving six UK top ten albums and three UK top ten singles over the next twenty years. They were also one of the few to achieve some success in the US, with two LPs cracking the top 100. Their stateside success was mostly limited to college radio as their singles didn’t chart, but like The Furs their presence on John Hughes’ movie soundtracks garnered them a strong and loyal following among North American alternative music fans.

Total War \ The Comsat Angels (1980) – Unfortunately only a poorly recorded live version of this song is available on Spotify, but the Comsat Angels’ first LP, Waiting for A Miracle, was so good and one of the most consummate dark wave albums that it can’t be ignored on this playlist. They would never achieve much success but many of their songs are classics of the dark wave genre, such as “Eye of the Lens,” Independence Day,” You Move Me,” and “Day One.” “Total War” was their second single, released in May 1980, and captured the band’s dark brand of rock filled with catchy turns and synth accents. They were another northern band, hailing from Sheffield.

Terror Couple Kill Colonel \ Bauhaus (1980) – Bauhaus came out of Northampton in the English midlands and immediately made their mark with the single, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” issued in August of 1979. Their brooding, haunting music paired with the dark fashions of singer Peter Murphy and guitarist Daniel Ash made Bauhaus one of the biggest progenitors of goth music. The single was followed by two more fantastic singles, “Dark Entries” in January 1980 and “Terror Couple Kill Colonel” in June, which set things up for the arrival of their first LP in October, In the Flat Field. It took a while for their dark, moody, aggressive music to find its audience, but Bauhaus became one of the most revered and influential dark wave bands, issuing four great LPs up until 1983 before its members broke out into other projects, which we’ll visit later on.

Girls Don’t Count \ Section 25 (1980) – We’ll check into Manchester and Factory Records again with Section 25, a band formed by the brothers Larry and Vince Cassidy out of Blackpool. Their first single was “Girls Don’t Count” which was produced by Joy Division’s singer, Ian Curtis, and their manager, Rob Gretton. Their first LP, Always Now, was produced by Joy Division and Factory Records’ go-to producer, Martin Hannett, whose guiding hand was a big influence on the formation of the dark wave sound. Section 25’s music was typically rhythm based and mixed dark electronics over beats, murky basslines, and echoey vocals. They weren’t a charting band but endured through the ‘80s, releasing four albums and many singles. They reformed in the 2000s and have issued five more LPs.

Requiem \ Killing Joke (1980) – Another of dark wave’s leading bands, Killing Joke laid claim to some of the genre’s most exciting songs and were an influence in creating a heavier brand of dark rock that created the foundations for industrial music. The initial line-up of Jaz Coleman, Youth (Martin Glover), Paul Ferguson, and Geordie Walker came out of Notting Hill in London and released their first EP in December 1979, featuring the single, “Nervous System.” Their first, self-titled album was released in October 1980 but was preceded by three great singles from it, “Wardance” in February, “Change” in March, and “Requiem” in September. All were exercises in shadowy, rough, guitar-laced songs built on rhythms of heavy bass and deep drums. “Requiem” was my favourite of the three with its mesmerizing guitar and keyboard riffs and Coleman’s echoey vocals. It gave sign of the band’s epic sound that would be delivered to its greatest effect in their signature song, 1985’s “Love Like Blood,” one of the all-time great dark wave songs. Killing Joke is still going strong today, fifteen albums later, making them one of the few lasting acts from the original dark wave era.

Totally Wired \ The Fall (1980) – Mark E. Smith, unfortunately recently deceased, was essentially what the band, The Fall, existed around. He was one of the most enigmatic artists of the ‘80s UK music scene. The Fall released an impressive volume of music with 31 studio albums and over 90 live and compilation LPs, never shying away from experimenting with their sound. As a result, they were hard to warm up to for most but through their many great songs managed to build a loyal fanbase. Smith’s voice was one of the most distinct in the music world and always let you know you were listening to a song by The Fall.

Another dark wave Manchester band, The Fall was signed initially to the label, Step Forward, as they released their first two LPs in 1979 and gained some initial success on the UK indie chart with singles like “Rowche Rumble,” and “Fiery Jack.” The third LP, Grotesque (After the Gramme), came via Rough Trade Records in November 1980 and helped break the band to a broader audience, reaching #1 in the indie album chart. The singles “How I Wrote ‘Elastic Man’” and “Totally Wired” both reached #2 in the UK indie singles chart. “Totally Wired” would become one of the band’s best-known tunes and captured the band’s unique, loose, rhythm-based style.

Dog Eat Dog \ Adam & the Ants (1980) – Adam Ant (Stuart Goddard) was one of the most successful and recognizable of the dark wave artists, rising to prominence first with his band, The Ants, and then as a solo artist. After the first experimental and compelling album, Dirk Wears White Sox, in 1979, Adam and the Ants turned to the tribal African Burundi beats (provided by two drummers) for which they would become known. The beats combined with Marco Pirroni’s western-styled guitar accents to underpin Adam’s American Indian war whoops and face paint, oddly mixed with historical British naval jackets and pirate-styled scarves. The band’s rise started with November 1980’s Kings of the Wild Frontier, a #1 album on the UK album chart that provided three top ten singles in “Dog Eat Dog,” “Antmusic,” and the album’s title track, which took a second release in 1981 to get to the top ten. Ant achieved two more top ten albums with the band or solo along with seven UK top ten singles including three #1s. He was also a rare success across the ocean, charting regularly with albums and singles. He would move away from the dark wave sound as his solo career progressed, so it was mostly his work with The Ants that fit the genre.

What We All Want \ Gang of Four (1981) – On to 1981 and another act from the north of England, this time Leeds. Gang of Four was one of the most characteristic of the dark wave, rhythm-based bands, mixing punky-edged music with often off-beat drum and bass exchanges and politically infused lyrics. Formed in 1976 by Jon King, Andy Gill, Hugo Burnham, and Dave Allen, the band released via Fast Product Records one of punks’ greatest tunes, “Damaged Goods,” in the fall of 1978. Their first LP, Entertainment!, was on EMI and featured outstanding tracks like “I Found that Essence Rare” and “At Home He’s A Tourist,” in addition to a slightly more polished version of “Damaged Goods” (I prefer the rawer original) and its great B-side, “Love Like Anthrax.”

The second album was Solid Gold, released in January 1981 and which moved away from the punk sound and embraced more the starker, rhythm styles of the debut. Preceded by the single, “Outside the Trains Don’t Run on Time,” the band hit its dark wave stride with the next, “What We All Want.” It was a brilliant mix of catchy, repeating bass and drums riding under a caustic guitar riff and Gill’s echoey vocal.

Gang of Four, like many dark wave acts, would achieve only some chart success but become highly influential, leading the way to a dancier version of the genre. They released two more LPs in ’82 and ’83 before splitting, re-forming off and on ever since under different line-ups and having released five more albums.

Leave Me In Autumn \ Scars (1981) (YouTube playlist only) – Further north now to Scotland and the band, Scars, an obscure act that released one of dark wave’s greatest albums, Author! Author!, in April 1981. Another band on Fast Product, they were together from 1977 to 1982 and only issued the one LP along with four additional singles. I swear the band didn’t have a single weak song, yet somehow eluded wider attention and acclaim. Full of punky guitar riffs, rich basslines, propulsive drumming, and hook after hook after hook, their songs were dark and edgy yet infused with an infectious pop sensibility. “Leave Me in Autumn” was on the album’s impeccable first side.

Hypnosis \ Positive Noise (1981) (YouTube playlist only) – Similarly, Positive Noise was a Scottish band around from 1979 to 1985 but enjoyed a little more success than Scars, though with less consistent output. They released three albums, with the first two charting on the UK indie chart. The first, Heart of Darkness, I’ve had on vinyl since the ‘80s and is the one I know best. It had several solid songs such as “…and yet again,” a melodic offering with a shimmering synth line and sax bursts. It was these elements that also located the band on the new wave side of the ledger. But the album also had moody, rhythmic tracks with stark passages, making it fit within dark wave. From that side of things there were tracks like “Refugees” and “Hypnosis,” the latter of which was a quirky, synths and beats track that moved frenetically behind an almost ska-like guitar riff and the echoey vocals of Russell Blackstock.

It’s Obvious \ Au Pairs (1981) – It may be obvious by now there wasn’t a lot of female participation within the dark wave movement – it was to the Au Pairs. So far in this list we’ve had exactly one female contributor, Siouxsie Sioux. The Au Pairs fixed this a little thanks to half of the quartet being female, with Jane Munro on bass and Lesley Woods on guitar and vocals, paired with Paul Foad on guitar and vocals and Peter Hammond on drums. The band hailed from the West Midlands city of Birmingham and released their first single, “You,” in 1979 and their first LP, Playing with A Different Sex, in May 1981. “It’s Obvious” was the B-side to their 1980 single, “Diet,” but was put out as its own single later that year. A different and longer version was then included on the album, a version I prefer and have used for this playlist. The band moved between new wave and dark wave, often using catchy, repeated rhythms and beats to propel their songs, as revealed in “It’s Obvious.” Understandably, sexual politics was a focus of the band and “It’s Obvious” was just one song that touched on those themes.

Nero \ Theatre of Hate (1981) – London band, The Pack, was only around for a couple years and released just a two singles and an EP, but their darkly toned, rhythm-based sound contributed to a punk blend of dark wave and was set apart by singer Kirk Brandon’s distinctive voice. Brandon then teamed up in 1980 with Stan Stammers, Steve Guthrie, Luke Rendle, and John ‘Boy’ Lennard who provided the band a sax element to their stark, echoey, resonant dark wave sound, and Theatre of Hate was born. Again, it was Brandon’s vocals that distinguished the sound, but when paired with slick bass and drum combinations that played out infectious, repeated rhythms, the band found a compelling formula. After a couple of singles in late ’80 and early ’81, the band released “Nero” in July 1981, providing one of dark wave’s most epic songs.

I recently saw Theatre of Hate perform, marking their first ever appearance in Toronto. After their set Brandon and Lennard sat themselves next to us to watch the headliner, Chameleons Vox (more on them later). I had a chance to chat with them briefly. I was crushed they chose not to perform “Nero” that night and couldn’t help express that to Kirk (he shrugged, what else could he do at that point?). I also told him I thought he had one of the most impressive voices in rock, which he was pleased to hear but responded, “I just sing,” not claiming any special technique or training to achieve such a wonderful sound. I believe it’s the natural talents to which we tend to be drawn.

Theatre of Hate only managed to release one album, Westworld, in 1982 before splitting up. They provided more great songs such as “Do You Believe in the West World” and “The Hop” (both of which were performed when I saw them), and the LP cracked the top twenty in the UK album chart. They re-formed in the 1990s and issued three more LPs before breaking again but have, obviously, reformed and are now touring and recording once again, and thus my chance to have seen them.

Smiles and Laughter \ Modern English (1981) – It may surprise those who only known Modern English for their single, “I Melt with You,” with its jangly guitars and new wave synths and melody, that they were a dark wave band. But if you focus on the rumbling base and drum rhythm, the lower timbre of Robbie Grey’s vocal, and the out-front use of the guitar, and the dark wave influences abound. Indeed, the core of the Colchester, England band’s sound was dark wave, driven by catchy, danceable rhythms within a dark ambience. “Smiles and Laughter” was their fourth single and the last prior to the release of their first LP, 1981’s Mesh and Lace. It showed Modern English’s blend of the dark and new waves and penchant for incredibly catchy songs. They would never receive much chart and commercial success, despite issuing an impressive collection of singles and LPs.

Everything’s Gone Green \ New Order (1981) – More generally, and rightfully, seen as a new wave act, the early releases from New Order carried on the sound and feel of Joy Division and thus also contributed to the spread of dark wave. Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris carried on after the suicide of Ian Curtis in May 1980, adding Gillian Morris (Stephen’s girlfriend and future wife) on keyboards and guitar. Over the course of 1981 they released three singles leading to their first album in November as New Order, Movement. It was followed by a fourth single in 1982. Those singles and album are some of the greatest moments in dark wave music.

New Order is my favourite band and their first single, “Ceremony,” is my favourite song (this blog is indeed named after it), so naturally I will place it pretty high among the dark wave entries (see the profile on New Order for more extensive discussion of the song) along with Joy Division’s epic last single, “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” New Order’s second single, “Procession,” with its synths, was more of a new wave song but its hypnotic rhythms also linked it to dark wave. The third single was “Everything’s Gone Green,” which was the darkest and most rhythmic of the three. One of Barney’s ‘strummers’ and marked by Hook’s signature bass sound, the song was a landmark in New Order’s gradual transition from dark wave gloom band to new wave conquerors. It was a transition that had started within Joy Division but increased in pace with New Order. After the incredible dark wave music of Movement, the band offered a final, epic dark wave tune with “Temptation” before firmly moving towards new wave and dance with “Blue Monday” and the Power, Corruption, and Lies LP. New Order’s brilliance was always their mix of new wave synths and dance along with the darker punk tones of their origins, so much of their music fit into both sides of the ‘waves,’ which undoubtedly has helped fix their status as one of the leading acts of their time.

Christian Death - definitely getting a goth vibe now…

Romeo’s Distress \ Christian Death (1982) – The difference between dark wave and goth rock was usually just a matter of lyrics, imagery, and fashion. Christian Death, a band out of Orange County, California, pushed those elements a little further and led a wave of west coast dark wave bands that were categorized as death rock. Carrying on the visual traditions of ‘70s glam bands like Alice Cooper and Kiss, Christian Death married the macabre imagery and lyrical content with the dark wave sound.

Rozz Williams was the founder of Christian Death, which released their debut LP, Only Theatre of Pain, in March 1982. “Romeo’s Distress” was a track from the album that nicely captured the band’s dark wave sound, with a driving tempo and mix of dark tones with a new wave vibe. Williams disbanded the original line-up in 1983 and recorded two more LPs with a new line-up, before leaving to do other work.

The band decided to stick together, with guitarist Valor Kand taking over as its song writer. They have released thirteen more albums up to as recent as 2015. Meanwhile Williams also resurrected the band with its original line-up in the ‘90s, having to call it ‘Christian Death with Rozz Williams’ due to losing claim to the band name to Kand’s version. William’s line-up released three albums between 1992 and 1994 before stopping again.

Cold Life \ Ministry (1982) – In the introduction it was noted that synth and electronic bands also ventured regularly into dark wave waters. Most of those acts quickly moved into brighter, pop-oriented sounds and found great success. Depeche Mode was an interesting case in which they started relatively light and got darker as they went, unexpectedly achieving great success along the way. Most electronic acts that plumbed the darker corners of their craft didn’t experience such results, though could find a welcoming audience among the healthy, but not mass fanbase of dark wave.

Dark wave electronic acts, by virtue of their tendency to feature more danceable and/or bleaker, stark beats behind their rhythms, were grouped into the sub-genre of industrial music (which in turn has its own variations of dance, rock, and metal). One of the pioneers of that genre, whose evolution also nicely epitomized the development of dark wave sounds into industrial, was Ministry, led by the mercurial Al Jourgenson.

Jourgenson moved to Chicago to attend university in 1978 and became friends with the owners of the indie label and record shop, Wax Trax! Records, who encouraged him to form a band to flesh out the demos he was making with home electronics. Adding two keyboardists, a bass player and a drummer, they recorded and released in late 1981 their first single, “I’m Falling,” which featured the track “Cold Life” as the B-side. When it was released in the UK in March ’82, it was reversed with “Cold Life” now the A-side. The funky basslines and drums mixed with atmospheric keyboards, strumming guitars, and horn blasts mixed with the darkly toned vocals, made for an intriguing jazz-funk take on the dark wave sound.

Ministry signed with Arista Records, whose founder Clive Davis was excited to make Ministry the US’s answer to the UK’s dark wave momentum. Ministry released their first LP in 1983, With Sympathy, which managed to crack the top 100 in the US charts, while two of its three singles got some attention on the dance charts. The album ranged between dark wave tones and straight up new wave pop. Jourgenson was straining at the bounds which Arista had placed on him, wanting Ministry to experiment whereas the label wanted to pursue success via its synth sound. As a result, he parted with Arista and signed with Seymour Stein and Sire Records, with the caveat that the label would also support Wax Trax!

1985 saw two fantastic singles, “All Day,” and “(Every Day is) Halloween,” which didn’t chart but became classics of the decade, whether one chose to classify them as new wave, dark wave, dance, or synth-pop, since the songs had elements that could place the songs in any of those categories. Another album followed that year, Twitch, which included another great single, “Over the Shoulder.” At this point Ministry’s sound was a tougher electronic mix, using stark dance beats with raspy vocals. Jourgenson wanted to move to a heavier rock sound, and did so with the next LP, 1988’s The Land of Rape and Honey. Thereafter Ministry would embody the industrial-metal sound, mixing harsh beats and electronics with heavy guitar and dark vocals and joined with accompanying imagery. The next four successive LPs would garner Ministry increasing sales, accolades, and the reputation as a ground-breaking leader of the industrial movement, centred around Chicago and with many fellow acts signed to Wax Trax! Records, though Ministry remained with Sire (and its parent, Warners).

Never Say Never \ Romeo Void (1982) – The third US act in a row on this list is San Francisco’s Romeo Void. Their catchy songs peppered with screeching sax, fit in the new wave and pop genres, but the lack of synths, reliance on strong rhythms, and singer Deborah Iyall’s offhand, sarcastic, and lower registered vocal gave the band a decidedly dark wave element. Their crowning achievement was the single, “Never Say Never,” which was their best dark wave moment and one of the genre’s top tunes.

Wax and Wane \ Cocteau Twins (1982) – Before becoming the progenitors of dream pop and shoegaze, Scotland’s Cocteau Twins were one of the most interesting acts of the dark wave genre. In September 1982 the trio of Robin Guthrie, Elizabeth Fraser, and Will Heggie introduced their dark mix of ethereal, affecting music. Combining the unique sounds of Guthrie’s guitar and Fraser’s vocals over electronic beats, the Cocteau Twins’ sound was a less aggressive, more artful take on the dark wave sound. The debut LP, Garlands, made it to #4 in the UK indie album chart, finding its place in the growing interest in dark wave. Eschewing singles, “Wax and Wane” was one example of the album’s enrapturing sound. Cocteau Twins continued to evolve their techniques and style over the next few EPs and albums, becoming one of the most distinct sounding and influential acts of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and one of the most successful of the early dark wavers.

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, as the picture shows…

Beating My Head \ Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (1982) – Also released in September ’82 was the first single from Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, “Beating My Head.” It didn’t gain much attention but paved the way for the band to achieve a string of consecutive charting singles on the UK indie singles chart over the next seven years. They also issued five albums, starting with the first in 1985, that all cracked the UK indie top ten, including 1986’s #1, Paint Your Wagon. The band was formed in Leeds by guitarist and songwriter Chris Reed, offering quintessential mixes of droning, dark wave rock with driving guitars, deep basslines, and rumbling drums, all of which could be heard from the start with that first single, released on Red Rhino records and unchanged from its initial demo recording.

There’s Only One \ Tones on Tail (1982) – Bauhaus guitarist Daniel Ash started a side project, Tones on Tail, with Glenn Campling and released a single, “There’s Only One,” also in September ’82. The duo was joined by drummer Kevin Haskins in ’83 after Bauhaus broke up. Tones on Tail went on to release several great singles and one album through the end of 1984 before rejoining with Bauhaus bassist David J to form Love and Rockets in 1985. Tones on Tail was not too dissimilar to the Bauhaus sound, with Ash’s vocal approach more muted and raspier, allowing the wall of sound rhythms of bass and drums to provide a dark foundation to his guitar work. Their style reached its epitome with the fantastic, 1984 dance-rock track, “Go!,” which became an instant dark wave classic.

My Spine is the Bassline \ Shriekback (1982) – With one of the coolest song titles ever, Shriekback arrived on the scene in 1982 with the single, “My Spine is the Bassline,” a wonderfully funky, dark mix of bass, tribal drums, and chants that also became a dark wave classic. They released their first mini-LP that same year, Tench, which included their first single, “Sexthinkone.” “My Spine is the Bassline” reached #15 on the UK indie chart, bringing the band to greater attention and launching a career that continues today, fifteen albums later.

Shriekback was formed in 1981 in London when Barry Andrews out of XTC and Dave Allen from Gang of Four came together. They added drummer Carl Marsh by the time of their first releases. The band would be a staple of the dark wave scene through the ‘80s, releasing a series of seminal albums and classic tracks such as “Lined Up” and “Nemesis.” They added a different flavour to dark wave with the occasional use of soul-style backing female vocals.

Watching their Eyes \ Kissing the Pink (1982) – Also issuing their debut in ’82 was Kissing the Pink, a London act leveraging electronics to pursue a dark wave sound. Their synth approach also put them in the new wave category, depending on the dynamics of the track. Their debut LP was 1983’s Naked, which was preceded by a few singles over ’81 and ’82. “Watching their Eyes” was the third single and revealed their moody electronic style. They wouldn’t achieve much success over their three LPs in the ‘80s, the last released under the name, ‘KTP,’ but their ’84 LP, What Noise? was one of my favourite albums of the era and included the classic track, “Radio On,” and the affecting, “Greenham.”

Southern Death Cult, with a young Ian Astbury (far right)

All Glory \ The Southern Death Cult (1983) – Formed in Bradford, England, just outside Leeds, The Southern Death Cult was brought together by Ian Astbury, Barry Jepson, David Burrows, and Haq Qureshi (later Aki Nawaz). Astbury was born in England but spent his teens in Canada, where his family had moved in 1973. He returned to the UK in 1979, spending time in Glasgow and Liverpool before settling in Bradford in 1980. The band signed to the Situation Two label and issued a double A-side single in December 1982, “Moya/Fatman,” which went to #1 on the UK indie singles chart. They toured with fellow dark wavers Theatre of Hate and Bauhaus.

In 1983 Astbury broke the band up and formed a new one with Billy Duffy, who had played with Theatre of Hate. The new act was called Death Cult, and eventually shortened to just The Cult, under which they went on to great success as a crossover rock act. Also in ’83, Beggars Banquet (parent to Situation Two) released an LP, The Southern Death Cult, which put out the rest of the recorded work of that band. On that release was “All Glory,” a rhythmic track that better captured the dark wave rock sound of the band compared to the singles.

Up the Down Escalator \ The Chameleons (1983) – We’re now in the heart of the dark wave era as the breadth of bands exploring the sound expanded, still mostly centred in the UK. Many of these bands would elevate their status in the following years as synth music died off starting in ’85. Electronics would, of course, never go away and continued to be a prominent element in modern rock, but through the latter ‘80s the guitar returned as a central instrument, leading to the ‘90s success of grunge and Britpop. One of the bands that saw their stock rise through this dynamic was The Chameleons, who were known as The Chameleons UK in North America.

Another Manchester band, it was formed by Mark Burgess, Reg Smithies, and Dave Fielding in 1981, creating a unique trio of bass and two guitars. A series of drummers stepped in over the early years including former Magazine drummer, Martin Jackson. It would be John Lever on the sticks for the band’s first album, Script of the Bridge, released on New Year’s Day 1983. It was preceded by a single in ’82, “In Shreds,” with the first single from the LP being “Up the Down Escalator.” That song captured the band’s broad sound, with Burgess’ quintessential new wave voice riding over the driving force of the guitars, drum and bass, and light synths. More melodic than most other dark wave bands, the prominence of guitar and bass over the synths kept them from being a wholly new wave act.

The Chameleons wouldn’t be much of a charting band, but as noted their success rose over time, culminating in the album, Strange Times, in 1986. It reached #44 in the UK chart and its singles, “Tears” and “Swamp Thing,” both cracked the top 100 in the UK singles chart. Since they were initially signed to Epic Records, then Statik, a sub of Virgin Records, and later Geffen, greater attention via the indie charts was missed.

This dark wave playlist was partially inspired by recently seeing ChameleonsVox, Burgess’ current version of The Chameleons. The band was headlining a fantastic triple bill that included Theatre of Hate and Jay Aston from Gene Loves Jezebel, making for a great dark wave show.

Dancing on Glass \ The Creatures (1983) – In 1981 Siouxsie Sioux and her Banshees drummer, Budgie (Peter Clark), started a side project called The Creatures. It was done to further expand on the combination of drum and voice that had been explored while recording The Banshees’ album, Juju. Their collaboration led to an EP, Wild Things, in September 1981, which peaked at #24 in the UK chart. The duo returned to the project in early ’83, this time issuing a full album, Feast. It was an intriguing approach to their sound, stripped down to just the two elements, offering a nuanced, starker version of Siouxsie’s sound. The single was “Miss the Girl,” which reached #21 in the UK singles chart. The album peaked at #17. “Dancing on Glass” was a great track from the album, a compelling, danceable example of their creative sound.

During this time The Banshees’ Steve Severin also did a side project with Robert Smith of The Cure, who was filling in on guitar for The Banshees at the time. The band was called The Glove and they released their only LP in ’83, Blue Sunshine, which featured the singles, “Like an Animal” and “Punish Me with Kisses.” The band was filled out with Jeanette Landray on vocals, soon to be drummer for The Cure, Andy Anderson, and a trio of string players. The Glove’s work was a little more pop than The Cure or The Banshees, giving indication of where Smith was headed with The Cure after having just completed their brilliant trio of dark LPs, the last of which, Pornography, had been released the prior year. The Glove’s music suffered due to Landray’s vocals; which were often weak and whose personality couldn’t match the depth and atmosphere of the music. Smith sang on a couple tracks which helped, but overall they weren’t an act worth investigating.

Just Fascination \ Cabaret Voltaire (1983) – We’ll stay in the north of England and look at a city that offered some of the more compelling, stark, and experimental electronics acts, Sheffield. While there were new wave, pop and rock acts from the city like ABC and Def Leppard, there were also the electronic offerings of Heaven 17, The Human League, Clock DVA, and Cabaret Voltaire. Those acts all seemed to come out of the same group of musicians, working together in various iterations before eventually sorting themselves into those established acts.

Cabaret Voltaire was formed ten years prior in 1973 by Richard Kirk, Chris Watson, and Stephen Mallinder. They experimented with electronics and tapes to create stark electronic landscapes. They worked with artists of the time such as Throbbing Gristle in creating the foundations for the industrial sound through the mid-‘70s. Working with punk and post-punk acts such as Joy Division, they built an audience as the world caught up to their sound over the later years of the decade. They released three albums along with singles and EPs from 1979 to 1982, with Watson leaving in 1981, and saw several singles crack the top ten on the UK indie singles chart.

In 1982 the remaining duo decided to shift from their experimental approach to a more accessible sound, starting with the John Robie remix of the song, “Yashar,” which reached #6 in the UK indie chart. In July ’83 their single, “Just Fascination,” from the LP, Just Crackdown, was their first to reach the main charts with a #94 placing in the UK singles chart and a #31 spot in the album chart. It was followed by their career-defining work, Micro-Phonies, in 1984 featuring the singles “Sensoria” and “James Brown” and other great tracks such as “Do Right” and “Spies in the Wires.” In “Just Fascination,” the markings of Cabaret Voltaire’s dark wave electronica could be heard, with its echoey vocals, rhythmic structures, and atmospheric, dissonant use of synths and effects.

Bruises \ Gene Loves Jezebel (1983) – Formed around twin brothers Jay and Michael Aston, who were from Porthcrawl, South Wales, Gene Loves Jezebel started in London in 1981. A consummate dark wave band, GLJ was also often associated with the goth scene thanks to the brothers’ penchant for a glam look. After issuing an initial single in 1982 with the uninspiring title (and sound), “Shaving My Neck,” they came out in ’83 with the lovely single, “Screaming (for Emmalene),” followed by “Bruises,” both of which would appear on their debut LP, Promise. The single version of “Bruises” was better than the album version and revealed the band’s darkly tinged pop sound. The Aston’s distinctive vocals and melodic approach set them apart from other dark wavers. The album reached #8 in the UK indie chart and the single cracked the top ten. GLJ would never be a highly charting band but went on to release several strong albums and great singles.

Incubus Succubus II \ Xmal Deutschland (1983) – This is another rare entry from outside the UK, with Xmal Deutschland being from Germany (it the name didn’t make it obvious). They were also unique in the dark wave genre for being an all-female act, with an initial line-up of Manuela Rickers, Anja Huwe, Rita Simonsen, Fiona Sangster, and Caro May, though Simonson and May would be gone by ‘83, both replaced my males, Wolfgang Ellerbrok and Peter Bellendir. “Incubus Succubus” was their second single in 1982 but was remixed for re-release in 1983 as “Incubus Succubus II,” a much more accessible version that made the UK indie charts. Xmal Deutschland released four LPs in the ‘80s starting with 1983’s Fetisch and were one of many dark wave acts on the 4AD label, touring with the likes of Cocteau Twins and The Stranglers.

Dance with Me \ Lords of the New Church (1983) – This is a song that was also included in the new wave retrospective, showing the crossover blend of sounds Lords of the New Church exhibited. Their dark wave bona fides, in addition to the many moody elements of their sound, came from their collective dark-toned pedigrees. It all started with Steven ‘Stiv’ Bators coming to England after the break-up of The Dead Boys. While auditioning for a new punk act coming out of the band, Sham 69, he worked with the ex-guitarist of The Damned, Brian James. When the new act fell through, James and Bators moved forward as Lords of the New Church, working through a who’s who of punks orphaned from their original acts (e.g. Tony James of Generation X, Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols, Terry Chimes of The Clash, Rat Scabies of The Damned, and Steve Nicol of Eddie and the Hot Rods) before settling in with Dave Tregunna of Sham 69 and Nick Turner of The Barracudas.

The debut LP was a self-titled release in 1982, moving through various musical styles. The second release was the 1983 LP, Is Nothing Sacred?, which featured their classic dark/new wave classic, “Dance with Me.” Now on a major label, they didn’t get the chart success their initial release had achieved on the UK indie charts. The album again explored a variety of styles, but in “Dance with Me” captured the melodic goth-dance sound that brought the new and dark waves together. There was one more LP in 1984 but the band held together until 1989 through various line-up changes, with Bators departure being the final nail in the coffin.

Sebastiane \ Sex Gang Children (1983) – This band from London was part of the Batcave scene in London that helped galvanize the goth scene. The weekly club night saw dark wavers and goths assemble to showcase their emerging musical and fashion styles. Sex Gang Children was formed around vocalist and guitarist Andi Sex Gang, releasing a live recorded cassette in 1982, Naked. The band’s name was one considered by Malcolm McLaren for Bow Wow Wow, as did Boy George for Culture Club, lifting it from author, William Burroughs. When both passed on it, Andi adopted it for himself and his band. There followed in ’82 an EP, Beasts, and a single, “Into the Abyss.” The first LP, Song and Legend, also arrived in ’83 and included the single, “Sebastiane.” It was a thundering song marked by violin and Andi’s wailing vocals, making for a quintessentially dark, goth song.

Specimen… we’re well into the glam goth territory now

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang \ Specimen (1983) – Olli Wisdom was a founder of the Batcave night and Specimen was his band. They formed in 1981 in Bristol but it was in London where they made their name, limited though that was. They never released an album, only managing four singles and an EP between 1983 and 1986. “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” was their best-known track, even though it was the B-side to the single, “Returning from A Journey.” “Kiss Kiss…” was a better representation of their glam-goth look and sound.

Roman Candle \ Flesh for Lulu (1983) – Another London glam-goth band from the Batcave club night was Flesh for Lulu, the name of which was derived from the 1973 film, Flesh for Frankenstein (which in North America was known as Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein), adjusted to include the name of James Mitchell’s roommate at the time, a girl named Lulu. Mitchell, transplanted to London from Scotland, joined with Nick Marsh to form the band in 1982. Rocco Barker and Glen Bishop soon filled out the line-up as they signed to Polydor and released their first single in November 1983, “Roman Candle.” The song blended dark wave rhythms with melodic interludes and was carried by Marsh’s natural, new wave style vocal. The band wouldn’t garner much attention over a series of singles, EPs, and albums but did build a following in North America thanks to the 1987 song, “I Go Crazy,” which appeared in the John Hughes film, Some Kind of Wonderful. As the band moved through the ‘80s they evolved into more of a pop sound and left the dark wave vibe behind.

Reunion \ Breeding Ground (1983) (YouTube playlist only) – I would be remiss if I didn’t feature some acts from my own country. There had been a vibrant punk scene in Canada in the late ‘70s and the same evolutions into new wave and dark wave were happening in cities like Toronto and Vancouver. Breeding Ground were from Toronto, formed in 1981 by John Sherriff, Hugh Gladish, and Jonathan Strayer. After a self-titled EP in 1982 they issued the exquisite single, “Reunion,” in 1983. It remains one of my favourite songs as the persistent tempo, driven by the wonderful interplay of bass and guitar over a driving beat and Sherrif’s melodic vocal made for an irresistible and stirring composition. When dark wave hit its stride, and especially when a pop or dance sensibility was mixed in, some truly transcendent moments were achieved, and this was one of them.

Breeding Ground issued two more LPs, including the excellent Tales of Adventure in 1986 that included another fantastic song, “Happy Now I Know,” which was against the minor key trend of dark wave with a rousing, soul-gospel vibe thanks to the powerful backing vocals of Molly Johnson. The band would never break out but had a strong local following and were a staple on Toronto alternative radio.

Body Electric \ The Sisters of Mercy (1984) – By 1984 it certainly appeared that dark wave was being taken over by industrial and goth acts, and with that a shift towards melody increased, further blending the boundary with the predominate new wave sounds and bands. Though still applying heavy rhythms to their music, The Sisters of Mercy were one such act displaying these trends. Formed in Leeds in 1980 by Gary Marx and Andrew Eldritch, they named themselves after a 1967 Leonard Cohen song after hearing it in the 1971 film, McCabe & Mrs Miller. After an initial single in 1980 Craig Adams was added on bass, Ben Gunn added a second guitar, and Eldritch switched off drums to vocals, reverting to a drum machine they dubbed, Doktor Avalanche. Therefore, their music became an electro-rock mix.

The Sisters of Mercy, performing in 1984

They released the single, “Body Electric,” in 1982 followed by an EP, Alice, in ’83. Two more EPs followed, The Reptile House EP in 1983 and Body and Soul in 1984, which included a remake of “Body Electric,” which is the version heard in this playlist. It was a driving, raw tune that displayed The Sisters of Mercy’s evolving, accessible sound. 1983 also saw the release of the single, “Temple of Love,” a track they would re-record to great success in 1992. The band was known for their cover songs, in particular a dark, down tempo take on The Rolling Stones’ classic, “Gimme Shelter.” Their releases were all through the band’s own indie label, Merciful Release.

Gunn left the band in ’83 and was replaced by Wayne Hussey as their popularity grew and they signed to WEA. Merciful Release would still publish the music, but it would be distributed through WEA internationally and by its sub, Elektra, in the US. The Sisters of Mercy’s first LP was finally released in 1985, First and Last and Always. The line-up then changed many times due to conflicts with Eldritch, leaving him as the sustaining member under the Sisters name. We’ll come back to this later. Two more LPs were issued, Floodland in 1987 and Vision Thing in 1990.

The Sisters of Mercy’s dark sounds and engaging melodies, led by Eldritch’s deep vocal over heavy guitar and the pulsating beats of Doktor Avalanche, made the band a leading name among the goth, industrial, and dark wave genres. All three albums cracked the top twenty in the UK album chart and two singles, “This Corrosion” and “Temple of Love (1992)” reached the top ten in the singles chart. Though they had a strong following in North America, they never hit the mainstream charts.

Dead and Buried \ Alien Sex Fiend (1984) – The parade of goths and the increase of electronics continues as we advance our playlist to August 1984 and the release of Alien Sex Fiend’s fourth single, “Dead and Buried.” It was the first of theirs (and only one of two in their career) to crack the top 100 in the UK singles chart. It came out around the time of their third LP, Acid Bath. The band was another Batcave act and was led by husband and wife team, Nik and Christine Wade, who went by the stage names Nik Fiend and Mrs. Fiend. The band’s industrial-goth sound regularly got them spots on the UK indie chart and a cult following among North American goth fans. They have released thirteen albums with the most recent in 2018. Their 1986 song, “I Walk the Line,” remains a favourite of mine.

Smothered Hope \ Skinny Puppy (1984) – Vancouver, Canada’s Skinny Puppy was formed by cEvin Key (Kevin Crompton) as a side project to his work with new wavers, Images in Vogue. He was able to fully explore his industrial pursuits along with Nivek Ogre (Kevin Ogilvie) when he left Images in Vogue in 1986 both because he was unhappy with their move towards pop and due to their relocation to Toronto. Key and Ogre (they took stage names since they were both named Kevin) first issued a self-released EP in 1984 before signing with Nettwerk, a label formed by the band MOEV, who themselves mixed a bit of electro-dark wave into their music. The first Skinny Puppy release for Nettwerk was the 1984 EP, Remission, which included new band member Wilhelm Schroeder (Bill Leeb). “Smothered Hope” was on that EP and made it clear Skinny Puppy was a compelling and unique contributor to the Canadian music scene. Schroeder left in ’86 to form Front Line Assembly and was replaced by Dwayne Goettel, who helped the band improve their sound which led to greater success.

Indeed, by the late ‘80s Skinny Puppy had built an international following and became recognized as a leading industrial-goth act thanks to their 1988 LP, VIVIsectVI, and it’s standout single, “Testure.” Renowned for their live act, which blended performance art, horror, and lots of fake blood, the band built a steady and (mostly) enduring career. They have released twelve albums, with the most recent in 2013. Ogre and Key have remained the band’s core duo. Goettel remained with the band until his death due to overdose in 1995, which coincided with their break-up. Skinny Puppy reformed in the early 2000s and I was able to take in their spectacle at their Toronto show in 2004.

Collage \ Vital Sines (1984) (YouTube playlist only) – Another Toronto band, Vital Sines struggled to make a go of it despite strong local support and radio play and several opening slots for touring, international dark wave bands. Formed in 1981, they held together until 1988 before calling it quits. “Collage” was the title track of their sole release, a 1984 EP, and with its pulsating rhythm, echoing drums and guitar, and dramatic vocals, established itself as a classic of ‘80s Canadian dark wave music.

Giants \ The Bolshoi (1985) – The latter half of the ‘80s saw more blending of pop and dark wave influences, same as happened with new wave, and the dividing lines continued to be blurred more and more. The Bolshoi were a band with a decidedly dark, goth-tinged sound but often with a brighter tone and, at times, pop-infused melodies. Trowbridge, England locals Trevor Tanner and Jan Kalicki made their way to London in 1984 and with Nick Chown, formed The Bolshoi and built up a following with steady gigs. In 1985 they released a single, “Sob Story,” followed by a 6-track mini-LP, Giants, that featured the single, “Happy Boy.” Paul Clark joined the band on keyboards as the interest in their releases led to a signing with Beggars Banquet. They then released LPs in ’86 and ‘87, Friends and Lindy’s Party that saw their sound shift more fully into the pop and new wave strains. As a third LP was being recorded in 1988 disputes with the label led to delays and the eventual collapse of the band. The LP, Country Life, was released in 2015. “Giants,” the title track from that first EP, displayed the bands moody, goth-rock sound with deep basslines and scratchy, atmospheric guitars and keyboards.

The Dog-end of A Day Gone By \ Love and Rockets (1985) – Bauhaus broke up in 1983 and, as noted earlier in this playlist, Daniel Ash and Kevin Haskins played together in the brief tenure of the band, Tones on Tail. In 1985 they rejoined with Bauhaus bassist David J (Haskins brother) and formed Love and Rockets. Picking up on the dark tones of Bauhaus and Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets explored a more psychedelic, pop-influenced variant. After success with an initial single, a cover of The Temptations’, “Ball of Confusion,” the band released their first LP, Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven, in 1985. It was a masterpiece of dark wave, blending their influences and the unique talents of their trio into a tidy collection of varied tunes. “The Dog-end of A Day Gone By” was an album cut that exhibited their immense talent and ability to write dense, epic, hook-filled songs. Along with songs like the title track, “If There’s A Heaven Above,” and “Haunted When the Minutes Drag,” the LP was an instant dark wave classic. However, like most of the genre, it failed to gain much attention as neither the LP nor singles charted. The band achieved greater success with their subsequent LPs and singles, continuing into the late ‘90s with their blend of pop and dark wave tunes.

The Hardest Walk \ Jesus and Mary Chain (1985) – William and Jim Reid from East Kilbride, Scotland, had been playing together and forming ill-fated bands since the late ‘70s. The combination with Doug Hart and Murray Dalglish and the exploration of a mix of punk, dark wave, and ‘60s pop styles gained them the right combination to move forward with a viable act, The Jesus and Mary Chain. After moving to London to find a more accepting audience for their unique brand of moody, dark, noise-infused rock, they landed a deal with the new label, Creation Records, and released a single in 1984, “Upside Down,” which went to #1 in the UK indie chart.

After a change in drummers from Dalglish to Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream, the band recorded their first LP, Psychocandy. As I noted in the retrospective on shoegaze, that album was pivotal in starting the strain of dark wave that evolved into shoegaze, which was a blend of the noise rock of Jesus and Mary Chain with the dream pop sounds of bands like Scotland’s Cocteau Twins. It was the retention of the punk edge that set Jesus and Mary Chain apart from the typical dark wave sound, especially in 1985 when that genre was moved either towards industrial electronics or into a pop and new wave blend. “The Hardest Walk” was an album cut from Psychocandy (and was also featured in the movie, Some Kind of Wonderful), and in addition to showing the band’s pop-punk-dark wave sound, revealed just how strong the album was given its brilliance.

Brave New World \ New Model Army (1985) – Like Southern Death Cult, New Model Army was from Bradford, a town just outside Leeds. Their sound was more of a straight-ahead rock sound blended with dark wave tones. They were formed in 1980 by Justin Sullivan, Stuart Morrow, and Phil Tompkins and took their name from the seventeenth century English army formed during the English Civil War. The band would have a political bent to their music from the beginning. After releasing two indie singles in 1983 and gaining a small level of popularity, their first LP, 1984’s Vengeance, reached #1 in the UK indie chart. They then signed with EMI, starting an eight-year run with major labels across the release of four LPs. The first was 1985’s No Rest for the Wicked. The single, “No Rest,” reached #28 in the UK singles chart and the LP also cracked the top forty. A non-album single then followed, “Brave New World,” that I’ve chosen as a stronger example of their early dark wave influence.

New Model Army’s varied sounds has led to them being categorized across several genres, and perhaps that has also led to their success being solid but never great and mostly centred in their native UK. Justin Sullivan has been the only constant member as the band has soldiered through an almost forty-year career, now having released fifteen albums.

Advent \ Dead Can Dance (1985) – There were few acts as unique as Dead Can Dance, a band that almost defied categorization. Yet their darkly toned, medieval-tinged, rhythm-based music seemed best aligned with dark wave. Started in 1981 by Brendan Perry, Simon Monroe, Lisa Gerrard and Paul Erikson in Melbourne, Australia, they relocated to London in 1982, leaving behind Monroe and taking on Peter Ulrich. In 1984 they released a self-titled debut LP on 4AD followed by an EP. The music was sparse, ambient, and built around vocal structures that included chants, howling, and Perry’s deeply resonant singing.

Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry of Dead Can Dance

The second LP was Spleen and Ideal, released in November 1985 and essentially just the duo of Gerrard and Perry, who would form the core of Dead Can Dance thereafter. The album featured a more accessible sound, though still featured the distinctive elements of their first releases. “Advent” was almost a pop song in comparison to the rest. It was a wonderful track that blended their dark rhythms and vocal sound with a stuttering bassline and ambient keyboards. The duo went on to release seven albums before breaking up in 1998, improbably building a solid following of fans. They reunited in the early 2000s and have since released two more albums in 2012 and 2018.

Starpower \ Sonic Youth (1986) – It seems every modern rock genre playlist ends up with a Sonic Youth song (they’re also on the Women in Modern Rock and Shoegaze playlists), given their many ground-breaking elements. 1986’s Evol, the New York based band’s third LP and first with drummer Steve Shelley (joining Lee Ranaldo and husband and wife tandem, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon) was the beginning of their shift from a more avant garde, no wave sound into a more accessible, dark wave style that, like Jesus and Mary Chain, harnessed their feedback riddled, noisy sound into darkly wonderful mixtures of rhythm and melody. As that sound evolved, they influenced countless other artists and were pivotal in creating the differing strains of alternative ‘90s music that were the direct descendants of ‘80s dark wave. Also like Jesus and Mary Chain, they kept the rock spirit alive within dark wave while others were lightening the sound. “Starpower” was the album’s single and, while not charting, undoubtedly helped bring a larger audience to the band with its more accessible rock sound, leading to the success they would achieve in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

Wasteland \ The Mission (1986) – Another act from Leeds, England, The Mission (‘The Mission UK’ in North America) worked a dark wave tone into a broader pop-rock sound. They came together out of other bands, starting with Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams, who parted with Andrew Eldritch after The Sisters of Mercy’s first LP due to disagreements about the band’s musical direction. Hussey and Adams started a new band, The Sisterhood, and not wanting to rely as much on electronics as The Sisters of Mercy had, brought on Mick Brown from Red Lorry Yellow Lorry to play drums and guitarist/keyboardist Simon Hinkler from Pulp and Artery. As the band started writing new material and touring Europe as openers for The Cult, Eldritch claimed the name The Sisterhood for himself, quickly recording and releasing a single, “Giving Ground,” in January 1986.

Hussey and Adams therefore rechristened their new act, The Mission. It was uncertain if it was drawn from the intended title of The Sisters of Mercy’s second LP, Left on Mission and Revenge, which ended up instead being called, Floodland. In 1986 they released two EPs, I and II, on indie label Chapter 22, which featured the original song, “Serpents Kiss,” as well as cover songs by Neil Young (“Like A Hurricane”), Led Zeppelin (“Over the Hills and Far Away”), and Patti Smith (“Dancing Barefoot”). After Hussey and Adams were released from their Sisters of Mercy contract with WEA, they signed with Phonogram and released their debut LP, God’s Own Medicine, in November 1986. After the initial single, “Stay with Me” (issued on an EP titled, III), reached a respectable #30 on the UK singles chart, the second single, “Wasteland,” (EP IV) reached #11 and established The Mission as a leading dark wave act.

“Wasteland” displayed the vast sound that marked The Mission’s style. It would be repeated for other successful singles such as “Tower of Strength” in 1988, and “Butterfly on A Wheel” and “Deliverance” in 1990. I found The Mission enjoyable but a weaker sounding variant of the core, dark wave sound. More melodic, lacking the deeper bass and drum rhythms, and trending towards the arena rock bombast of artists such as U2 or Simple Minds, The Mission wrote good songs that just came short of being great.

Flesh Under Skin \ National Velvet (1986) (YouTube playlist only) – Toronto band National Velvet was formed in 1985 when singer Maria Del Mar paired with bassist Mark Storm. Tim Welch, who worked with Del Mar at The Diamond night club, joined on guitar and Garry Flint filled out the line-up on drums by the time the band recorded a self-titled, indie EP in 1986. It included the song, “Flesh Under Skin,” which became a staple of Canadian alternative radio when it was released as a single on the band’s first, self-titled LP. Its pulsating, booming rhythms, searing guitar, Del Mar’s deep, powerful vocal, a persistent tempo, and a pop-sensible melody made the song irresistible. It was another example of how dark wave could be deployed within a pop format. Signing with Intrepid Records they released three albums over eight years, putting out more solid dark wave singles such as “68 Hrs,” “Shine On,” and “Sex Gorilla.”

Muscoviet Mosquito \ Clan of Xymox (1986/1983) – Let’s wrap up 1986 with one last entry and another rare international dark wave act. Clan of Xymox hailed from across the Channel from the UK, in Amsterdam. They were started in 1981 by Ronny Moorings and Anka Wolbert in Nijmegen, meeting up with Frank Weyzig and Pieter Nooten when they made the move to Amsterdam. Initially just called, Xymox, they self-released an EP in 1983, Subsequent Pleasures. The EP included the song, “Muscovite Musquito.” After a tour with Dead Can Dance, the headliner’s label, 4AD, picked them up and the Dutch band, now just a trio of Moorings, Wolbert, and Nooten, released their first LP in 1985, self-titled under the new name, Clan of Xymox. It included the electronically driven single, “A Day,” which featured an excellent B-side, “Stranger.” In 1986 they issued a new version of their earlier song as a 7” single in France under the adjusted title, “Muscoviet Mosquito.” The new version of the song showed the band’s polished, quintessentially dark wave sound, mixing the deep, danceable electro-rhythms with guitar, a prominent use of synths, and Moorings dramatic, new wave vocal.

After one more album with 4AD in 1986, the band moved to PolyGram and continued recording, back under the name, Xymox. Two LPs were released under the sub, Polydor, in 1989 and 1991 and which included the excellent 1989 single, “Obsession.” After that the band dissolved and Moorings continued, eventually returning to the name, Clan of Xymox, in 1997. The ‘Clan of’ and Xymox bands have now released sixteen albums, with the latest in 2017.

Shine On \ The House of Love (1987) – Coming out of London, The House of Love arrived on the scene in 1987 with their first single, “Shine On.” And while it didn’t catch on – their success would arrive with a re-recorded version of it in 1990 along with other minor hits such as “I Don’t Know Why I Love You” and “Marble” – the band was indicative of the greater melodic trend occurring within the dark wave sound. The band was led by Guy Chadwick, who had been inspired by fellow dark wave artist, Jesus and Mary Chain, and was named after the Anaïs Nin novel, A Spy in the House of Love. They released four albums up to 1993 before breaking up, eventually reforming in 2003, since releasing two new LPs. Though their rawer, dark style of their first LP in 1988 would lighten over the subsequent LPs, they carried the darker blend of new wave into the 1990s.

Moonchild \ Fields of the Nephilim (1988) – By the end of 1986 dark wave had established its place, showing its influence in the darker variants of pop and new wave and directly spawning the growing genres of industrial and goth. Let’s wrap up this playlist with one last entry from the late ‘80s with another artist from, where else, England. Fields of the Nephilim had a dark wave sound similar to The Sisters of Mercy, mixing psychedelia, electronics, western music, and goth into an intriguing mix. Their first release was an EP in 1985, Burning the Fields, followed by an LP in 1986, Dawnrazor. Success was built through two singles in 1987, “Preacher Man,” which reached #2 on the UK indie singles chart, and “Blue Water,” which hit #1. The next single in 1988, “Moonchild,” also hit #1 on the indie chart while also cracking the top forty in the main UK singles chart. It was from their first LP, The Nephilim, also issued in ’88. Fields of the Nephilim were an act that embodied the culmination of dark wave into a distinct goth sound and culture. Dark, occult imagery was paired with their dark wave music, creating dramatic visuals to accompany their sound.

Dark wave, cold wave, ethereal wave, no wave, goth, industrial, post-punk, indie – all are name variations of what has been explored in this playlist – and back in its day, most would have just called it new wave. Call it what you want, but the uniting features of these bands and their music was an emphasis on rhythm or melody, minor key structures, dark moods and atmospheric tones, drama, and guitar or bass as the lead instrument. Electronic variations became ascendant towards the end, and with that increased dance beats and the use of melody, but the dark colour schemes remained in the sonic collage. The other consistent aspect of dark wave artists was that they were, by and large, kept to the fringe of the ‘80s music world. Regardless, these bands made their mark and the dark wave sound has remained prevalent through countless artists and varied genres of modern rock over the past thirty years or more. If you’re more familiar with current music, then much in this playlist must have sounded familiar. And if you were around back then and the new wave synths, R&B pop, bright colours, outfits, and big hair of the ‘80s frightened you, then it’s likely that dark wave is where you found solace and the means to comfort your troubled soul. I know I did.

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