The difference, by ear
Post-punk shares the instincts and arrives from the other direction - art school ideas applied to punk's materials rather than to rock's.
Both are sung cleanly, but post-punk is a little faster: 110 to 150 bpm against 80 to 130. To hear the difference, play The Velvet Underground next to Joy Division. They share a root in rock, and art rock came first, by twelve years. United Kingdom appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Art rock
Where it sits
In short
Rock made by art-school graduates: concept, image and experiment ahead of formula. It overlaps with prog but cares far less about virtuosity.
How it sounds
- Concept and image treated as part of the music rather than as packaging.
- Borrowings from the avant-garde, electronic music, theatre and visual art.
- Unconventional structures, without prog's obligation to virtuosity.
Key acts
- The Velvet Underground
- Roxy Music
- Talking Heads
- Radiohead
Start here
The pickTalking Heads - Remain in Light. African funk, synthesizers and existential panic.
Full page →Post-punk
Where it sits
In short
Punk asking what comes next: melodic bass up front, dry guitar, space and cold. Possibly the most fertile branch in all of rock.
How it sounds
- The bass carries the melody; the guitar plays short, dry figures with chorus or flanger.
- Dry-toned drums with plenty of space in the mix - you can hear the room.
- Irregular structures, cold dynamics, abstract or political lyrics.
Key acts
- Joy Division
- Wire
- Gang of Four
- Public Image Ltd
Start here
The pickJoy Division - Unknown Pleasures. Martin Hannett's production is half the record.
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