The difference, by ear
Both are dark, both use drum machines. Goth is theatrical and guitar-led; coldwave is minimal, electronic and much less interested in performance.
Both are sung cleanly and move at much the same pace, around 90 to 130 bpm. To hear the difference, play Trisomie 21 next to Bauhaus. Both grew out of post-punk, gothic rock first and coldwave / minimal wave two years after.
In figures
Coldwave / minimal wave
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Post-punk › Coldwave / minimal wave
In short
European post-punk on cheap drum machines: cold synths, distant vocals, the atmosphere of a grey housing block in winter.
How it sounds
- A cheap drum machine - Roland TR-606, Korg - and a monophonic synthesizer.
- Chorused guitar, used sparingly and for texture.
- Distant vocals, often in French, over lo-fi production.
Key acts
- Trisomie 21
- Asylum Party
- Martin Dupont
Start here
The pickTrisomie 21 - Le Repos des Enfants Heureux. Grey-tower-block melancholy in pure form.
Full page →Gothic rock
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Post-punk › Gothic rock
In short
Post-punk with reverb, chorused guitar and a baritone voice. Its aesthetic passes straight into gothic metal and doom.
How it sounds
- Guitar with chorus and flanger, thin and cold, drenched in reverb.
- Melodic bass up front; some bands use a drum machine instead of a drummer.
- Baritone vocals, often declaimed, with literary and funereal lyrics.
Key acts
- Bauhaus
- The Sisters of Mercy
- The Cure
- Fields of the Nephilim
Start here
The pickBauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead. Nine minutes that founded an entire subculture.
Full page →