Dark Folk was initially a term used interchangeably with Neofolk and "apocalyptic folk" to describe a range of Contemporary Folk music rooted in post-Industrial and Post-Punk, but today it refers mostly to a specific neofolk sub-genre which emerged in the mid-to-late 1990s. Unlike original "apocalyptic folk", it doesn't incorporate any post-industrial or post-punk influences. Instead, Ambient and Nordic Folk Music elements can often be heard. Also, experimental and apocalyptic nature of pioneering neofolk bands is rejected in favour of more melancholic and minimalist soundscapes. Vocals can be hushed, whispered, ethereal, depressing and traditional folk influenced, although instrumental tracks are very common too. As far as lyrics are concerned, dark folk artists usually focus on "dark" themes such as desolation, depression or death as well as paganism, nature, history, etc. and they are often sang in languages native to performers. Due to lyrical and stylistic overlap, dark folk is closely related to Metal (most notably Black Metal) music with many artists combining these two genres.
Ulver's Kveldssanger is widely considered as one of its earliest and most important releases, but dark folk has roots in the original neofolk movement as well, most notably Fire + Ice whose impact on the German scene was huge. Other key artists who helped to establish the genre include Orplid, Tenhi, Empyrium, Forseti, Darkwood and many other, mostly German and Nordic, bands and musicians. Today the most important dark folk scenes are located in Germany, Finland, Norway and Russian Federation.
# | 歌曲 | 艺人 | 时长 |
---|---|---|---|
01 | Exit in Darkness | A.A. Williams | 06:11 |
02 | Winter Light | A.A. Williams | 09:44 |
03 | Fearless | A.A. Williams | 04:51 |
04 | Melt | A.A. Williams | 06:16 |
05 | All I Asked For (Was To End It All) | A.A. Williams | 04:39 |