An example of cybergoth fashion

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

Music

In the first decade of the 21st century, rave and hard dance, or trance music nightclubs continued to be a popular draw in Europe and Canada, but became less common in the United States. The generic, instrumental, computer driven, synthesized hypnotic tempos and textures of Rave/Trance music from the late 1990's was transformed into futurepop, a term coined by Ronan Harris of the current UK band VNV Nation.

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

The word "punk" in "cyberpunk" did not refer to punk rock music when it was coined. The suffix "punk" added to the word "cyber", reflected only the subversive spirit of computer hackers.

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

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

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

Fashion

Cyberkid

A Cyberkid at Gatecrasher

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

Cybergoth

Etymology

Dutch cybergoths

Fashion

Cybergoth fashion resembles a combination of rave, rivethead, and goth fashion, as well as drawing inspiration from science fiction. Androgyny is common.^[2]Current fashionable concepts include the use of one starkly contrasting bright or neon-reactive theme colour such as red, blue, neon green, chrome, or pink ^[3] set against a basic, black gothic outfit. Matte or glossy black materials such as rubber and shiny black PVC can be mixed and matched in an effort to create a more artificial look as in the Cyber subculture. These stylistic differences help to discern a Cybergoth from a Cyberpunk.

The common use of a single theme color set against mostly black attire can appear in a variety of forms, including brightly colored hair, artificial make-up, cybernetic patterns such as live LED circuit boards, various forms of body modification and superfluous goggles (especially aviator-style), typically worn on the forehead or around the neck rather than on the eyes. The most common use of a theme color is in the hair and/or eye make-up. Artificial, extended hair or ?falls? are sometimes used to create this added effect. Falls can be made of various non-human materials ranging from yarn to fluorescent tubing to electrical wiring ^[4] Popular club gear for Cybergoths includes tight black pants, tight armageddon-style black vests or shirts cut from desecrated or ripped, solid or fishnet fabrics resembling costumes from 19th Century Gothic novels, early black and white Gothic horror films from the mid 20th century. ^[2]

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

The darkly futuristic costume designs presented in The Matrix are known to have inspired many cyber style clothing manufacturers in the recent past.^[5]

Locations

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

See also

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

References

es:Cyber (subcultura) de:Cyberkultur it:Subcultura cyber nl:Cybergothic ru:?????-????