All bad vibe hearts: a goth/adjacent mixtape

It's a little bit goth-y, a little bit rock'n'roll

My oldest friend group (dating back to the early ‘80s) has our own Slack, which we use for all matter of things. One of the channels is devoted to making mixtape-size mixes; the only rule is they have to fit in 90 minutes, like an old C-90 cassette. And no surprise, I’ve made a few. And additional no surprise, mine always adhere to a loose genre grouping, as that’s chiefly how I listen to music these days.

This is one I made a few years ago, a goth and goth-adjacent mix. Most goth fans have slightly different parameters for the genre; I myself don’t consider Lush nor Ministry as goth, but they’re definitely related, which is why I added the “-adjacent” tag. In the context of this mix/tape, their songs work here. And of course there are the titans of the genre, all musts for inclusion: Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus, the Cure, and anything from Sisters of Mercy’s Floodland (to my ears, the archetypal goth album). Not all Cocteau Twins is goth, but early Cocteaus is definitely goth. Xymox is goth. Some Joy Division is goth. The Smiths are not goth, but “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” fits in nicely. Deftones covering early Cocteaus definitely applies, as well.

I love this mix because of its succinctness. It’s made to be listened to in order, as like any good mixtape it has a definite flow to it. Light a candle, say a prayer to the goddess that is Patricia Morrison (my personal ultimate goth icon), and enjoy.