Subculture Aesthetic

As the lectures on punk and hip hop have shown us, musical sub cultures are more then just music. To be a part of a subculture you also have to have the right look, the right attitude. However, this in turn contradicts itself, as a lack of originality and personal expression forms, which many subcultures (especially punk) fight against.

The aesthetics of a musical subculture is reflected in both the music and the look. The deconstructionalist approach and attitude of punk can be seen in the clothes and album art, it can also be heard in the music.

Another subculture in which he aesthetics of the music is also a part of the music is the New Zealand indie scene. The key to this sub culture is the low-fi aesthetic. It can be seen in the clothes, album art and music videos.

The best example of this is the video for Sleep in the Garden by The Ruby Suns. Shot mainly in one shot with a few cutaways. It consists of the lead singer playing his guitar and singing in long shot and the rest of the band either attacking him or stepping in to dance.

A video like this could be made on an extremely low budget, and looks it. The aesthetic of low fi has its advantages. As the bands are independents they do not have any money. Instead of trying to make flashy videos or live shows with little money the bands instead celebrate the fact, drawing attention to it and having fun with it.