No band wants to be defined by a single term, and almost all C86 bands sneer at this term. The reason is that the NME magazine, which edited, selected and published this collection of cassettes, has always been a media with mixed reputations in the music circle. Many people do not like their aggressive hype attitude. For example, BMX Bandits directly rejected the invitation to this collection. , the so-called C86 music classification label is actually just a simple classification based on hindsight, but it faithfully records the special period when Indie-Music was budding.

Strictly speaking, C86 is not a trend, let alone a style of music. It has never become popular in the British music scene. It is almost a typical niche music. It died too early and did not have time to develop a specific model and creative method. Moreover, C86, which was born in the collection, originally included a variety of orchestra styles that are difficult to classify. Category, so C86 should generally refer to the British independent underground guitar rock band from 1986 to 1989. They are remembered again because of their great influence on the subsequent British guitar rock, so the C86 cassette was the first to witness this history. , naturally is used as a pronoun, a coincidence of fate. Punk created an unparalleled explosive revolution in 1977. After its demise, post-punk replaced it and became the iconic style of guitar rock in the 1980s, such as Joy Division, the Fall, and Gang Of Four. , Buzzcock, the Cure, etc., all brought countless guidance to the younger generations, and it also seemed that the local independent rock labels in the UK gradually began to gain a firm foothold. It was at this time that the familiar Creation, Rough Trade, Factory, and Beggars Banquet Among the independent labels on the rise, Postcard Record from Glasgow, Scotland is the most legendary and will have a great influence on the future C86 band.

Although Postcard Factory only had a short life of two years (1980-1981), it played a role as a successor to British independent guitar rock. There are only four bands under Postcard, Aztec Camera, Josef K, Go-Betweens and Orange Juice, however, were later recognized as classics. Their attitude towards music experimentation, fresh and simple guitars, punk-based music forms, and rich literary lyrics are all C86 The band adheres to the highest guiding principles, among which Orange Juice is the most important. The New-Pop style they advocate incorporates some pop elements of the 1960s, and is the most important source of creativity for the C86 band to compose melodies.

In addition, in addition to the well-known C86 cassette, NME released a cassette called C81 as early as 1981, which included many emerging bands from post-punk and new wave, and Postcard’s four The orchestra was also included in the list, but the style of this collection was too complex, so it did not receive any response, but it created a low-key pioneer for the subsequent C86 cassette.

In addition to Postcard, there are two important bands that must be mentioned when mentioning the influence of C86, namely Felt and Television Personality. These two bands, known as the ancestors of Twee-Pop and Indie-Pop, also came from post-punk in the early days, but quickly established their own style. Their guitar sound interpretation is fresh, simple, bright and moving. , and is repeatedly used in arrangement. This seemingly clumsy and simple expression technique but containing restrained musical wisdom is called Jangly-Guitar or Jangly-Pop. This operation is similar to punk. method, and also provided macro-philosophical ideas for independent guitar rock bands in the future

Although these two bands did not influence C86 as much as Postcard Factory, they were the most influential in the Decade throughout the 1980s. Playing an important and pioneering role, it can be said that there are countless guitar bands influenced by them, and they have always had very miserable commercial results, but they have always maintained a relaxed and independent attitude without being humble or overbearing. Inadvertently, they also Established a music-playing attitude towards life for C86 Band.

1986-1989

After the collapse of Postcard Factory, its bands turned to signing contracts with other independent labels, and their works spread like ripples, gradually changing people's understanding of music. With the ideas and attitudes of guitar rock, niche underground bands began to imitate Orange Juice’s guitar style, and Psychocandy released by Jesus And Mary Chain in 1985 gave this underground trend a shot in the arm. There are many bands that play this kind of guitar sound that is not tolerated by the mainstream market.

Also because many of the tracks included were not later included in any singles or albums, this adds to the rarity and uniqueness of this cassette. From the tracks, it can be found that There are quite a lot of bands, and the complexity of different styles is definitely imaginable. Some bands disappeared and disbanded without ever having a chance to release an album, while others are still active today. Like all collections, the C86 cassette is not a completely pleasant album, and the quality of the songs is also very uneven. However, the reason why this cassette is mentioned again and again is because of her inspiration and concept of experimental guitar style, and Then there were the outstanding performances from several bands.

Because of this, it would be a very complicated and difficult task to discuss the arrangement style of C86 cassette in an overall manner, but overall, they follow the same concept, let’s take the guitar interpretation method. In other words, the guitar sounds in this collection seem to be varied, but in fact they have completed the inheritance of the predecessors, from the transformation of folk guitars, the composition of anxious sounds, the concept of noise experiments, and the copying of Jangly bright guitars. , all inherited the ingenious ideas outlined by the predecessors for guitar rock, and because of such conceptual collective performances, the C86 cassette has a deeply creative function that even exceeds the original feeling of listening to music.

The most important reason why people can define C86 as an imaginary style and distinguish them from Indie-Pop and Guitar-Pop is their unique musical form. Most of the bands in this collection are following the rhythmic foundation of punk music, extending in different directions. You can hear that most of the compositions are based on post-punk drums but playing Janlly guitar. The lines and melody are simple and sweet like the 1960s, but the recording and texture are very low-fidelity and rough. This is how the C86 style is generally defined. Here are some important bands that originated from C86 cassettes.

Primal Scream

Primal Scream is the most famous group of C86. No one can imagine that behind their success in the mainstream market, they are from the C86 group. Before their ground-breaking Dance-Cross-Rock masterpiece Screamadelica in 1991, their Debut album Sonic Flower Groove played fresh and innocent guitar rock. Gentle Tuesday in it was a famous song imitated by many younger generations, and their Velocity Girl on the cassette was It has long been regarded as the national anthem of C86.

Leader Bobby Gillespie was once the drummer of Jesus And Mary Chain, so the two albums that he has heard are both classic works. They are definitely the most important band in the C86 era, in addition to their unique and clever guitar lines. , the subsequent changes in the quality of electronic music allowed the mainstream market to re-explore the band's previous history, and indirectly caused the C86 Band to re-arouse the world's interest. Although they have given up their identity as C86, they still have the power to promote and disseminate that era. Incredible.

McCarthy

McCarthy is my favorite C86 band. They brought together the best of all their predecessors and wrote protest lyrics that were rare at the time. In addition to being meaningful, they , the transformation of their music style also witnessed the changes of the times, from the short punk of Debut album I Am A Wallet, to the smooth and beautiful Guitar-Pop of The Enraged Will Inherit The Earth, to the electronic music style that finally incorporated Kraut-Rock, McCarthy The C86 Orchestra is always the band that can compose the most pleasant notes.

The dual guitar arrangement inherited from Felt is the focus of their instrumental performance. Janlly has always been good-sounding along the way, simple and monotonous but full of layers. They attracted attention with their satirical song "Red Sleeping Beauty" of Mrs. Thatcher. , whether it is the year of survival or the tragic commercial performance, it has repeatedly represented the original spirit and creativity of C86.

Among many poorly managed bands, The Wedding Present is the only one that can make money. They have also been commented by the media as adhering to the basic tenets of C86 along the way, and their music is always based on The restless and disordered continuous guitar strings are supplemented by punk-like short rhythms, but they never forget to make beautiful guava songs. Their Debut album George the Best is also the most representative work of the C86 era among its peers.

And their guitar attitude has indirectly influenced the way many post-rock and shoegazing bands interpret guitars. Unlike the short-lived C86 period, The Wedding Present has always stuck to the line and released works steadily. Their standards are also very good. They are still active today, like C86 living fossils.

The Pastel

Always called the godfather of Indie-Pop by MCB magazine, The Pastel has indeed influenced countless fresh music. They can be said to be the noisy and violent reaction of C86. They play innocent and lovely pop tunes based on folk guitar, but without losing the independence and diversity they deserve. They always represent sentimentality and love melancholy, and inherit the amateurish and clumsy spirit of Television Personality. Broken notes and out-of-tune guitars are commonplace, but they also injected another retro and fresh force into the history of C86.

Shop Assistants

They have only released one album, but they have great influence. They play an important role in the role of women in flowers and independent music. In addition, they The experimentation and development of Dream-Pop, chanson and shoegazing music almost directly influenced female vocal groups such as Slowdive.

As for the above-mentioned bands, before they became successful, they all followed a simple and plain creative method, recording in the living room at home, and used the concepts of low fidelity and Home Demo to form the boundaries of their own music. It got rid of the sophisticated and romantic complex professionalism of the new wave, but did not have the focus and lack of writing of punk music. It laid an important foundation for the development of independent music. This is also closely related to the C86 band's love of releasing seven-inch single vinyl. relation.

Because the seven-inch vinyl is small and easy to store, and the cover design is extremely convenient and simple, and it only contains three or four songs, which allows the band to give full play to their experimentation and independence. But you don’t have to worry about managing an album-like integration concept, so the cute and compact seven-inch vinyl has been the favorite release of musicians and fans since the C86 era, and this tradition has been passed down to the current flowers and plants. orchestra.

If the above bands have a different benefactor who helped them through the bleak band years, that person is the famous BBC DJ John Peel. The Peeling Old Man is not exclusive to the C86 era, but those bands are undoubtedly his favorite boys. Many C86 bands have attended several John Peel Sessions to promote their music for free. Even though the results are limited, John Peel still takes the trouble. It continues to give the C86 band a space to express their voices, and has led to many bands from different regions getting to know each other and then partnering up for a joint tour.

Even after the C86 era ended, John Peel still did not forget to strongly support the budding independent guitar rock scene. His loyal and uncomplaining comeback infected all the Indie-Scene. The benevolent dew of the Skinned Old Man has allowed British independent music to become more mature and sound. Of course, the most important thing is that he still plays an important role in information dissemination, allowing more people to know the outstanding bands of this period. He is absolutely He is the greatest behind-the-scenes hero in the C86 era.

The concept of performing live and recording in John Peel Sessions also influenced many concepts of the C86 Band during Live. In view of the fact that many bands simply do not have enough songs to perform, many times it is a matter of familiarity and friendship. The band performs together, and they even perform like a plum blossom, one by one and one by one, bombarding the ears of music fans in turn. Because they are too niche and are very familiar with many music fans, many gig performances are quite interesting. The relaxed playfulness of a family yard concert.

The above situation often happens in live houses in Glasgow, Scotland. Just like the predecessors Postcards were born in Glasgow, many bands in C86 also made their fortune in this second largest city in the UK. The fans of public music almost surpassed the capital London, so independent guitar bands of that era would list it as a key city for live performances. Therefore, British independent guitar rock bloomed beautiful flowers around Glasgow, from Orange Jucie to Belle & Sebastian, as well as the popular Franz Ferdinand, C86 successfully promoted the Glasgow-Scene, allowing this city to form a tripartite situation with London and Manchester. At the same time, the independent guitar rock industry in the British Isles was in the ascendant. It was not just limited to the bands on the cassette, but was flourishing in an all-round way. Although many of them were not tolerated by the mainstream market, they were not tolerated by the mainstream market. Participate in this magnificent era without reservation.

Jesus And Mary Chain, a name that is absolutely familiar, but very few people know that they are actually a typical C86 band, because the world is too focused on their excellence in guitar noise and effects. Creativity, but ignores the flesh and blood in their beautiful skin, which is actually grown from the out-and-out C86 backbone.

Whether it is the classic psychedelic candy or the sweet and melodious Darkland, they are all filled with the twinkling independent guitar rock spirit of that era. The inclusive Key of Jesus and Mary can be said to be a bright guide on the stage of that era, and every descendant can enjoy it. Among their many creative ideas, they found their own starting point.

The Creation record company they belong to was an important promoter of the C86 era, including Primal Scream, BMX Bandits, etc., which were all its bands. Of course, the most important thing is that they later signed The top band of shoegazing is My Bloody Valentine.

Of course, not all guitar rock is so miserable and lonely. The Smiths, who emerged at the same time, are a synthesis that spans mainstream, independent underground, guitar rock and new wave. Their commercial success is quite good, but the fresh and simple deconstructed chords played by guitarist John Marr are inspired by Felt guitarist Maurice Deebank. It can be said that they have a similar growth environment and roots with the C86 band, and because of the mainstream Driven by their influence, few guitar bands in the late 1980s were not influenced by them.

Strictly speaking, it is a serious fallacy to insist that the Smiths influenced bands such as C86, because they are bands that emerged at the same time, and although they received different musical influences, they are the same. Yin and Yang, one master and one underground, jointly created the prosperous age of guitar rock in the future, including Guitar-Pop and Brit-Pop, who were greatly inspired by them.

Of course, not only the bands on the cassette were inspired by this guitar spirit at the same time, but also other bands such as Biff Bang Pow!, BMX Bandits, The June Brides, the Legend!, Razorcuts, Talulah Gosh

< p> and other bands were later classified in the category of the C86 era.

Some of them were born a few years earlier, some refused to participate in the compilation, and some debuted too late, but they have created music that is not inferior to other peers. For example, BMX Bandits is a typical C86 band, but they refused to participate in the collection. Their music styles are varied, covering C86 and Indie-Pop. Their cute and shy attitude is the favorite of music fans, and the Debut album is directly named after them. To commemorate this wonderful time for "C86". Although the members of the band have changed, they have been able to create steadily for twenty years, and even released a new album this year.

Others such as Razorcuts were once completely forgotten, but were excavated and recalled by their descendants Martinee. In addition to the above-mentioned influences, their music was also deeply influenced by the psychedelic folk group Byrds in the 1960s. It sounds simple and restrained but full of retro flavor, and Talulah Gosh is the most direct bridge connecting C86 and Salad Factory. They follow the route of female punk, but they can be regarded as the ancestors of Gril-Pop in the Indie branch, although they are cute Fun, but still not forgetting to carve out a beautiful guitar line.

After talking about so many niche bands with disastrous commercial performance, what was the appearance of mainstream rock music in 1986? In fact, Syth-Pop and New Wave were popular at that time. In the mid-1980s, post-punk, which originally had a huge influence, had faded and was replaced by the new wave movement, which was based on romanticism, transcended the real environment, and emphasized exaggeration and popularity. New-Wave was more closely related to the German Kraftwerk electronics. Syth-Pop music dominated the mainstream music of the 1980s. At this time, synthesizer keyboards and electronic sound effects had become the protagonists of instrumental interpretation. They were no longer led by guitars in the 1970s, and C86 music officially responded to this mainstream trend. A reaction.

The initial impact after the destruction

Why should the era of C86 be defined in the four years from 1986 to 1989? Where did the C86 band go after that? In fact, there is a reason to set the end in 1989, because at this time, the bands that were capable of releasing albums all released Debut albums, and some released two albums. At this time, bands that started out as seven-inch vinyl were faced with unprecedented difficulties, including the question of where the music style should go, and the financial pressure to maintain the operation of the band. Therefore, many bands either chose to disband at this time, or to Compromises and changes were made on the second album.

There is another reason why C86 is destined to be short-lived, that is, the new music styles influenced by them have grown too fast, completely covering up and engulfing the original C86 trend, Twee-Pop, Indie-Pop, Guitar-Pop , Shoegazing, these music styles originated from C86 almost all chose to break out in 1989, sweeping the entire guitar rock circle, and indirectly forcing the original band to die or change themselves to join them, although they still insisted on themselves and refused to make changes. band exists, but the Indie-Scene's preference for the new and dislike of the old directly sentenced C86 to death.

The one that can best continue the spirit of C86 is Sarah Records, which originated in Bristol. The Salad Factory, which is regarded as a legend in the new century, is quite similar to the C86 era from recording to performance, from seven-inch vinyl to bleak business, but it is more towards the atmosphere of Indie-Pop and Twee-Pop. Go dig, the strong punk spirit in C86 in the past has become a lot lighter in Salad Factory. The music style is mainly based on fresh folk guitar, but it still has the same characteristics as C86, and these characteristics are also spread through Salad Factory. To every Indie-Pop corner of the world.

Before Sala was even revered as a legend, its major bands such as the Field Mice, the Orchids and Sea Urchins were labeled Post-C86 by the media from time to time, although they hated this very much. The name, but it also shows that they have a close relationship with C86. Talulah Gosh, who was born in the same period, is also a member of Sarah Records. They were reorganized into Heavenly in the middle. They should be regarded as the best adhesive to closely integrate C86 and Sarah Records.

If Inide-Pop/Twee-Pop is the dominant gene of C86, then Shoegazing is the recessive gene. Jesus And Mary Chain, the founder of shoegaze music style, was originally one of them, although later Bands such as MBV, Ride, and Slowdive were influenced by VU, the Beach Boys, and Sonic Youth in terms of guitar noise. However, their basic music form minus the guitar noise is out-and-out C86. This is from You can get a glimpse of My Bloody Valentine's unripe first album.

After the C86 trend dissipated, there are two bands that were born at the wrong time and must be introduced, namely the House of Love and East Village.

The House of Love just straddles the border between the 1980s and the 1990s. Their first album of the same name released in 1988 is full of C86 style, but they do not forget the smooth and moving Guitar-Pop. The Butterfly album released in the 1990s evolved the guitar sound more vividly, but House of Love has never been a band willing to accept niche music. Known as the successors of the Smiths, they are far away from real commercial success. Still one step away, they were eventually replaced by the more topical Stone Roses from Manchester City, and finally disbanded in depression. They have always been stuck in these two eras and music styles. They cannot become a powerful group, but they are not very popular either. Indie. Fortunately, they made a comeback last year and continued their sweet musical journey.

Relatively speaking, East Village, which was in extreme decline, had no time to participate in the glory of C86. Even after the album was recorded, they could not find a label willing to release it. It was a completely miserable situation, but their The music is orthodox Guitar-Pop/Indie-Pop, which was deeply influenced by C86. It has been influencing many flower bands throughout the 1990s. It was finally widely discussed after the millennium and was re-released in CD version this year. Each album is a grand burial after death, and Bob Stanley (Melodyt Maker music critic, Saint Etienne's mastermind), who has always been the band's follower, is an important promoter of the C86 trend's renewed attention.

The spirit that spreads like ripples

It seems that C86 is a historical event exclusive to the British, but in fact it is not. On the other side of the Atlantic, there are still Americans who have noticed that Miao Xiaoru The cockroach fighting revolution, but at the same time there was another revolution going on in North America, and that was the formation of Alternative. R.E.M., with their College-Rock, attempts to subvert traditional rock music and create alternative choices. From a macro perspective, Alternative-Rock/Pop and C86 do have many similarities, and many concepts are quite similar. .

There was a band born in the wrong mainland that emerged in 1985, namely Beat Happening. They were deeply influenced by R.E.M., but they also mixed the characteristics of Postcard Factory, Felt and Television Personality. The extent of their neglect and tragic sales results make them like fraternal twins to C86. Of course, they also secretly learned the guitar charm of C86, adding some British accents to their American Indie-Pop, and the most important thing is , Beat Happening's attitude towards pop melodies has profoundly influenced low-fidelity bands such as Yo La Tengo, Pavement and Guided By Voice, and it can be considered as indirectly spreading the spirit of C86.

Let’s look back at the UK. After entering the 1990s, a hybrid music style that fused electronic music and rock began to become popular. In this style of music known as Dance Corss Rock, the three most important bands It has an inseparable relationship with C86. As the most important band of C86, Primal Scream embraced the mainstream dance and acid-house styles in the early 1990s. However, it did not become an electronic group. Instead, it integrated C86's musical style into dance music and In psychedelic music, this can be confirmed by the fact that the famous song Loaded is an extension of the previous C86 song I1ll Losing More Than I Ever Have. Although they later chose to embrace blues music, everyone has already heard it when they listen to Screamadelica. C86's musical structure and fresh guitar.

As for Saint Etienne, which combined French chanson, Indie-Electronic and Brit-Pop in the early 1990s, its main creator and mastermind Bob Stanley is an out-and-out C86 fan. In addition to his friends and fans in the East Village, he also devoted all his efforts to promote many classic bands of C86 to readers of Melody Maker. Saint Etienne did not forget to arrange the stupid and cute guitar rock songs in every album, without hiding himself at all. I love the C86 era, and even reissued CD86 this year in an attempt to introduce more wonderful bands from that year.

Respected as the most influential contemporary Stereolab, they are the ancestors of many musical styles. The most prominent one may be that they inspired Post-Rock. However, few people know that the main member of the band, Tim Gane Was McCarthy's guitarist, and Laetitia Sadier also played keyboards on the last album. Although Stereolab was deeply influenced by Kraut-Rock in their experimental style, when they composed pop tunes and arranged guitar lines in their early days, they were full of McCarthy's shadow. Sometimes they performed low-fidelity performances with a stroke of genius. It is full of C86 legacy.

If you insist on linking C86 to the subsequent Brit-pop, it would feel a little bit different, but these bands are still indirectly inspired by the spirit of that era, such as Blur’s early It uses a low-fidelity but pleasant garage rock method to create, which coincides with the creative mode of some C86 bands. Pulp, who was born in the 1980s, was deeply influenced by flower and grass bands such as the Smiths and Felt. , and the radical leftist lyrics and attitudes of Manic Street Preachers were inspired by McCarthy. But at this time, guitar rock had entered its golden heyday, and the spirit of C86 and its pioneering aspirations could be seen almost everywhere. Although it was not very obvious, it was hidden in the blood of every guitar rock band in the 1990s.

After C86, Indie-Pop labels sprung up like mushrooms after rain, including Cherry Red, Darla, Elefant, K, Martinee, Sarah Records, Setanta, Shinkashen, Vinyl Japan, and Labrador, etc., but Almost all of them follow the spirit of C86, maintain a niche and independent color, and release cute and compact singles. After introducing the influence of C86 in a broad and narrow sense, in fact, these small brands are the ones that best represent the spirit of the C86 era, because they are always so fresh and moving, but they are not easily compromised by the commercial mainstream, just like those predecessors insisted The same.

Conclusion - beginning of indie music

This year happens to be the 20th anniversary of the birth of the C86 cassette. Over the past few days, the British rock circle has also been changing. Many music styles, perhaps the mainstream bands on the stage, have little to do with C86, but many underground niche bands still follow the creative patterns of the past, exerting the spirit of Indie, using guitars to create ever-changing creativity and ingenuity.

C86 should not be limited to this collection. Only after listening to many of their subsequent works, as well as those of their disciples and disciples, can you slowly understand the true value of C86. Its contribution to the development of British rock music is definitely as important as punk music, and Bob Stanley made the best footnote to C86: the beginning of indie music.