Amplify your immersion in the subculture
Dwelling in the realm of this social media aesthetic dubbed as Dark Academia, it’s impossible not to bump into Chopin, Mozart, and maybe even Hozier. When words fail, music speaks and a blank parchment is lifeless until a pen creates a melody. Similar to books and movies, music is revered ageless.
If you search Spotify and YouTube, numerous playlists will pop up. And, more often than not, the selection will comprise of music from the Classical period up until the modern day, our present.
Here are some titles to set the mood.
For starters, we can categorize them into two groups: Classical and Modern. For the Classics, we can begin with Claude Debussy, specifically “Clair De Lune,” which means “moonlight” in French and, fair enough, it does remind me of the moonlit night. Next, of course, is the Australian composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with titles such as “Exsultate, Jubilate, K 165” and “The Marriage of Figaro.” This wouldn’t be called a Dark Academia playlist if Beethoven and Chopin were not in it. In the case of Ludwig van Beethoven, I constantly listen to “Sonata No. 14, ‘Moonlight’, Op. 27, No. 2.” Subsequently, for Frédéric Chopin, my personal favorite would be “Nocturne No.20 in C-Sharp minor,” which, for, has a dark theme. Although, the “Nocturne” slips a hint of promise—a promise of something better, with the final bars shifting from minor to major.
Now on to the Modern. To start with, “A Little Death” by The Neighbourhood exudes a sinister vibe, somewhat of Donna Tartt’s novel, “The Secret History.” With the same feel, “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey reminds me of Oscar Wilde’s novel, “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” “Strange Weather” by Anne Calvi and David Byrne weeps with a fatalistic impression. Lastly, a distinct favorite of mine, Hozier. In my opinion, his “Take Me to Church” and “Arsonist’s Lullabye” exhibit the darkest of auras. Yes, these titles speak for themselves.
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