‘Spellbound’: How Siouxsie and the Banshees opened the gates to darkwave
Beneath the veneer of dark enchantment, Siouxsie and the Banshees‘ ‘Spellbound’ flooded with the whimsy and allure of an industry on the brink of something completely new and exciting. “From the cradle bars comes a beckoning voice, it sends you spinning, you have no choice,” sings Siouxsie Sioux, prophesising the incoming darkwave movement that could only be sparked by her.
In the broader context of darkwave and goth rock, Siouxsie and the Banshees emerged alongside other acts like Bauhaus, The Cure, and Joy Division, shaping not only a new sonic venture but an entire mood centring on spotlighting some of humanity’s deepest and darkest thoughts and desires. Released in 1981, Juju‘s introductory track didn’t just reintroduce the many reasons the band were destined to lead the charge but also proved the power of atmosphere in music.
As a result, ‘Spellbound’ was as much a musical statement as it was a song, showcasing the utility of mysticism in musical arrangements that could flit between occupying the spotlight and bleeding into the background. As with The Cure’s music, Siouxsie and the Banshees utilised these ambiguities to their advantage, proving that intricate yet striking arrangements were anything but background.
While they had worked hard to establish this throughout their previous record, Kaleidoscope, the sounds that pervaded Juju hinged on a darker aesthetic, enhancing focussed themes to give it a more unifying sound. The result was something that knew exactly what it was trying to be without compromising on the potential for multiple interpretations. In the end, though, this was more concerned with its overlying viscera and attempt at harnessing emotional listener experiences.
Driven by ‘Spellbound’, a title which was incidentally inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1945 thriller of the same name, Sioux reframed psychological intricacy in the film world with many aspects that categorised goth subcultures, like obsessing over the uncanny, the overlap between beauty and darkness, and the dynamics that infiltrate the human psyche. It feels urgent yet abstract, creating a sense of disorientation and comforting misery that sparked a surge of darkwave acts to do the same.
Much of this was intentional, showcasing Sioux’s drive to bring such concepts into the mainstream without venturing too far away from general accessibility. As she explained in 2014: “There was obviously something pleasing about that kind of subject matter,” adding, “What I found exciting was bringing subjects that were respectable in film, art, and literature into the pop field, where we could warp it a bit. I suppose we were trying to invent our own niche.”
And that’s exactly what she achieved with the track. ‘Spellbound’ didn’t just invent its own niche; it pushed these ideas to the forefront of musical creativity, enabling others to explore personal experiences and avant-garde musings with a sort of ritualistic conviction. This meant that it legitimised sonic intensity in music but enhanced the overall authenticity of those who revolutionised the genre, bridging the gap between experimentation and commercialism.
