Steampunk - What is Steampunk?

There's a culture called Steampunk that isthere is rap and hip-hop music influenced by
dedicated to a revamp of the Victorian age.steampunk, and usually includes a deep but
Typically filled with massive steam poweredup-beat bass and lyrics that either depict the life
mechanics and extravagant dirigibles, this classicof a mad scientist, or a post-apocalyptic world.
age is mixed up with fantasy. The steampunkThe best example of this is Dr. Steel. He has
genre includes not only clothing, but music, art,catchy but heavy-hitting beats, and his
and literature.stage-persona is of a mad scientist.
In the fashion industry, steampunk has become aSteampunk has been picked up by the art culture
major hit. Classic steampunk designs including cogssurprisingly fast. You can easily find paintings of
and gears are being incorporated into the clothingdirigibles and other flying machines traversing grey
lines of various designers. However, it is in theskies above vast, desolate landscapes. Such art
cosplay scene that steampunk is seen as acan be found online, at your local art shows, and
growing trend. Many cosplayers get together toin galleries. While the purpose and perspective of
wear steampunk costmes, including modified andsuch paintings is unlike anything else, the art styles
stylized Victorian clothing, and portray themselvescan be very similar to other styles you have
as pirates, adventurers, explorers, and victorianseen. While being dark and dreary, the artwork
socialites. They wear outfits adorned with topoften depicts a violent sea, a dungeon-like-lab, or
hats and goggles, decorated coats, and evena deadend world, sometimes Frankenstein-esque.
mock ray guns! The do-it-yourself communityIt is easy to point out anything steampunk
supports steampunk because most steampunkinspired because the style is particularly unique
stuff has to be made your self. Thecompared to others.
aforementioned ray guns are simply modified andThere has been a breakthrough in literature within
painted Nerf or Airsoft guns. Some are eventhe steampunk culture. H.G. Wells is said to have
good enough to use wood and metal to build theirbirthed this trend, along with Jules Verne. The
own ray guns or other accessories!base of the modern steampunk community is
There is no definitive style of music that isbased on their inventions, worlds, and knowledge
steampunk; rather steampunk qualities can bethat they depict in their works. First there's the
found in all different artists from all differentbrass time machine in "The Time Machine", and
styles of music, including rock, rap, electronic, andthen the massive submarine in "Twenty Thousand
others. Steampunk qualities in rock tend to haveLeagues Under The Sea," which were both
dark beats, gritty guitar, and sometimes a hint ofconsidered futuristic. Presently, we would refer to
folk. A once industrial band named Abney Parkthem as retro, regardless of the fact that time
proclaim themselves a Steampunk band. They aremachines don't actually exist. However, both
influenced by steampunk not only in their music,machines seem out of place in such time periods.
but in their clothing, design of their instruments,These ideas have been the driving force for
and even the fictional personas that they carrymany steampunk fans, and the basis of
with them on stage. Aside from steampunk rock,steampunk.