Neoclassical darkwave is a sub-genre of rock music that originated in the mid-1980s when bands like Dead Can Dance and Black Tape for a Blue Girl began releasing records featuring symphonic and medieval-inspired songs. Neoclassical darkwave typically features instrumentation influenced by western classical music and operatic, soprano vocals that together create an ethereal, old world sound. Harpsichord, pipe organ, piano, and bowed string instruments are commonly utilized, with global influences like Gregorian chant, Gaelic folk, African polyrhythms, and Middle Eastern mantras sometimes incorporated.