Toontrack has announced the release of the Goth Rock EZkeys MIDI pack, a new MIDI expansion for EZkeys inspired by melancholic, dark and gothic rock.

Goth, the offshoot of post-punk that paved the way for not only fashion, literature and film but also an entire sub-culture, truly defined an era. Spearheaded by the likes of The Cult, Type O Negative, The Sisters of Mercy and many more, goth and its aesthetics went from underground to mainstream and threw a cloak of horror-esque romanticism over the ’80s and ’90s. Since, it of course splintered off into numerous subsets and made its way into all kinds of styles during the decades to follow. Still to this day, goth is very much alive and thriving.

This collection of EZkeys MIDI was inspired by not only the obvious poster bands of the heydays but also the trailblazing acts that got the ball rolling long before the word goth was even uttered. Expect the gloom of doom, the striking hooks of new wave and the unmistakable nods to industrial – all submerged in that signature melancholia that is the very essence of goth as we know it.

Also released today was the Dark Rock MIDI pack, a new collection of drum grooves and fills inspired by dark, raw and heavy rock performed by Mat Hector (Iggy Pop, Gutterdämmerung).

Mat Hector’s hard-hitting and distinctly edgy groove has been the backbone of Iggy Pop’s live band for years, also finding its way onto the star-studded, live rock/film show spectacle Gutterdämmerung (with Henry Rollins, Josh Homme, Tom Araya, Lemmy, Iggy Pop, Grace Jones, Mark Lanegan and Slash), tracks by Japanese superstar Hotei as well as live shows and tours with English indie superstars Razorlight.

In this pack, Mat dives into his own personal inspirations to deliver a collection of drum MIDI that sums up the rock portion of who he is as a drummer. This is a collection where machine-like Rammstein-esque beats come head to head with slow, heavy, raw, punky and brutally pummeling grooves that all ooze attitude, grit and, above all, a tangibly dark vibe.

The MIDI packs are available for purchase at Toontrack and from distributor PluginFox, priced $29 USD each.