What is "krishnacore"

Krishnacore is a genre of punk music which draws inspiration from the Hare Krishna tradition (formally known as the International Society for Krishna Consciousness). The name is a portmanteau of " Krishna" and " hardcore". The band Shelter is widely viewed as having invented the genre in the early 1990s, when two former members of Youth of Today became Krishna devotees. The genre is also strongly associated with Equal Vision Records, which was formed by Shelter members to promote the Krishna movement. Other acts within the genre include the Cro-Mags and 108.

While most strongly associated with Shelter, the Cro-Mags' first album referenced Hare Krishna beliefs in their 1986 album Age of Quarrel, which is a translation for the Hindu concept of Kali Yuga that is taught in Hare Krishna philosophy; also, some music journalists have noted that the band The Wuds performed Krishna-influenced punk as early as 1986.

What has emerged from Krishnacore, however, is a movement that is conscious of its own history and aesthetic. Writing in The Sacralization of Straightedge Punk: Nada Brahma and the Divine Embodiment of Krishnacore, Mike Dines explores the link between the punk rock aesthetic of bands such as Shelter and 108 and their adherence to bhakti yoga. ‘Existing texts on the similarities between straightedge and the Hare Krishna movement emphasise (amongst others) the shared principles of vegetarianism, the refraining from intoxicants and the disapproval of illicit sex,’ he writes. ‘Although I agree with these writers, I also highlight the importance of the devotional doctrine of bhakti-yoga within this relationship; a doctrine that was to inform further the move from straightedge punk to Hare Krishna monk.’

Dines therefore brings together rasa and the idea of Nada-Brahma to highlight the ‘unique fusion of Western popular music and the Eastern-based Indian spirituality (and lifestyle) of the Vaishnavas.’ In turning the punk aesthetic towards the devotional and, in particular, the transcendental vibration of the holy name, Krishnacore became a site of expression for bhakti-yoga. Moreover, Dines states that ‘what provides validity to the connecting of Krishnacore and Indian aesthetics lies in the placement of those band members and associates who were involved in the scene.’ He concludes, ‘Ray Cappo, Robert Fish and Vic Dicara were not mere spectators of the Hare Krishna movement, but were indeed devotees themselves, reading and studying scripture, attending lectures and practicing the lifestyle of the devotee.’