| Shoegaze | |
|---|---|
 A photograph of a typical shoegaze musician'sguitar pedals. | |
| Other names | Shoegazing (early) |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1980s, United Kingdom |
| Derivative forms | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Blackgaze | |
| Other topics | |
Shoegaze (originally known asshoegazing) is asubgenre ofindie andalternative rock characterised by its ethereal soundscapes, use of obscured vocals, heavyguitar effects, anddistortion, often producing an immersive "wall of sound". Shoegaze originated in theUnited Kingdom during the late 1980s amongneo-psychedelic groups, who drew influence frompost-punk anddream pop. The term was coined by the British music press to describe bands who usually stood motionless and stared down at theirguitar pedals during live performances in a detached, non-confrontational state.
A loose label given to the shoegaze bands and other affiliated artists inLondon during the early 1990s was "The Scene That Celebrates Itself". Early shoegaze groups drew fromCocteau Twins andthe Jesus and Mary Chain, alongside the template set byMy Bloody Valentine on their albumsIsn't Anything andLoveless.
The genre reached its peak in the early 1990s, particularly in the UK's undergroundrock scene, but was soon sidelined by Americangrunge and earlyBritpop acts, leading many bands to break up or reinvent their sound. By the 2000s and 2010s, shoegaze experienced a revival known as "nu gaze". The original scene also gave rise to theblackgazefusion genre and influencedChristian shoegaze, as well as the internetmicrogenrewitch house. By the 2020s, a new shoegaze revival would be spearheaded byGeneration Z artists, known as "zoomergaze".
Shoegaze combines ethereal, swirling vocals with layers ofdistorted, bent, orflanged guitars to create a wash of sound where no instrument is distinguishable from the other.[3][1] The sound of the genre is typically characterised by overwhelming volume, long, droningriffs, heavy use of distortion andfeedback, and subdued vocal delivery, with melodies often fading into the mix.[1]
According toPitchfork, "emotionally, shoegaze turns its focus inward. The extreme noise eliminates the possibility of socializing while the music is playing, leaving each member of the audience alone with their thoughts. It's music for dreaming".[10] It is sometimes conflated withdream pop.[11][12] Early UK shoegaze was influenced by American bands such asDinosaur Jr.,Hüsker Dü andSonic Youth.[13]
A defining characteristic of shoegaze is its use of heavily processedelectric guitars. Guitarists often employ a wide range of effects such asreverb, delay, chorus,tremolo, and distortion to produce a layered and immersive wall of sound.[14] A notable technique within the genre is the use of the "glide guitar", developed by the Irish-English bandMy Bloody Valentine, in which pitch bends are achieved via thewhammy bar during chord strumming to create a woozy, undulating effect.[14][15] These textures are frequently described as blurred or atmospheric and are designed to blend seamlessly, creating a continuous sonic field.[16]
A significant portion of early shoegaze output was released asextended plays (EPs), often consisting of three to five tracks.[17] This format enabled artists to develop and showcase their sound without the constraints of full-length albums. EPs served as important entry points for new listeners and were regarded as accessible representations of a band's stylistic identity.[18]
Visually, shoegaze releases often incorporate abstract or distorted imagery in album artwork and music videos, mirroring the genre's sonic qualities. Effects such asoverexposure,blur, and color inversion are commonly used to complement the music's atmospheric qualities. Many notable early shoegaze bands featured both male and female members, contributing to a broader range of vocal timbres and a balance of musical sensibilities. Mixed-gender vocal interplay became a common feature in several influential acts.[14]
A notable pattern within shoegaze is the frequent use of band and release names containingphonesthemes—clusters of sounds that evoke movement or fluidity (e.g.,Swirlies,Swervedriver,Whirlpool,Swoon). According to a study written by Zac Smith, this trend has been interpreted as an unconscious branding strategy that reflects the genre's emphasis on swirling, indistinct textures and fluid sound design.[14]
While many contemporaryalternative rock scenes such asgrunge andBritpop were largely male-dominated at the time, shoegaze bands including My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Lush, Pale Saints, andCurve, among others, featured at least one prominent female member who contributed significantly to their sound and songwriting. In the 2014 filmBeautiful Noise,Kevin Shields noted that "there seemed to be as many girls around as guys" in the shoegaze scene.[19]
According toPitchfork, shoegaze is "a particularly unusual genre in that its name describes neither a sound nor a connection to music history".[20] The name comes from the heavy use ofeffects pedals, as the performers were often looking down at their pedals during such concerts.[21][2][1][22]
In a 2016 article forHuffPost,Andy Ross claimed he coined the termshoegazing at a show on 3 September 1991 which featuredChapterhouse,Slowdive andMoose, because the bands' members seemed to be "sucked into a state of trance by the footwear lurking semi-motionless beneath their low-slung guitars".[23] Alternatively,The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music (1992) claimed that the first use of the name was in a concert review for Moose, published bySounds, in which the author referenced how singer Russell Yates read lyrics taped to the floor throughout the gig.[24]
According toAllMusic: "The shatteringly loud, droningneo-psychedelia the band performed was dubbed shoegaze by the British press because the band members stared at the floor while they performed".[1] The term was also used by the British music press to describedream pop bands.[25]Slowdive'sSimon Scott found the term relevant:
I always thoughtRobert Smith, when he was inSiouxsie and the Banshees playing guitar [on the 1983'sNocturne live video], was the coolest as he just stood there and let the music flood out. That anti showmanship was perfect so I never really understood why people began to use "shoegaze" as a negative term. I think if Slowdive didn't stand there looking at what pedal was about to go on and off we'd have been shite. [...] I am glad we were static and concentrated on playing well. Now it is a positive term.[26]
However, to some, the term was considered apejorative, especially by a part of the English weekly music press who considered the movement as ineffectual, and it was disliked by many of the groups it purported to describe.[3]Lush's singerMiki Berenyi explained:
Shoegazing was originally a slag-off term. My partner [K.J. "Moose" McKillop], who was the guitarist in Moose, claims that it was originally leveled at his band. Apparently the journo was referring to the bank of effects pedals he had strewn across the stage that he had to keep staring at in order to operate. And then it just became a generic term for all those bands that had a big, sweeping, effects-laden sound, but all stood resolutely still on stage.[3]
Ride'sMark Gardener had another take on his group's static presentation: "We didn't want to use the stage as a platform for ego... We presented ourselves as normal people, as a band who wanted their fans to think they could do that too".[22] I
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Shoegaze traces its roots to the psychedelic pop pioneered in the 1960s by bands such asthe Byrds,the Beach Boys, andthe Beatles.[27]The Velvet Underground have also been widely credited as a foundational influence on both proto-shoegaze (Spacemen 3,[28]the Jesus and Mary Chain[29]) and shoegaze acts (My Bloody Valentine,[30]Ride,[31]Slowdive[32]).Phil Spector'sWall of Sound, characterized by its use of naturalreverb andecho chambers, foreshadowed many of the production techniques later embraced by shoegaze.[33]
The song "Tomorrow Never Knows",[34] recorded bythe Beatles in 1966 and released on their albumRevolver, "All I Wanna Do"[35] fromthe Beach Boys' 1970 albumSunflower, andBrian Eno's 1974 debut albumHere Come the Warm Jets,[36] have all been retrospectively viewed as forerunners of shoegaze.Slowdive, who were fans of Eno's work, approached him to produce their albumSouvlaki. Although he declined to produce, he spent a few days recording with the band, resulting in the tracks "Sing" and "Here She Comes".[37]
Early Britishpost-punk bands were formative influences on the first wave of shoegaze.[38]Wire's 1979 single "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" would later be covered by My Bloody Valentine. Slowdive named themselves after theSiouxsie and the Bansheessong of the same name, released in 1982, and took inspiration from the group in their early days, whileLush were originally called "The Baby Machines", a name taken from a Banshees lyric.[39] Other influences includeRobert Fripp's echo-laden guitar onDavid Bowie's 1977 song"'Heroes'",[40][41] as well asthe Cure.[42]
As a music genre, shoegaze developed during the 1980s, when a group of Britishneo-psychedelic bands such asCocteau Twins,the Jesus and Mary Chain, and—most notably—My Bloody Valentine expanded the possibilities of theelectric guitar, pairing dense, textural soundscapes with subdued, introspective vocals that challenged the traditional idea of the singer as the frontperson of a band.[43]
Emerging from the UK alternative scene with their 1982 debut albumGarlands on4AD, the Scottish trio Cocteau Twins had a substantial influence on the development of shoegaze.[44] Their music featured ethereal, atmospheric guitar textures crafted by guitarist and producerRobin Guthrie, and distinctive vocals byElizabeth Fraser, whose often unintelligible singing was mixed low in the recordings.[44]
Another Scottish group, the Jesus and Mary Chain, is widely regarded as the immediate forerunner of shoegaze.[45] Blending traditional pop withnoise and guitarfeedback, their 1985 debut albumPsychocandy exerted a major influence on the subsequent shoegaze bands, including the genre-defining My Bloody Valentine, withCreation Records founderAlan McGee noting that the latter "changed their style because of The Jesus and Mary Chain."[46]
Parallel to this, groups such asSpacemen 3 andLoop revived elements of 1960sspace rock in their first albums (Sound of Confusion, 1986;Heaven's End, 1987), exploring minimalist,droning psychedelia over conventional pop structures.[47] Their rejection of stage theatrics and focus on sound itself anticipated the introverted, effects-driven aesthetic later associated with shoegaze.[48]
Across the Atlantic, American indie bands such asSonic Youth,Dinosaur Jr., andHüsker Dü also played an important role in shaping shoegaze's guitar language,[49] particularly influencing My Bloody Valentine.[50] In 1988, after undergoing several stylistic and lineup changes, My Bloody Valentine released their breakthrough third EP,You Made Me Realise, onCreation Records, which showcased frontmanKevin Shields' newfound approach to guitar playing, known as "glide guitar". Later that year, the release of their debut albumIsn't Anything was widely acclaimed as innovative and credited with shaping the shoegaze genre.[10]
Other late-1980s British groups such asA.R. Kane,The House of Love,Kitchens of Distinction,Bark Psychosis, andThe Telescopes also experimented with noise, texture, and introspective songwriting, further contributing to the sound that would later develop into shoegaze.[51]
Shoegaze began to emerge as a distinct music scene in late 1989 and came into full view in 1990.[52] In September 1989,4AD releasedPale Saints' first EP,Barging Into the Presence of God, followed byLush's debut mini-albumScar. Both records produced byJohn Fryer—who had previously worked withCocteau Twins—were well received by the British music press and reached number 3 on the UK Indie Chart.[52] A co-headlining show by Pale Saints and Lush that December inLeeds further highlighted a new direction in Britishindie rock, despite a mixed live review fromMelody Maker.[52]
In 1990,Ride emerged at the forefront of the movement. After signing withCreation Records the previous year, the group released three acclaimed EPs—Ride,Play, andFall—followed by their debut albumNowhere. Their televised performance of "Drive Blind" onSnub TV coincided with their first EP's release, propelling them to national attention.[53] Critics inMelody Maker[53] andNME[54] praised Ride's blend of dense guitar textures and melodic songwriting, whileNowhere—mixed by producerAlan Moulder after a troubled recording process[55]—became one of the genre's defining works.[10]
In February, Pale Saints released their debut albumThe Comforts of Madness, bridgingdream pop and shoegaze's heavier edge.[56] That same month, Lush issued theMad Love EP, produced by Cocteau Twins'Robin Guthrie, whose mentorship refined the band's once-chaotic sound into a polished, "beautiful, primitive" record, according toMelody Maker's review.[56] In April, Creation Records released My Bloody Valentine'sGlider EP, whose track "Soon" reached number 2 on the UK Indie Chart and was later described byBrian Eno as "the vaguest music ever to have been a hit."[57] The label continued to expand the scene with debut EPs bySwervedriver (Son of Mustang Ford) andSlowdive (Slowdive EP), the latter earningMelody Maker's "Single of the Week."[58]
Meanwhile,The Boo Radleys released their debut albumIchabod and I on Action Records, which largely was overlooked by the press.[59]Chapterhouse followed with theFreefall andSunburst EPs, while Lush'sSweetness and Light EP demonstrated shoegaze's pop potential despiteMelody Maker's critique of its title track as "sorely over-produced".[58] The year's end also saw Swervedriver'sRave Down EP, which bassist Adi Vines described as "ethereal metal" after it earned praise in a heavy metal magazine.[58]
By the end of 1990, shoegaze had gained significant underground traction.John Peel included three Ride songs on his year-endFestive Fifty list.[60] Ride'sNowhere appeared inMelody Maker's Top 30 albums of 1990 (#20), while My Bloody Valentine'sGlider (#5), Ride'sFall (#7), and Lush'sMad Love (#19) featured in the magazine's year-end singles poll.[60]
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a small, close-knit community ofindie bands emerged in theThames Valley region, includingOxford,Reading, andLondon.[61] Key groups such asRide,Slowdive,Chapterhouse,Lush,Moose, andSwervedriver formed what became known as the original shoegaze scene,[62] with the exception of My Bloody Valentine.[61] The bands often attended each other's gigs, shared producers and labels (mainlyCreation and4AD), and even members, forming a friendly, self-supporting network rather than a competitive scene.[63]
Notable meeting places included Syndrome, a weekly indie club onOxford Street, and venues such asthe Camden Falcon,the Borderline, andthe Underworld.[64] Outside London, shoegaze bands often toured together, and when the music press eventually took notice, the scene was quickly named and sensationalized.[64]
The phrase "The Scene That Celebrates Itself" was coined byMelody Maker journalist Steve Sutherland on June 8, 1991, in a review of aMoose concert at the Camden Falcon.[65] Sutherland noted that he was more struck by the audience than by the music, as the crowd was filled with members of similar bands applauding the performance.[65] Originally intended as a compliment,[66] the phrase was soon used pejoratively by the music press to portray the scene as idle,narcissistic, homogeneous, and detached from the working-class energy that had defined earlier British rock movements.[67] The shoegaze musician was ultimately caricatured as the "alpha student", a skinny, middle-class undergraduate withacne, wearing a bleach-faded T-shirt with blue and white circles, and carrying a copy of My Bloody Valentine'sIsn't Anything under his arm.[65]
Beyond the core acts, The Scene also included avant-pop groupStereolab and short-lived indie rock bandSee See Rider, both of which frequently exchanged members with Moose.[65]Other associated acts includedThousand Yard Stare,[68] Revolver,[65]Th' Faith Healers, and earlyBlur.[69] The press also frequently linkedCatherine Wheel,Curve,Cranes,Silverfish, andPale Saints to the movement, even if they had few or no ties to the London club scene.[70]
Blur's first single, "She's So High" (1991), exhibited traces of shoegaze influence.[65] However,Damon Albarn later denied any connection with the scene, stating that the band simply knew many of the musicians involved.[65] The term "shoegaze" is said to have been coined byAndy Ross, Blur's manager, as a mocking reference to the other bands.[65] Blur later adopted a brighter, pop-oriented sound with songs such as "Popscene" (1992), which foreshadowed the emergence ofBritpop.
In 1991, after winningMelody Maker's end-of-year readers' poll for Best Band,Ride appeared on the magazine's January cover, which proclaimed them "Your Brightest Hope for a Grand New Year."[71] The group's extensive touring and the success of their fourth EP,Today Forever, further eleveted their profile and led to an appearance onTop of the Pops. While this moment marked shoegaze's brief entry into mainstream culture, declining sales of Ride soon underscored the genre's limited mass appeal.[72]
Early 1991 saw a wave of several influential shoegaze releases. WhileMy Bloody Valentine's second album was still highly anticipated, Creation Records issued theTremolo EP, showcasingKevin Shields' growing experimentation with sampling.[71] Two weeks later, the label releasedSlowdive'sMorningrise EP, whichMelody Maker praised for its "mutant orchestral beauty".[73] AlthoughChapterhouse's third EP,Pearl, received a negative review inNME,[74] their debut albumWhirpool became a commercial success.[74] New acts such asMoose andCurve debuted withJack andBlindfold EPs respectively, the latter noted for its unusual blend ofdream pop andtechno production.[75] At the same time,Kitchens of Distinction released their second albumStrange Free World, which, despite Patrick Fitzgerald's non-traditional vocal style for the genre, went on to become a shoegaze classic.[74]
In the first half of 1991, the scene continued to expand with releases byMercury Rev (Yerself Is Steam), Catherine Wheel (She's My Friend andPainful Thing EPs),Pale Saints (Flesh Balloon EP), Slowdive (Holding Our Breath EP), and Swervedriver (Sandblasted EP).Yerself Is Steam represented an early example of shoegaze's sound influencing Americanindie rock.[76]
July 1991 was marked by the Slough Festival, often described as the "ShoegazeWoodstock."[76] Headlined by Ride and featuring Slowdive, Curve, and Revolver, the event was attended by members ofLush and Chapterhouse, reinforcing the music press term "The Scene That Celebrates Itself". That summer, Chapterhouse toured extensively, performing at major festivals such asReading and Ein Abend in Wien inRotterdam, where they first shared a stage withNirvana.[77]
The release of Nirvana'sNevermind in September abruptly shifted global attention toward the Seattle sound, reducing media interest in shoegaze as coverage turned togrunge. The lukewarm reception of Slowdive's debutJust for a Day reflected growing critical fatigue in the British press.[78] In contrast,Swervedriver's debut albumRaise received stronger reviews for its rugged, road-movie energy, distancing it from the "shoegaze" label.[79] Lush'sBlack Spring EP also performed well but was overshadowed by lineup changes and exhaustion from relentless touring.[80]
Shoegaze reached its peak of influence in November 1991 with the release ofMy Bloody Valentine'sLoveless. Noted for its innovative production and dense, immersive sound, the album—costing a reported £270,000 and recorded over two and a half years across nineteen studios—is often cited as the genre-defining work.[10] By late 1991, journalistSimon Reynolds introduced shoegaze to American audiences as "dream pop" inThe New York Times.[81] Optimism briefly grew that the genre might become the next major British export, but within a year, the spotlight had shifted decisively towardSeattle.[81]
In 1992, shoegaze started to decline in popularity. Part of the growing backlash was linked to the perception that many shoegaze bands came from privileged, middle-class backgrounds.[82]NME reinforced this perception with a satirical column, "Memoirs of a Shoegazing Gentleman," written from the perspective of the fictional Lord Tarquin, who, in diary-like entries, described absurd situations at an elite boarding school supposedly attended by all shoegaze musicians.[83]
I think there was a genuine belief at the beginning that there was something middle class about the [shoegaze] music. I can’t really say why, but it wasn't party music, let’s say that.
In January 1992, Lush's debut albumSpooky received a lukewarm review fromNME, which described the band as "due for a good kicking" after "a good run of press encouragement."[84] A week later,Creation Records releasedthe Boo Radleys'Everything's Alright Forever.NME hailed the band's confident attitude as a refreshing contrast to 1991's "(complacen)sea of mumbles."[85] Meanwhile,Ride moved beyond their early shoegaze sound, drawing influence from such bands asR.E.M. andMassive Attack on their second albumGoing Blank Again.[86] That year, Creation signed shoegaze bandAdorable, who were ultimately dropped after a string of Top 5 singles and the release of their 1993 debut albumAgainst Perfection.[87] VocalistPete Fijalkowski noted that afterSony partially acquired Creation in 1992, "there was enormous pressure on the label to make every band profitable".[88]
The first half of 1992 also saw the release ofFerment byCatherine Wheel,Doppelgänger byCurve, andIn Ribbons byPale Saints. FollowingFerment, Catherine Wheel adopted a heavier, moremetal-leaning sound on their 1993 albumChrome, later moving toward straightforwardhard rock.[89]. In April 1992, the British music press began turning its attention toward the emergingBritpop movement, withMelody Maker featuring the then-unknownSuede on its cover as "The Best New Band in Britain."[90]
While facing growing hostility at home, shoegaze found renewed support in the US, where audiences were less influenced by the British music press.[91] In June 1992, American shoegaze bandDrop Nineteens released their debut albumDelaware, whichMelody Maker's review ironically described as "the first decent album in a Scene style" to come from "America (Boston, to be precise), so late in the day."[92] Other American bands soon followed with their own debuts, includingLilys'In the Presence of Nothing andMedicine'sShot Forth Self Living in late 1992, andSwirlies'Blonder Tongue Audio Baton in early 1993.[92]
In September 1992,Moose released their debut album...XYZ, produced byMitch Easter, who had previously worked with R.E.M. The album largely departed from the band's earlier shoegaze sound, incorporatingcountry influence.[93] That same month,Melody Maker ran a three-page feature byPaul Lester titled "Whatever Happened to Shoegazing?", which both announced Moose's new album and portrayed the British shoegaze scene as a brief, outdated phenomenon.[94]
A major turning point came in March 1993 withSuede's self-titled debutalbum, which became the fastest-selling debut in British history at the time and marked the rise ofBritpop.[95] The movement accelerated in 1994 with greater successes forBlur'sParklife andOasis'sDefinitely Maybe, presenting a lively, extroverted alternative to bothgrunge and shoegaze.[96] Oasis brought substantial commercial success to Creation Records, and after 1994 the label shifted its focus away from its earlier shoegaze roster.[88]
June 1993 saw the release ofSlowdive's second albumSouvlaki, which was dismised byMelody Maker's reviewer notoriously writing, "I would rather drown choking in a bath full of porridge than ever listen to it again."[43] That same month, Lush releasedSplit to a lukewarm reaction both critically and commercialy.[97] Meanwhile,Swervedriver's second albumMezcal Head had a relative success, especially with the US audiences, where they toured with such bands asSoundgarden andthe Smashing Pumpkins.[98]
After 1994, several shoegaze bands shifted to a Britpop-oriented sound, including Ride (Carnival of Light), Lush (Lovelife), andKitchens of Distinction (Cowboys and Aliens).[88] However, none of these albums maintained the bands' earlier commercial or critical standing, let alone elevated it—with the partial exception of Lush—particularly in contrast tothe Boo Radleys, whose 1995 single "Wake Up Boo!" propelled their albumWake Up! to number 1 on the UK Albums Chart.[99] Meanwhile,Chapterhouse moved towardalternative dance on 1993'sBlood Music,[100] while Slowdive explored minimalistelectronica andpost-rock on 1995'sPygmalion.[99]
In 1995, producerAlan McGee dropped Slowdive a week afterPygmalion was released,[101] andNeil Halstead,Rachel Goswell, and Ian McCutcheon soon formedMojave 3, pursuing a light, melodic blend ofindie folk andAmericana.[102] Swervedriver were dropped while nearing completion of their third album,Ejector Seat Reservation.[103] Ride, facing internal conflict, broke up in 1996 while working on their fourth album,Tarantula.[104] Lush, after achieving their highest chart success withLovelife, ended abruptly the same year following drummerChris Acland's suicide.[105] Meanwhile,My Bloody Valentine went on a two-decade hiatus, despite having signed withIsland Records in 1992 for a reported £250,000.[99]
Christian shoegaze emerged in the early 1990s alongside the rise ofTooth & Nail Records, founded in 1993 by Brandon Ebel to support Christian artists working outside mainstreamCCM conventions.[107] One of the label's first signings wasStarflyer 59, led byJason Martin. Influenced by the idea of combining dreamy melodies with the heavy guitar riffs of bands such asBlack Sabbath andDeep Purple,[108] the band's first three albums—Silver (1994),Gold (1995), andAmericana (1997)—displayed a strong shoegaze orientation. Despite its troubled recording process,Gold became a notable release, later ranking number 41st onPitchfork's "50 Best Shoegaze Albums of All Time" list.[10]
Throughout the 1990s, Tooth & Nail also supported a few other shoegaze-leaning Christian groups, includingMorella's Forest andVelour 100. These bands expanded the boundaries ofChristian alternative rock, but their experimentation often met with limited commercial success, along with frequent criticism from some conservative Christian audiences.[107] By the late 1990s, many of these groups shifted away from their early shoegaze sounds. Starflyer 59 incorporated brighter, moreindie rock arrangements on albums such asThe Fashion Focus.[109] Morella's Forest moved toward anelectropop sound, whilethe Prayer Chain (signed to Rode Dog Records) disbanded after their 1995 albumMercury. The band's guitarist, Andy Prickett, later pursued non-Christian projects, producing young shoegaze acts such asthe Autumns.[107]
While shoegaze briefly flared and then faded out in the UK, the bands of the initial wave had an immense impact on the development of regional underground and college rock scenes in the US.[110] In particular, a Lush and Ride tour of the US in 1991[111] directly inspired the spawning of American shoegaze groups includingDrop Nineteens, Half String[112] and Ozean.[113] Columnist Emma Sailor of KRUI in Iowa City opines:
The insularity and introversion of British shoegaze was an intention[al] backlash against their country's mainstream. But when the shoegaze sound was exported to America, it arrived unattached from the cultural context that originally prompted its gloomy moods.The result? American indie bands gave shoegaze an entirely new image. Where the sound once was tightly linked with introversion, it was now attached to summery, outward looking songs with a focus on celebrating youth.[114]
About DC-basedVelocity Girl's 1991 single "My Forgotten Favorite", Sailor goes on to note, "Could anything be more different—and yet so similar—to [Slowdive]? The hazy [production] and dreamy, high pitched female vocals are there, but the outlook is entirely different".
A resurgence of the genre began in the late 1990s (particularly in the United States) and the early 2000s, that helped usher in what is now referred to as thenu gaze era.[22][115] Also various heavy metal acts were inspired by shoegaze, which contributed to the emergence ofpost-metal and metalgaze styles.[116][117] Particularly in the mid-2000s, Frenchblack metal actsAlcest andAmesoeurs began incorporating shoegaze elements into their sound, pioneering theblackgaze genre.[118] Shoegaze would also influence microgenres such aswitch house.[119]
In eastern Asia the genre has become increasingly popular with bands such as Cocteau Twins influencing the creation of new "art school" shoegaze.[16] Bands likeTokyo Shoegazer andFor Tracy Hyde have increasingly adopted western elements, with some bands combining Indie music with shoegaze and psychedelic rock.[120] Further, since the late 2010s, some artists began prominently incorporatingemo themes into shoegaze, with albums likeWeatherday'sCome In (2019) andParannoul'sTo See the Next Part of the Dream (2021) being examples.[121][122]
In the early 2020s, shoegaze experienced a revival amongGeneration Z, through internet spaces such asTikTok, with newer bands likeJulie,Wisp andFleshwater as well as an influence ondigicore artists likeQuannnic andJane Remover. Multiple outlets described this as shoegaze's "revival", "resurrection" or "zoomergaze".[123][124][125][126] Irish bandFontaines D.C. have commented on shoegaze influences in their sound, particularly My Bloody Valentine; their fourth albumRomance was particularly noted for this sound by reviewers.[127][128][129][130]
In a brief and simple way, shoegaze presents a harsher sound, in which the ethereal vocals are buried under layers of guitars, creating nebulous songs. In dream pop, there is more clarity in vocals and melodies, with soft sonorous textures that evoke dreams.
The dream pop bands were lionized by the capricious British music press, which later took to dismissing them as 'shoegazers' for their affectless stage presence.
Shoegaze is inspired by Phil Spector's wall of sound, stemming from the aspect of overwhelming sound on a song's tracks.
This is where the dream pop family tree starts to come into focus.
Peder Mannerfelt: I would like to argue that Brian Eno not only invented ambient music but also shoegaze with Here Come The Warm Jets
While they are often described as shoegaze, the term didn't exist ... but for many, the Jesus and Mary Chain is where the genre broke ground.
Then when Bilinda joined, around that 86-87 period, we were getting into Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr,Sister andEVOL by Sonic Youth…
...before their Thames Valley origins saw them become shoegazers by association.
...the recent trend for combining metal's sense of threat with the immersive idyll of shoegazing is undeniable, and only one aspect of the ongoing cross-pollination taking place in extreme music. For his part, r views the 'metalgaze' movement as less entropic than cyclical.
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