IDM Mailing Archive

On Sun, 20 Mar 1994, Don Gray wrote:

quoted 4 lines What is Shoegaze(y) music? (the term "bliss-music" really caught my

> What is Shoegaze(y) music? (the term "bliss-music" really caught my > attention) Are there any frequently discussed groups on IDM that fall into > this catagory (other than slowdive, which I haven't heard)? >

"Shoegazer" or "dream pop" music is a primarily guitar-based hybrid that takes elements of traditional ambience and interweaves into an "indie-rock" background. The common reference points of much shoegazer music are early records from the Cocteau Twins and the Jesus and Mary Chain's _Psychocandy_, along with early material by A.R. Kane and My Bloody Valentine's recordings from around '87-'88. Melodies are generally carried by multilayered guitars, fed through stacks of effects and distortion until the begin to resemble a pure wash of sound. Indeed, on quite a few records it's almost impossible to tell whether the lead instrument is a guitar or an analogue synthesizer. Bands that have worked within this style include My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Lush, Chapterhouse, Seefeel, Slowdive, Moose, the Boo Radleys, Drop Nineteens, Verve, the Belltower, the Pale Saints, Swervedriver, Majesty Crush, and the Catherine Wheel. The term "shoegazer" comes from the general onstage persona of a lot of the bands, who quite often would avoid eye contact with their audiences.

quoted 1 line Are there any samples on techno.stanford.edu of this stuff?

> Are there any samples on techno.stanford.edu of this stuff?

I don't think so, but My Bloody Valentine's "Soon" appears on quite a few comps from around 1990 or so, and Seefeel's "Come Alive" appears on Volume (Seven, I think). (In my opinion) there's always been a slight aesthetic crossover between dream-pop and IDM, but it's only recently been made explicit on record -- Chapterhouse's _Blood Music_, Slowdive's _5ep_, and almost all of Seefeel's material freely incorporate techno-derived rhythms and trancy song-structures. | Dave Walker, Detroit Art Services (DAS) | | | | marmoset@msen.com "Clear." |

quoted 1 line Are there any samples on techno.stanford.edu of this stuff?

> > Are there any samples on techno.stanford.edu of this stuff?

what What WHAT. If you havent experienced this kind of music before... feel lucky. I can't see anyway in which parallels can be drawn between it and idm. ( unless they are remixed by idm artists, such as the slowdive thing etc.). I *try* to keep an open mind about different musical genres.. but this is where i have drawn my line. tends to be absolute depressing drivel (imho)

quoted 4 lines (In my opinion) there's always been a slight aesthetic crossover between

> (In my opinion) there's always been a slight aesthetic crossover between > dream-pop and IDM, but it's only recently been made explicit on record -- > Chapterhouse's _Blood Music_, Slowdive's _5ep_, and almost all of >

hmmm hmmm hmmm dunno mate.

quoted 2 lines I can't see anyway in which parallels can be drawn between [shoegazer]

> I can't see anyway in which parallels can be drawn between [shoegazer] > and idm.

how about these? 1. psychedelic influence 2. tranciness 3. emphasis on textures over melodic structure (with exceptions, of course) 4. heavy use of electronics to process the sound sources 5. development linked in part to the UK summer of love

quoted 1 line tends to be absolute depressing drivel (imho)

> tends to be absolute depressing drivel (imho)

my sentiments about much of Richard James' work, actually. followups to private mail. Mike

In our previous episode, Dave Walker said: > Seefeel's material freely incorporate techno-derived rhythms and trancy > song-structures. Seefeel...mmm...I'd have to say the 'Pure, Impure' CD is 10x better than the Aphex mixes on it. I'm glad I bought it. They sample and distort their guitars to such an extent that I wouldn't even think to call them 'shoe-gazer' on the basis of the the CD5 I have. Trance, yes. Fucking great, buy it. -- Brian sex = differentiation = death bhostetl@indiana.edu bhostetl@silver.ucs.indiana.edu

Dave Walker <marmoset@garnet.msen.com> wrote:

quoted 2 lines The common reference points of much shoegazer

> The common reference points of much shoegazer >music are early records from the Cocteau Twins and the Jesus and Mary

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ *Great* band with an exceedingly good vocalist: Elizabeth Fraser. In some of their songs there are no lyrics, she's just singing weird words which mean nothing but sound *great*. She's using her voice as an instrument. Also it is sometimes hard to distinguish between the songs in which the singing actually makes up real words and the songs with the 'freestyle' sort of vocals.

quoted 2 lines (In my opinion) there's always been a slight aesthetic crossover between

>(In my opinion) there's always been a slight aesthetic crossover between >dream-pop and IDM, but it's only recently been made explicit on record --

Well, as we know, rumour has it that FSOL will make use of Frasers voice on their forthcoming output...how's that for a superb crossover...yihaaaa!

quoted 2 lines Bands that have worked within this style include My Bloody Valentine,

>Bands that have worked within this style include My Bloody Valentine, >Ride, Lush

^^^^ Another great band with *very* nice vocals... Fredrik / RND

Dave Walker writes:

quoted 4 lines Bands that have worked within this style include My Bloody Valentine,

>Bands that have worked within this style include My Bloody Valentine, >Ride, Lush, Chapterhouse, Seefeel, Slowdive, Moose, the Boo Radleys, Drop >Nineteens, Verve, the Belltower, the Pale Saints, Swervedriver, Majesty >Crush, and the Catherine Wheel.

I've never been able to understand how some people can find some kind of link between shoegazing and IDM. The *only* band I think would qualify is Seefeel. Mike J. Brown writes:

quoted 5 lines how about these?

>how about these? > >1. psychedelic influence >2. tranciness >3. emphasis on textures over melodic structure (with exceptions, of course)

There are many words I'd associate with Ride, early My Bloody Valentine, Moose, Pale Saints and Boo Radleys ("good", for example), but "tranciness" definitely isn't of them. - chris@minsk.docs.uu.se