"Shoegazing" is a genre of music from the late '80s and early to mid '90s characterized by relatively poppy lyrics obscured by layers of fuzzed, phased, flanged, and chorused guitars and synthesizers. There's usually a definite melody, but it is obscured, giving the music an amorphous quality. My Bloody Valentine's Loveless is considered by many to be the first great shoegazing album (and it's really good and if you don't have it you should buy it).
The name, according to Wikipedia, has something to do with the performers staring at their feet due to either shyness or necessity to see their effects pedals due to lots of effect switching.
Yes. And for the roots of shoegazing, see also minimalism in classical music, as they are in many ways similar. (Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians > Loveless)
Other post-minimalist popular genres include post-rock(GYBE, Explosions in the Sky, etc), most electronica(AIR, Bjork, etc), krautrock(Can, Kraftwerk, etc), ambient(Brian Eno, Sigur Ros, etc), punk (inadvertently), and IMO, turntablism(DJ Dhadow, Jay Dee).
Comments 3
Could you perhaps explain what the heck "shoegazing" is? Because I heard it about eight different times while reading reviews of the album.
Reply
The name, according to Wikipedia, has something to do with the performers staring at their feet due to either shyness or necessity to see their effects pedals due to lots of effect switching.
Reply
Other post-minimalist popular genres include post-rock(GYBE, Explosions in the Sky, etc), most electronica(AIR, Bjork, etc), krautrock(Can, Kraftwerk, etc), ambient(Brian Eno, Sigur Ros, etc), punk (inadvertently), and IMO, turntablism(DJ Dhadow, Jay Dee).
Reply
Leave a comment