Shoegaze
I. Introduction: A Brief History
While much of the western music world was preoccupied by the insecure projections of a skewed idea of masculinity in hair metal[1] and the increasingly ubiquitous use of electronics in dance and pop music[2] throughout the 1980s, a tiny fire was being kindled in in UK; a subversive new sound of indie rock bringing together elements of noise music, post-punk, garage rock, and neo-psychedelia was being forged by innovative young artists[3]. While the influence of many bands from decades gone by had paved the way for this new generation of experimentation, it is commonly thought that the English duo, A. R. Kane (comprised of Alex Ayulil, who is of Nigerian descent, and Rudy Tambala, whose mother was Malawian) were the earliest pioneers of this new, as of yet unnamed sound with their first EP, ‘Lollita‘ (1987)[4]. In the early 90s, in a concert review by Sounds, the author noted how Russell Yates of the band Moose would mostly stare at his feet (he was looking at lyrics which he had taped to the stage) and used the term “shoegazer” or “shoegazing”[5]. From there, the rest was history: bands from this scene would reclaim this originally pejorative title—shoegaze music was born[3].
Shoegaze, both in terms of demographics and sound, is a very diverse sub-genre. It is generally characterized by employing a “wall of sound” approach: high distortion, layered instrumentation, and loads of guitar pedals and effects. But this description fails to capture the often melancholy, dreamy, and almost withdrawn nature of some bands’ music[3]. Another noteworthy observation of the scene is that it was relatively equal regarding gender representation: many of the biggest bands in the scene were either female-led or had a near equal number of prominent female members (see My Bloody Valentine, Lush, and Cranes)[6]. The height of Shoegaze’s closest attempt at mainstream recognition came in the form of the radical and genre-defining album ‘Loveless‘ (1991) by My Bloody Valentine[7]. The fire had really started to spread quickly in the underground music scene of the UK by this point—in fact, some ashes started to spread the flames across the pond and even a few American bands were starting to experiment with this new sound (see Drop Nineteens, Swirlies, and Medicine)[8].
Sadly, the wildfire of the shoegaze scene was promptly stamped out by the resounding success of grunge in the early 90s (see Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains). What little was left of the shoegaze scene by the mid-90s was thoroughly bulldozed by the emergence of britpop in the UK (Oasis, Pulp, and Suede)[8]. While some bands able to adapt to the shift in musical landscape and add a more grunge flair to their sound (see Catherine Wheel, Hum, and Swervedriver)[9] or find a more brit pop-oriented sound (see Ride, Lush, and The Verve)[10], many would end up retiring. Fortunately, throughout the 2000s and 2010s, a new wave of shoegaze artists have emerged (termed “Nu gaze“)[11] and many genre-defining bands have ever reunited (see My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride, and The Jesus and Mary Chain). The original shoegaze scene remains an isolated phenomenon that was unfortunately overshadowed by more mainstream forms of music in the 90s, but those embers started by the likes of A.R. Kane have re-kindled the scene in a new generation of artists.
“[Cocteau Twins] used tapes and technology and Liz Fraser looked completely otherworldly with those big eyes. And the noise coming out of Robin’s guitar! That was the ‘Fuck! We could do that! We could express ourselves like that!’ moment.”
– Rudy Tambala of A. R. Kane, interview with the Guardian (2012)[4]
II. Notable Artists
Some notable musicians who contributed to shoegaze are outlined in the following section. As in the previous entries, my goal is to focus primarily on underrepresented, diverse musicians who were largely overlooked.
Patrick Fitzgerald – Kitchens of Distinction
In 1986, Patrick Fitzgerald started a band with his two college friends, Julian Swales and Dan Goodwin. The band name they settled on was Kitchens of Distinction—taken a local kitchen store where they lived at the time in Tooting, South London. Fitzgerald took on the role of bassist, vocalist, and primary lyricist for the band[12]. While most contemporary shoegaze bands embraced the wall-of-sound production style which tended to obscure the vocals, Kitchens of Distinction tended to feature more prominent, clear vocals; many of Fitzgerald’s lyrics talked openly about his experience as a gay man[13]. While his lyrics might be seen as completely harmless by today’s standards, in the late 80s and early 90s it was brave of him to so casually and openly sing about his experiences gay dating, confronting homophobia, and loving another man. Many other gay artists from the same time opted to code their lyrics to obscure their true meanings, but Fitzgerald’s lyrics were hardly coded at all[13]. While it was released to lukewarm critical perception, their sophomore album ‘Strange Free World‘ (1991) has cemented itself as a fan-favourite and a staple in the shoegaze community[12]. What little success Kitchens of Distinction found in the early 90s tended to come from songs that were less obviously gay, but I think the song ‘Drive That Fast‘ (see video below) from ‘Strange Free World‘ was an exception—one of their more successful songs that features some fairly obvious gay lyricism.
Reflection on ‘Drive That Fast‘ (1991) by Kitchens of Distinction:
I love the smooth baseline that kicks off the song which is then immediately followed by a really fun main guitar riff. The intro barely seems to start before Fitzpatrick’s vocals come in. His voice feels unwavering yet withdrawn. I love the echo and reverb effects on the guitars. The effects and sound palette of this song are super intriguing and ethereal. I love the driving beat which really keeps the wall of sound going. It’s hard to tell exactly what the lyrics are about, honestly. I was reading up on this track while I was researching for the rest of the blog and heard that, while this song is likely about the excitement of the first time having sex with a man, its fairly coded, which is perhaps why it went on to be one of their hits. I’m really curious to check out Kitchens of Distinctions other material but sadly much of it is not on Spotify or other streaming platforms. However, I’d highly recommend the rest of this album – it’s really amazing and I wish more people know of them!
Daniel and Danny Chavis – The Veldt
Besides Alex Ayulil and Rudy Tambala of A.R. Kane, identical twin brothers Daniel and Danny Chavis of The Veldt mark another clear example of black artists that were instrumental in the development of shoegaze and dream pop as we know it today[14]. Forming in 1986 in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Chavis brothers named their band the Veldt after a Ray Bradbury sci-fi novel of the same name[15]. In 1989, they signed with Capitol Records and toured the U.S., opening for legendary acts such as The Jesus and Mary Chain and Cocteau Twins—two bands who greatly influence shoegaze in the mid to late 80s. In fact, Robin Guthrie of Cocteau Twins produced early recordings by the Veldt which unfortunately was shelved for several years due to Capitol Records executives not seeing the Chavis brothers’ vision for their music. Fortunately, these songs were released in 1992 on their debut EP ‘Marigolds‘[16]. The real claim to fame for the Veldt, however, is their landmark debut studio LP ‘Afrodesiac‘ (1994) which masterfully blends the promising new experimentalism of shoegaze and dream pop with relatively well-establish American genres like alternative soul[14]. The song ‘Soul In A Jar‘ (see video below) from ‘Afrodesiac‘ perfectly captures the reverb and distortion drenched layers of guitar and the soul-influenced vocals that helped them fit in with their shoegaze contemporaries while simultaneously standing out from the crowd[14].
Reflection on ‘Soul in a Jar‘ (1994) by the Veldt:
I love the engine-like revving that kicks off the song. The drums that lead into the main song sound akin to the drums I was hearing in some of the dub reggae honestly! I can really hear the alternative soul mixing with the distorted, reverb-drenched shoegaze-y guitars and it’s such a unique and awesome combination! Man, I love the beat and the tone of the guitars! Again, I’m just carried away by the dance beat and soaring guitars that I just can’t help but tune out the word’s being sung but I absolutely love the vocals (not sure which Chavis brother is on lead vocals honestly). This is really a prophetic piece of alt. rock that was way ahead of its time. I love the kind of stripped-back outro with the single layer of electric guitar and the beat. All around, a really neat song. I definitely need to check out the Veldt’s other work soon.
Miki Berenyi – Lush
Born in Chelsea, London to a Japanese mother, former actress Yasuko Nagazumi, and a Hungarian father, Ivan Berenyi, Miki Berenyi served an integral role the greater shoegaze scene[17]. From 1987 to 1996 she, along with college friends Emma Anderson and Chris Acland and a couple others, performed as the legendary feminist shoegaze band Lush. When their original vocalist, Meriel Barham left the band in 1988 (and would go on to join Pale Saints in 1990), Berenyi stepped in as co-lead vocalist and guitarist—a role which ultimately overlapped considerably with Anderson’s[18]. From the band’s debut mini-album ‘Scar‘ (1989) to their final album, ‘Lovelife‘ (1996), much of Lush’s lyrics—written by both Berenyi and Anderson—were overtly feminist often calling out toxic or sexist actions and words by men. This is pretty apparent when listening to some of their lyrics, but according in a 1992 interview with the Observer‘s Simon Reynolds, Anderson said: “People suggest we don’t say anything with our music, that we’re apolitical, but some of the subjects we deal with are really quite disturbing. Because we’re not shouting and screaming, people don’t register that“[19]. This is a perfect illustration of the tendency of many shoegaze acts to riot discreetly. One of the best examples of understated dreamy shoegaze with poignant feminist lyrics is the opening track, ‘Light From a Dead Star‘ (see video below) from their 1994 album, ‘Split‘.
“People suggest we don’t say anything with our music, that we’re apolitical, but some of the subjects we deal with are really quite disturbing. Because we’re not shouting and screaming, people don’t register that”
– Emma Anderson of Lush, interview with the Observer (1992)[19]
Reflection on ‘Blackout‘ (1994) by Lush:
The otherworldly ambience and orchestral strings in the opening really set a mysterious and atmospheric tone for the whole sone. You know you’re in for a treat when the music box sound starts twinkling away. Oh man, Berenyi’s vocals here take front and center when they come in. First off, the lyrics here are genuinely gripping, which is something I couldn’t say as much about the previous two songs. It’s clear that Berenyi is singing about a man who is taking advantage of women left and right and she is lamenting this and calling out his terrible actions. I love the build that this song takes from the minimalism of the music box and vocals to the wall of guitars and harmonies that round our the latter half of the song. The sound palette used in this song really suits the imagery and title, giving the impression of twinkling starlight. In typical shoegaze the vocals get a little burried in the mix so it’s hard to make out some of the lyrics, but the tone and intent is still very apparent and palpable all throughout. The track is relatively short and doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, although I wish it were just a tad longer. Either way, it does provide an excellent, melancholic introduction to a great album (I’d recommend checking out the rest of the album. It’s a good one).
References:
[9] Grungegaze (n.d.). Musicalyst. Retrieved from: https://musicalyst.com/genre/grungegaze
[15] The Veldt. (2023). First Avenue. Retrieved from: https://first-avenue.com/performer/the-veldt/