Shoegaze music has always existed in a unique position in alternative music cultures, often associated with experimentation as well as occasional snobbery. The unique genre that started in the 90s was a natural progression of post-punk, psychedelic and noise. It was swept away by the phenomenon that was Britpop but in the past five years, Gen Z is reviving the genre.
The first shoegaze bands were direct successors of dark atmospheric proto-punk bands such as The Cure and The Wire. This influence was most prominent in the early works of genre giants like My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, and Chapterhouse. The term “shoegaze” refers to how the musicians would be looking down at their effects pedals to create noisy and psychedelic soundscapes. Although shoegaze bands reached artistic peaks with their punky weirdo music, the genre was killed by the same industry that raised them up. Journalists accused shoegaze music of being “snobby” in comparison to Britpop’s more working class roots. Bands such as Slowdive received constant hate from the press, leading them to break up and reform under new names.
Since the purge in the 90s, it seems like a proper revival of the genre has finally started to take place, with social media kindling the rebirth. In the past couple of years, the term “zoomergaze” has been coined to label the new shoegaze bands that were creating a very aesthetic, atmospheric, vibe based music that has made the rounds on Tik Tok and really brought in a lot of new young eyes. Zoomergaze bands first started to appear around 2018 with important releases like the single “Blank” by Glare and the self-titled EP by Trauma Ray, but arguably the godfathers of the scene were the California based Whirr and Pennsylvania based Nothing. While both these bands weren’t reinventing the wheel or reaching the highs of their genre forefathers, they consistently used noise and distortion to create sad yet emotionally compelling rock music. Never overly ambitious, yet always had a distinct edge to it. This consistent and compelling vibe is key to understanding the seeds of the full blown revival we have now. Zoomergaze brought a new generation to the beautiful noise, and now that same generation has picked up offset guitars and fuzz pedals. These bands have started to create their own distinct style, paying sonic homage to the greats but also challenging their visions through pastiche.
The new flock Californian bands like Julie, Midrift and Velora are bringing a dynamic, explosive and noisy edge, while Pennsylvania’s Feeble Little Horse, Blue Smiley and TAGABOW use messy electronic influences to create a collage of textures. The best part is this revival is taking place all around the world. Bands such as Korea’s Parannoul, Russia’s Pinkshinyultrablast, Iraqi Nabeel and Tokyo Shoegazer all creating their own mini shoegaze scenes and influencing other young bands. The Edinburgh scene also has a new generation of promising shoegazers rising in Spinney, Landslide and Guevara, make sure to check them out if you can.
“Guitar Pedals II” by thegrid.ch is licensed under CC BY 2.0.