Dream pop is a type of alternative rock that originated in Britain in the early 1980s, when bands like Cocteau Twins, The Chameleons, The Passions, Dead Can Dance, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane (to whom the term has been attributed) began fusing post-punk experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into sensual, sonically-ambitious soundscapes. Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s This article is about the musical style of gothic rock For the goth scene in general see Goth subculture. Ambient music is a Musical genre in which sound is more important than notes Space rock is a subgenre of Rock music; the term originally referred to a group of early mostly British 1970s Progressive rock and psychedelic Indie rock is genre of Alternative rock that primarily exists in the independent Underground music scene Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze or shoegazer) is a genre of Alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s This is a list of Dream pop artists. This includes artists who have either been very important to the genre or have had a considerable amount of exposure (such as in the Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of Cocteau Twins were a Scottish Alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997 The Chameleons (called The Chameleons UK on some American releases were a Dream pop / Post-punk band that formed in Middleton, The Passions were a British pop band which formed in 1978 and disbanded in 1983. Dead Can Dance is a band comprising Lisa Gerrard ( Contralto) and Brendan Perry ( Baritone) Dif Juz was a British instrumental band strongly influenced by dub who were active in the early early to mid 1980s Lowlife was a Scottish Alternative rock / Dream pop band, active from 1985 to 1997. AR Kane (or A R Kane or ARKane) were a British Dream pop band Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure The term was only used in the United States, although frequently used, and allegedly coined, by Melody Maker journalists Simon Reynolds and Chris Roberts. Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly Music Newspaper Simon Reynolds (born 1963 in London, England; raised in Hertfordshire) is an English Music critic who is well-known for his writings on An "all-star" dream pop collective named This Mortal Coil were known for covering obscure pop songs of the 1960s to '80s. This Mortal Coil was a musical Dream pop project of Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British 4AD Records label

The essence of the music is a focus on ethereal textures and moods, rather than on propulsive rock riffs. Breathy, high-register female vocals or almost whispered male vocals are usually the means of lyrical delivery; lyrics are generally introspective and existential in nature. Cover art tends to consist of blurry pastel imagery and/or stark minimalist designs. Overall, the 4AD record label is the one most associated with dream pop, though others such as Creation, Projekt, Fontana, Bedazzled, Vernon Yard, and Slumberland also released significant records in the genre. 4AD is a British Independent record label that was started in 1979 by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent funded by Beggars Banquet Records, and is still Creation Records was a British Independent record label headed by Alan McGee. This is the article for the record label You might be looking for Pro-jekt, ProjeKct, Project Pitchfork, or Projekt Revolution Bedazzled Records was an American Record label, based in Washington D Slumberland Records is a United States independent record label formed in 1989 in Washington D

Later

In the late 1980s to early 1990s, bands such as Slowdive, Lush, Pale Saints, Spoonfed Hybrid, early-period Seefeel, early-period Verve, Kitchens of Distinction, The Sundays, The Ocean Blue, Galaxie 500, Bel Canto, Cranes, Frazier Chorus, late-period Talk Talk, Strange Boutique, Curve, The Dream Academy, and No-Man were representatives of the genre. Slowdive were a Shoegazing band formed in 1989 lasting until 1995 Lush were an English Shoegazing band formed in 1988 and disbanded in 1996 Pale Saints was formed in 1987 by Ian Masters (bass/vocals Graeme Naysmith (guitar and Chris Cooper (drums in Leeds, England. Spoonfed Hybrid were a Dream pop duo in the north of England in the early 1990s Seefeel are a British Alternative rock group primarily active in the early to mid 1990s The Verve (originally Verve) are an English rock band formed in Wigan, Greater Manchester in 1989 at Winstanley Sixth Kitchens of Distinction (often shortened colloquially to KOD) were a three-person Alternative rock / Dream pop band from South London, The Ocean Blue, formed in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1986, is an American Indie pop band that combines melodic guitars and synthesizers Galaxie 500 was an American Alternative rock trio that formed in 1986 and split up in 1991 after releasing three albums Bel Canto is a Norwegian music duo originally a trio fronted by Anneli Drecker, signed originally to Crammed Discs. Cranes are a British music group Their music has frequently been described as incorporating elements of Gothic rock, Dream pop, and Shoegazing Frazier Chorus was a pop group from Brighton, England. A pop group without a Drummer, Bassist or Guitarist, Talk Talk were a popular British rock group that were active from 1981 to 1991 Strange Boutique was a band from Washington DC that was part of the harDCore scene Curve were an English music group formed in 1990 chiefly around the collaboration of singer/songwriter Toni Halliday and bassist Guitarist programmer The Dream Academy were a 1980s pop band from England, comprising singer/guitarist Nick Laird-Clowes, multi-instrumentalist (chiefly Oboeist Kate No-Man is a British duo formed in 1987 as No Man Is An Island (Except The Isle Of Man by Tim Bowness and Steven Wilson (also of Porcupine

Concurrently, a number of more predominantly guitar-driven dream pop bands emerged in the United States, including For Against, Alison's Halo, Low, Mazzy Star, Velour 100, Love Spirals Downwards, Ars Poetica, Duster and Frownland. Overview For Against are a United States Post-punk /proto- Shoegaze rock band from Lincoln Nebraska. Alison's Halo was a Dream pop band from Tempe, Arizona. Their airy Vocals and delayed Riffs were often also associated Low is an American Indie rock group from Duluth Minnesota. The group was formed in 1993, by Alan Sparhawk ( Guitar Mazzy Star was an American Dream pop band They formed in 1989 from the band Opal, a collaboration of guitarist David Roback and bassist Velour 100 were a Dream pop / ethereal rock band from Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA. Love Spirals Downwards were an ethereal darkwave, Dream pop and Electronica recording act from California. Ars Poetica is a term meaning "The Art of Poetry" or "On the Nature of Poetry" Duster is an American Indie-rock band. It consists of multi-instrumentalists Clay Parton, Dove Amber, and Jason Albertini.

Louder

A louder, more aggressive strain of dream pop came to be known as shoegazing; key bands of this style were My Bloody Valentine, Catherine Wheel, Ride, Bailter Space, Flying Saucer Attack, Swervedriver, Bowery Electric, Band Of Susans, Moonshake, and Levitation. Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze or shoegazer) is a genre of Alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s My Bloody Valentine are an Alternative rock band formed in Dublin Ireland in 1984 and predominantly based in London. Catherine Wheel were a four-piece Alternative rock band from Great Yarmouth, England. Ride were a British Shoegazing band The band formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, and officially broke up in 1996 Bailter Space (aka Bailterspace) is an atmospheric Noise rock band that formed in Christchurch New Zealand in 1986 as Nelsh Bailter Space Flying Saucer Attack was an experimental Space rock band that formed in Bristol England in 1992 Swervedriver is an English Alternative rock band from Oxford. Bowery Electric is a New York City -based musical duo formed by Lawrence Chandler and Martha Schwendener in 1994 Band of Susans was a Noise rock band formed in New York City in 1986. Moonshake is a UK-based band formed in 1991 by David Callahan (vocals guitars samplers following the dissolution of his former outfit The Wolfhounds - who were active for Levitation were an innovative English rock band fronted by ex- House of Love guitarist Terry Bickers. These bands kept the atmospheric qualities of dream pop, but added the intensity of post-punk-influenced bands such as The Chameleons and Sonic Youth. The Chameleons (called The Chameleons UK on some American releases were a Dream pop / Post-punk band that formed in Middleton, Sonic Youth is an American Alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981 Shoegazing arose out of a love for dream pop's textures and moods, at the same time rejecting its more passive tendencies.

Further

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, bands like 7% Solution, Sigur Rós, Dubstar, Eisley, Laika, The FLIR, Readymade, Bethany Curve, Halou, Windy & Carl, All Natural Lemon & Lime Flavors, A Minute Away From Snowing, Trespassers William, Ariel Storm, Southpacific, Mira, Yume Bitsu, Devics, Xinlisupreme, Highspire, Air Formation, The Meeting Places, Psychic Ills and Auburn Lull have had the dream pop/ shoegazing labels attributed to them. Sigur Rós ( are an Icelandic Post-rock band with melodic classical and minimalist elements Dubstar are a successful British dance - pop band, formed in 1992 by Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie in Newcastle-upon-Tyne Eisley is a rock band from Tyler, Texas, consisting of four siblings ( Chauntelle, Sherri, Stacy, and Weston DuPree Laika is a UK-based indie/experimental band founded in 1993 by ex-Moonshake members Margaret Fiedler and John Frenett, and producer/engineer Guy Fixsen The term found art &mdashmore commonly found object (objet trouvé or readymade &mdashdescribes Art created from the undisguised but often modified Bethany Curve is a Shoegaze / Alternative rock band from Santa Cruz California. Halou, pronounced huh-loo is a band from San Francisco, California. Windy & Carl are an ambient Space rock group based in Dearborn Michigan, U Trespassers William are an Indie rock / Dream pop band known for their ethereal music Southpacific (colloquially " SoPac " was a Space rock band with prominent Dream pop / Post-rock leanings originally based in Mira are a five-piece Dream pop / Shoegaze band from Tallahassee Florida. Yume Bitsu (meaning "dream beats" in Japanese) was a Psychedelic rock / Space rock band from Portland Oregon active between 1995 and 2002 Devics is a Dream pop band from Los Angeles, California consisting of Sara Lov, Dustin O'Halloran, Ed Maxwell and Evan Schnabel Xinlisupreme (シンリシュープリーム is a Japanese Musician from Kumamoto, Japan. Air Formation are an English Shoegazing / Space rock band that debuted with their first 7" in the summer of 1998 Auburn Lull are a four-member Dream pop / Space rock band from Lansing Michigan, which formed in 1995 Groups like these are sometimes (dismissively) called "new-gaze" or "nu-gaze" bands. The term "Ambient Pop" is applied as a genre to some of these artists as well. The Smashing Pumpkins' single "Rhinoceros" from the album Gish (1991) is considered to be a combination of psychedelia and dream pop. The Smashing Pumpkins are an American Alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988 "Rhinoceros" is a Song by The Smashing Pumpkins from their debut album Gish. Gish is the debut album by American Alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Psychedelic rock is a style of Rock music that attempts to replicate the mind-altering experiences of hallucinogenic drugs.

Dream pop is often credited with providing the creative "anti-rock" catalyst for textural-based musical styles such as trip hop, slowcore and post-rock. Trip hop is a music Genre also known as the Bristol sound or Bristol acid rap. The term slowcore refers to a subgenre of alternative and Indie rock. Post-rock is a genre of Alternative rock characterized by the use of Musical instruments commonly associated with Rock music, but using Rhythms

See also

• List of dream pop artists
• Shoegazing

External links

• All Music Guide entry on dream pop