Dream pop
| Dream pop | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Mid- to late 1980s, United Kingdom |
| Typical instruments | |
| Derivative forms | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Other topics | |
Dream pop (or dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that developed in the 1980s. The style is typified by a preoccupation with atmosphere and texture as much as melody.
"Dream pop", which is thought to relate to the "immersion" in the music experienced by the listener, was coined in the late 1980s by Alex Ayuli to describe the music of his band A.R. Kane. It was later adopted by music critic Simon Reynolds to describe the nascent shoegazing scene in the UK. In the 1990s, "dream pop" and 'shoegazing" were interchangeable and regionally dependent terms., with "dream pop" being the name by which "shoegazing" was known in America. Shoegazing is sometimes considered a part of dream pop.
The AllMusic Guide to Electronica defines dream pop as "an atmospheric subgenre of alternative rock that relies on sonic textures as much as melody". Common characteristics are breathy vocals and use of guitar effects, often producing a "wall of noise". In the view of Reynolds, dream pop "celebrates rapturous and transcendent experiences, often using druggy and mystical imagery". Dream pop tends to focus on textures and moods rather than propulsive rock riffs. Vocals are generally breathy or sung in a near-whisper, and lyrics are often introspective or existential in nature. Reynolds, using the term synonymously with "shoe gazers", described dream pop bands as "a wave of hazy neo-psychedelic groups", noting the influence of the "ethereal soundscapes" bands such as Cocteau Twins.PopMatters also noted an evolutionary line from gothic rock to dream pop, while AllMusic stated that the ambient pop genre was "essentially an extension of the dream pop that emerged in the wake of the shoegazer movement".George Harrison's 1970 album All Things Must Pass, with its Wall of Sound and fluid arrangements, led music journalist John Bergstrom to credit it as an influence on dream pop.
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