I don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier but here I made a Spotify collaboration list! The only rules are 1) don’t remove somebody else’s song and 2) don’t spam-add songs.
Really didn’t know how to word this. All I know is that I’ve been completely in love with The Shelter of My Love by Astropol. I’m looking for some more alternative, dream-like, cinematic, emotionally intense songs. Songs that make you have flashbacks of things you never experienced. Songs that make you lose yourself before the voice of the artist jolts you awake. Songs that sound like how perpetual fogs and inevitable spirals feel.
I’m not sure what to call this specific genre, either. What the hell is shoegaze, anyway?
Air is an excellent band that seems to fit your bill and if you don’t mind a darker dream there’s always the OG of shoegaze Portishead.
I have strong music association with memories so most of my feelie invoking music is pretty fucking random (like associating wanderlust with Beck’s Guero).
Jenny Lewis — “Head Underwater”
Cordelia’s Dad — “Little Speckled Egg”
Cracker — “Guarded by Monkeys”
Freelance Whales — “Generator ^ First Floor”
You’re gonna share the playlist when you’re done, right?
This one might be too mainstream, but:
Iron & Wine — “Woman King”
Good thing you mentioned a playlist. I don’t use Spotify anymore but I still have an account there so I will likely curate a playlist to share.
Eyyy, Minus the Bear!! I’ve always loved the P.O.S redo of Drilling, takes me right back to myspace :)
Wild Nothing - nocturne
I concur with that Beach House suggestion and add maybe EMA, Slowdive and possibly Cocteau Twins.
Oh, and by the way, “shoegaze” is nothing more than a journalistic name to group all bands in the popular musical scene that made a heavy use of pedals to distort or generally modify their guitar sound. They spent so much time watching at their pedals in contrast of earlier guitar players, that they looked like they were gazing at their shoes.
Some of the guitar work reminds me of Ratatat.
You might also like Washed Out.
Songs that make you have flashbacks of things you never experienced.
There are all kinds of bands that do that for me. The first two that come to mind are Explosions in the Sky and The Midnight.
Also there’s a recently invented word for that feeling:
Anemoia - n. Nostalgia for a time or a place one has never known.
Washed outside paracosm’s album is a masterpiece
Might be to electronica for your tastes but try Tycho’s Dive and awake albums
AIR - Moon safari
The drums - portamento
Caring is Creepy by The Shins
If you don’t have a particular need for lyrics, or lyrics that you can understand (presumably), I’ve got a few for you.
Nyokabi Kariũki - Nazama | (Bandcamp) > YT Link
Aivi & Surasshu - Mika | (Bandcamp) > YT Link
The following is a very short performance for a promotional video for the Lumatone keyboard, but I have it saved in my playlist because of how beautiful it is.
Lumatone performance (YT Link)
I think it demonstrates the vastness of the musical realm by splitting the notes we typically associate with western music into different (and often more numerous) divisions of the octave. One of the best applications of this besides getting that ethereal feeling is that it allows you to explore intervals to a finer degree i.e. achieve cleaner melodic and harmonic tones that are mathematically pleasing to the human ear and mind. This whole concept is called microtonality if anyone is interested. And to your question, OP, I think searching in this area can help you find some of that cosmic, alternative sound you’re looking for.
I know I got a little bit away from the question here, but getting into the microtonal/xenharmonic realm was so magical for me because while I enjoy your typical music theory teachings, I’m very much on the more scientific side of things, and music has always been that intriguing intersection between the indiscriminate and cosmic nature of mathematics and the emotional and beautifully flawed nature of artistic expression. Finding the community and literature around xenharmonic music helped me find my way of exploring music in a way that comes naturally to me.
Edit: One that’s a little more “energetic” that I always get lost in. The entire album is great, but this track in particular - Homestuck: Medium - Frogs (YT Link)
Oh my GOODNESS I want a Lumatone so badly! I thought I had invented isomorphic keyboards one day in the shower, but when I searched my idea up I learned that people have been clever long before me
It’s such a great concept and the lumatone is beautiful execution. Hopefully I can start saving for one sometime this decade.
I always upvote unexpected Homestuck. 👍
Also agree it is a banger.
Hey thanks for the suggestion! I really dig that song!
I think TTRRUUCES - Sensations of Cool (youtube links incoming) hits this prompt pretty perfectly, especially the dream-like quality of the video
Same for Jon Worthy - Please Tell Me
A few more that are close but not quite perfect:
Hiatus Kaiyote - And We Go Gentle
I’m looking forward to listening to the other suggestions, I’ve listened to a few of them and so far they’ve been great!
Generationals - Put a Light On
Really excited to hear what you think.
I don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier but here I made a Spotify collaboration list! The only rules are 1) don’t remove somebody else’s song and 2) don’t spam-add songs.
