Repeat Prescription #1: Modern Shoegaze

This 28 track playlist showcases some of the best shoegaze artists of the 2020s

Shoegaze is very much having a moment. Of course, it’s not the first time.

My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields in 2009. His trademark ‘glide guitar’ style remains a huge influence on the shoegaze genre.

Shoegaze never really went away after its ‘classic’ late 1980s/early 1990s period, but it did become something of a niche concern in the 2000s. There were isolated highlights, such as the Horrors’ Primary Colours, A Sunny Day In Glasgow’s Scribble Mural Comic Journal, and M83’s Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, but you would have been hard pushed to construct a playlist of this depth and quality back then.

As a more popular revival gathered pace in the 2010s, led by the likes of DIIV, Nothing, Pinkshinyultrablast and Ringo Deathstarr, more traditional indie-rock outfits like Alvvays started to incorporate shoegaze stylings into their sound. New music from Ride, Swervedriver, Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine added fuel to the growing fire. By 2020, when the world ground to a Covid-induced halt, new shoegaze bands were suddenly everywhere — and I really mean everywhere.

This playlist focuses on that new wave of artists, with a skew towards the obscure (although one selection, Blue Smiley, has 1 million monthly Spotify listeners at the time of writing). I’ve included bands from all over the world — Australia, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, France, Finland, Japan and South Korea are all represented. While many formed in the 2010s or earlier, every featured act has released new music in the 2020s.

I was tempted to keep my definition of shoegaze narrow, but celebrating the diversity of the genre makes for a much stronger playlist. Some of these tracks sit at the dreamier, more atmospheric end of the spectrum, while others are potentially crossing over into the realm of metal. Modern shoegaze is a broad church and this should be celebrated.

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SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS

I’m not going to write about every single track, but I do want to draw your attention to a few of my favourites.

HEALEES - “Waterslide”

This multinational Parisian band has just released its cracking debut album through Toulouse-based Hidden Bay Records. Shimmering guitars evoke genre heavyweights such as Pale Saints, Slowdive and Swervedriver, but it’s no tribute record. The talented quartet has utilised jangle and new wave influences to create a record bursting with freshness and colour.

PARANNOUL - “Polaris”

This prolific and mysterious South Korean shoegazer had a breakout moment with last year’s ambitious After the Magic. It’s a stunning record, incorporating electronic elements, breakbeats and glitches, alongside the obligatory celestial soundscapes.

MASCARA - “Innervisions”

Another French band, but a much heavier proposition than Healees, Mascara’s music definitely sits at the metalgaze end of the spectrum. Think Cloakroom, Jesu, or even some of Swervedriver’s heavier moments. That cover art is straight out of the ‘90s too.

93MILLIONMILESFROMTHESUN - “We Are Left Behind”

This was one of my favourite inclusions even before I discovered they are from my neighbouring city of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Although I live in Sheffield, I have worked in Doncaster for 15 years, so I know the city well. There is no discernible shoegaze scene there at all, so 93MillionMilesFromTheSun are a complete anomaly. But what an anomaly! They actually formed in 2007, but “We Are Left Behind” is taken from 2021’s Why Do We Fall Apart so it meets the inclusion criteria and trust me — if you love shoegaze, you need this band in your life.

BLANKENBERGE - “New Rules”

It’s not a Dua Lipa cover, but the latest single from this wonderful Russian shoegaze outfit is a shimmering delight nonetheless. Originally from Siberia, the band is currently based in Saint Petersburg, which already has a strong shoegaze pedigree as the home of Blankenberge’s illustrious compatriots, Pinkshinyultrablast. Highly recommended.

TOMATES EN VERANO - “Mirando el Mar”

It’s mandatory to close all playlists with a banger and I think this 2020 track by Argentina’s Tomates En Verano fits the bill perfectly. A melodic, atmospheric rocker with a thrilling guitar solo, it sits in that lovely sweet-spot between shoegaze and indie-rock.

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THE COMPLETE PLAYLIST

So here it is: 28 tracks and 105 minutes of beautiful noise.

I’m really pleased with how this turned out and really hope you will find something here to fall in love with. As ever, please support the bands if you can. Many are small outfits with less than 5,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, but they’re all making great music.

If you know a friend who would enjoy this playlist, please do share it far and wide. Repeat Prescription will be a regular feature, although I’m not sure how regular yet. I guess we’ll find out together. I already have enough material for a second shoegaze edition, but I’ll probably do a Best of 2024 edition first.

Finally, if there’s an artist I missed who you think would fit nicely on this playlist, please give them a shout out in the comments. I will consider all recommendations for Modern Shoegaze Volume 2.

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