Shoegaze Vocals Explained

[@berlinshoegazer]

Why it's so hard to understand shoegaze vocals in so many songs and what do shoegazing bands (mostly) have in common when it comes to their singing styles? I tried to find out and explain it in this video. Featured artists: Airiel Jaguwar Astrobrite Dollar Tree Secret Shine Fleeting Joys Keith Canisius Cocteau Twins Ringo Deathstarr Moon Loves Honey

[@deanaf]

Great channel. I have to ask. What is the season switch on your psychocandy pedal? What are the differences in the seasons? Thanks!

[@kbs1212]

I love that you made the list look like a right triangle. So pleasing to the eye.

[@Flibbybibby]

My Bloody Valentine never used reverb on the vocals. They were recorded very flat and layered with overdubs and buried in the mix.

[@gringogreen4719]

Vocals tend to sit IN a mix rather than on top of them in Shoegaze. I would say there is more of a emphasis on melody and harmony than say the bark of punk or the sneer of Psychobilly. I would say a big reason that vocals sit in a mix is Shoegaze tends to be more for introverts vs a more extraverted rock and roll vocal style.

[@berlinshoegazer]

Love the way you defind this. Thanks.

[@madeindar]

im amazed how japanese bands really take shoegaze to another level with their creativity. they show that shoegaze isnt always about dirty guitar noises stacked on top of highly compressed vocals

[@berlinshoegazer]

The music world in the eastern contries is extremely interesting. I think we should dive much deeper into their creative culture. Just to get not too much involved in our common ways to create.

[@eversongabriel7099]

@@berlinshoegazer You got it right, my brother. I agree 100%.

[@iosiasaemilius2795]

because shoegaze kinda started there tho

[@InkfinityOkamix3]

@@iosiasaemilius2795 what? Shoegaze wasn’t started in Japan. It was started in UK/Ireland.

[@iosiasaemilius2795]

@@InkfinityOkamix3 oh i meant "kinda", it is arguable that les rallizes denudes is a proto-shoegaze band

[@marceloBAdARI]

Very inspiring video indeed, Kenneth! 1:54 these kind of female vocals are the best… I like when it blends with all the instruments in the mix and you couldn’t really understand the lyrics… it’s kind of a instrumental music, but with “vocals”

[@berlinshoegazer]

Yeah, that's exactly what I love about it but I could never really describe it. :) Thanks, Mercelo.

[@gazeunderthesunmusic]

I wish I learn to sing in general especially in the shoegaze genre.

[@gringogreen4719]

Do it softly and evenly. Think "Sunday Morning" by The Velvet Underground.😉👍✨

[@sunnyclimatemusic]

This was inspiring and fantastic. Thank you for your continued love and passion to share everything dreampop and shoegaze.

[@1jennifer]

Discovered your channel recently, such great content with lots of substance each time and so thoughtful. So impressed with this one!

[@berlinshoegazer]

Thank you so much and welcome onboard. :)

[@telequacker-9529]

"UwU.... UwU...." -Bilinda Butcher

[@ragnid]

Haha I see what u did here

[@bootesvoidsound]

thanks for this video - you introduced me to several new really good songs you were playing as examples!

[@berlinshoegazer]

It's my pleasure. Thank you for your comment.

[@PhillyPeroxide]

Great video. Greetings from Chicago! We met you when we held our Shimmer shoegaze/dreampop club night one-off in Berlin in 2019. Cheers! :)

[@berlinshoegazer]

Thank you, Philly. Yes, I remember that night. Thanks for playing "Machines" by my band Downhill Willows. Totally surprised me. Haha

[@PhillyPeroxide]

@@berlinshoegazer I just bought one of your cat t-shirts, too! I'll be sure to wear it for the next Shimmer live stream if it arrives on-time.

[@blakeingleby1039]

Really great topic defiantly something I’m experimenting with

[@muhammedizmirlioglu216]

Thanks for all these important informations, i learning a lot of things from you.

[@berlinshoegazer]

Hey Muhammed, thanks for letting me know. I'm grateful to hear that and happy it helps you so much.

[@dougmann66]

AWESOME WORK !!!!!

[@fountgarde]

Ah, Kiss A Girl In Black. Instant chills.

[@zalibecquerel3463]

Fantastic selection of bands there, I was pleasantly surprised to see Dollar Tree there! A great band, terribly under-rated!

[@Spectral_Waves]

Commenting for the algorithm. Stay gazin!

[@ScaryLadySarah]

Loved this video! #shoegazeforever

[@eylvy]

MBV use lyrics?! great video, even just for the music recommendations. subscribed :)

[@berlinshoegazer]

Thanks for the nice words and the sub!

[@ruairihanlon6787]

Good video man

[@jdgonzo1982]

watching your videos is always a pleasure dude...well edited and the presenter guy seems cool too! ;) Thanks for mentioning all of those bands...always nice to have a new band to listen to over a weekend!! Gonna dive into Jaguwar... EDIT: Was listening to Silversun Pcikups the other day...i liked their song "Lazy Eye"...have you heard it before? Not strictly shoegaze but...maybe worth a listen if you're not familiar! :)

[@berlinshoegazer]

Hey, thanks for the nice words. :) Jaguwar are great and nice people from Berlin and work hard on their songs. And sure, I listenend to Silversun Pickups many times. Always like the vocals of the singer. I actually don't listen to shoegaze music only. I guess I like it because of bands like Amusement Parks On Fire, Deftones, The Cure, Blur and Rival Schools. These are all great band from more alternative genres with amazing chords and melodies.

[@jdgonzo1982]

@@berlinshoegazer Ok then, here's an odd one to check out. Maximo Park came out with a new album recently. Not my cup of tea completely but they have some nice songs. The opening track just sounds amazingly odd but beautiful. Might not be for you but I think you'll like the scale/chords they use. The song you want to check out is called "Partly of my Making." Been listening to it quite a bit as once it's in your head it doesn't want to leave!! Take care dude!

[@muertoscream]

Great video!

[@berlinshoegazer]

Glad you enjoyed it, thank you so much. :)

[@jeffmorgan2824]

Ok so long ago I've had the privilege of finding Shoegazer channel and learned so much BUT anytime that I tried to sing over any of my shoegazie compositions... Sounded so out of place and way too flat. and even after put lots of reverb on my mic still didn't sounded dreamy... but not only effects lyrics, concepts and the fact of just doing sounds blew me away it might be a good excuse for unfinished lyrics... Loved this video Kenneth! I never found a video on this topic Quick question... What would say about Teenage fan club's "star sign" could it be considered shoegaze? Would love to know your thoughts! Greets Kenneth!!! Love this new videos!

[@berlinshoegazer]

Thank you so much for you comment, Jeff. Teenage Fanclub sound a bit like RIDE and the early MBV- so I definitily consider them being a shoegaze band - but they are also alternative and indie rock in my opinion. So is "Star Sign" if you asked me.

[@sophiabel]

can you make a shoegaze playlist on spotify? I love your music taste

[@berlinshoegazer]

It is called SUPERSONIC SUGARSHOCK on Spotify.

[@berlinshoegazer]

Thanks by the way. I also have a second more electronic shoegaze playlist called ULTRAVIOLET LASERGAZE.

[@marcusferia414]

Lol i was just looking for a video on how to do shoegaze/dreampop vox

[@berlinshoegazer]

There will be more soon. More focussed on production.

[@scottcortez1313]

good stuff

[@ritzenhauf]

vocal production techniques pls!

[@berlinshoegazer]

There coming. ;)

[@joelbriones998]

Yeah very good content, could you talk about Purr la perla song by violet indiana (guitar effects)? Greetings ✌🏽

[@berlinshoegazer]

Hey Joel, I just heard the song for the first time. I can hear some Tremolo into some Reverb. But no distortion. I guess most of the sound come through the amplifier and the playing style of the guutarist.

[@joelbriones998]

@@berlinshoegazer thank you! In fact the guitarrist of the violet indiana is Robin Guthrie

[@davehillis2752]

Thee Heavenly Music Association, did this type of vocal stuff

[@profesormota4109]

Hola Kenneth, muy buen video, te envío un saludo y espero estés muy bien, ¿tú crees que se puedan usar pedales de guitarra de reverb para “shoegaze vocals” en vivo? Y si es así, cuales recomiendas? Un saludo y que estés muy bien!

[@ryanbrown5794]

Recomiendo cualquier analog reverb o delay pedal

[@sirlordtom98]

Any tips on pedals to use for shoegaze vocals?

[@berlinshoegazer]

Making a video about this. It will be up by Saturday. :)

[@christinanaber840]

Hey guys! New to shoegaze. What kind of effect pedal would one use to alter the vocals live? Do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance! :-)

[@berlinshoegazer]

Boss VE 20 or VE 500 are the one that work best for me as they have long reverb decays, delays and many, doubling, compressing and EQ possibilities specifically for the vocals.

[@surike]

Why I don't hear what

[@euronysus8453]

Ooooouuuui Uuuuuoooooo

[@berlinshoegazer]

Sorry - I was just too unorganised to come up with a title before the video was uploaded. 😁

[@surike]

@@berlinshoegazer jajahhahaa no need to apologise the video was great

[@blown22]

I'm new to the genre, and this isn't a complaint or a bad thing (to the contrary, it's great), but to my ears, most of the female-fronted Shoegaze bands sound like the Cocteau Twins, to at least some degree. And what's with Hollow Graves' Rob Coxford sounding so much like Morrissey? Again, not a bad thing, b/c I'm a huge fan of the Smiths. Maybe my ears are still too new to the genre to be as discerning as they should be.

[@berlinshoegazer]

It's true that many bands around the genre are highly inspired by another more famous representative. I would love to challenge everyone to try and step out of these influences but to understand the ideas and concepts to make something new.

[@joey-bp9vn]

hey whats ur opinion on slowdive ?

[@berlinshoegazer]

Like their sound and their songwriting but I did listen to their music in 2014 the most. I guess I'm more into noisier music.

[@ASMRBRUJO]

whats the song in the end of the video?

[@berlinshoegazer]

For about 4 years it's ""The Outro" song of my channel. An unfinished song actually. Hope to find finish it at some point.

[@norlanderduwallis9074]

Is this title an april fool's joke

[@berlinshoegazer]

I was kind of too unorganised to come up with a title before the video was uploaded. But sure - why not. 😂

[@telequacker-9529]

bruh i've seen this video with like 3 or 3 different titles now lol

[@dragon-id5uj]

@@telequacker-9529 wow 3 or 3? so many options

[@denji2229]

Slowdive best

[@berlinshoegazer]

They know how it works. Absolutely.