BEST OF
DARK
SHOEGAZE & DREAMPOP
2024

Debut album from Japanese alternative rock duo Denkyu.

The monochrome cover art suddenly appeared in my streaming recommendations, and a casual play immediately pulled me into its dense, immersive world. The heavy, doomgaze- and drone-infused walls of sound, layered with foggy ambience, create a dizzying effect, like wandering through an endless gray labyrinth. The contrast between the crushing heaviness and surprisingly poppy vocals adds an addictive depth, and before I knew it, I was completely lost in the album for half a day. It’s astounding to find a Japanese artist with sensibilities akin to Jesu or Infinite Vacation (now Central Pacific State Beach).

Highlights include “Nukegara”, where inorganic beats merge with delicate melodic harmonies; “4-Bansen”, with guitars slicing through the ruins like a rushing wind; “Yuudachi”, approaching Jesu through a Japanese folk (1970s-style) lens; and “Hoshi wo Matsu”, whose seismic walls of sound shake the mind. The album’s vivid imagery is striking: in “4-Bansen”, the repeated train announcements evoke a scene from Ray Bradbury’s “There Will Come Soft Rains”, while the impermanence in “Nukegara” conjures the abandoned nuclear testing grounds of J. G. Ballard’s “The Terminal Beach”. My imagination was fully activated, and I’m curious what visions this album sparks in others.

A monochrome psychedelia has blossomed in the Japanese shoegaze scene. This is an album to experience live as soon as possible.

Note: “Gekkou” is only available on Bandcamp—don’t miss it.

Debut EP from San Diego, California–based alternative metal / shoegaze band Sledges. Formed in 2020, the four-piece—Philly (guitar/vocals), Alex (bass), Julian (guitar), and Mason (drums)—draws heavily from shoegaze and hardcore, resulting in a dense yet dynamic sound.

Groove-driven guitar riffs place them loosely in the lineage of The Smashing Pumpkins to Deftones, but the heat-haze shimmer of the guitars and the echo-soaked, soft-edged vocals clearly signal shoegaze at the core. The standout is track #4 “June Is Better Than July.” A delicate acoustic intro gives way to distorted guitars surging in with melancholic force—a classic, emotionally charged switch that hits just right, helped by a damp, bittersweet vocal melody.

Track #3 “Weightless,” ups the tempo with a colder, more driving strain of shoegaze, hinting that the band still has plenty of cards left to play. A promising debut that makes their future releases well worth watching.

The second album from Nashville-based solo artist greedi.

Drawing on the heavy, melancholic energy of Deftones, greedi delivers a Nu-Gaze sound that is both intense and atmospheric, with a noticeable increase in shoegaze elements compared to the debut. Lead guitar lines shimmer with sorrowful melodies, and the smooth, romantic vocal delivery makes this record ideal for solitary, twilight listening.

Standout tracks include #8 “Lorelei,” whose heartbreakingly beautiful chorus is sure to stir deep emotion, and #7 “Along the Cut,” where chugging guitars and impassioned screams ignite pure headbanging intensity. Collaborative tracks are also a highlight: #2 “Shove” features Novulent and richmnkey, while #5 “Fir” contrasts greedi’s sound with yuronono’s ethereal vocals, creating striking interplay.

At roughly the same age as Wisp, greedi demonstrates remarkable maturity and skill with this release. This sophomore album confirms a strong trajectory, and anticipation for future work is well justified.

Fourth album from the mysterious Japanese shoegaze artist kuragari.

The contrast between piercing, intense noise and whispery, delicate vocals remains a defining feature. Listening feels like being enveloped in a warm bed while simultaneously being shredded by a chainsaw—an experience both shocking and strangely comforting. Personal highlight is #4 “Mata Koko ni Kita,” where the vocals faintly emerge from the wall of noise, tender yet tinged with sorrow, evoking tears.

Fans of Sadness, Central Pacific State Beach, and Parannoul should definitely give this a listen. The third album, "zzz... zzz... zzz...", is also highly recommended.

The soundtrack to A24’s coming-of-age thriller I Saw The TV Glow is a must-hear compilation, bringing together an exceptional lineup from both the indie and mainstream scenes. The roster reads like a major festival bill: Sloppy Jane feat. Phoebe Bridgers, Snail Mail, Alex G, King Woman, Caroline Polachek, yeule, Florist, Bartees Strange, Drab Majesty, Frances Quinlan, Jay Som, L’Rain, Maria BC, Proper, Sadurn, and The Weather Station. On top of that, the film’s original score is composed by Alex G.

Here, we spotlight four artists especially familiar to shoegaze and dream pop fans: yeule, Jay Som, Drab Majesty, and King Woman.

yeule contributes a striking reinterpretation of Broken Social Scene’s “Anthems For A Seventeen Year Old Girl”, which also appears in the film’s teaser. The track perfectly encapsulates the movie’s mysterious, otherworldly atmosphere and serves as one of the soundtrack’s emotional anchors.

‍Jay Som’s “If I Could” delivers exactly what fans expect: a radiant blend of dream pop and indie rock, bursting with her signature warmth. It’s the kind of song that feels like it carries the sound of ocean waves just beyond the mix.

The white-painted, spellbinding duo Drab Majesty offer “Photograph,” a shimmering trip back to the dance floors of the 1980s. Gleaming guitars and synths dominate, making this one of their most accessible tracks to date—leaning unapologetically into The Cure-inspired territory.

The biggest highlight, however, is King Woman. Led by Kris Esfandiari, formerly of Whirr, the post-metal / doomgaze outfit delivers two tracks steeped in their trademark blend of haunting melody and crushing heaviness—an unusually bold inclusion for a film soundtrack. Notably, Kris Esfandiari herself appears in the film as King Woman, featured in a striking scene that plays a pivotal role in the story’s emotional core.

Another detail worth noting: the name of the fictional TV show within the film is taken from Cocteau Twins’ compilation album The Pink Opaque. Visually, the film’s retro TV-inspired gadgets invite comparisons to Persona 4’s Midnight Channel, while a surreal scene in which a character literally pushes their head into a television strongly recalls imagery from the game adaptation of Serial Experiments Lain. For gaming and media obsessives alike, these references are hard to resist.

^{Note: The accompanying graph focuses on the two tracks by King Woman.}

The debut EP from Sapporo-based alternative rock band Otomekaiga.

Following their 2023 full-length debut, which showcased pastoral melodies unfolding through slow, post-rock–inspired structures, this EP marks a clear evolution toward a more hybrid and exploratory sound. By incorporating a wider range of influences, the band further refines the distinctive crossover that once drew attention: a striking fusion of 1970s Japanese yojohan folk sensibilities and roaring post-rock dynamics.

While the band does not explicitly identify as shoegaze, the intoxicated beauty created by their walls of sound and the faintly sorrowful, delicate vocals resonate deeply with shoegaze and dream pop listeners.
“Sayonara o Oshiete” stands out as a personal highlight, its slowcore-like heaviness planting an inescapable melancholy in the listener’s heart. “Yoru ga Akenai” is equally impressive, reworking a Takao Kisugi–level melancholic melody through post- to math-rock–influenced arrangements.

All five tracks are remarkably strong, making this EP a consistently engaging listen from start to finish. Given their sonic compatibility, a future show with Denkyu would be ideal. To those in the know—please consider this pairing seriously.

2nd album from Ghostly Kisses, the dream-pop duo of Canadian musicians Margaux Sauvé and Louis-Étienne Santais. Following their debut album Heaven, Wait, they launched a feature on their website called Box of Secrets, allowing fans to send anonymous messages. The personal stories shared there became a key source of inspiration for this release.

The result is a sound that is richer and more layered, with dark atmospheres shimmering like a kaleidoscope. There are slightly more bright and pop-leaning tracks this time, which I find acceptable, though the more pronounced rhythm tracks stand out compared to the previous album. Given that more minimal arrangements suited Margaux Sauvé’s vocals so well before, this is a minor disappointment.

Still, her voice remains stunning, particularly on the mellow #7 "On & Off", where its beauty truly shines—this is classic Ghostly Kisses at its finest. The use of Gregorian-style choruses on #3 "Golden Eyes" is also a compelling touch, though it does give a nod to influences like Delerium and Gregorian, which is part of the charm.

Following last year’s success, Ghostly Kisses are returning to Japan, with performances at Asagiri JAM and a solo show—a huge step forward. Their previous visit impressed fans with arrangements featuring Margaux Sauvé’s violin, delivering an experience even more moving than the recordings. Fans should not miss this.

The debut EP from Vancouver-based Canadian shoegaze band cherry pick.

Formed in 2023, cherry pick currently operate as a four-piece consisting of guitar/vocals, guitar, bass/vocals, and drums. Their early singles, “daze” and “pity,” were reportedly created on a Mac in their high school band room—an origin story that underscores the project’s DIY beginnings. In terms of influence, the band have cited Mannequin Pussy most prominently, alongside artists such as Wednesday, Ovlov, Swirlies, Wisp, Feeble Little Horse, and Duster.

The EP’s defining appeal lies in the contrast between its elements: violently swirling, space-filling guitar noise paired with vocals that remain graceful and distinctly melancholic. Bursts of sheer volume arrive with startling immediacy, and even the quieter passages are charged with tension, as if an explosion could occur at any moment.

That dynamic is especially clear on #2 “Tip Toe.” The track toys with the listener by pivoting between dreamlike sections and relentless drum barrages, only to culminate in a bulldozer-like wall of sound that flattens everything in its path. The sense of release is visceral, and the momentum feels driven as much by instinct as by intention.

Rather than fitting neatly into the prevailing Nu-Gaze mold, cherry pick appear to carve out a character of their own—one defined by volatility, contrast, and youthful urgency.

A compilation release from mysterious masked shoegaze artist deer death.

Despite the title Demos & Throwaways, the material here is on par with a full-length album in both focus and impact. The familiar core remains—grunge-rooted noisy guitars and a sorrow-tinged, raspy vocal—but the collection highlights the breadth of his approach and willingness to explore new textures. On #2 “Flesh Jail,” for example, he unexpectedly leans into a glossy high-register vocal, revealing a different facet of his range.

#5 “Blind To You” stands out as a relatively uptempo track by deer death standards. Its driving beat and aching melody inevitably recall the melancholic intensity of Sentenced. Strong tracks abound throughout, making this one of the most satisfying releases in his catalog to date.

As if that weren’t enough, deer death has already released a second album this year under the deer death & Nextime name. His creative momentum shows no signs of slowing down, and it will be fascinating to see where he takes this sound next.

Fourth EP from Canada-based grunge/shoegaze duo Softcult. Living up to its title, Heaven, this release is their most overtly dreamlike to date, led by opener “Haunt You Still”, a shoegaze track that submerges its heavenly, hallucinatory beauty in a deep sea of reverb. As always, the songwriting and execution are consistently strong, making this an easy recommendation for fans of shoegaze and dream pop.

That said, the heavier and darker edges that once defined much of Softcult’s appeal have receded considerably here. For listeners who gravitate toward shadowier textures, the brightness of this EP may feel a touch overwhelming—perhaps even pushing the upper limit of what we typically cover. Still, even without leaning into darkness, Heaven stands as a high-quality and well-crafted release.

For those craving something murkier, Year Of The Snake—which includes tracks like “BWBB” and “Perfect Blue”—remains the better entry point.