History Music / Slowdive

* ButtMonkey: ''Hoo boy'', with the treatment of their label and reviews ''mocking them'' simply because of the backlash shoegaze received, they got this status...until being {{vindicated by history}} kicked in and reviewers who mocked them began to praise them and are now a staple within shoegazing that ''isn't'' Music/MyBloodyValentine. ''Souvlaki'' is now sometimes considered to be just as good, if not ''[[https://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2014/01/five-reasons-slowdives-souvlaki-trumps-loveless.html better]]'' than ''Music/{{Loveless}}''.

* {{Irony}}: Simon Scott left the band during the recording of ''Pygmalion'', mainly because of the more {{ambient}} direction it took. Nowadays, it's the primary type of music he makes in his solo career. Neil Halstead has even commented in a Pitchfork [[https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/1484-slowdive-on-their-first-album-in-22-years-and-why-shoegaze-came-back/ interview]] that "he still says that’s the record he wished he was involved with, because that's more of where he's at musically these days."

Slowdive has actually done more for their genre than they're given credit for, unsurprisingly, considering {{Shoegazing}} bands other than My Bloody Valentine suffer from severe OvershadowedByAwesome, and their mellower sound stood out like a sore thumb amid the ear-brutalizing loudness of the shoegazing scene. Alongside the Czech band Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, who moved into Ambient and Techno soundscapes, they helped innovate shoegaze's electronic aspects -- whereas My Bloody Valentine provided the blueprint for the monstrous instrumental shoegaze based around a combination of brutally loud guitars and soothing melodies, Slowdive's copious use of [[EchoingAcoustics reverb]], songs played ''very'' slowly and overall spaciness made bands like Music/{{M83}} and A Sunny Day in Glasgow possible.

* EchoingAcoustics: They used this quite a bit, bringing their sound closer to the middle between DreamPop and {{Shoegazing}}.

* LampshadeHanging: The title of ''Holding Our Breath'' is a reference to the critical pasting they expected (and received) after ''Loveless'' prompted some critics to start a HypeBacklash. Their work has since been [[VindicatedByHistory/{{Music}} Vindicated by History]].

* BreakupSong: ''Souvlaki'' has a few, since the relationship between Neil and Rachel ended before it was recorded. "40 Days" and "Dagger" were written from Neil's perspective, while the lyrics to "Souvlaki Space Station" came from Rachel.

* BreakupSong: ''Souvlaki'' has a few, since the relationship between Neil and Rachel ended while it was being recorded. "40 Days" and "Dagger" were written from Neil's perspective, while the lyrics to "Souvlaki Space Station" came from Rachel.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Having spent much of their existence receiving lukewarm reviews and being treated as a scapegoat by the press, their reunion in TheNewTens was greeted with a rave reception.

Their second album, ''Souvlaki'', has some of their best songs, such as "Alison", "Machine Gun", "40 Days", "Sing", "Souvlaki Space Station", "When the Sun Hits" and "Dagger". With time, ''Souvlaki'' has also found itself a place in the canon of landmark {{shoegazing}} albums next to Music/MyBloodyValentine's ''Music/{{Loveless}}'', Music/{{Ride}}'s ''Nowhere'', and Music/{{Lush}}'s ''Split''. An additional EP that year saw them experiment with influences from ambient techno and country. However, the {{Shoegazing}} fad in the UK was dying down around this time and even earning HypeBacklash; also, US distributor SBK Records' attempts at promoting their albums in the midst of {{grunge}} were incredibly incompetent and stupid. [[FromBadToWorse Additionally]], SBK pulled funding, forcing the band to finance two 1994 US tours themselves.

Slowdive has actually done more for their genre than they're given credit for, which is unsurprising, considering {{Shoegazing}} bands other than My Bloody Valentine suffer from severe OvershadowedByAwesome, and their mellower sound stood out like a sore thumb amid the ear-brutalizing loudness of the shoegazing scene. Alongside the Czech band Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, who moved into Ambient and Techno soundscapes, they helped innovate shoegaze's electronic aspects -- whereas My Bloody Valentine provided the blueprint for the monstrous instrumental shoegaze based around a combination of brutally loud guitars and soothing melodies, Slowdive's copious use of [[EchoingAcoustics reverb]], songs played ''very'' slowly and overall spaciness made bands like Music/{{M83}} and A Sunny Day in Glasgow possible.

* {{Irony}}: Simon Scott left the band during the recording of ''Pygmalion'', mainly because of the more {{ambient}} direction it took. Nowadays, it's the primary type of music he makes in his solo career. Neil Halstead has even commented in a Pitchfork interview that "he still says that’s the record he wished he was involved with, because that's more of where he's at musically these days."

A week after ''Pygmalion'' was released, they were dumped by Creator/CreationRecords -- Halstead had been threatened that the relationship with the label would end unless they delivered a "pop album", and predictably, [[WriterRevolt he completely ignored them]]. Slowdive broke up around this time: Chaplin and Savill left, while Goswell, Halstead and [=McCutcheon=] regrouped as Mojave 3 and signed to Creator/FourADRecords. With Mojave 3, they instead focused on combining DreamPop, electronic experimentation and some mild country influences.

* EpicInstrumentalOpener: The first vocals on "Avalyn I" show up some 100 seconds in. "Slomo" and "Falling Ashes" are pretty much instrumentals until the second minute.

* {{Irony}}: Simon Scott left the band during the recording of ''Pygmalion'', mainly because of the more {{ambient}} direction it took. Nowadays, it's the primary type of music he makes in his solo career. Neil Halstead has even commented in a Pitchfork interview that "he still says that’s the record he wished he was involved with, because that’s more of where he’s at musically these days."

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Having spent much of their existence being treated as a scapegoat by the press, their reunion in TheNewTens was met with a rave reception.

A week after ''Pygmalion'' was released, they were dumped by Creator/CreationRecords -- Halstead had been threatened that the relationship with the label would end unless they delivered a "pop album", and predictably, [[WriterRevolt he completely ignored them]]. Slowdive broke up around this time: Chaplin and Savill left, while Goswell, Halstead and [=McCutcheon=] regrouped as Mojave 3 and signed to Creator/FourADRecords. With Mojave 3 they instead focused on combining DreamPop, electronic experimentation and some mild country influences.

* {{Irony}}: Simon Scott left the band during the recording of ''Pygmalion'', mainly because of the more {{ambient}} direction it took. Nowadays, it's the primary type of music he makes in his solo career. Neil Halstead has even said that Simon

Their second album, ''Souvlaki'', has some of their best songs, such as "Alison", "Machine Gun", "40 Days", "Sing", "Souvlaki Space Station", "When the Sun Hits" and "Dagger". With time, ''Souvlaki'' has also found itself a place in the canon of landmark {{Shoegazing}} albums next to Music/MyBloodyValentine's ''Music/{{Loveless}}'', Music/{{Ride}}'s ''Nowhere'', and Music/{{Lush}}'s ''Split''. An additional EP that year saw them experiment with influences from ambient techno and country. However, the {{Shoegazing}} fad in the UK was dying down around this time and even earning HypeBacklash; also, US distributor SBK Records' attempts at promoting their albums in the midst of {{grunge}} were incredibly incompetent and stupid. [[FromBadToWorse Additionally]], SBK pulled funding, forcing the band to finance two 1994 US tours themselves.

They reunited in 2014 to much fanfare. On 12 January 2017, they released "Star Roving", their first single since 1994. On 28 March, they released yet another single, "Sugar for the Pill". Finally, they released their self titled album on 5 May to even ''more'' fanfare.

* {{Scatting}}: Rachel does this at the end of the live versions of "Slomo."

* IndecipherableLyrics: A ''lot'' of lyrics websites get their lyrics wrong, thanks to their EchoingAcoustics.

* {{Instrumental}}: "Avalyn II," is basically "Avalyn I" but without lyrics and twice as long.

Slowdive has actually done more for their genre than they're given credit for, which is unsurprising, considering {{Shoegazing}} bands other than My Bloody Valentine suffer from severe OvershadowedByAwesome, and their mellower sound stood out like a sore thumb amid the ear-brutalizing loudness of the shoegaze scene. Alongside the Czech band Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, who moved into Ambient and Techno soundscapes, they helped innovate shoegaze's electronic aspects -- whereas My Bloody Valentine provided the blueprint for the monstrous instrumental shoegaze based around a combination of brutally loud guitars and soothing melodies, Slowdive's copious use of [[EchoingAcoustics reverb]], songs played ''very'' slowly and overall spaciness made bands like Music/{{M83}} and A Sunny Day in Glasgow possible.

* TheCameo: Music/BrianEno adds keyboards and treatments to "Sing" and "Here She Comes".

They reunited in 2014 to much fanfare. On 12 January 2017, they released "Star Roving", their first single since 1994. On 28 March, they released yet another single, "Sugar for the Pill". Finally, they released their self titled album on 5 May to ''even more fanfare''.

Their second album, ''Souvlaki'', has some of their best songs, such as "Alison", "Machine Gun", "40 Days", "Sing", "Souvlaki Space Station", "When the Sun Hits" and "Dagger". With time, ''Souvlaki'' has also found itself a place in the canon of landmark {{Shoegazing}} albums next to Music/MyBloodyValentine's ''Music/{{Loveless}}'', Music/{{Ride}}'s ''Nowhere'', and Music/{{Lush}}'s ''Split''. An additional EP that year saw them experiment with influences from ambient techno and country. However, the {{Shoegazing}} fad in the UK was dying down around this time and even earning HypeBacklash; also, US distributor SBK Records' attempts to promote their albums in the midst of {{grunge}} were incredibly incompetent and stupid. [[FromBadToWorse Additionally]], SBK pulled funding, forcing the band to finance two 1994 US tours themselves.

* BreakupSong: ''Souvlaki'' has a few, since the relationship between Neil and Rachel dissolved before it came out. "40 Days" and "Dagger" were written from Neil's perspective, while the lyrics to "Souvlaki Space Station" came from Rachel.

Slowdive has actually done more for their genre than they're given credit for, which isn't surprising, considering {{Shoegazing}} bands other than My Bloody Valentine suffer from severe OvershadowedByAwesome, and their mellower sound stood out like a sore thumb amid the ear-brutalizing loudness of the shoegaze scene. Alongside the Czech band Ecstasy of Saint Theresa, who moved into Ambient and Techno soundscapes, they helped innovate shoegaze's electronic aspects -- whereas My Bloody Valentine provided the blueprint for the monstrous instrumental shoegaze based around a combination of brutally loud guitars and soothing melodies, Slowdive's copious use of [[EchoingAcoustics reverb]], songs played ''very'' slowly and overall spaciness made bands like Music/{{M83}} and A Sunny Day in Glasgow possible.

The band was formed in 1989 by childhood friends Halstead and Goswell, with Chaplin and Savill joining shortly thereafter. Their first release, a self-titled EP got them critical praise in the British press. Sustaining their momentum with two more [=EPs=], they then released their first album, ''Just for a Day'' in 1991. They quickly got compared to Music/MyBloodyValentine, and while they were an influence, Slowdive never fit in completely with the shoegaze aesthetic, owing more to the Music/CocteauTwins.