The resurrection of shoegaze as a valid genre and not an insult has changed the vocabulary of hacks across the globe.
Suddenly bands are becoming ethereal again, with their majestic melodies shrouded in the mists of reverb. As predictable as it come sometimes seem… by garn it’s true!
I Break Horses are a case in point. Signed to Bella Union, a series of mp3s have trailed their soon to be released debut album and they display a knowledge of groups such as Cocteau Twins and Slowdive.
Yes, they use plenty of reverb and yes, it is all a bit ethereal. There: we got it out of our system. But alongside this is a sustained use of electronics which swamped the shoegaze template with something new, something distinctive.
The result is more akin to French producer M83 – himself readying a new album. I Break Horses are a Swedish duo containing Maria Lindén and her musical partner Fredrik Balck. Working from their home in Stockholm the pair have completed nine tracks, forming the spine of their debut album.
While many shoegaze revivalists simply stop after ticking off a few reference points, I Break Horses go beyond this to find a rare intensity. Each song seems to swamp the listener, creating a totally immersive aural experience.
Opening track ‘Winter Beats’ is a case in point. Beginning with a few guitar notes echoing around the production is quickly becomes something dramatic, something more.
Listen to it now… Grab it HERE.