Coldwave Rock
tagStarted 1981Peak 1985-1990Last big hit still active
Located in 1 route
The minimalist, continental cousin: detached, fragile vocals over brittle drum machines, glassy synth washes and thin, chorus-soaked guitar lines. Emotionally numb and grey-toned, it strips goth of theatrics for introverted melancholy and a wintry, lo-fi austerity. French and Belgian scenes gave it a dream-pop tint and a shivering, isolated intimacy.
History
The term was first used by Sounds in 1977, but the genre crystallized in early-1980s France, Belgium and Poland as a colder offshoot of post-punk and new wave. Lille's Trisomie 21 and the trio of bands around Touching Pop—Asylum Party, Mary Goes Round, Little Nemo—defined its dream-pop-tinged sound, while Clair Obscur added art-punk edge. Reissues and a synth revival renewed it.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_wave_(music)
- https://rateyourmusic.com/genre/coldwave/
- https://crackmagazine.net/article/lists/20-definitive-cold-wave-artists/
- https://noisegun.com/french-coldwave-music/