When you hear the term "dream pop," the first name that comes to mind is Cocteau Twins, which has become almost synonymous with this subgenre of alternative rock. The Scottish band, formed in 1979, cemented in the first half of the 1980s a style of pop music characterized by atmospheric and melancholic sounds, ethereal vocals, dense sonic layers, and a hypnotic sound that evoked a dreamlike sensation in the listener.
The collective This Mortal Coil, formed in the early 1980s by Ivo Watts-Russell, founder of the British record label 4AD, also serves as a reference for the origin of the musical style. It is unknown who coined the term "Dream pop." It may have originated within 4AD itself or in the British music press, which in fact popularized the term.
There is a difficulty in differentiating dream pop from shoegaze, two almost "sibling" styles. Therefore, many artists are associated with both genres. In an attempt to distinguish the two, one could say that shoegaze presents a heavier and denser sound with vocals buried beneath layers of guitar.
Among the most relevant dream pop bands (or those that impeccably explored the genre in their work), we can list Cocteau Twins, The Cure, Galaxie 500, Mazzy Star, Slowdive, Beach House, M83, The xx, e Cigarettes After Sex.
