ThySen Discuss Their Favourite Shoegaze Albums

Thysen are a Leeds-based post-shoegaze quartet with renewed drive and devotion to their art, blending an eclectic mix of influences in a way that's uniquely their own.

Since entering the scene in 2019, they have been perfecting their unique blend of herbs and spices, receiving praise such as “Compelling and mesmerizing”, “melodic and frankly beautiful… almost Bauhaus-like post-punk that’s all doomy.. then grinding like some mutant Samothrace.” Expect a range of sounds from melodic shoegaze to emo and stoner, with diverse influences such as Slowdive, Sleep, DIIV, Electric Wizard, The Smiths, and King Gizzard.

The band's new track Splinter is the opening track of thysen's new EP 'Saigon', you can find it on Spotify, with the music video here:

We spoke to the band about the shoegaze tracks they've been influenced by over the years, check it out:

Cheatahs - Big Wave

Cheatahs were a British shoegaze band formed in London, England in 2009. Three of the four members of Cheatahs hailed from different countries: vocalist Nathan Hewitt from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; bassist Dean Reid from San Diego, California; and drummer Marc Raue from Dresden, Germany.

V: Tom has shared these absolute bangers with us when we first started the band and I've loved them ever since (rumour says that Big Wave is one of the best shoegaze tunes ever).

T: I think that song is almost the quintessential shoegaze track- melodic, atmospheric, and effects-laden. It's an instrumental that holds your interest through varied dynamics and melodic development, meaning you never miss having vocals as a sonic focal point. It summarises everything I like and admire about shoegaze and bundles it into a 3 minute tune.

Yuck - Get Away

Yuck is the debut eponomyous studio album by English indie rock band Yuck. The album was released on CD and digital download on 15 February 2011 on the Fat Possum Records label in the United States and on 21 February 2011 on the Mercury Records label in the United Kingdom.

V: " Get away has these incredible riffs and the fuzz tone I always wanted to try out. Also it’s one of the first shoegaze tracks I’ve heard in my life, I fell in love with the genre there and then".

Alcest - La Nuit Marche Avec Moi

K: this was one of my first contacts with shoegaze, it was first introduced to me by my best friend in high school, I remember that I loved it so much I bought her a copy of it on CD for Christmas, only to find out she already had it on vinyl. I love the space in this track and how lush the guitars sit in the mix, I've got very fond memories of hearing it for the first Time

Nothing - Vertigo Flowers

The music they make, though, is gentle shoegaze with a 90s alt-rock pop sensibility. The title “Vertigo Flower” comes from the dizziness Palermo suffered after an attack; the music feels like a sunny sigh of relief. It brings to mind onetime Philadelphia band Lilys, and the guitar-heavy music they made early on for Slumberland and SpinArt.

V: Except the super charming vocals, I just can’t wait for this drop to start when listening to this tune, it has a weight of a hundred bowling balls.

J: Nothing were one of the first shoegaze bands I came across as a teen. Every album is huge, and a special shout to The Great Dismal, easily one of my top albums of 2020, we counted down the days till that one got released.

Cloakroom - Gone But Not Entirely (album)

Cloakroom is an American rock band from Northwest Indiana. They are currently signed to Relapse Records. The band formed in June 2012. Lead singer and guitarist Doyle Martin was previously in the bands Grown Ups and Lion of the North, and bassist Bobby Markos was in the band Native. The band signed to Run For Cover Records in 2013.

J: This whole album is just brilliant, Cloakroom were one of the first bands Voy and I bonded over and they remain one of our favourites to spin. The big sad, with even bigger tones.

Whirr - Distressor (album)

Whirr is a shoegaze band from the San Francisco Bay Area. The group formed in 2010, originally as Whirl, but had to legally change its name after a woman performing acoustic covers of Black Sabbath songs trademarked the name and threatened a lawsuit.[1] Whirr's shoegaze sound is often compared to My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive.

J: Its pretty hard really to choose just one song off this album or even Whirr's full catalog but this one really takes me back to my teenage years.

V: These mesmerising vocal harmonies and guitar tones really have inspired our writing, especially the parts that sit on the darker side of shoegaze

Slowdive

Slowdive are an English rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989. Music writer Simon Reynolds wrote that "Halstead was more influenced by Pink Floyd than by the Sex Pistols. Slowdive's formative pop experiences involve post-punk groups like The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees, whose artsy approach was closer to '70s progressive groups than punk's angry minimalism".[38] Halstead stated that Slowdive wanted "to create something big and beautiful and sort of timeless".[. are an English rock band that formed in Reading, Berkshire, in 1989. Music writer Simon Reynolds wrote that "Halstead was more influenced by Pink Floyd than by the Sex Pistols. Slowdive's formative pop experiences involve post-punk groups like The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees, whose artsy approach was closer to '70s progressive groups than punk's angry minimalism".[38] Halstead stated that Slowdive wanted "to create something big and beautiful and sort of timeless".

J: It goes without saying, but Slowdive are some of the GOATs, and how could we have a list without them? We could fill a playlist easily with just Slowdive's tracks, theres something to suit every mood.

K: Personally, I love the slow pace and cerebral energy of Pygmalion - it's the ultimate rabbit hole album and Rutti is the perfect way to open it.

This article was written by Josh Crowe