Stylistic origins Indie rock
alternative rock Cultural origins 1990s UK and United States Typical instruments Guitar
bass
drums
piano | ||
Slowcore is a subgenre of alternative and indie rock. The music of slowcore artists is generally characterized by bleak lyrics, downbeat melodies, slower tempos and minimalist arrangements. Slowcore is often used interchangeably with the term sadcore.
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Characteristics
Slowcore is a fusion genre of indie rock and sadcore, characterised by minimal musical backing played at extremely slow speeds. Slowcore songs feature "depressing lyrics", according to Listverse. Guitars are normally clean and undistorted but often feature heavy use of reverb. Some singer-songwriters who have been labelled slowcore include distinctive and unusual vocalists, such as the Swedish singer Stina Nordenstam, and bands with creative drummers, such as Codeine.
History
Early acts such as Galaxie 500 and American Music Club were hugely influential, but are not generally considered slowcore acts. The genre began in the early 1990s as an act of rebellion against the predominant energy and aggression of grunge. The genre is linked to the band Low, who began experimentally to play quietly and slowly to traditional rock audiences.
The term slowcore itself is unpopular. It is related to the trend in heavy rock and dance music where the suffix “-core” can be attached to any genre name to distinguish itself. The term has not been widely adopted by the bands it is used to describe nor the music press, but it is still current amongst fans of the genre as a badge of honor.
Artists associated with the genre include Sun Kil Moon, early Red House Painters, Pedro the Lion, Low and Logh. Recently, solo artist Harm Wülf has said he associated with the genre.