Slowcore – Adam Coil

Likely due to its origins in the obscure underground, Slowcore is a genre that is relatively hard to define. Like Shoegaze, it began in the early 90s, but as a counterreaction to the aggressive grunge and shallow pop music that dominated the charts. 

Some of the biggest influences on the early sound were Galaxie 500, Low and Mazzy Star. In my opinion, though, the best that Slowcore has to offer followed in subsequent years with acts like Beach House, Mojave 3, Grouper and Duster. 

With Slowcore, you can expect subtle, layered instrumentation that pairs perfectly with soft vocals and emotionally vulnerable lyrics that can bring you to tears or send you off into a peaceful slumber. 

You can see the influence of the genre in popular contemporary artists such as Alex G, Radiohead and Sprain who utilize similar lethargic, drawn-out melodies. 

Slowcore has a uniquely calming effect — one that grows on you over time. It’s a type of music that is really rewarding when you spend some time with it. Some Slowcore songs that you need to listen to are “Crumbling Together” by Mid-Air Thief, “Constellations” by Duster, “Love Songs on the Radio” by Mojave 3 and “I’m So Tired” by Fugazi.