slowcore

Slowcore, also known as sadcore, is a subgenre of indie rock and alternative rock characterised by slow tempos, minimalist and atmospheric instrumentation, and subdued and emotional lyrical performances.

While the genre’s history is rooted in bands from the 1980s that formed to rebel against aggressive mainstream genres like grunge, it was not until the 1990s that it became a known phrase. By the mid ‘90s, slowcore had been established as one of the era’s microgenres, supported primarily by the Duluth-based band Low. Low was not the first band to produce slowcore; Codeine, Red House Painters, and Bedhead all released music earlier in the decade, and American Music Club preceded them by a decade. Regardless, the soft and slow sound of their debut, I Could Live in Hope (1994), and their albums that followed over the next several years, came to define slowcore. Spain, Arab Strap, and Ida, among others, all followed Low and furthered the reach of the genre, and by the 2000s, slowcore had a clear sound, even if it lacked obvious categorisation. Bands like Carissa’s Wierd, Songs: Ohia, and Duster incorporated its archetypical sound in their music throughout the introductory years of the 21st century, while others, including Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions, Grouper, and Sun Kil Moon experimented and deviated while staying within the genre’s confines. Since then, several other musicians and bands have been described as slowcore by critics.

The term “slowcore” derives from “slow”, referring to the tempo and energy of the music, and “-core”, which refers to a scene, style, or musical subgenre. Sadcore is similar. The term itself has an unclear origin, though sources suggest “slowcore“‘s use started in the early 1990s. Scholars and bands alike have shown ambivalence towards the name, with some calling it pejorative.

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