VA - We Are the Beautifu, Two Decades of Shoegaze 1991-2011 (4 x CDs)

SHOEGAZE

VA - We Are the Beautifu, Two Decades of Shoegaze 1991-2011 (4 x CDs)

We Are the Beautiful, Two Decades of Shoegaze 1991–2011, released in 2026 as a four‑CD box set on Cherry Red, offers a broad archival view of how shoegaze evolved after its first wave faded from the charts. The set carries the catalogue number CRCDBOX 132 and follows the label’s familiar approach, gathering singles, album tracks and rarities from both major and independent sources. It presents a clear picture of how the genre’s core elements, dense guitars, blurred harmonies and immersive production, continued to shape underground music across two decades.

The first disc focuses on the early nineties aftermath, when bands influenced by My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Ride carried the sound into smaller labels. Many tracks were originally issued on CD singles or short‑run EPs, formats that now hold collector interest. The production style remains thick and saturated, yet several groups introduce brighter melodic lines, showing how shoegaze began merging with indie pop.

The second disc moves into the late nineties, highlighting acts that blended shoegaze with post‑rock, dream pop and electronic textures. Labels such as Kranky, Clairecords and Rocket Girl appear throughout, each contributing recordings that reflect a shift toward atmosphere and slow‑building structures. Several tracks originate from limited CD‑R releases, adding archival value to the set.

The third disc covers the early 2000s revival, when a new generation embraced reverb‑heavy guitars and soft vocal layering. Many of these recordings were first released on small European and American labels, often in editions of a few hundred copies. The sequencing shows how the genre regained momentum, shaped by musicians who treated shoegaze not as nostalgia but as a flexible language.

The final disc brings the story to 2011, capturing the moment when shoegaze intersected with dream pop, ambient and electronic production. These tracks reveal how the sound broadened, becoming more spacious and textural while keeping its emotional core.

As a whole, We Are the Beautiful offers a warm, detailed map of shoegaze’s long arc, preserved with care and respect for the original recordings. (B)

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Track lists

CD1

01 Ride - Vapour Trail 4:19

02 Telescopes - Flying 2:54

03 Lush - Nothing Natural 5:56

04 Ecstasy of St. Theresa - What's 2:15

05 Bleach - Burn 6:34

06 That Uncertain Feeling - Sunriser 2:52

07 Charlottes - Love in The Emptiness (Album Version) 3:47

08 Blind Mr. Jones - Eyes Wide 3:45

09 Curve - Horror Head 3:43

10 Catherine Wheel - I Want to Touch You 4:41

11 Pale Saints - Throwing Back The Apple 4:11

12 Sun Dial - Let it Go 4:37

13 Drop Nineteens - My Aquarium (Second Time Around) 3:14

14 Kitchens of Distinction - When in Heaven 5:17

15 Swallow - Lovesleep 5:00

16 Adorable - Homeboy 4:30

17 Moonshake - Blister 3:33

18 Teenage Filmstars - Inner Space 5:16

CD2

01 Slowdive - Souvlaki Space Station 6:00

02 Secret Shine - Suck Me Down 5:16

03 Chapterhouse - We Are The Beautiful 4:02

04 Ultra Vivid Scene - Medicating Angels 8:14

05 Here - Haze 6:13

06 Cranes - Shining Road 3:53

07 Revolver - Cradle Snatch 5:57

08 Veldt - Heather 7:35

09 Venus Beads - Shackled 3:41

10 Alison's Halo - Calendar 5:51

11 Brian Jonestown Massacre - Crushed 6:11

12 Starflyer 59 - She's The Queen 3:26

13 Morella's Forest - Hang Out 2:48

14 An April March - Let Everyone Down 3:36

15 Anilore - Movement (2025 Mix) 4:19

CD3

01 Cocteau Twins - Violane 3:48

02 Autumns - The Garden Ends 5:51

03 Bethany Curve - Serene and Smiling 5:00

04 All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors - Emergency Turn Off 4:39

05 Piano Magic - Snowfall Soon 5:02

06 Lowsunday - She Follows Rain 3:44

07 Bowery Electric - Floating World 4:47

08 Mira - Cayman 5:42

09 Andalusia - Swallow 2:42

10 Con Dolore - Dream 7:15

11 Asobi Seksu - Sooner 3:47

12 Ashrae Fax - Ultravaca 5:07

13 Stella Luna - Change 6:38

14 Pluramon - Hello, Shadow (Ft. Julee Cruise) 3:58

15 Skywave - Fire 4:15

16 Lost Patrol - Velveteen 4:11

CD4

01 Televise - Outside Out 3:50

02 Soundpool - Millions&Billions&Trillions 4:00

03 Film School - On & On 5:42

04 Prids - Like Hearts 3:46

05 Alcian Blue - 71705 4:16

06 Mary Onettes - Lost 4:04

07 School of Seven Bells - My Cabal 5:09

08 A Place to Bury Strangers - I Know I'll See You 4:07

09 Bell Hollow - Seven Sisters 4:08

10 Daysleepers - Release The Kraken 3:56

11 Screen Vinyl Image - Cathode Ray 4:41

12 Pinkshinyultrablast - Blaster 3:26

13 Big Pink - Crystal Visions 5:49

14 Pink Playground - Sunny Skies (EP Version) 4:18

15 Ceremony East Coast - Don't Leave Me Behind 3:30

16 Ringo Deathstarr - Shadow 3:56

17 Tamaryn - Love Fade 3:40

18 Tears Run Rings - Forgotten 5:52

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Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

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