Moon King is the synth-pop project of Canadian songwriter and producer Daniel Benjamin.
37-447: Moon King's music has been described as dream pop , electronic pop or indie rock . Recently the project's sound has shifted to include disco, synthpop and house music. Daniel was born in Toronto , Canada , and as a teen was involved in the city's DIY music community, playing in numerous bands and organizing events including several all-night concerts at a circus rehearsal warehouse, and on
74-457: A "blurry, blissful sound", and credits the influence of the "ethereal soundscapes" of Cocteau Twins as well as more distorted styles of American alternative rock . In the 1990s, "dream pop" and "shoegazing" were interchangeable and regionally dependent terms, with "dream pop" being the name by which "shoegazing" was typically known in America. AllMusic describes the dream pop label as covering both
111-514: A "crucial document" of the dream pop movement, commenting that the group "aimed to emulate an ethereality that could just as easily become nightmarish", resulting in music that feels "just out of reach." Their "dreampop" label was subsequently adopted by music critic Simon Reynolds to describe that group and later extended to the nascent shoegazing scene in the UK. Reynolds describes the movement as "a wave of hazy neo-psychedelic groups" characterised by
148-511: A chorus effect by themselves, some instruments (particularly, chordophones with multiple courses of strings) can produce it as part of their own design. The effect can make these acoustic instruments sound fuller and louder than by using a single tone generator (b.e.: a single vibrating string or a reed). Some examples: However, while the open strings of a standard-tuned guitar (or any single-stringed instrument like ukuleles, banjos, etc.) can't produce any chorus effect, it can also be obtained by
185-562: A collection of new material found its way back to Arbutus Records in Montreal, who offered to release it. Hamtramck '16, named for the Detroit-area neighborhood, was released in the summer of 2017, documenting Moon King's shift towards disco and dance music. This was followed by 2019's Voice Of Lovers , and The Audition in 2021, a disco album about learning to become an actor. Dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop )
222-418: A dream pop sound specific to "the glitzy decay that is L.A.", according to Pitchfork ; that publication called the album a "dream pop classic". The late 1980s dream pop of A.R. Kane and My Bloody Valentine influenced 1990s acts such as Seefeel and Insides , who began incorporating elements such as samples and sequenced rhythms. Ambient pop music is described by AllMusic as "essentially an extension of
259-493: A progenitor of the genre, while stating that its Spector-produced parent album All Things Must Pass influenced "many guitar-driven, echo-drenched bands have come around since, mixing powerful rave-ups with moody, reflective down-tempo numbers and a spiritual bent. A.J. Ramirez of PopMatters recognises an evolutionary line from gothic rock to dream pop. The early 1980s gothic-derived " ethereal wave " subgenre, with its effects -laden guitar sounds and female vocals, led to
296-554: A rotating cast of backup musicians, Moon King toured heavily from 2013-2015, supporting artists including Unknown Mortal Orchestra , Austra , TOPS , Majical Cloudz , Mr Twin Sister and Alvvays , and releasing an album, 2015's Secret Life . At end of 2015 Daniel relocated to Detroit, Michigan, and spent the next year immersing himself in Detroit's dance music and DJ culture, which eventually began to influence his own recordings. Eventually
333-517: A wide influence. Much of the music associated with the 2009-coined term " chillwave " could be considered dream pop. The 2010 album Teen Dream by Baltimore duo Beach House established the group as purveyors of modern dream pop that drew on the "languid reveries" of Cocteau Twins, Mazzy Star and Galaxie 500. The group's success in the late 2000s solidified the popularity of dream pop with millennial listeners. Chorus (audio effect) Chorus (or chorusing , choruser or chorused effect)
370-416: Is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such as reverb , echo , tremolo , and chorus . It often overlaps with the related genre of shoegaze , and the two genre terms have at times been used interchangeably. The genre came into prominence in
407-452: Is an audio effect that occurs when individual sounds with approximately the same time, and very similar pitches , converge. While similar sounds coming from multiple sources can occur naturally, as in the case of a choir or string orchestra , it can also be simulated using an electronic effects unit or signal processing device. When the effect is produced successfully, none of the constituent sounds are perceived as being out of tune. It
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#1733085667375444-567: Is characteristic of sounds with a rich, shimmering quality that would be absent if the sound came from a single source. The shimmer occurs because of beating . The effect is more apparent when listening to sounds that sustain for longer periods of time. The chorus effect is especially easy to hear when listening to a choir or string ensemble. A choir has multiple people singing each part ( alto , tenor , etc.). A string ensemble has multiple violinists and possibly multiples of other stringed instruments. Although most acoustic instruments cannot produce
481-520: Is thought to relate to the "immersion" in the music experienced by the listener. The AllMusic Guide to Electronica (2003) defined dream pop as "an atmospheric subgenre of alternative rock that relies on sonic textures as much as melody". According to Paste , the genre emphasizes mood and sonics over lyrics, so that "chords and tracks blur seamlessly into one another so frequently that it can be difficult to even decipher when one song ended and another has begun." Common characteristics are breathy vocals,
518-595: Is varied between the left and right channels by offsetting the delay or phase of the LFO. The effect is thereby enhanced because sounds are produced from multiple locations in the stereo field. Used on instruments like "clean" (undistorted) electric guitar and keyboards, it can yield very dreamy or ambient sounds. Commercial chorus effect devices often include controls that enable them to be used to also produce delay, reverberation, or other related effects that use similar hardware, rather than exclusively as chorus effects. In spite of
555-513: The "approach to the sheer physicality of sound" integral to dream pop was "arguably pioneered in popular music by figures such as Phil Spector and ( Beach Boys founder) Brian Wilson ." The Beach Boys recorded an early dream pop song, " All I Wanna Do ", for their 1970 album Sunflower . Critic Jim Allen, who cites the Beach Boys as the "godfathers" of the style, says that the song's unprecedented "cinematic dream sequence" production style marks
592-403: The "effect pedal" form. Some examples of the use of "obviously chorused guitar tracks" include Red Hot Chili Peppers ' " Soul to Squeeze " (0:00), Fripp & Eno 's " Evensong " (0:37), Guns N’ Roses “ Paradise City ” (0:00), Nirvana 's " Come As You Are " (0:00, clearest at 0:48), Mike Stern 's "Swunk" (0:00), and Satellite Party 's "Mr. Sunshine" (0:19, right channel). The chorus effect
629-456: The "loud, shimmering feedback" of My Bloody Valentine and the "post-Velvet Underground guitar rock" of Galaxie 500 . My Bloody Valentine showcased a unique dream pop sound on their 1988 debut album Isn't Anything , with guitarist Kevin Shields employing a tremolo-arm technique in order to produce "an amorphous drone, at once visceral and disembodied". Galaxie 500 provided a "cornerstone" of
666-488: The 1980s through groups associated with the UK label 4AD , most prominently Cocteau Twins , This Mortal Coil , and A.R. Kane . Subsequently, UK-based acts such as My Bloody Valentine , Slowdive , and Lush alongside US-based artists Galaxie 500 , Julee Cruise , and Mazzy Star released significant albums in the style. It saw renewed popularity among millennial listeners following the late-2000s success of acts such as Beach House and Men I Trust . The term dream pop
703-446: The 7th fret on the 3rd string). Ensembles of instruments and voices can produce a natural chorus effect, such as with a string orchestra or choir . The chorus effect can be simulated by a range of electronic and digital effects units and signal processing equipment, including software effects. The signal processor may be software running on a computer, software running in a digital effect processor, or an analog effect processor. If
740-501: The Durutti Column "embodied the cliché of the suicidal dream-pop guitarist in the mid-1980s" with his "narcotic performances" presaging later acts such as My Bloody Valentine and Galaxie 500 . The Dif Juz album Extractions (1985) would expand the dream pop sound, incorporating saxophone, shifting tonalities, and off-kilter rhythms. Film director David Lynch , unable to obtain the rights to This Mortal Coil's version of "Song to
777-527: The Siren" for his 1986 film Blue Velvet , enlisted composer Angelo Badalamenti and singer Julee Cruise to record a replacement track. The result was "Mysteries of Love", described by Rolling Stone as a significant development of the dream pop sound which "gave the genre its synthy sheen". The trio of Cruise, Lynch and Badalamenti later recorded the 1989 album Floating into the Night , which further elaborated on
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#1733085667375814-518: The Toronto Islands. In the early 2010s he became closely affiliated with Montreal label Arbutus Records, and began frequently performing as a touring musician with Grimes , Sean Nicholas Savage and Doldrums, while beginning to write and produce his own music. Fucked Up guitarist Mike Haliechuk released two early 12" EPs, Obsession I and Obsession II, on his label One Big Silence. Performing live with guitarist and vocalist Maddy Wilde, as well as
851-617: The UK-based 4AD. According to Paste , the band crystallized their "swelling, euphoric" dream pop sound on the 1984 album Treasure , with guitarist Robin Guthrie conjuring an array of "woozy textures from his arsenal of effects pedals." The 1984 album It'll End in Tears by 4AD's "dream-pop supergroup" This Mortal Coil was conceived by label head Ivo Watts-Russell and featured members of Cocteau Twins and Dead Can Dance . The album helped "set
888-418: The added voices is typically modulated by an LFO , which is implemented similarly to a flanger , except with longer delays and without feedback. In the case of the synthesizer, the effect can be achieved by using multiple, slightly detuned oscillators for each note, or by passing all the notes played through a separate electronic chorus circuit. Stereo chorus effect processors produce the same effect, but it
925-481: The dream pop and shoegaze scenes; it was represented by Cocteau Twins and labels such as 4AD and Projekt Records . Rolling Stone describes "modern dream pop" as originating with the early 1980s work of Cocteau Twins and their contemporaries. AllMusic 's Jason Ankeny credits the Cocteau Twins' "distinctly ethereal" sound and singer Elizabeth Fraser 's operatic, indecipherable vocals with defining their label,
962-451: The dream pop that emerged in the wake of the shoegazer movement", distinct for its incorporation of electronic textures and techniques such as sampling . Bowery Electric 's 1996 album Beat was described by Long Live Vinyl as an important touchstone of both dream pop and trip hop . The 2007 album Person Pitch by Panda Bear combined Beach Boys-influenced dream pop with modern sampledelic techniques, winning acclaim and exerting
999-403: The genre in their 1989 album On Fire , with their downtempo, reverb -laden sound becoming influential. UK bands acts as A.R. Kane, My Bloody Valentine and Ride played an influential role in the development of the movement. Other prominent acts to emerge from the movement include Slowdive and Chapterhouse . The 1990 Cocteau Twins album Heaven or Las Vegas proved an iconic release in
1036-404: The genre. Spin credited My Bloody Valentine's "landmark" 1991 album Loveless with "crystalizing (and obliterating) the genres of dream pop and shoegaze guitar rock." The UK band Lush became an influential act in the genre during the 1990s, with Robin Guthrie producing their 1992 debut album Spooky . The 1993 album So Tonight That I Might See by American band Mazzy Star reflected
1073-692: The mix. In the view of critic Simon Reynolds , dream pop "celebrates rapturous and transcendent experiences, often using druggy and mystical imagery". In 1991, he suggested this escapist tendency might be a response to the cultural landscape of the UK during the 1980s: "After 12 years of Conservative government in Britain, any idealism or constructive political involvement seems futile to these alienated middle-class dropouts." Similarly, according to Rachel Felder, dream pop artists often resist representations of social reality in favour of ambiguous or hallucinogenic experiences. Author Nathan Wiseman-Trowse writes that
1110-439: The name, most electronic chorus effects do not accurately emulate the acoustic ensemble effect. Instead, they create a constantly moving electronic shimmer. Some pitch shift pedals create a slightly detuned unison effect which is more similar to the acoustic chorus sound. Although the electronic chorus effect can be obtained by the multiple ways mentioned above, some devices have acquired a high status among musicians, especially in
1147-534: The point "where the dream pop family tree starts to come into focus." However, the Beach Boys' impact on the genre was not widely acknowledged until after the 2000s. The 1960s work of the Byrds would influence the "swoony harmonies" of later British dream pop groups. The music of the Velvet Underground in the 1960s and 1970s, which experimented with repetition, tone and texture over conventional song structure,
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1184-450: The processor is hardware-based, it may be packaged as a pedal , a rack-mount module, a table-top device, built into an instrument amplifier (often an acoustic guitar amplifier or an electric guitar amplifier ), or even built into some electronic instruments, such as synthesizers, electronic pianos and Hammond organs . The effect is achieved by taking an audio signal and mixing it with one or more delayed copies of itself. The pitch of
1221-537: The style and featured the Twin Peaks theme and UK top 10 single " Falling ". The term "dreampop" was coined in the late 1980s by Alex Ayuli of A.R. Kane to describe his band's eclectic sound, which blended effects-laden guitar with dub production and drum machine backing, among other elements. The group released their 1987 EP Lollita on 4AD, with production by Cocteau Twins guitarist Robin Guthrie. Pitchfork describes their debut album Sixty Nine (1988) as
1258-618: The template for dream pop" and associated the formerly gothic-affiliated UK label with the style. The album's 1983 single, the Tim Buckley cover " Song to the Siren ", became an influential work in the genre, and saw success in the UK Indie Chart , remaining there consistently for two years. Other early acts to touch on the style included Lori and the Chameleons , Dif Juz , and the Durutti Column . According to Pitchfork , Vini Reilly of
1295-420: The use of alternative tunings (such as the unisons-and-octaves-only " ostrich tuning " by Lou Reed ); by playing chords or fingerings with "redundant" notes (like playing the open high E string and the same "E" note on the 5th fret of the B string); and/or by using extended techniques like bending while playing a note (like playing the 5th fret on the 2nd string and, simultaneously, playing a full-tone bending in
1332-470: The use of guitar effects, and a densely produced sound, with "nebulous, distorted guitars" paired with "murmured vocals sometimes completely smudged into a wall of noise." The music tends to focus on textures rather than propulsive rock riffs. Effects such as reverb and echo are ubiquitous, with tremolo and chorus also heard on recordings. Lyrics are often introspective or existential in nature, but may be difficult to hear or incomprehensible in
1369-433: Was also an important touchstone in the genre's development. Their 1967 debut The Velvet Underground & Nico incorporated what music critic Marc Beamount terms " psychedelic dream pop" in addition to a variety of other styles. Elements of dream pop could also be found in Velvet Underground songs such as " Candy Says " (1969). Music journalist John Bergstrom recognises George Harrison 's 1970 track " Let It Down " as
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