Editing Dream pop (section)

==Etymology and characteristics==
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The term dream pop is thought to relate to the "immersion" in the music experienced by the listener.<ref name="Goddard">Goddard, Michael et al. (2013) ''Resonances: Noise and Contemporary Music'', Bloomsbury Academic, {{ISBN|978-1-4411-5937-3}}</ref> ''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".<ref name="Bogdanov">Bogdanov, Vladimir (2001). [https://www.amazon.com/reader/0879306289#reader_0879306289 ''The AllMusic Guide to Electronica''], Backbeat UK, {{ISBN|978-0-87930-628-1}}, p. ix.</ref> According to ''[[Paste Magazine|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."<ref name="paste1">{{cite web |last1=Staff |title=The 25 Best Dream Pop Albums of All Time |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/best/dream-pop-albums-of-all-time-cocteau-twins/ |website=Paste |date=21 August 2020 |access-date=29 May 2021}}</ref> Common characteristics are breathy vocals, the use of guitar effects, and a densely produced sound,<ref name="Bogdanov" /> with "nebulous, distorted guitars" paired with "murmured vocals sometimes completely smudged into a wall of noise."<ref name="ReynoldsNYT" /> The music tends to focus on [[texture (music)|textures]] rather than propulsive rock riffs.<ref name="allmusic guide">{{cite book |author=Bogdanov, Vladimir |title=All Music Guide to Electronica: The Definitive Guide to Electronic Music |edition=4th |year=2001 |publisher=Backbeat Books |isbn=978-0-87930-628-1 |pages=ix |url=https://archive.org/details/allmusicguidetoe00vlad }}</ref> Effects such as [[reverb]] and [[echo]] are ubiquitous, with [[tremolo (electronic effect)|tremolo]] and [[chorus (audio effect)|chorus]] also heard on recordings to achieve the "floaty, surreal, cloud-like haze" associated with the style.<ref name="reverb.com">{{cite web |last1=Fumo |first1=Dante |title=How to Record Dream Pop in Your Home Studio |url=https://reverb.com/news/how-to-record-dream-pop-in-your-home-studio |website=Reverb |date=16 October 2018 |access-date=17 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

Dream pop is a distinct genre from [[shoegaze]], although the terms have been used interchangeably at various points. The style also overlaps with [[indie rock]], [[indie pop]] and [[Synth-pop|synth pop]]. According to ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'', the term "was always more of a descriptor than a proper genre," stating that is defining features are "atmosphere, intimacy, a light coating of psychedelia, and, yes, dreaminess."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pitchfork |date=2018-04-16 |title=The 30 Best Dream Pop Albums |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-30-best-dream-pop-albums/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 25 Best Dream Pop Albums of All Time |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/dream-pop-albums-of-all-time-cocteau-twins |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Paste Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

Lyrics are often introspective or [[Existentialism|existential]] in nature,<ref name="allmusic guide"/> but may be difficult to hear or incomprehensible in the mix.<ref name="paste1"/> In the view of critic [[Simon Reynolds]], dream pop "celebrates rapturous and transcendent experiences, often using druggy and mystical imagery".<ref name="ReynoldsNYT" /> 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 Party (UK)|Conservative]] government in Britain, any idealism or constructive political involvement seems futile to these alienated middle-class dropouts."<ref name="ReynoldsNYT" /> Similarly, according to Rachel Felder, dream pop artists often resist representations of [[social realism|social reality]] in favour of ambiguous or hallucinogenic experiences.<ref name="class"/> According to ''Paste'', "Dream pop artists aren't poets—they're painters patching together swaths of sound into a big, beautiful landscape."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The 25 Best Dream Pop Albums of All Time |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/best-albums/dream-pop-albums-of-all-time-cocteau-twins |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Paste Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>