Dream Pop

Dream Pop, also known as Dreampop, is a type of alternative rock that originated in Britain in the early 1980s, when bands like Cocteau Twins, The Chameleons UK, The Passions, Dead Can Dance, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane (to whom the term has been attributed) began fusing post-punk experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into sensual, sonically-ambitious soundscapes. The term was mostly used in the United States, although frequently used, and allegedly coined, by Melody Maker journalists Simon Reynolds and Chris Roberts. An "all-star" dream pop collective named This Mortal Coil were known for covering obscure pop songs of the 1960s to '80s. The essence of the music is a focus on ethereal textures and moods, rather than on propulsive rock riffs. Breathy, high-register female vocals (and androgynous male vocals) are the preferred means of lyrical delivery; lyrics are generally introspective and existential in nature.