Following the global acclaim they received for debut EP ‘it has become clear to me that all those seek’ whereby audiences across the world praised the heavy Shoegaze direction violet oscillation have undertaken, the Shoegaze band return with a six minute plus follow up single ‘heaveness.’ Combining heavy instrumentation with equally heavy lyrical themes, the song might just be the band’s darkest yet. This is Shoegaze with something to say, spearheaded by frontman Luca who describes how “this is our most poignant release to date, this is the most I’ve ever had to say musically, lyrically and visually.” The latter referring to the pink-hued, yet goth-leaning, music video self-produced by the band in conjunction with identical twins Paige and Becca of abstract in sound.
Both song and video take the audience on a deep trip. As Luca has previously described his songwriting process, the song is “built vertically, with cascading textures” from his signature guitar pedals including mesmeriser, blush, dreamgazer, reminiscer, and a soon to be released pedal which Luca describes as “the definitive central point to the Shoegaze sounds we’re making with violet oscillation and abstract in sound from here on out.” Luca, alongside Paige and Becca, has built an incredibly authentic artistic form of expression. everything is done in-house, from mixing all their own tracks, producing their signature pink-drenched music videos and even creating entire songs using only their own artist signature pedals.
Back to ‘heaveness’ - this is Luca’s most enthralling work to date, combining a plethora of textures and moods to create what is now violet oscillation’s magnum opus. The song contains not only minute upon minute of beautifully ethereal Shoegaze glide guitar but a Post-Rock style intro that, as with his Shoegaze guitar work, puts Luca’s guitar playing front and centre. The vocals pan from left to right, with a delay effect similar to the work of Slowdive. Lyrically, Luca hits on many points that touch upon the cultural reality of our age, whilst also remaining as he describes “deeply personal, a purely cathartic process.” On ‘heaveness’ violet oscillation have reimagined what Shoegaze can be, while still honouring the very cornerstones of the genre. Expansive glide guitars go on beyond the horizon, an endless sea of noise.
words by paige