CHERRY- COLOURED FUNK: HOW THE COCTEAU TWINS TRANSFORMED DREAM-POP

   An enigmatic group whose gossamer sound has impacted music since their formation, Cocteau Twins was one of the most influential and inspirational groups on the dream-pop scene. Cocteau Twins formed in 1979, after guitarist Robin Guthrie met Elizabeth Fraser in a small club he was DJing in Grangemouth, Scotland. As Guthrie was booed by club-goers for playing deep cuts for groups like The Birthday Party, Elizabeth alone remained on the dance floor. This was the beginning of her and Guthrie’s distinctive bond, and she soon joined his duo with bassist Will Heggie. Cocteau Twins unique signature of incoherent, lilting vocals, warbled guitar, and distorted drums is both operatic and intense. In later albums, this sound was meticulously curated by the group, but it was originally formed as a way to cover their musical insecurities.

   Both Guthrie and Heggie believed that they lacked any instrumental talent, and they despised the way they sounded when playing on “straight” instruments -instruments with no distortion or effects added. By running their guitar and bass through pedal boxes and other distorters, they were able to morph simple chords into hauntingly beautiful, atmospheric sound.

   Elizabeth was also incredibly insecure and unsure of her songwriting and lyrical ability, so much so that while the group worked on their 1984 album, Treasure, she began to use words not for their inherent meanings, but for their phonetic values. Elizabeth’s gossamer, swirling vocals didn’t rely on recognizable language, instead, she vocalized tones and emotions. This method of singing, where the singer blends words and sounds into tones, is called glossolalia. While using glossolalia is a popular practice in music making, the Cocteau Twins are perhaps the most well known for using this method of singing.

   The group first signed onto the British music label 4AD and subsequently released their first album, Garlands, in 1982. The album was a nascent success, and it debuted their rapidly developing sound. Shortly after their following EP, Peppermint Pig, Heggie left the group, resulting in 1983’s Head Over Heels being recorded as a duo. Soon after Head Over Heels, Simon Raymonde joined to record The Spangle Maker EP. As Simon continued to record with Cocteau Twins, he became an essential component of the group, acting as a writer, arranger, and producer. Something that makes the Cocteau Twins so influential is their ability to craft music that was subjective. Their songs could sound weightles and heavy, euphoric and emotional, nostalgic and bewildering, all at once. The Cocteau Twins peculiar approach to music influenced countless artists across genres.

Without the Cocteau Twins, entire waves of indie rock, shoegaze, and ambient pop would be vastly different to how they are today. Even modern pop artists borrow the Cocteau Twins’ style by using airy vocals and expansive soundscapes. In a world obsessed with clarity and explanation, the Cocteau Twins embraced and created mystique. Their music glistened with irresistibly beautiful, surreal, and enchanting sound. They made music that feels personal to every listener.