In 1991, My Bloody Valentine would release Loveless, one of the most celebrated albums in indie rock history. Nearly 30 years later, it is regarded as the pinnacle of the shoegaze genre, and continues to be a source of inspiration for generations of musicians to come. Since it was deemed to be such a perfect encapsulation of the shoegaze sound, the genre’s most highly regarded record may also have been it’s greatest undoing. A common criticism lobbied at other shoegaze releases, is that they sound too much like My Bloody Valentine. The group did set the bar quite high, but this critique creates a perplexing paradox. How can shoegaze bands wear their influences on their sleeves without being disregarded as cheap imitators? The groups that have manage to escape this critique have often been the ones who’ve brought in the influences of different musical genres into the shoegaze sphere. Examples include Bowery Electric’s immersion of trip hop drum beats in swirling drones of guitars, the lush loop-based ambient techno and dub-influenced compositions crafted by Seefeel, or The Veldt’s injection of powerful soul-inspired vocals to replace the distant coos most often seen in the sound. However, these innovations occurred in the 90s, and aside from a short lived nu-gaze revival in the oughts, one can be quick to assume the genre has stagnated and lost relevancy in the current day musical climate. However, Zoon has broken new ground by bringing in the music of his First Nations heritage to forge a sound he calls “moccasingaze”.
Zoon is the recording project of Daniel Monkman. Monkman is from the Brokenhead Ojibway nation, located north of Winnipeg. He grew up there and in the nearby town of Selkirk, and his upbringing and culture are a major influence on the music he makes. However, it wasn’t always this way. In a chat with Digital Drum, Monkman said,
“Spending time on the reserve, I was influenced by bluegrass music, traditional folk and pow wow. After leaving the reserve, I was very embarrassed to tell people about my Indigenous background in fear of discrimination. A lot of my songwriting is fueled by all the hate, violence and abuse that I experienced as a young boy/man.
Selkirk was a very racist town, and oftentimes when I’d go to parties it would end in violence between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. So for a long time I never wanted to tap into my roots to help with my songwriting. But as more and more songs came out, it was clear that it wasn’t just me writing the songs; I now understand that it was my ancestors writing with me, and they still are. I give all my thanks to them.”
Racism isn’t the only source of hardship and trauma that Monkman has encountered. He also battled anxiety and addiction, and had to cope with the death of family members and close friends. As part of his overcoming of alcoholism, Monkman attended meetings in which the Seven Grandfather Teachings were often used. The seven teachings have been passed down through generations of the Anishaabe people to guide them in living a good life in peace and without conflict. The seven teachings are Debwewin (Truth), Dabasendiziwin (Humility), Gwayakwaadiziwin (Honesty), Manaaji’idiwin (Respect), Nibwaakaawin (Wisdom), Zaagi’idiwin (Love), and Zoongide’ewin (Bravery). Talking to View Magazine, Monkman explained that Zoongide’ewin, from which which his took his recording moniker, represents for him how “it takes courage to walk away from something that helps you deal with trauma.”
The creation of Bleached Wavves was part of Monkman’s recovery process. He said to American Songwriter, “Writing Bleached Wavves was like a form of exposure therapy, I had to force myself to confront the source of my anxiety and depression in order to find enlightenment”. In the same interview, he describes “Light Prism” as being a collage of memories from the past, present, and future. Amidst an enveloping swirl of guitar melodies, that feel as if they would float off into the ether if it weren’t for the loosely played drums holding them down like a fraying string attached to a kite, the soft coo of Zoon’s voice gives way to a chorus that exists in the form of a chopped up and reversed instrumental melody.
Reversed instrumental loops are recurrent motifs on Bleached Wavves. In some ways, this rewinding of sound resembles the exploration of his past that Monkman’s lyrics take us upon. On “Vibrant Colours”, Zoon shares his relationship with his grandparents and how it was affected by the mental health issues they lived with. About the song, he wrote:
“Near both of their deaths they were diagnosed with terminal illnesses: My grandfather with schizophrenia and my grandmother with brain cancer and dementia. I was eventually told that my grandfather had me dial numbers for him because he heard voices that he believed were listening to his calls and the only way to deter these unknown figures was to have me dial for him. My grandmother forgot who I was because of the two severe illnesses that had marred her mind. When I learned this, it felt like a daunting amount of information at first and I was angry and confused for a long time about it. In hindsight I understood why, though it initially left me feeling incensed.
After going down my own path into a life full of drugs and alcohol and away from music, I found myself at rock bottom and near death. Something unlocked in my mind and suddenly I felt as though I wanted to live again, to conquer my demons. I made a promise to myself to write about my grandparents, to honor their memories and to let go and forgive.”
Through the psychedelic fog of guitars stretching out and colliding with one another, the sentiment of remembrance is not lost upon the listener. The repeated refrain of “can’t tell if this is real” and the chorus, leading with the line “memories always slip away”, feel like direct calls to the experiences Zoon had with his grandparents. It’s a powerful demonstration of Zoon’s songwriting abilities, being able to create densely exquisite and textured soundscapes while also fitting within it a potent lyrical message that isn’t obscured or relegated to being merely just another source of melody within the wall of sound.
Speaking of soundscapes, many shoegaze acts go to great lengths to craft their sound by using a plethora of guitar pedals and effects units. But after much of his gear was stolen, Monkman set out to create the album with only his guitar, a Digitech delay pedal, a Fender DeVille amp and some reverse engineering inspired by his idol Kevin Shields. Having less tools does not prevent Zoon from creating an immaculately entrancing set of songs, abundant with warbly and rich guitar tones that create a massive sense of space. In many moments, I imagine myself in the middle of a valley, with the guitars being blown in by powerful gusts of wind, riffs ringing off the sides of the banks and into oblivion. The musical influences of Monkman’s heritage that he employs provide even more power to the hypnotic sounds we hear. Such is the case with the singing and rattling percussion on “Was and Always Will Be” and the booming drums of the colossal closer “Help Me Understand”.
Another important moment on the album occurs during “Infinite Horizons”, when Jesse Davidson (Wolf B), an Indigenous hip hop artist of Haida and Tsimshian descent, delivers a spoken word passage. He starts by declaring “This is my attempt to reveal our truth in your language”, going on to describe the pain that his people have been dealt for generations, and how they have found strength within it. There is no denying that European colonizers and their ancestors have inflicted a lot of pain on Indigenous peoples living in so-called “Canada”. This is why it is so important that these truths, these real-life stories, are heard, because the hardships that Davidson and Monkman have faced are not just theirs. These are the realities of many other Indigenous peoples, who have had their lives and culture stolen, suppressed, and discriminated against.
Although Zoon may not be the first Indigenous musician to claim “moccasingaze”, that distinction belongs to nêhiyawak, the vision that he was able to see through on Bleached Wavves is powerful on many levels. Between the dreamlike soundscapes and the lyrics that provide the listener with a compelling look into the experiences of himself and his people, there is a lot to take in and admire here. And if other Indigenous artists take inspiration from him, perhaps Zoon will become to moccasingaze what My Bloody Valentine is to shoegaze. A bold proclamation? Perhaps, but only time will tell. Regardless of what happens, Bleached Wavves is a stunning album that you absolutely need to hear.
EDIT (July 3, 2020): I learned from Daniel Monkman that he has been making indigenous/shoegaze music since 2007 and has released a number of projects under different names, including the Insects EP and the Are You Wake album as Blisters and “soft light” and “Tide to the sea” as Bloom, before changing his artist name to Zoongide’win. Make sure to check his other projects out as well!
Listen to Bleached Wavves below and support Zoon by purchasing the album here.