Los Angeles’ first all-ages electroclash and shoegaze music festival, And Always Forever (AAF), took place at sister venues The Echo and Echoplex on Nov. 8-9. The event was orchestrated by music promoter Sammie Pearson of Pretty but Wicked and Davis Stewart of record label American Death Records.
In an Oct. 29 Instagram collab post between AAF and Perfectly Imperfect, Perfectly Imperfect editor Vivi Hayes introduced the genres and helped bridge them together.
“Two awesome genres that have shared a well-deserved revival in recent years are shoegaze and electroclash,” Hayes wrote in the post. “While not altogether similar in sound, they both embody the spirit of the ’90s, and shoegaze’s fuzzy guitars and dreamlike vocals collide awesomely with electroclash’s sexy synth lines and glossy production. Most importantly, they share a lineage of some of our favorite independent, pioneering artists.”
Shoegaze is a subgenre of indie rock that originated in the ’80s, defined by sweeping, distorted guitar sounds. While shoegaze leans more serene and fluid, its late ’90s to early 2000s counterpart, electroclash, is brash and disjointed. Electroclash is a subgenre of electronic dance music that is a combination of techno and synth-pop.
The festival incorporated a variety of bands such as genre giants, like Drop Nineteens, and newly christened artists within the scene, like bassvictim. Locust made their first live appearance since the late ’90s, when they opened for Massive Attack, and Ee performed their second show within the past decade.
The sets were staggered at different times and between the two venues, which attendees were able to cross between via stairs. Oftentimes, as soon as one set ended, another began in the other venue, creating a dynamic concert experience. As many as eight different artists performed per stage each night, quickly adjusting to the stage for their performances.
For day one of the festival, the lineup included Ed Axel, Ballet, Isla Den, Angel Investor, Suzy Sheer, deer park, White Ring, Patch+, DJMEGAN23, Locust, Evanora Unlimited, Martin Rev, Bassvictim and Natural Wonder Beauty Concept.
The day two lineup included Eilish Constance, Seko, Starling, Ee, RIP SWIRL, Shearling, untitled (halo), sweet93, Somewhere Special, she’s green, ear, His Name is Alive, DJ Python, Drop Nineteens and After.
While there was a clear tonal distinction between members of AAF’s lineup, it being a shoegaze-electroclash festival, the vulnerability and sense of expression that lay at the heart of the artistry of the bands was ultimately unifying. The staircase that separated the venues was totally congested during the transition period between His Name is Alive’s set, which was mature, dark and serene –– to ear’s set, which was modern, glitchy and lit.
“There isn’t anything that’s really ‘AAF,’” Stewart told Perfectly Imperfect for their recap of the festival. “Good performances are just good performances. A country band could play a Dead-esque jam for 40 minutes right after The Rita blew out a PA with a noise wall, and if both sets are engaging and authentic, it still feels cohesive to us.”
Artists mingled within the crowd between sets, and figures like Willow Smith and Gabriette made appearances at the festival. The atmosphere was gritty yet intimate; chaotic yet organized. Smoke clouds billowed into the air, blue strobes dipped over the heads of the crowd and the bass thrummed with an electric vibration that reverberated through sternums and teeth.
AAF definitely attracted a specific crowd; from older, first-wave Shoegaze fans to youth donning 2010s-era garb. It felt as if all of Los Angeles’s general cigarette-brandishing-twee-indie-sleaze were concentrated into one place.
AAF was an experience that encompassed much more than music. It was a celebration of how culture, fashion and art can be intertwined within a third space. If one wished for an auditory reprieve from all the experimental noise and shoegazing, AAF hosted an assortment of vendors on the Echo Patio. On Saturday, there was a curated shopping experience with Retail Pharmacy, founded by Sophia Boli. It featured various vendors and up-and-coming designers.
On Sunday, a zine and book fair curated by untitled (halo) was open for perusal. Art, books, music and other miscellaneous merchandise were available for purchase.
All the while, photographer Cobrasnake snapped photographs of the night — brooding attendees, singers writhing on stage or curled around their guitars and a suspended crowd, illuminated by camera flash.
And Always Forever was an incredible experience. It was amazing to witness and discover so many great bands as part of LA’s first shoegaze and electroclash music festival. Hopefully, more events like this will grace Los Angeles in the near future with the onset of the genres’ revivals.
Tessa Kang is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at tokang@uci.edu.
Edited by June Min and Joshua Gonzales.