shitgaze

/ˈʃɪtˌɡeɪz/

Etymology

From shit + -gaze.

Why this word is great

SHITGAZE — [Noun] A genre of rock music characterized by heavy distortion and lo-fi recording techniques, embodying a deliberate embrace of sonic degradation. From shit (expressing disdain or roughness) + -gaze (suffix denoting a music genre with heavy use of distortion, derived from shoegaze). Unlike shoegaze (which cloaks its melodies in shimmering, reverb-drenched layers) or noise rock (which weaponizes dissonance structurally), shitgaze is the sound of a cassette tape left to warp in the sun—a deliberate surrender to the beauty of decay. It is the blown-out hum of a practice-space amp pushed past its limits, the crackle of a four-track recording drowning in its own hiss, the way a song can feel more alive when it sounds like it’s disintegrating mid-playback. Sometimes, ruin is the point.

noun

  1. A genre of rock music with very heavy distortion and lo-fi recording.“Finding the sweetness in the shitgaze pile Times New Viking have truly mastered the no-fi game: No matter how they defile their sound (with razor blades, broken glass, tape hiss), they make sure there's bubblegum at the center.”