The Veldt is a pioneering alternative soul and shoegaze group formed in 1986 in Raleigh, North Carolina by identical twin brothers Daniel and Danny Chavis. The band took their name from a Ray Bradbury science fiction story. After signing with

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

in 1989, the group went on to tour America opening for such groups as The Jesus and Mary Chain and the

Cocteau Twins Cocteau Twins was a Scottish rock band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrum ...

, whose member Robin Guthrie produced their initial recordings. Their 1994 album 'Afrodisiac' is viewed as a classic of the shoegaze genre. The Veldt have received media coverage from outlets including Pitchfork, ''Vice'', The Guardian, The Huffington Post,

All Music Guide AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Louder Than War,

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

, and many others including praise from producers Joe Foster ( My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain), Robin Guthrie (

A.R. Kane A.R. Kane (sometimes AR Kane or A.R.Kane) was a British musical duo formed in 1986 by Alex Ayuli and Rudy Tambala. After releasing two early EPs to critical acclaim, the group topped the UK Independent Chart with their debut album '' 69'' (1988 ...

, and Doc McKinney ( The Weeknd, Drake), alongside collaborators including TV On The Radio, Mos Def and

Lady Miss Kier Kierin Magenta Kirby (aka Lady Miss Kier) is an American singer, songwriter, DJ, designer, fashion icon, and activist. During her career, Lady Miss Kier has been the vocalist for the band Deee-Lite, a disc jockey, and solo songwriter. She support ...

( Deee-Lite), and acts they have opened for such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Pixies, Throwing Muses, Echo & The Bunnymen,

, Manic Street Preachers, The Jesus and Mary Chain,

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, Modern English,

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, Living Colour, and

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. The Chavis brothers relocated to New York City's East Village in the 1990s and later initiated the musical project Apollo Heights in the 2000s before returning to working under The Veldt moniker in the 2010s. The Veldt are increasingly recognized as creating a path for marginalized voices and as an influence on the lineage of music that has led to the

Alternative R&B Alternative R&B (also referred to as alt-R&B, indie R&B, hipster R&B, dark R&B, emo R&B and left-field R&B) is a term used by music journalists to describe a stylistic alternative to contemporary R&B that began in the mid 2000s and came to pro ...

success of The Weeknd and Miguel.

History

Performing since they were children, the Chavis brothers’ musical roots lead back to the church and southern juke-joints, and listening to music that included gospel,

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

and

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

. The Veldt's early years were spent in Raleigh during the late '80s/early '90s boom in North Carolina's independent music scene that included acts such as

Superchunk Superchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, consisting of singer-guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Jon Wurster. Formed in 1989, they were one of the ...

, Archers of Loaf, Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Ryan Adams.

Legacy & Influence

Pitchfork included The Veldt's 1994 album ‘Afrodisiac’ in their list of the top 50 shoegaze albums ever released, and

included a single from that album, "Until You’re Forever" in their list of 31 essential shoegaze tracks. The Veldt's sound also inspired future alternative artists, including TV On the Radio and Bloc Party, and are regarded as an influence on the sound of 21st century Alternative R&B chart topping artists.

Discography

Albums

*''Afrodisiac'' (1994) *''Love At First Hate'' (1998) *''White Music For Black People'' (2007) – as Apollo Heights *''Sad Cabaret Reverie'' (2011) - as Apollo Heights *'' Entropy Is The Mainline To God '' (2022)

EPs

*''Marigolds'' (1992) *''Universe Boat'' (1996) *''The Shocking Fuzz Of Your Electric Fur - The Drake Equation'' (2017)

Singles

*"CCCP" (1992) *"Soul In A Jar" (1993) *"Symmetry" (2017)

References

External links

The Veldt Bandcamp PageSpotify ProfileInstagram Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Veldt Musical groups established in 1986 1986 establishments in North Carolina Musical groups from Raleigh, North Carolina American shoegaze musical groups