Klimt 1918 creates a sound that is profoundly cinematic and deeply rooted in the concept of nostalgia. Their music feels like a bridge between the heavy, textured walls of sound found in shoegaze and the melodic, driving energy of 80s new wave. It is a world of gray skies, urban landscapes, and the quiet ache of time passing, all rendered through lush, reverb-heavy production that never feels cold.
What truly sets them apart is the 'European' sensibility of their romanticism. While many of their peers lean into aggression or abstract experimentation, Klimt 1918 focuses on the 'Sentimentale' aspect of their name. They utilize thick, distorted rhythm guitars not to overwhelm, but to create a warm, protective cocoon for Marco Soellner’s breathy, intimate vocals. It is the sound of a band obsessed with the ghosts of the past, from the art of the Secession to the 'Cassette Generation' of their youth.
Start with 'Dopoguerra' to experience their most iconic blend of post-rock scale and alternative rock accessibility. If you prefer something more expansive and shimmering, the double album 'Sentimentale Jugend' offers a masterclass in modern shoegaze texture, proving that their ability to evoke a specific, bittersweet ache has only sharpened over time.
Klimt 1918 is an indie/alternative rock band from Rome, Italy. Founded in 1999 by brothers Marco and Paolo Soellner, the band is named for Gustav Klimt and the date of his death in 1918. The musical style is a melancholic alternative rock with influences from other genres.
Shares wall of sound, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style); shoegaze, dream pop, alternative rock (subgenres)
Shares wall of sound, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style); breathy, gentle, harmonized (vocal style)
Shares shoegaze, alternative rock, dream pop (subgenres); wall of sound, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style)
Shares wall of sound, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style); shoegaze, dream pop, alternative rock (subgenres)
Shares wall of sound, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style); shoegaze, dream pop, post-rock (subgenres)
Shares wall of sound, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style); shoegaze, dream pop, alternative rock (subgenres)
Shares wall of sound, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style); shoegaze, dream pop, post-rock (subgenres)
Shares wall of sound, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style); shoegaze, alternative rock, dream pop (subgenres)
Shares wall of sound, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style); shoegaze, alternative rock, dream pop (subgenres)
Shares wall of sound, reverb heavy, layered dense (production style); shoegaze, alternative rock, dream pop (subgenres)
Shares shoegaze, wall of sound, nostalgic, dream pop (signature)
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