Ethereal Wave
From ArticleWorld
Ethereal Wave, also called Etheric Wave or Ethereal, is a name that describes a subgenre of Darkwave music. This music is one of the more popular underground Gothic genres and has been around since the early 1990’s.
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Stlye
Typical of this kind of music is the use of atmospheric guitar soundscapes, synthesizers making sound effects like echo and delay. The second key characteristic is the use of hazy, celestial or whispering female vocals. Much of this music is heavily influenced by Ambient music.
Bands
Some of the bands that have been involved with this genre are Love Spirals Downwards, Hungry Lucy, Lycia, Trance to the Sun, and Black Tape For A Blue Girl.
Note
There have been overlaps between Ethereal Wave, Shoegazing and Dreampop.
Projekt Records
Sam Rosenthal of Black Tape For A Blue Girl created his own record label in the early 1990’s that is home to most of the ethereal bands, and many of the underground Gothic bands. He has actually forced the label to stay small wanting to devote his time to his family, his band, and to the bands on the label. He didn’t want to repeat the same errors that many of the smaller labels do when they get big and lose sight of how they got there.
There are other record labels that have ethereal bands on them, although many like World Serpent and Hyperium are no longer around. Projekt has been on of the few that has found a means of keeping the label not only afloat, but successful with this genre. This is a feat that most labels have tried to replicate, but have only failed in an extreme fashion.