Cocteau Twins

United Kingdom, 1979–1997

Scottish band formed in 1979. Elizabeth Fraser's largely wordless vocals inside Robin Guthrie's heavily effected guitar on Treasure and Heaven or Las Vegas defined dream pop.

MusicRoots documents 2 artists who influenced Cocteau Twins and 7 artists Cocteau Twins influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Cocteau Twins?

• Siouxsie and the Banshees — Guthrie has said early Cocteau Twins wanted to be the Banshees — their first sessions openly chase that sound, and the band toured supporting them.
• The Velvet Underground — The VU's drone and texture were part of the Cocteaus' documented early vocabulary via the post-punk canon.

Which artists did Cocteau Twins influence?

• A.R. Kane — A.R. Kane's founding formula named their parents: 'we wanted to sound like the Cocteau Twins meets Miles Davis'.
• Lush — Lush's 4AD sparkle descends from the Cocteau Twins — Robin Guthrie produced Spooky, master mentoring heirs.
• Pale Saints — Pale Saints joined 4AD as direct heirs of the Cocteau Twins' ethereal house style.
• Beach House — Beach House's organ-and-reverb dream pop is openly modelled on the Cocteau Twins — the ethereal 4AD template Legrand and Scally rebuild.
• M83 — The Cocteau Twins' wordless euphoria is the dream-pop pole of M83's fusion, a documented touchstone for Gonzalez.
• Cigarettes After Sex — The ambient-pop shimmer and androgynous vocal lineage run back to the Cocteau Twins, a documented Gonzalez touchstone.
• Boards of Canada — The Cocteau Twins' gauzy, dreamlike textures are part of the atmospheric palette Boards of Canada drew on.