Chapterhouse

Chapterhouse formed in Reading in 1987, Andrew Sherriff and Stephen Patman developing a sound that was rooted in the shoegaze template but had its own distinctive character. They signed to Dedicated Records and released their debut single 'Freefall' in 1990 — a song of immediate melodic appeal that announced a band with a fully formed aesthetic.

'Whirlpool' (1991) was the debut album — one of the finest shoegaze records ever made. 'Pearl', 'Mesmerise', and 'Falling Down' were all excellent. The album showed a band capable of balancing noise and melody with a precision that few of their contemporaries could match. It received strong reviews and established Chapterhouse as one of the most important bands of the scene.

'Blood Music' (1993) was a more experimental follow-up that divided opinion. The band split in 1994 as the shoegaze scene collapsed. They reformed briefly in 2010 and have performed occasionally since. 'Whirlpool' remains their legacy — a record that has aged extraordinarily well and continues to influence new generations of guitar bands.