Tremolo (EP)

Tremolo
EP by My Bloody Valentine
Released	20 February 1991
Recorded	November 1990
Genre	Shoegazing
Length	18:43
Label	Creation Records (CRE085)
Producer	My Bloody Valentine
My Bloody Valentine chronology
Glider (1990) Tremolo (1991) Loveless (1991)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	A− link

Tremolo is an EP by My Bloody Valentine, released in February 1991 by Creation Records. The title is a reference to the band's heavy usage of guitar tremolo and vibrato to create blurred, dreamlike tones. (Kevin Shields' method of strumming chords while simultaneously bending his guitar's tremolo/ whammy bar was referred to as "glide guitar.")

The lead track, "To Here Knows When", has a longer and more ethereal coda—essentially constituting a separate song—than the version later included on the album Loveless. "Swallow" also has an instrumental coda; "Honey Power" has one with wordless "ooh and ahh" vocalizing by Bilinda Butcher. All three segues/codas feature backwards guitar loops and heavy reverb. In Nov. 1991, Shields commented:

"Tremolo had seven tracks on it, but you're not allowed to do that, so we called it four tracks and didn't name three of them. People just thought they were weird bits!"^[1]

The cover art was also used as one of the band's most popular t-shirt designs.

Videos were filmed for the songs "Swallow" and "To Here Knows When" under the direction of Angus Cameron.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Kevin Shields except where noted. 

• Also issued as a CD (CRESCD085)

Personnel

My Bloody Valentine

• Bilinda Butcher – guitar, vocals
• Colm Ó Cíosóig – drums
• Debbie Googe – bass guitar
• Kevin Shields – guitar, vocals, sampler

Technical personnel

• Alan Moulder – engineering
• My Bloody Valentine – production
• Designland – design
• Sam Harris – photographer

References