Shoegaze from Germany: Introducing Attic Ocean

Düsseldorf might be hallowed ground for pioneering electronic music and gritty post-punk, but it’s rarely the first city that comes to mind when you think of shoegaze. Attic Ocean are perfectly fine with that. Operating on the fringes of a domestic scene that remains small and heavily tethered to its punk nostalgia, the five-piece outfit—Hanni Nasirat (vocals), Niels Baumgarten (guitar), Philip Marx (bass), Lukas Moore (drums), and Camila Agudelo—has always kept their gaze fixed on a more international horizon.

Having enlisted Slowdive’s Simon Scott and Ride’s Mark Gardener to master their past releases—including their newest EP, I promise I'll try every day—the band is now hard at work on a long-awaited full-length debut, slated for release in 2027.

In our recent conversation, the quintet opened up about the emotional toll that shaped the record, their varied musical backgrounds, and how they navigate a fragmented DIY community. Along the way, they offered a refreshingly unpretentious take on the current shoegaze revival—reminding newcomers that you don't need a bank-breaking pedalboard to write a great shoegaze song.

A lot of people get into heated debates—"Is this or that band shoegaze?"—and we couldn’t care less about that. At its core, shoegaze is a brilliant genre that manages perfectly well musically without any ego trips.

How did Attic Ocean first come together as a band?

Niels and Lukas have been playing together since 2020. At some point, Hanni and Philip joined us, and we played our first gigs after the pandemic. That felt like the real starting point for Attic Ocean. Then, last year, Camila joined us and immediately played her first gigs with us as the support act for Ride. We sort of threw her in at the deep end!

Before forming the band, how did each of you individually find your way into playing music?

We all have very different backgrounds. Niels and Hanni had already played in various bands before, and Camila studied music in Düsseldorf. Funnily enough, both Lukas’s and Philip’s fathers are music teachers. Lukas actually started playing the drums with Attic Ocean. Hanni grew up singing in musicals, as her mother worked as a choreographer during her childhood, and she has been playing in various bands ever since.

What distinct musical influences does each member bring to the band's collective sound?

One of our great strengths is our openness to a huge variety of genres. We actually chat about something new at practically every rehearsal. There are loads of new bands that Niels, in particular, keeps an eye on. Philip and Lukas are really into all sorts of niche stuff from the '80s and '90s. Camila is still involved in various projects covering a massive range of styles, from cumbia to sound installations. Hanni is especially drawn to nostalgic songs with vivid, expressive lyrics.

Germany isn't historically the first country people associate with shoegaze. How has coming up in Düsseldorf shaped your musical identity, especially when compared to the traditional British or American scenes?

Düsseldorf and the North Rhine-Westphalia region are very underrated. Every town here has its own little scene and great bands across a wide range of genres. Unfortunately, Düsseldorf often gets stuck in a sort of punk nostalgia. That’s why our ambitions and influences are definitely international. Sadly, many German bands only ever play in Germany, and at many international festivals, there are hardly any German acts. We realise that we’re really lucky to have such an unusually international audience for a German band.

Speaking of your roots, how would you describe the current state of the German dream-pop and shoegaze scene? Is there a tight-knit community forming around it, or does it still feel quite underground and scattered?

It’s definitely tricky, as there isn’t really a shoegaze scene in Germany. We’ve organised a few gigs ourselves in our hometown of Düsseldorf with other shoegaze bands. It’s not like with punk or emo, where you are guaranteed to sell more tickets. We’re quite well connected with the six or seven other bands playing shoegaze and dream pop in Germany, and there are some really great DIY gig collectives that are also interested in the genre. For us, though, it’s absolutely vital to connect with other great bands beyond this specific sound—bands who might not be quite as dreamy as we are.

You carry a heavy '90s nostalgia in your music, but your tone feels distinctly modern. How do you strike that balance and honour those classic influences without turning your sound into a museum piece?

We focus a lot on actual songwriting. A lot of newer bands that tend to label themselves "shoegaze" really nail that distinctive guitar sound, but all in all, they write forgettable songs. For us, the tone is more a way to convey the idea of the song, rather than being the content itself.

I promise I'll try every day sounds like a personal vow just as much as an EP title—what was the central emotional struggle or promise that fuelled the writing of this record?

The songs are definitely influenced by the very strong emotions we experienced during the process. Whilst we were working on the EP, we experienced the loss of loved ones close to us, which shaped every track. "I promise I’ll try every day" is a vow made by a dear friend who is no longer with us today, and was therefore unable to fulfil it. We want to spread this message to the world and offer encouragement that life goes on, even in difficult times. Even in the deepest darkness, small glimmers of hope can be seen one day—if you look very closely. On this EP, we’ve tried to focus particularly on this awareness of looking out for small moments of happiness in the dark.

Having Simon Scott of Slowdive and Mark Gardener of Ride master your records feels like a direct passing of the torch—what was it like hearing your own music returned to you through the ears of the people who helped invent the genre?

Yes, it was a real honour to work with both of them. That’s definitely one of the genre’s biggest advantages—that you can get in touch with these absolute legends relatively easily. We received some brilliant, honest feedback from some really lovely, down-to-earth people who have had such a huge influence on this sound. It’s incredible to be connected to them in any way.

Opening for Ride on tour put you in front of multiple generations of hardcore shoegaze fans—what was the biggest revelation about your own stage presence and live sound after sharing a stage with them?

As you mentioned earlier, Germany isn’t really known for the shoegaze sound. Much of the audience was particularly surprised that we’re a German band; we were often told that people thought Ride had brought us over from England. We noticed during those gigs that our sound goes down really well even on big stages. But we also really love playing small venues, simply because you’re closer to the audience.

You’ve truly mastered the EP format to build your sonic world—from the heavy blue and then after, to Retriever, and now I promise I'll try every day—what is the band's current mindset regarding a full-length debut album?

Thank you so much! For us, EPs were the best way to release our latest songs without getting stuck in the recording process for too long. We all have day jobs, and the hardest thing for us is finding the money and time. That means we often have to decide whether to take time off work to play live or to record and shoot music videos, etc. But we can give you a sneak peek: our debut album is coming in 2027!

Shoegaze is having a massive resurgence right now with new bands popping up every day—given everything you've learned, what is your advice to newly formed bands trying to stand out and find their own voice in a crowded space?

Don’t overthink it all too much! You don’t need every fancy, expensive guitar pedal right from the start. Just be confident in your own sound. A lot of people get into heated debates—"Is this or that band shoegaze?"—and we couldn’t care less about that. At its core, shoegaze is a brilliant genre that manages perfectly well musically without any ego trips. It’s a lovely scene for people interested in new sounds. Those are all great prerequisites for writing songs and sharing them with an international audience.

What other new and upcoming dream-pop or shoegaze bands are you loving right now that deserve a shout-out?

We’re all massive fans of the new She’s Green album—they write incredibly beautiful, thoughtful songs. From Germany, we’d like to recommend Telephonist from Dortmund and Yeahrs from Berlin. Not quite shoegaze, but highly recommended, is L’orne from Rotterdam.