MOVIELAND Revives Vancouver’s Shoegaze Scene with “Then & Now”—The Inaugural Release of 604 Decades
Movieland was the brainchild of Edmonton-raised musician Alan D. Boyd, whose journey took him from playing bass for garage rock legends The Gruesomes in Montreal to co-founding a shoegaze-inspired project in Vancouver in 1991. While working at Benny’s Bagels, Boyd connected with drummer Justin Leigh, and together they recruited bassist John Ounpuu, bonding over shared influences like The Stone Roses and Slowdive. Boyd’s move to “The Mansion,” a crumbling but soundproof house in Vancouver’s upscale Shaughnessy neighborhood, became a creative hub where he experimented with layered, introspective tracks on a borrowed 8-track recorder, producing songs like the dreamy “I Relate.” Despite cultivating a small, devoted fanbase, Movieland struggled to break through, with A&R interest slipping away and bandmates eventually leaving for other projects.
After reassembling the band to record their final anthems, “Build Me a Dream” and “She’s a Mountain,” Boyd embraced his nickname “My Bloody Alantine” for his ability to craft textured shoegaze sounds. But by 1994, feeling stagnant in Vancouver, Boyd sold his belongings and left to roadie across Europe for SNFU, eventually settling in the UK. Though Movieland’s potential went unrealized, the band’s story reflects a unique moment in the ’90s indie scene, blending experimental creativity with a fiercely DIY ethos.
Years after Movieland’s initial run, Jonathan Simkin, founder of 604 Records and a long-time supporter of the band, reached out to Alan D. Boyd about revisiting their old music. This sparked a rediscovery of dusty tapes and live footage, leading to the creation of Then & Now, a compilation that bridges Movieland’s nostalgic past with a fresh creative resurgence. The project has rekindled Boyd’s shoegazing spirit, with new Movieland tracks now in the works through 604 Decades, a sub-label dedicated to reviving Vancouver’s overlooked musical history. “It’s a good time to do this,” Boyd reflects. “People who were part of that scene will get a kick out of this again.”
The release of Then & Now marks a pivotal moment for 604 Records, which is using the 604 Decades initiative to celebrate the city’s vibrant, often unsung alternative music scene from the ‘90s and early 2000s. By spotlighting Movieland and other era-defining acts, the project aims to reconnect fans with the underground sounds that shaped a generation while introducing them to new audiences. The series promises more treasures to come, including an album by Vancouver legends Pure slated for 2025, continuing the mission to unearth and amplify the region’s rich musical narratives.
Make sure you check out ‘Then & Now’ on Spotify below and on your favorite streaming platform!
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Who am I? Just some guy who decided to start writing on the Internet years ago and now operates his own brand and site. Owner/Operator of Modern Neon Media, I make all kinds of niche content to suit my interests at the time. DIY Enthusiast, Brewmaster extraordinaire, and avid freak for geek culture. Follow on my socials for a more “on” version of me.
