The last album before English shoegaze band Slowdive’s original disbandment in 1995, Pygmalion pushes the band in a direction few critics thought was possible. The album is far more experimental than the band’s debut Just for a Day and their commercial smash hit Souvlaki. The album pushes the boundaries of shoegaze into post-rock and ambient electronic music, the album features sparse and minimalistic arrangements. Pygmalion’s new direction was primarily a result of lead songwriter Neil Halstead’s experimentation with looping and dance music.

Slowdive were pioneers of the genre shoegaze and their previous albums were marquee entrees in the genre’s discography. The term “shoegazer” was used to describe bands that emulated My Bloody Valentine’s blend of intense guitars and ethereal vocals. Slowdive toured with fellow shoegazing bands throughout the summer of 1991, but as Britpop and grunge emerged, the British music press grew increasingly critical of shoegaze.

2024 reissue pressed on purple marbled vinyl, released via Music on Vinyl.