Vaporwave

[th555]

These are so freaking awesome

http://claudio51.deviantart.com/gallery/

[prdctvsm]

『ᶜᵒᵐᵖᵃᶜᵗ ᵈᶦˢᶜ』

[Lane Visitor]

^ whoa thats crazy! I didnt know Mac Plus had been around that long... Or that Tom Hanks knew about underground music! Haha so kewl

Edited May 9, 2015 by Lane Visitor

[prdctvsm]

@lane - 笑lol

@meshgearfox - nice!

 

http://collegeparty.bandcamp.com/album/eternal-dream

Edited May 10, 2015 by prdctvsm

[sheatheman]

all my picosong links are dead. now, i am become vaporwave

[Lane Visitor]

Cool to see this thread getting some traffic again :D

 

@Mesh, really digging your Posh Flats track... I feel like I'm on a grimey underground safari, trekking through the hot swamps of somewhere in North Africa, while some kind of local news show is blaring their bed theme music through speakers everywhere i go (:

 

Also, yes Donovan is me... Thanks for the words.. It's been amazing so far with ppl in the vapor communities digging my releases. I recently discovered a Donovan track was played on a KCRW (big npr station) radio show, not even a vapor set, just alongside buncha big indie artists.. The DJ, Marion Hodge i think it was, said she found the track while browsing Bandcamp and was digging it (: That was probably the most surreal music moment Ive experienced in the last few years.. Major honor.

 

Oh and as for the corporate crossover, its funny you say that, I was able to slip my first DH video "Moving Forward In The Company" into a blog post I wrote for my work as an example of bad content marketing... It post-post-post ironically ended getting re-posted on SAP's (the 2nd largest software company in the world's- 2nd to Microsoft) Innovation blog ... I couldnt believe my eyes... A few months later it was taken down I guess cuz i couldnt find the archive... But regardless, if that's not beyond vaporwave to the max, i dont know what is lol... That may have actually been the official birth and death of the genre on a scale not seen since Far Side Virtual. Lol.. Accidentally promoting & mocking true corporate culture at the same time. It's so meta, that it's not even meta at all.

 

Ps heres the video they placed if you havent seen it..

 

Edited May 10, 2015 by Lane Visitor

[awepittance]

i am become vaporfrack

[Lane Visitor]

Well said.

 

That recontextualization feels exciting to me for so many different reasons...

 

First, there's a minimalist / utilitarian nature to vaporwave in that it reaches into a giant bowl of schmaltz and excess, and extracts only the most interesting, notable or beautiful parts of that handful, and crafts it into pure simplicity. Yet its results still maintain just enough color and intensity for the fullest emotional impact.

 

Then, there's the punk rock / hacker nature of stealing vague/forgotten/discount bin-calibre musical recordings, and turning them into something more interesting and modern all under anonymous pseudonyms for no other purpose than imagination, discovery and adventure.

 

3rd.. I dont know im falling asleep as i type this.. Lol

[patternoverlap]

My amateur 2 cents: it seems to also be about exploring the detritus of one's youth/childhood. I can't speak for everyone here but I spent a lot of time in environments where this kind of music and aesthetic were prevalent. I think it's natural to explore that and maybe examine if or what it's effects were on your development and current emotional state. There is the obvious nostalgia for the movies, television, comics, music, etc of the time but this is almost like exploring what was in between all of those obvious markers to see if anything is there (or not).

[Lane Visitor]

Oops, dupe post.. See below

Edited May 11, 2015 by Lane Visitor

[Lane Visitor]

Very well said

 

There is the obvious nostalgia for the movies, television, comics, music, etc of the time but this is almost like exploring what was in between all of those obvious markers to see if anything is there (or not).

And ^ fucking brilliant, yes the odds and ends of the sounds and sights of music/media/culture through out our growing up... Those forgotten / mundane alleyways and artifacts of culture and the emerging digital landscape... And how all of that felt as it washed up around our innocent selves and how we responded to it, and how it shaped us, and partially made us who are... And how now, years later, we've taken seat in the throne of creating our culture, shaping it with what weve taken in our from our past and current experiences.

[prdctvsm]

+1

 

the anonymity & confusion of artists, artist names, track/songs/album titles etc. is most probly a response/antidote to the perils & ugliness of celebrity culture, & 2 the trappings of fame & 'success'. this removal of personality or individuation is enhanced further by its producers re(de)fining their own genericism. the inherent nostalgia of vaporwave (4 manufactured lifestyles, easy listening, early computing & inbuilt obsolescent formats etc.) is an (an)aesthetic that is by default ironic, even if it isn’t meant 2b ironic. so this (an)aesthetic, liek the sound itself, is dreamlike, repetitive, mnemonic, playful/funny, low-key. innocuous. & therein lies its headfuck & hardcore, imo.

http://http://newtype420.bandcamp.com ｎｅｗｔｙｐｅ

[joshuatxuk]

 

My amateur 2 cents: it seems to also be about exploring the detritus of one's youth/childhood. I can't speak for everyone here but I spent a lot of time in environments where this kind of music and aesthetic were prevalent. I think it's natural to explore that and maybe examine if or what it's effects were on your development and current emotional state. There is the obvious nostalgia for the movies, television, comics, music, etc of the time but this is almost like exploring what was in between all of those obvious markers to see if anything is there (or not).

yeah totally. because those sounds are no longer fashionable you never hear them irl anymore. now in 2015 when we create a patchwork of these sounds it's bound to resonate with everybody who lived through that period in some way or another. those of us who were young at the time would get a childlike nostalgic bonus.

 

that's why it's so dumb when the cynical internet beasts cry 'oh, now we're getting nostalgic about the 90's? so lame' cus that is the nature of nostalgia innit. i asume this will always be the case but you could argue that the 90's were the last decade of an older era which we have moved on from. i guess what i mean by this is that the 90's had a lot more in common with the 60's and the 70's than the 00's and 2010's

 

even though there was the gulf war and the president got a bj, they could been seen as more 'innocent' times. before youtube comments and 4chan revealed how ugly we could be as a species

 

also before 9/11 and the whole terrorism fear which practically eclipsed cold war paranoia.

 

 

 

My amateur 2 cents: it seems to also be about exploring the detritus of one's youth/childhood. I can't speak for everyone here but I spent a lot of time in environments where this kind of music and aesthetic were prevalent. I think it's natural to explore that and maybe examine if or what it's effects were on your development and current emotional state. There is the obvious nostalgia for the movies, television, comics, music, etc of the time but this is almost like exploring what was in between all of those obvious markers to see if anything is there (or not).

 

 

 

My amateur 2 cents: it seems to also be about exploring the detritus of one's youth/childhood. I can't speak for everyone here but I spent a lot of time in environments where this kind of music and aesthetic were prevalent. I think it's natural to explore that and maybe examine if or what it's effects were on your development and current emotional state. There is the obvious nostalgia for the movies, television, comics, music, etc of the time but this is almost like exploring what was in between all of those obvious markers to see if anything is there (or not).

yeah totally. because those sounds are no longer fashionable you never hear them irl anymore. now in 2015 when we create a patchwork of these sounds it's bound to resonate with everybody who lived through that period in some way or another. those of us who were young at the time would get a childlike nostalgic bonus.

 

that's why it's so dumb when the cynical internet beasts cry 'oh, now we're getting nostalgic about the 90's? so lame' cus that is the nature of nostalgia innit. i asume this will always be the case but you could argue that the 90's were the last decade of an older era which we have moved on from. i guess what i mean by this is that the 90's had a lot more in common with the 60's and the 70's than the 00's and 2010's

 

even though there was the gulf war and the president got a bj, they could been seen as more 'innocent' times. before youtube comments and 4chan revealed how ugly we could be as a species

 

also before 9/11 and the whole terrorism fear which practically eclipsed cold war paranoia.

 

 

I think this is the Boards of Canada equivalent for us, coupled with hypnagogic pop and similar genres, whether many of us embrace it or not. The familiar and forgotten aesthetics. A cathartic return to music and media we probably forgot on purpose as we went from kids to teens, and focused on being serious and cool. There's the hauntology aspect to it all too, a future past, which lends to the name of course. Revival and throwback styles have been around for decades - 50s pop, 60s garage rock, 70s funk, 80s synth music....all of this is big now. We're now hitting the 90s so it's no surprise. But it seems even more rapid (accelerationism right?)...I wouldn't be shocked if early 00s music is mined extensively soon (hell I know some already are). But it's the draw to obscure and discarded music that is at the core of this stuff. And many, if not most vaporwave fans weren't even born or aware of the music and media that's core to the genre. I was born in 1986 so 1990 onward is a nice fuzzy memory. But man, many fans we're born 10 years after me. So this is all new to them, which explains their enthusiasm. Or maybe it's a memory of others memories - that's how BoC is to me. It reminds me of all the magazines, books, art, movies and taped tv shows, etc that my parents and grandparents had around their homes.

 

I wrote some stuff about it on reddit, so I'll just repost it:

 

It's the most cathartic music I've come across in awhile, when done right. This reminds me of all of the music, artwork, commercials, toys, even food and buildings from when I was a kid, much of which has been forgotten or destroyed because it was "throwaway" commercial stuff: hence cheesy listening music, corporate logos, outdated or obscure technology, and tacky aesthetics and fashion. When done right it triggers a lot of memories and emotions tied to my perspective as a kid and teenager, especially before the internet or social media. It makes me remember what it was like to just be alone or with friends to imagine, think, and create without any distractions or alternatives. It's ironic that this is a very internet oriented genre, because it harkens to a time before that for me. And the music and visuals tied to those memories are very vaporwave-y to me in retrospect. I lived in Okinawa from late 1995 through 1998, and my parents had Win95 and AOL most of the time. Okinawa is weird because it had mini-American communities on a tropical island that was a tourist destination for Japanese nationals. That's a huge reason this genre is often so nostalgic to me. And I think it's awesome people a lot younger than me (I'm 29) find it so appealing.

For me it's nostalgia for a time I remember but forgot, and even probably actively moved away from. For others it's about the pluderphonics and social commentary. The DIY aspect of it is huge too. I can't imagine being someone who doesn't remember this era of music, art, and media who find vaporwave appealing, but I can understand why: it's very "new" to them in terms of aesthetics and vibes. Also, at the risk if ending on a bad note, it's also why I'm so picky with songs and especially artwork: I find anyone re-hashing the same tired memes with non-vaporwave or non-vaporwave era stuff a bit off-putting. After all, isn't this suppose to be about the obscure, forgotten, and especially a "future past" - i mean, vaporwave is a play on words of vaporware, isn't it? this is the ghost of a past and a visual and artistic manifestation of a future that never really happened; that's my ideal vision of it anyway.

 

[Phlexunger]

I was debating weather I should download this yesterday

funny turns out its vaporwave

https://bl00dwave.bandcamp.com/album/--5

[Phlexunger]

Your vaporwave tracks are better than that Italian bands

but theirs are more of the VHS 80's/90's instructional video samples

 

Yours are of a higher quality though

maybe you should make a collection of them so I can contemplate downloading that too ;)

 

the discogs downtempo description makes me sad because in my fantasy world

I reap untold fortunes from strictly appealing to a strict downtempo audience

that militantly only listens to and defines themselves by downtempo

much like the way skinheads do with Oi!

that description and seeing Sade listed as an artist kills that dream :(

 

However there was the Sade cameo in Absolute Beginners so maybe the mods will listen

all 5 of the remaining 68 year old's

damn this IDM

[Lane Visitor]

Downtempo is one of those styles that seemed to have never left... Just took on different forms since the 90s... But ive always preferred the classic k&d / nightmares on wax / dining rooms / thievery corp. brand of downtempo than the later manifestations which incorporated glitchiness / 80s dream pop (like m83), synth pop , indie pop, ambient/experimental.. Of course i love all that stuff, but too much is blah.. To me that stuff felt like downtempo or chill music that just got super huge and everyone from coldplay to radiohead to nin was incorporating this whole chill / dreamy aspect.. Kind of like a copout.. Then as soon we know it, practically every single rising indie act was doing this sigur ros or XX-style chill - meets new wave - meets indie pop - meets dreamy thing. Like EVERYONE became bjork all if the sudden. That was about the time i got jaded and bored of new music. Finally, a bit after that, house / nu-disco came back , took over and it brought back the funk :D and now vaporwave / future funk is bridging that dream world with the disco / funk / retro world, and its the perfect bridge imo

 

Cant wait til industrial / cyberpunk makes its comeback (:

Edited May 16, 2015 by Lane Visitor

[Phlexunger]

Downtempo is one of those styles that seemed to have never left... Just took on different forms since the 90s... But ive always preferred the classic k&d / nightmares on wax / dining rooms / thievery corp. brand of downtempo than the later manifestations which incorporated glitchiness / 80s dream pop (like m83), synth pop , indie pop, ambient/experimental.. Of course i love all that stuff, but too much is blah.. To me that stuff felt like downtempo or chill music that just got super huge and everyone from coldplay to radiohead to nin was incorporating this whole chill / dreamy aspect.. Kind of like a copout.. Then as soon we know it, practically every single rising indie act was doing this sigur ros or XX-style chill - meets new wave - meets indie pop - meets dreamy thing. Like EVERYONE became bjork all if the sudden. That was about the time i got jaded and bored of new music. Finally, a bit after that, house / nu-disco came back , took over and it brought back the funk :D and now vaporwave / future funk is bridging that dream world with the disco / funk / retro world, and its the perfect bridge imo

 

Cant wait til industrial / cyberpunk makes its comeback (:

Well

a few things

you raise good points here and I agree with you but I am not too much of a house dude

but mainly because of when I grew up and where I grew up in brooklyn house music was synonymous with guido douchebags

However I like Frankie Knuckles and all the minimal stuff but that was much later..The thing I thought was funny was in the 90s according to EQ mag

groove armada was downtempo. I just don't think it ever really was a subculture or genre just a different way to say the same thing like you said. I agree with you on the co opting of the music by the indie rockers but there is nothing wrong with song writers with vocals. I think everyone wanted to be Bjork after the southbank show

It was kinda dope watching her walk the beach with a sampler however bs it actually was being that I track down that sampler forever and when I got it although its mad cool the Yamaha SU10 it does not do what she said it does....

 

Sub genere's are funny

but looking back now on a term like downtempo

it just amazes me to watch people chase the rainbow

[prdctvsm]

^thx 4 lnk; dwnld'd '28 Underground - 28 Beats', &'ll listen 2moz @ work yo

agree w. youze guize 'bout analyzing music 2 much b liek... pfft ! but it duz sum times halp w. wrappin' the ol' headgear around new soundz, imo.

[Lane Visitor]

So May 25th comes a brand new Donovan LP on Ailanthus, and im really excited to share it with yall... Its an eclectic tasteful mix of all original smooth jazz, jazzy downtempo/house, dreamy ambient and island sounds all set to a business travel theme...

 

Here is one of the more ambient vapor tracks via private soundcloud link.. Ill prob reset the link in a few days or so cuz i wanna keep this low key until the release... No samples used as is the Donovan standard:

 

Hope u guys like! Thx!

 

https://m.soundcloud.com/donovan-hikaru/mountain-dreams-m-50816/s-cm3qJ

Edited May 18, 2015 by Lane Visitor

[Lane Visitor]

Aaaaand.... BAM!

 

[prdctvsm]

@meshgearfox - yr feelings r incorrect sir; i'm not intendin' 2 troll u, or any 1 else here m8. soz if my words come across the www. as such. p. much erry 1 iKno hates vapor, so my posts here a just an attempt 2 further unnerstand, appreciate & connect w. this new music.

@lane - nice work, *posts brent rambo .gif*

[Nebraska]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjyvp3OT_9M

[Lane Visitor]

Thanks prd! Glad you dig it (:

[prdctvsm]

hawt daang that waterfont dining u choob© trak iz fresh thx nebraska; w. the 'mash' tv show cast members suited up in the ol' ibm adverts watering plastic plants lol.

 

wordemup laney (: hey haz u herd this ? :

http://luxurypools.bandcamp.com/album/leaving-the-world-behind-2

[Lane Visitor]

yo prd! good tip.. yes i saw this, and been meaning to check it out (: just listened.. great stuff indeed!

Edited May 19, 2015 by Lane Visitor