Vaporwave… sounds cool, doesn’t it? Sure did the first time I heard the term, so I then needed to find out, “What is Vaporwave?” I then discovered that Vaporwave is a philosophy, visual art form, internet meme sensation, and design motif, as well as, of course, being a super cool word.
I soon discovered that Vaporwave has crossed over into all these aspects of society. But, it is also a musical genre, sub-genre, or micro-genre, depending on who you believe.
Since the invention of the internet…
It doesn’t take much longer than a year for a new phenomenon to gain solid traction, and Vaporwave is one of the best examples. The thing is that internet fads can fade just as quickly as they appear. Yet, Vaporwave managed to stick around and even peak into the mainstream consciousness a bit.
Since its birth in the 2010s, it’s spread the world over and even managed to climb into aspects of society other than music.
So I decided to take an in-depth look at the birth and origins of Vaporwave as a genre, as well as examine some of the musical and stylistic aspects. Bear in mind that as the culture develops, changes will occur. So, what is laid out here may well be different in a year or two. Let’s get started with…
Origins, History, and Influence
Vaporwave was born in that great country in the sky, the internet. This was back in 2010 when Obama was in his second term, FIFA had finally brought the World Cup to Africa, and the Nintendo Wii had somehow managed to beat out PlayStation and Xbox for the largest part of the world market.
Back then, there was this thing called Chillwave. Remember that? It’s still a thing, just not as big. There was also Psychedelic or Hypnagogic Pop, which was being pioneered by figures like Ariel Pink and James Ferraro.
Both these genres share some common characteristics. Most notably, the use of “retro” Pop culture and “retro” sounds in the music and artwork. This would become a trait of Vaporwave, too, albeit with a lighter tone both musically and psychologically.
Around 2010…
Micro-genres and break-offs were crawling out of the woodwork. Some of them would survive, and some wouldn’t. Along with Witch House, Seapunk, Shitgaze, and Cloudrap, Vaporwave would manage to stick around for longer than a year and develop into something of its own.
These genres and many others developed around the same time. They were noted for artists inspired by aspects of popular culture during their childhoods in the 80s and early 90s.
Many of the genres that started to develop in the early 2010s incorporated many similar ideas. So much so that it was hard to tell any difference. Words like Chillwave, Hypnagogic Pop, and Vaporwave were often used to refer to the same thing.
Early Vaporware Artists
An early release from a Hypnogagic Pop artist was 2009’s Flamingo Breeze by Matrix Metals. This album is not considered a Vaporwave release. Instead, it hinted at the coming of Vaporwave through subtle clues in the sound.
Another foreshadowing came in the form of Daniel Lopatin’s YouTube collection of plunderphonics loops. These were uploaded under the alias, Sunsetcorp. The use of ambiguous, sometimes institutional-sounding aliases would later dominate Vaporwave releases.
Lopatin also released a collection of tracks that would end up contributing to the aesthetic of Vaporwave and Seapunk. Chuck Person’s Eccojams Vol.1, released in 2010, features graphics that resembled the 90s video game Ecco The Dolphin. Just so you know, Lopatin is Chuck Person.
Remember what I said about aliases…
This release is said to be the one that birthed both Vaporwave and Seapunk without belonging to either. The aesthetics of retro graphics and “spacey” music that sometimes sounds like the stuff from TRON began to take off.
While Seapunk is technically younger than Vaporwave, it took off at a greater rate due to the Aquatic Aesthetic getting adopted into the mainstream faster. Both share an obsession with all things retro and ended up belonging to the greater movement eventually dubbed “post-internet.”
Along with Eccojams Vol.1, James Ferraro’s Far Side Virtual would lay down the foundations of Vaporware and a few other subcultures too.
Vaporware Essentials
Eccojams Vol.1 made heavy use of sampling, particularly Pop tunes from the 70s and 80s. These were then chopped, screwed, slowed, and otherwise tinkered with to create the framework for a whole new sound. Reworking old and often obscure material in this way has become a staple of the genre.
In contrast, but in the very same vein, Ferraro’s Far Side Virtual was laying a different but equally important groundwork.
Heavy synthesizer loops mixed with the sounds of game consoles and popular media tones like the Nintendo Wii, Skype, and famous arcade games became musical like never before.
Once again…
These releases may not be considered Vaporwave. Rather the term “Proto-Vaporwave” often gets applied to these two albums and Skeleton’s Holograms which came out in 2010.
As far as establishing the early scene, there are various theories. The truth is likely to be not just one but rather a combination of all of them. As mentioned, the habit of publishing music under various pseudonyms was common amongst the early Vaporwave artists and still is.
Nailing down specifics is even harder…
The platforms for sharing music have largely remained the same. Many early releases and later compilations were distributed on Mediafire, Last FM, SoundCloud, and Bandcamp.
Metallic Ghost (aka Chaz Allen) claims that the original Vaporwave scene got started on Turntable.fm. Members of this early scene included Internet Club (Robin Burnett), Veracom, Luxury Elite, Infinity Frequencies, Transmuteo (Jonathan Dean), Coolmemoryz, and Prismcorp.
The year 2011 saw the release of what would become known as the first proper Vaporwave records. Ramona Xavier’s New Dreams Ltd. was released under the pseudonym Laserdisc Visions and has been credited by many Turntable.fm producers as a big influence on them.
When it comes to the very first Vaporware hit…
It has been widely agreed that Xavier takes the title with his seminal release Floral Shoppe (which was released under the pseudonym Macintosh Plus). The album is widely regarded as the first full-on Vaporwave release and has since become like a right of passage for aspiring Vaporwavers.
What is Vaporwave? – Musical and Visual Attributes
Vaporwave is often made using synthesizers, drum machines, and vocoders. The sounds chosen for a composition will likely have a “nostalgic” quality. As mentioned, the use of recognizable sounds and tones from days gone by (for instance, the Nokia theme song) is also very popular.
Vaporwave will often sample music from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. Then, rework them using techniques like chopping, detuning, layering, and editing the tempo.
The old is then placed right next to the new. Synthesizer loops, modern drum sounds, multi-effects units, and heavily processed vocals are used to layer the sounds.
Like the Chillwave and Psychedelic Pop that inspired it…
Vaporwave often runs at a slower tempo. 90 bpm and below is a mantra that many producers of the genre have shared in interviews. Vaporwave tracks don’t tend to be lengthy, usually running between two and four minutes.
Vaporwave art often makes use of nostalgic imagery that uses VHS filtering and aspect ratios. The use of pink backgrounds and greek statues combined with internet motifs like Windows framing or error messages is very common and hunkers back to the early seminal release Floral Shoppe.
Many people believe that these 2010 sub and micro-cultures are an artistic reaction to the commercialization of the internet. By curating and reframing corporate imagery, Vaporwavers are seeking to criticize the capitalist forces that seemingly rule the world.
Vaporwave Artists
Here are some popular Vaporwave artists:
[bl]- Macintosh Plus.
- Vektroid.
- Skyler Spence.
- Blank Banshee.
- Oneohtrix Point Never.
- 2814.
- Yung Bae.
- Cat System Corp.
Etymology of Vaporware
The origin of the word Vaporwave is likely to be less interesting than the word “chicken,” for example. In all likelihood, the word was chosen because it sounds cool.
Although, there are other theories…
As mentioned, Vaporwave music contains strong contrast between what is old or “Retro” and what is new and pristine. Many people say that this contrast was applied to the name as well. That’s because “vapor” is a gas, and “wave” can imply either light frequency or liquid. In both cases, the words vapor and wave are very much at odds, just like the juxtaposed elements in the music.
The first reported use of the term was in an anonymous blog post by a music lover doing a review of Surf’s Pure Hearts by Girlhood.
What Is Vaporwave? – Final Thoughts
Vaporwave may be a very specific micro-culture. But, unlike many of the small internet fads during the 2010s, it has managed to develop into more than just a musical style.
Vaporwave has now engraved itself so deep into art, media, fashion, and music that it qualifies almost as a phenomenon. Bring on the pixelated video and pink sunsets.
Until next time, happy listening.
