Vapor95.com through its Vaporwave lifestyle blog and record label DARKNET presents the Sensual Essence II mix. A Vaporwave mix to get in the m o o d for l o v e. Available as a 42 minute long mix on Soundcloud and as a Playlist on Spotify!
Barber Beats is an online music genre that I find fascinating.
Its explosive rise in the 2020’s has been extremely impressive, hundreds of these colorful music releases most likely popping up in your YouTube recommendations, with hundreds of thousands of plays, sometimes millions.
The overall sound of Barber Beats features heavily sampled downtempo tracks consisting of all sorts of source material and inspiration, pulling from all styles trip-hop, nu jazz, lofi house, atmospheric hip-hop, and countless other mellow music styles. The end result is a suave, luxurious blend of soundscapes fitting for a, you guessed it, relaxing hair cut at that beloved barber shop nestled deep within the alleyways of a bustling city.
I can’t remember where I saw this, but I once saw someone describe Barber Beats as like “half casino heist, half forbidden romance” or something like that, and I thought that was just the perfect way to describe the vibes these tracks evoke.
However, because a big majority of Barber Beats are just a collection of tracks with virtually no edits at all from the original sample material being sourced, there has always been heavy discourse online of whether this is morally correct or not for Barber Beats artists to release, especially when they also want to sell their work digitally or in physical form.
Well today, I want to take a trip through this entire musical movement with you from its inception to where we are today. We’ll take a look at a couple Barber Beats classics, recent hits, and also some projects that really seem to take the genre in a refreshing, unique direction. We’ll also take a look at all the controversy surrounding this genre, regarding whether or not it’s right or wrong that these music uploads even exist in the first place.
Type in Barber Beats on YouTube and you will be hit with hundreds and hundreds of these colorful uploads to choose from. Full albums, compilations, the amount is virtually endless.
The majority sound of Barber Beats features a relaxing blend of smokey and elegant instruments backed by drum beats and a heavy bass, all creating quite the sophisticated mood. Grab a sample with some pretty pan flutes and a mellowed out synth and you're already halfway there, with all that’s left is to make sure you have a heavy low end to really give these tracks depth and weight.
The inception of barber beats can be traced back to a producer known as Haircuts for Men, who’s original works can be traced all the way back to 2014. Over the years, HFM would release projects like 大理石のファンタジー (translated to: marble fantasy) and ダウンタンブルと死にます (translated to: down tumble and die), both gaining massive popularity within the online music realm.
I can’t really pinpoint when the term “Barber Beats” actually came to life, but it’s pretty obvious that the name stems from the works of Haircuts For Men. There is an excellent article by Van Paugam called Barber Beats: The Future of Vaporwave that states the term was coined by Aloe City Wrld to describe this sound created by HFM, Aloe City Wrld being the leading record label in getting Barber Beats projects out there on physical forms.
Barber Beats is pretty much summed up to be a subgenre of the online-based Vaporwave genre as a whole, but these past couple of years we really started to see the term Barber Beats solidify for releases of this specific nature.
The artwork of HFM was also a staple to the whole experience of these releases: beautiful color pairings and textures overlapping typefaces, statues, and other sorts of imagery. The composition of these designs are mesmerizing and this aspect alone was always a big magnet to pull in new listeners. There’s a vintage and natural feel to them but also something so crisp, clean and modern, with every element always feeling perfectly placed in the composition. A large majority of Barber Beats projects feature this art direction, which can also make them
forgettable within the ocean of these covers.
大理石のファンタジー, I would say, is the most well known Haircuts for Men release. A lengthy project for only 6 tracks long, the mellow and soft pianos are given some energy with some reverb-soaked drum beats behind them. Many Haircuts For Men releases are similar with one another, but it was this one for some reason that really seems to be the release most people think of when the name Haircuts For Men is brought up. The entire discography, and pretty much Barber Beats as a whole, feels like one long never ending journey, with all things from the
artwork to the soundstyle itself blending seamlessly from release to release. ダウンタンブルと死にます is another release that, at least for me, pops up in my mind if I think of HFM. just like 大理石のファンタジー, this project also consists of soothing drums paired with quaint sample material. Synths, washed out vocals, and more shiny piano keys paint the picture of every album.
For a good while, it seemed like Haircuts for Men was the only artist truly dedicated to not only this sound, but sound atmosphere, let's say, of a virtual, musical barber shop you can access simply from your headphones. But eventually in the 2020’s, the genre found its footing with a multitude of artists who have had some releases do some serious numbers throughout the internet.
Artists like Macroblank, Oblique Occasions, Modest by Default, Monodrone, slowerpace 音楽, OSCOB, GODSPEED 音 and many others all dropped projects that played a heavy role in the growth of the movement.
Macroblank is definitely one of the biggest hits out of this scene in the 2020’s, with releases like 痛みの永遠 (translated to: It Hurts Forever) and 分離された (translated to: separation) carrying the torch from Haircuts For Men with a similar style of samples used, as well as that colorful, aesthetically pleasing artwork.
2022 saw one of my personal favorite Barber Beats projects, Anathema by the Baltimore based Oblique Occasions, just really tasty, laidback sample selections recycled into this mixtape collection of sweet sounding journeys into jazz. The track on there titled “no love” is simply gorgeous.
Modest by Default is also one of my personal favorite figures in the Barber Beats scene in particular, 2023’s Permaculture (组织胜过时间) being a definite standout. Exquisitely chill under just an hour for you to finish this journey from start to end. There is also the RAW PRACTICES series, volumes 1 through 3, which features UFC fighters for album artwork, and me being a huge, huge UFC fan (how am I not gonna check out an album with a cover that features a bloody Diego Sanchez on it!).
While many Barber Beats projects, as mentioned multiple times through this video, can feel repetitive due to their dependency on ultra chill, loungey sample flips all the time, some projects tend to take things up a notch with more unique themes, settings and some are even tied to an online music cult?
snowpoint lounge is a barber beats artist who ties in the world of Pokemon with their releases for example, using everything from sampled Pokemon soundtracks, tracklist titles, and some really awesome artwork all tying the entire package together to really showcase snowpoint lounge’s love for the series.
The Brazil based slowerpace 音楽 is also another personal favorite of mine, and many, in the Barber Beats scene due to each of their releases taking on a whole new world, atmosphere, or tribute to another piece of media or culture. This is another artist who is heavily inspired by video games and gaming box art, I’ve talked about their Barbershop SimulatorTM release on the channel in my Getting Lost on Bandcamp series, a 13-track collection of tunes that encapsulate
the background music in a “haircut tycoon meets Grand Theft Auto” game of sorts. Metaverse Sports Resort and PYROMANIACS are some other releases as well in the slowerpace 音楽 catalog that features a heavy influence from video games and their artstyle.
If you’re looking for another great read, KJHK radio did a wonderful interview with slowerpace 音楽.
SKINDANCE and the CREEP TAPES is a whole nother beast; these 4 releases feature a dark ambient and industrial twist on the Barber Beats formula; tracks with a bit more distortion and texture that pairs it with a pretty fascinating situation. The artist is apparently part of an “online music cult”, and more can be discovered if you were one of the people who picked up one of their extremely limited cassette releases. Each cassette contains a QR code, which the label insists that “IF YOU SCAN THE QR CODE WITHIN THE J-CARD, I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY AS A LABEL FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS THEREAFTER”.
I’m definitely a fan of Barber Beats, and there are pockets of days throughout the year where I listen to nothing but this type of sound as I do work, travel for shows, or simply drive to the grocery store, they are fun little snacks of mixtapes that look really nice artwork wise and help me focus on a task at hand. I find lofi hip-hop to be too delicate and quaint for me at times, and forms of ambient music to sometimes be too abstract or floaty to grab onto. Here though, projects in the Barber Beats realm keep me a bit more productive and grounded... I like to think
of Barber Beats as audio coffee.
And I also realize that many Barber Beats projects are just simple sample flips with virtually no edits at all from the original sample material being used in the tracks; samples could maybe be pitched up or down, but besides that, there are many times when Barber Beats artists are literally taking entire tracks from other artists and just slapping them onto their own music upload with fancy artwork and Japanese or Chinese track titles... nothing more than recycled, plundered works from existing creations, and because of this, there is always going to be
discourse online of whether this is morally correct or not, especially when Barber Beats artists also want to sell their work digitally or in physical form.
The simple answer to all of this is just to lazily say that it’s all subjective, and the true answer just lies in the individual listener and what they believe crosses the line between straight up stealing someone else’s artwork, or if they are actually providing a creative twist and crafting a sample into a new light. As I was writing what I wanted to say for this video, I found it very hard to decide what to even refer to people who upload Barber Beats onto the internet as. Do I call them producers? Artists? I wasn’t really sure, but something I do find quite frequently in the
Barber Beats scene is that many of these people releasing these projects also don’t even know what to call themselves.
Many of them state in their Bandcamp bio’s that much of what they do is plundered or recycled from other artists, Modest by Default for example stating “Virtually everything is plundered, and absolutely everything is free.” When asked what advice they would give to someone looking to start their journey as an indie producer, slowerpace 音楽 responded with “I don’t consider myself
a producer, just an enthusiast and a guy who likes playing with software =)”. The Haircuts For Men bio also famously states “I take some credit, but most everything is plundered”.
We’ve also seen entire discographies get wiped from Bandcamp due to the heavy repurposing of existing music being uploaded into these Barber Beats projects, Macroblank I don’t believe exists anymore on Bandcamp and the entirety of Haircuts For Men was removed in the past as well.
Things also get even fishier when Barber Beats artists and labels aim to release these projects on vinyl or cassette. How far can one person go in making these Barber Beats releases something they can claim monetarily?
Do I have the ultimate answer and truth on this subject? Obviously not, I very much see why many people think Barber Beats are morally wrong and you can get lost and lost some more in reddit posts with people going back and forth on how Barber Beats are low effort and shouldn’t have garnished such a following or appreciation. But at the same time, personally for me it’s hard to justify thinking it’s completely wrong when there has been so many examples of low effort sample manipulation not just in the Vaporwave scene, but other music genres and subgenres out there as well, that people aren’t in an uproar about. It all comes down to really your personal, subjective opinion on where the line is crossed. Does crediting someone
ultimately make your sample work morally correct? Or do you have to not only credit but pay for the full rights? Or is there a certain amount of chops and deconstruction you need to do within a sample that puts you in the clear? The simple answer for me is I always talk about how I love a fun, cheap simple Vaporwave flip, there is something comforting in living during a point in music
history where the technology we have at hand has created such an abundance of music uploads, no matter how intricate the production is on those uploads, so I can’t be the one to say that Barber Beats is wrong because I enjoy them.
“This is what makes Barber Beats so deliciously enjoyable; that it can subvert what people think Vaporwave should be, or is allowed to be. It was only a matter of time before what was understood as Vaporwave, conceptually, would start to evolve, and this process has led to a paradoxical moment where Vaporwave itself is becoming the source material for newer Vaporwave.” - Van Paugam, Barber Beats: The Future of Vaporwave
Barber Beats really just captures the essence of how disposable things seem to be in the internet age. There are so many genres I’ve talked about on my YouTube channel or here on Darknet where I’ve stated “anyone can make Vaporwave” or “anyone can make Signalwave” or whatever, but with Barber Beats LITERALLY anyone can make it I mean, grab a sample off of youtube, slow or speed it up, make some fresh artwork and boom you got something and people will probably listen to it. I will probably listen to it, and maybe I’m wrong for that, I don’t
really know.
It’s not like people are getting rich from releases. On YouTube for example, coming from a Youtuber himself, I can’t see many of these Barber Beats artists making much from ad revenue on these releases that even get into the millions of views; YouTube has gotten so good at detecting copyrighted material and automatically reroutes your ad revenue to the respective artists or platform that owns set content, so I can’t see much profit happening there. In regards to physical releases, coming from someone who ran a record label as well, getting vinyl produced this day and age with how expensive things are barely, barely turns a profit, and as independent small record labels on the internet, you’re really doing it for your love of physical media at a certain point. I don’t think labels are really out here to become millionaires from releasing Barber Beats on vinyl or cassette, I think there’s just a love to see these repurposed works, and mixtapes because that’s a huge majority of what these really are, mixtapes, brought to life in physical form with really cool looking records and packaging. It’s tough though because it is also very understandable to say that no one should even be making a penny off any of this, it’s tough to say this is all fine especially when another artist can be completely unknown to the fact that their hard work has just been sped up or slowed down slightly and is being profited on by someone else, regardless of how much money is actually being made. But as someone who is also a fan of genres like Signalwave or even some of our favorite Classic Vaporwave releases, and how much joy those projects have given to me, is it just for me to say those projects are ok but these aren’t? Is looping a section of a sample ad nauseam with some added
drums instead of playing the whole thing outright but just slowed down, is that really the cut off line for what is creative and what is stealing? What is the cut off for what's right and what's wrong?
Barber Beats will always just be this background aura of sound that accompanies me to get things done throughout the day. Many people releasing material in the Barber Beats realm aren’t here to profit off of any of this and hold themselves back from even considering themselves to be producers, but instead, just individuals with an urge to repurpose existing art with a new presentation style. Overall, the ability for someone to repurpose something, regardless of how much of it is changed, and upload set project onto the internet seems to be a sign of the times,
there is so much being uploaded online in every direction in any field or creative output every second of every day, and as we progress further and further into the future we’re only going to see even more instances of situations in music where we inevitably question whether its right or wrong to not just monetarily support someone in what they are doing, but just the fact of listening to it in general.
If anything, I do hope we see more artists get a bit more experimental with the samples used. (ROMBREAKER makes some really sweet sample-free Barber Beats for example!)
I love when online music communities come together IRL and make some stuff happen... Aloe City Wrld hosted a live Barber Beats show out in London, and it is directions like this that will only further enhance the creativity and uniqueness in this interesting little electronic music genre that has found itself a comfy home throughout your youtube algorithms in the past couple of years.
Cheers, much luv, ur boi,
Pad Chennington
Photo via: Olivia Richard - LAist
Photo via: kresearchr - Reddit
Photo via: InstantWow - Flickr
Photo via: Lauren012916 - Reddit
Roots in Technological Evolution:
Frutiger Aero traces its origins back to the early 2000s, finding its primitive stages in Microsoft's Windows Longhorn builds and the skeuomorphic design of Mac OS X, inspired by early versions of iMovie. As technology evolved, the aesthetic gained momentum with the introduction of the "Plex" theme, evolving Windows Aero glass borders, and the emergence of complete Aero effects in Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer via the Desktop Window Manager.
Mainstream Adoption (2004-2007):
Frutiger Aero reached mainstream prominence with the release of Windows Media Player 10, the Seventh Generation of Video Game Consoles, and Apple's iPod "Silhouette" campaign. It became increasingly prevalent in 2005 and 2006, solidifying its status with the release of Windows Vista, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and the Nintendo Wii. By 2007, Frutiger Aero was firmly established, dominating advertising, media, and technology.
Prime Era (2007-2013):
During its prime, Frutiger Aero became synonymous with contemporary design, influencing a multitude of products and media. It shared similarities with the Y2K aesthetic but presented a more refined, corporate form. The aesthetic's versatility led to the emergence of various sub-aesthetics, broadening its influence across different design contexts.
Decline and Dormancy (2013-2022):
The decline of Frutiger Aero began in 2012 as flat design started to replace the skeuomorphic look. The Wii U, the last video game console fully embracing Frutiger Aero, experienced commercial failure, contributing to the aesthetic's demise. Companies shifted to Frutiger Metro and eventually embraced flat design. By 2017, the minimalist Corporate Memphis aesthetic symbolized the end of Frutiger Aero's dominance, although remnants persisted in specific areas like retail product packaging and textbooks.
Revival and Neo-Aero (2022-present):
In 2017, Sofi Lee coined the term "Frutiger Aero," sparking a renewed interest in the aesthetic. Late 2022 saw its comeback on platforms like TikTok, with the hashtag #frutigeraero gaining popularity. The Windows TikTok account and the release of Windows 11 further fueled speculation about a potential successor-aesthetic, Glassmorphism, reminiscent of Frutiger Aero.
Visuals and Key Elements:
Frutiger Aero visuals are characterized by linear gradients, bloom/glow effects, and a 3D-like shine/sheen. The aesthetic shares motifs such as skeuomorphism, glossy textures, "humanism," nature elements, bokeh, bubbles, Frutiger fonts, glass, and auroras. It serves as a bridge between the busyness of the Y2K era and the minimalism of Flat Design/Corporate Memphis, offering a refined yet vibrant visual experience.
Frutiger Aero, once a dominant force in design, has experienced a resurgence in recent years, capturing the hearts of enthusiasts and designers alike. Its unique blend of nostalgia, versatility, and visual appeal continues to inspire a new generation, reaffirming its place in the ever-evolving landscape of design aesthetics. As we witness the Neo-Aero movement, the "20-year nostalgia cycle" breathes new life into this iconic design style, showcasing its enduring impact on contemporary visual communication.
Images Courtesy Of: aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/Frutiger_Aero
]]>If you haven’t yet, check out volume 1 and 2 in this series before beginning this article. Cheers, and let’s begin!
1. Replicating Patterns - Implemented Dreams
Implemented Dreams by Replicating Patterns is truly haunting Signalwave, done right.
I always love to discuss the mystery of Signalwave projects, but once again just to sum it up if you’ve never heard of it, Signalwave is a subgenre of the larger Vaporwave genre that focuses on creating sound collages by piling together multiple sourced sample materials like old Japanese commercials to quick vocal sound bites from a track from any random decade. Some artists will loop one single piece of audio, at nauseum, and call it a track, while some will just pile on so many different kinds of sounds from all sorts of angles. You really never know what you’re going to get and that’s what makes getting lost in the hundreds and hundreds of these types of releases on Bandcamp so much fun.
There is certainly an uncanny or foreboding side of Signalwave that you’ll find out there, and it is done best with projects that sound so beautiful at the surface level, but that perfect amount of buzz, fuzz and VHS overlay gives the whole project an eerie undertone, like you’re being distracted with this beautiful, charming thing in one hand while the other hand is out of sight and possibly up to no good. Pair it with an album art that feels like you’re stuck in a skybox from Super Mario 64 for eternity, and boom you got a beautiful music release to dive into.
The album welcomes you into this “beautiful-but-not” concept right away with “Downloading Consciousness”, a magical and alluring loop repeated over and over for just about a minute and a half. The sense of purgatory with tracks like “Music processing”, loungey, smokey, waiting room sample flips just poured out to perfection right in the middle of the album.
There is always something so interesting when albums feel completely hollowed out, and Implemented Dreams feels like that constantly. There’s a beautiful thing to show of it all on the surface level of it, but the void that lies beneath it all makes you wish you could just jump into the picture of the album cover and possibly explore if there’s really anything there at all, or just some giant open field of nothingness. That’s another thing good signalwave projects do, they make you want to jump into the album cover and explore the out of bounds in whatever setting they managed to fit into the limiting squared image present on the Bandcamp page. Fans of analog horror and just things that make you feel like you’ve discovered an abandoned page on the internet, you’re going to love this.
2. Conor C. Ellis - Cutting Out My Shadow
2021’s Cutting Out My Shadow by Brooklyn based composer Conor C. Ellis is a dynamic sound experiment that starts off shrieking, twisting and sonically disturbing. It then contrasts itself by slowly meshing in subtle undertones of drone and ambient dizziness, these glowing pockets that add tranquility to the rather sharp and erratic microsounds flooding your eardrums throughout this 3-track fragmented sound melting pot.
With a run time of just over 10 minutes, a project like this one is more than you’ll ever need as it really feels like you are observing a thousand sounds at once at all times. Each sound in each track feels like an auditory fractal; these sounds feel so dense and texturized and it;s projects like Cutting Out My Shadow that tend to come to life before your very eyes, even though you can’t really see it. Polygons with thousands of surfaces generated in your mind, all simply sparked from these bouncy, multi-layered soundscapes.
Tracks 1 and 2, “He Ran Faster And Faster” and “Cutting Out My Shadow” and the 3rd and final track “transparent limb” pair complex yet straightforward microsounds that embody this eroded start-up menu screen to a 2000’s video game console. Imagine your gamecube was left in a pond for like 3 months but somehow still worked, this is how I imagine that startup screen to sound like.
The album art pairs perfectly with the sounds as well; as I mentioned, it feels like there are always thousands of smaller, microscopic sounds making up a larger sound as a whole, and the album art features hundreds of little streaks and dusty sparkles which all conjure up a hand reaching out.
If you’re into expansiveness in sound, projects that take multiple listens as you will discover new, deeper sounds everytime you return to it, don’t sleep on this one.
g h 0 s t is one of the true producers who captures the classic Vaporwave feeling; that era in the mid 2010’s where a simple 80’s soul or rnb flip was more than enough to keep the mood exciting. 失 恋 EP (translated to: Broken Heart EP) is no different, the release sees only more of those sample selections that are bright, nostalgic and full of color. A quick snack at 7 tracks only still packs that glimmering punch found in similar works in their discography like 呪文 (translated to: Incantation) which I actually had as my favorite Vaporwave release of 2021. If you were a fan of that one, you’re going to love this thing too, and pretty much anything else in the trashgh0st discography.
The g h 0 s t discography feels like a giant perfume section in a high-end luxury department store from the 90’s, all of the artwork shining through with this inescapable feeling of primetime fashion and corporate dinner parties. Each release sparkles like the shiny packaging of scents and make-up that line the store shelves, and 失 恋 EP fits perfectly within that aesthetic as well. I love the whole collection of sample flips on here, tracks like “on my mind” are everything we look for in a quick Vaporwave track. That perfect, catchy vocal hook and some erratic glitching at the end only to go into that super chill sax of the track “失恋 (translated to: Broken Heart) to put a beautiful bow on the EP and call it a day.
Traveling back to the start of the EP’s tracklist, tracks like “rose pedals” and “without you” feature the perfect amount of VHS fuzz dripping into your ears, splashy drums and jubilant pads and synths. Tracks like these and “absolutely dope” for example, showcase the romanticized view of the 80’s we all tend to want to experience these days in the modern era, the simple bliss of wanting that luxury lifestyle and nothing else, fed to us through commercials and magazines.
失 恋 EP came out in the Summer of 2022, with 距離 (translated to: Distance) following in March of 2023. I always hope to see new g h 0 s t material soon, the artist has consistently released projects yearly at this point and their work is always welcomed with open arms.
4. Patricia Wolf - See-Through
Imagine if a bunch of Pikmin got together in the studio and said “Ok, lets make an experimental ambient album” … that is what we have here.
My goodness, I think it’s impossible to not find yourself falling into these pockets of nature ambience throughout the year when it comes to what you find yourself listening to; I know there are times throughout like Winter especially when I’ll be working from home or just cleaning the house and for days on end I will listen to nothing but stuff like this. FLOWER BLOOM, Solarpunk: A Possible Future, heck give me even the Wii Weather Channel 10 hour mix and I will be the happiest man on the planet earth for real.
Anyways, Portland Oregon’s Patricia Wolf is a musician, sound designer, and DJ who uses electronics, voice, and field recordings to produce non-linear compositions that draw listeners to a hypnotic inner world. Her use of melody and repetition manipulate the listeners' perception of time, conjuring vivid textures, and atmospheres. That is ripped directly from Patricia’s Bandcamp bio because that is just a perfect explanation of what we have here on See-Through.
This album plays with a variety of subtle and wispy soundscapes that sort of make you envision the album to be some breathing, sun-light craving, living organism found deep within the woods on a hot Summer day. Tracks like “Under A Glass Bell” glow and flicker as the synths and shining keys seem to grow from the ground and root itself deep within your ears. Tracks like
“Recalibration” are exactly what the title portrays, a sharp almost piercing sound from distant space rewiring the worries and stresses you have nestled within your brain. The album is made to represent a kind of rebirth, Wolf explaining the album creation with “After a long period of grief, I had been hoping to find my way to a place of lightness, peace, playfulness, curiosity, and sensuality again. What I was surprised and pleased to find, is that for the most part, I had.”
The album was created in a short time crunch, as she was preparing for a broadcast on an online radio platform back in 2021 and wanted to have all new material for the event... They do say pressure makes diamonds.
The entire album is a spotlight on Wolf’s thoughts and feelings at the time, claiming that experiencing loss and isolation is what drove a handful of songs on here. The Track “Psychic Sweeping” and its weeping acoustic guitar seems lost and erratic throughout it’s 74-second run time, but it says so much in such a short time. The guitar cries and echoes, seemingly stuck down in a hole as you listen from above, with no ladder to rescue it.
If you are a fan of nature, getting lost in a field, or maybe feeling a bit stuck in your life, put See-Through on the menu and see what it could do for you. It’s so pretty and dreamy, tracks don’t overflow our ears with too many sounds as you can find in a lot of other ambient or sound terrain projects, here it just works and I’ll be throwing this one on quite a bit as the weather gets colder.
5. Days of Blue - Days of Blue
Next, let’s take a listen to one of my favorite Slushwave producers in the game: Days of Blue.
For those who don’t know, Slushwave is a subgenre of Vaporwave, where specifically, producers use a variety of techniques to create washy, hazy and lethargic melodies through stretched out synths and other sources of sample material. Days of Blue, and his album also titled Days of Blue, is some of the best Slushwave out there.
Released in April of 2021, this is the debut album from the once California now New York based producer, and what a debut this was. Days of Blue is a relatively new producer in the Slushwave subgenre, but has taken the scene by storm with releases like this one.
The almost 7 track opening track “Tears from a Cloud” is simply magical. Slushy piano keys play on top of airy undertones and to be honest, this track could last forever and I’d be completely okay with that. This is another one of the countless Slushwave albums that just replicate the scenery in the album art so well; it feels as if I’m some overworked desktop job employee for some gigantic financial company in a never ending city, working some overtime and just looking out the giant windows into the washed out night skies of the world.
If you love those longer, stretched out Slushwave tracks do not worry because “Tears from a Cloud” is not the only one on here. “Haze” and “A New Day” are both over 8 minutes long, both trembling with emotional pads, nature soundscapes, and once again just gorgeous piano work that becomes a mainstay on this album as a whole.
The Days of Blue project began as a conceptualization near the end of Summer 2020 amidst the wildfires that ravaged the producers home state of California. They recall the lack of blue sky, which inspired the name of the project and the idea for the album. Days of Blue experimented with a limited array of sounds that eventually brought about the completed project: an atmospheric journey through a familiar city along with a yearning to reach a better place.
The album was also released by Rei Records on this beautiful cassette tape which Days of Blue gave to me at one of the monthly DJ shows I was hosting throughout this past Summer in New York City. The producer is one of the nicest dudes out there and is continuing to make a big splash in the scene with live performances as well. I am so excited to see where Days of Blue goes next with their great taste for lush sounding Slushwave.
The skies may not always be clear but a blue sky always emerges from the haze.
6. The Sarto Klyn V - Disappeared
A beautiful combination of dark Jazz that can feel tranquil at moments, and strained at others, Disappeared is a poorly lit walk through a dangerous alleyway late at night. A big city could feel lonely too, and there’s a nature to this project that exaggerates those ironic feelings of solitude in a city filled with millions of people. I picture tracks like “Tumble Through” and “Internal Dialogue Blues” to plague the background of a super rich person alone in their penthouse apartment hovering over Manhattan on a cold, rainy night. A beautiful living space with floor to ceiling windows, extravagant furniture, and a beautiful personal bar in the corner yet you’ve never felt so alone. There’s a sweeping sadness brought about by the added synth layers in tracks like “Hold Solitude”, and those keys drenched in reverb further hammer home that draining atmosphere of a person who has lost their place in the constant grind of the world. I love the super crisp and lush instrumentals at times that sit over vinyl crackle, and we all know how played out throwing a vinyl crackle sound effect could be in other music works, but here it feels like a nostalgic memory trying to breakthrough the cut-throat world of sad, almost depressive, face jazz instrumentals like tired saxophones just trying to do their fill to pay the bills.
Everything on here was produced by one dude, Ian Ferguson, who goes by the name The Sarto Klyn V. Disappeared is intensely tranquil at times and battles with ominous undertones. Also check out Ferguson’s Hide EP as well if you like these sounds, another project along with many others in the Satro Klyn V discography that do such a great job at playing with ominous, empty open spaces and jazz. Great listening, even if it could be a bit unsettling at times.
7. slowerpace 音楽 - Barbershop Simulator™
Barbershop Simulator™ by slowerpace 音楽 (translated to slowerpace music) is a go-to, perfect platter of barber beats for anyone looking to transcend into another world, a world set permanently at night time where you run your very own, dimly lit barber shop located in the depths of the city. Chill, jazzy hip-hop flooded with flutes, calming synths and weathered horns that sound like they’re just waking up in the morning, this 13 track collection of barber beats is the ultimate relaxation, and a piece that I’ve been listening to quite frequently over the past year.
You know me on this channel, I love talking about albums that take you to another setting entirely, something with a story or theme or narrative that elevates the sound beyond the sound itself, and this is exactly it. Barber Beats have an amazing ability to bring a like early 2000’s video game home menu screen feel without just being the stereotypical drum and bass, super y2k vibe that we always think of when going back to those OG menu screens. Projects like Barbershop Simulator™ feel modern yet vintage, it doesn’t get classier than tracks like “staff meeting” for example. The drums are so washy and liquidy, the piano is eroded, and those bongos or whatever drums you got hustling in the background feels ambitious at all time, full of body all taken home by those subtle horns once again.
Tracks like “special client” bring more of a heavy, distorted flow to the album which doesn’t go too far from that old-school, yet modern, vibe with the use of more computery-sounding synths. Following this “vacation mode on” comes in which is one of my favorites on the album, returning right back to this calm and resort-like background tune that is so shiny and beautiful sounding as the piano and horns talk to each other in a way so lush and fun.
And look at this artwork, we got a Sega Genesis box art feel to go perfectly with a cast of characters and scenarios that may portray the most exciting barbershop imaginable. I love it all though, barber beats always have this ability to provide simple, calm and relaxing background tunes to your day-to-day life, but most of them seem to have just really aesthetically pleasing artwork and colors that just work wonderfully together, where here I really love that we are presented this new and exciting world that these beats can fully find a home in.
If you’re a Barber Beats fan and haven’t given this thing a listen yet this year, I highly recommend you do. While most may see the project as just another Barber Beats work thrown into the internet, the blend of this barbershop tycoon game to me makes everything come alive that much more and stick out. Happy listening, and don’t forget a hot towel after every haircut given.
Much love,
Ur boi,
Pad Chennington.
Mecha Supremacy Hoodie: Wrap your friends or family in retro mech anime vibes with the Mecha Supremacy Hoodie. Designed by Jeremy Gdalia this brand new design features retro aesthetics, radical vibrant colors, and a comfortable fit. This hoodie is perfect for chilly winter nights and adds a touch of battle babe style to any wardrobe.
Summum Blanket: Bring the Vaporwave empire into your living room with the Summum Blanket. Whether it's for movie nights or cozy reading sessions, this soft and eye-catching blanket is a practical and stylish gift.
Fatal Error Joggers: Demonstrate just how crashed their operating system is while upping their athleisure game with the Fatal Error Joggers. Designed by Warakami these joggers seamlessly blend retro windows aesthetics with everyday comfort. These joggers are perfect for lounging around the house or making a profound statement on the streets.
Outatime Phone Case: Help them protect their tech while repping the coolest car of all time with a Outatime Phone Case. The Delorean design not only safeguards their device but also serves as a conversation starter for admirers of 80's culture and time traveling accessories.
Vapor95 Gift Card: Can't decide on a specific item? Opt for a Vapor95 Gift Card and let your loved ones choose their favorite pieces. It's the ideal solution for those who appreciate the freedom to curate their own vaporwave-inspired wardrobe.
Kotoka Body Pillow: For the lonely but unabashed individuals on your list, the Kotoka Body Pillow is a lost maiden needing a home and a rather practical accessory. Its sensuous design and super soft body make it perfect for providing the emotional connection that special someone might be missing.
Vapor95 Sticker Sheet: A more affordable gift option give them the opportunity to upgrade their workspace or gamer desk with the Vapor95 Sticker Sheet. The vibrant colors and Vaporwave graphics of the 17 vinyl stickers on one sheet add a touch of personality to any surface, making it a fantastic gift for anyone looking to j a z z up a zone.
Skyline 95 Long Sleeve Tee: Japanese racing aesthetics meets fashion in the Skyline 95 Long Sleeve Tee. This unique piece pays homage to the iconic Nissan Skyline GT-R car combined with a Vaporwave style and Japanese text, making it an excellent gift for those who appreciate 90's Japanese sports cars.
Binbows Dad Hat: It started as a meme and made its way into our collective memory. Pay homage to the ultimate computer store with the Binbows Dad Hat. Combining the classic title of that famous copyright skirting store with our iconic logo, this hat is a trendy accessory that adds a playful twist to casual outfits.
Superaudio High Top Sneakers: Complete the ensemble with the Superaudio High Top Sneakers. Featuring a nostalgic VHS inspired design, these sneakers are a comfortable yet powerful way to infuse some Caporwave aesthetics into their daily attire.
Or you can shop our Best Sellers to see what else is the most popular at Vapor95.com
This Christmas, spread the joy of unique and stylish gifts with Vapor95.com. From cozy hoodies to eye-catching accessories, their diverse range offers something for everyone. Make sure you order before Dec 4th to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. Embrace the spirit of Vaporwave and give the gift of nostalgia and fashion this holiday season.
]]>Hi! This is River, the CEO. I just wanted to express my immense gratitude to everyone who has supported Vapor95 over the years. A warm welcome to all our new followers – you're now part of the Vapor95 family. We are a small, dedicated company that has always aimed to be the best clothing company possible.
Our mission has been to create the highest quality clothing in America and collaborate directly with artists and designers to produce authentic Vaporwave Clothing. We've grown over the years, working with countless incredible artists and individuals. Please know that we hold deep appreciation for each and every one of you, and we continue to be grateful for the opportunity to do what we love.
We'll never lose sight of why we created Vapor95 in the first place, and we'll always strive to ensure that above all, our customers are 100% satisfied and impressed.
With the holiday season approaching, we want to ensure that our most loyal supporters receive the absolute best deals and exclusive freebies whenever we can offer them. If you want to join our ELITE list, please enter your email and SMS here. We'll send you all the upcoming sale codes in advance, as well as super-special discounts that won't be available to our main marketing list.
Additionally, if you've ever encountered any issues with Vapor95, your order, or anything else, feel free to reach out to me directly at River@Vapor95.com. I'll personally ensure that any situation is resolved to your satisfaction.
Our small but passionate team at Vapor95 celebrates you, and we're incredibly excited about the future. We have a treasure trove of amazing designs and products yet to offer. Long Live Vaporwave!
]]>In 2017, a series of limited conversations between an unknown music producer who went by the name b e g o t t e n 自杀 and a record label owner named Dennis would lead to the upload of 6 disturbing albums. These conversations, and the bizarre circumstances behind them, would be documented online upon the release of each album. For a while, fans of the project believed the music, and the story, of b e g o t t e n 自杀 was over. All 6 projects were released in a 2 year span, and ever since 2019, it’s been radio silence from the worrisome online producer.
Until now.
On October 6th of 2023, a 7th release in the b e g o t t e n 自杀 discography has surfaced, 4 years later, out of nowhere.
If you aren’t up to date with the events surrounding this producer, check out my articles on the Darknet blog which goes extensively into all 6 of these releases and the crazy stories behind them, but if you don’t want to read through everything, I’ll try and summarize everything up for you real quick so we can head right into this latest, and possibly weirdest, release yet.
In 2017, Dennis, owner of the online music label Geometric Lullaby and also frontman of the band Ghost Bath, would create a thread on a forum in efforts to find new artists for their label. The label’s motto: A collection of songs about life and death.
Shortly after, Dennis would receive a message from an artist named b e g o t t e n 自杀, along with 6 fully complete albums and accompanying artwork ready to go. The producer used the term “hushwave” to describe the sound of the music, its twisting of sample material elevated with hazy and lethargic sound design was infectious. The music branched off of the infamous internet conjured genre known as Vaporwave, a production style where artists twist and bend existing songs to create all new soundscapes and themes, accompanied by, of course, a retro aesthetic. With hushwave and what b e g o t t e n 自杀 was creating, the sounds were uncanny, haunting, but calming all at the same time, broken and distorted artwork featuring skeletons and vivid textures for the aesthetic. A 2 year release cycle would see all 6 b e g o t t e n 自杀 albums find a home on the label, along with a dedicated and beloved fan base following along for whatever came next.
During this time, the relationship between Dennis and b e g o t t e n 自杀 would get quite weird to say the least; mysterious packages and bloody letters in the mail, confusing music videos and even Dennis sending out a personal friend for, what he believed to be, a meetup with the unknown producer in a graveyard, only to end in the friend pretending the whole event didn’t even happen. Like I said, there’s a whole lot of history to unpack, but just to sum it up, the producer has seemingly disappeared since 2019... until now.
As of the present day, Dennis had almost forgotten about b e g o t t e n 自杀 entirely. The artist slowly slipped from his mind, replaced by the countless emails, music making, touring and other projects he was involved in.
His band Ghost Bath would hit the road once more in the US and Canada in 2023 and Dennis recalls the tour going amazing. They were playing packed and sold out rooms, having the time of their lives. That was, until they hit Georgia. The staff who were supposed to be taking care of the show were extremely late. The venue was strange and the stage was tiny. And barely anyone showed up.
This, of course, happens from time to time with any band. So on that night in Georgia, Ghost Bath would play their set, and Dennis would step outside to cool off for a bit and mingle with his bandmates and fans.
Not long after, someone reached their hand out to him and said “I enjoyed your music”.
Dennis replied: “Thank you” and shook their hand. He recalls the person looking at him for a moment too long, something about the way they stared at him began to make him feel uncomfortable. Dennis nodded at them and smiled, hoping they would move along.
The person leaned in closer to him. "I'm b e g o t t e n 自杀." they said.
Dennis laughed and shook his head when he heard this. This wasn't the first time someone joked with him at a show about b e g o t t e n 自杀. Most of the time it never bothered him, but on this night, he was already a bit annoyed by the way the show went.
He replied sarcastically to the claim. “Sure... so you know my label then?" “I can prove it” the person replied, and then held up their phone...
That's when they held up their phone showing Dennis their email address. It looked legit enough and Dennis started to get nervous for some reason. Even upon seeing the email, Dennis still had his doubts.
Dennis didn't know how he should react. He offered to buy them a drink and they obliged. Luckily, the place had some semi-private seating with large wooden walls surrounding booths and the two both took a seat.
The conversation that followed began with a lot of questions from Dennis. But mostly, he was just in awe. This was the last thing he ever expected to happen, and despite the poor quality of the show, his mood flipped on its head. Dennis was ecstatic, and of course, curious.
The conversation ranged from more about their creation process, how b e g o t t e n 自杀 found the Geometric Lullaby label in the beginning, and then delved into deeper, more philosophical topics. A lot about mental health, Dennis recalls.
And this would have been the happy ending we all wanted. b e g o t t e n 自杀 alive and well. Good conversation. But, oh no. There is more... A LOT more.
During the conversation, something came up that rubbed Dennis the wrong way. b e g o t t e n 自杀 continually mentioned a group of individuals that they had been speaking with. At first Dennis dismissed this seemingly unimportant fact, It was nothing of note.
The more b e g o t t e n 自杀 spoke of them though, the more concerning it all became. They were described as a collective of sorts. A mysterious number of artists and philosophers who created music. It wasn't until the mention of a manifesto and a set of rules and commandments that Dennis started to take note.
b e g o t t e n 自杀 had supposedly met them online through the contact point on their bandcamp page. b e g o t t e n 自杀 spoke of them so highly, and claimed that they were all extremely excited, as they were all going to meet in real life for the first time in October.
Dennis did not have much time to explore the topic as he was being badgered by his bandmates to come help tear the stage down and load the trailer. As of right now, Dennis doesn’t want to reveal the name of the 'group' that he thought resembled a cult in many ways. He didn’t know enough about them yet, and he did not want to misrepresent them, or give them unneeded attention.
Before he could bid his farewell, b e g o t t e n 自杀 offered Dennis an album, (death cycle) - 死 亡循環. Apparently, they had been sitting on it for a little while, created when they were in a very dark place. The two hammered out the details for the release fairly quickly, and Dennis knew he was about to get his hands on something very special, and very personal.
Dennis was beyond happy; a swing of moods from depressed to ecstatic in such a short period of time. A new b e g o t t e n 自杀 release was here, 4 years later seemingly out of thin air. The burst of energy would surely help him in loading all of the equipment out of the venue.
"Thank you for coming out to meet me," Dennis said before standing up.
b e g o t t e n 自杀 then looked at him with a strange intensity. They reached out with a crumpled piece of line paper, placing it in Dennis’ hand, and then stared at Dennis for one last, long moment, and walked away.
Dennis left the secluded table and unraveled the crinkled paper. 'HELP ME' was written in blue pen.
Dennis’ heart sank. He ran to where b e g o t t e n 自杀 had walked but they were nowhere to be found. He sprinted to the parking lot, his eyes shooting in all directions. "Begotten!" he called out, only to hear nothing but silence in return.
Two of his band mates lugged a speaker cabinet out from the door beside him. "Can we get some help here?" they said.
The bandmates had no clue of the significance of everything that had just transpired. Dennis was at a loss for what to do. He didn't know whether to make a search party or call someone for help. All he knew was that he had to do SOMETHING.
The album Dennis received that night, (death cycle) - 死亡循環, would be released to the public on Friday, October 6th. 20 tracks, a solid amount to please the appetite of any b e g o t t e n 自 杀 fan, accompanied with the latest story and mysterious texts that have also been featured in previous b e g o t t e n 自杀 releases. Linked above for anyone who wants to check everything out for themselves. Everyone knows a b e g o t t e n 自 杀 release isn’t just about the music; the Bandcamp page itself is an experience, which is an aspect I’ve always loved about this producer.
The album opens with the track “(drowned) - 淹死的”, a murky and ancient beat that descends us into the depths of what the rest of this album has to offer. The distorted and growling “(fascination) - 魅力” follows right after, a track that contrasts itself with pockets of isolated, reverb soaked guitar. The album is perfect for Halloween time, tracks like ”(poltergeist) - 惡作劇精神” and it’s vocal samples, “(boiling) - 沸騰” brings us right alongside a cracking fire in the middle of a cold October night, sitting next to a friend whos fell into a trance with his acoustic guitar, plucking away into the night for eternity. Or how about “(ribcage) - 肋骨” with it’s distant, bellowing sound terrain. This 7th album takes a little bit of each of the previous 6 and blends them all together. There are even brighter, more vivid moments on here too like “(solemn) - 莊 嚴” and “(decayed) - 腐爛的” with their pretty vocal samples and “(tearfall) - 落淚”, a track that is perfectly pretty with shiny chimes and splashy snare.
To put it simply, this new album is the perfect release for b e g o t t e n 自杀 fans. The album blends darker, harsher textures with these pretty tranquil moments that all showcase the beauty of the Halloween season; that blend of cozy autumn nights with genuine horror shrouded in mystery.
The album was also released with two limited edition vinyl pressings, 333 “PINK LUMINESCENCE” copies and 333 “Electric Neon Blue” copies. As of the writing of this video, all of the blue copies are sold out and only about 30 pink LPs are left. Geometric Lullaby always does a stellar job with their physical releases, and this one I’m sure will be no different.
For a story that seemed to wrap up years ago, the mystery of b e g o t t e n 自杀 now only feels like it is just getting started. The only question now is, what will happen next, and when will we get that next release?
Much luv, ur boi, Pad Chennington
Beyblades, the popular spinning top toys, have captivated the hearts of children and adults alike for over two decades. In this article, we delve into the craze and rich history of Beyblades, tracing their origins, exploring their evolution, and celebrating the enduring sport of customized Beyblade battles. From humble beginnings to a thriving competitive scene, Beyblades continue to spin their way into the hearts of enthusiasts around the world.
The Rise of the Beyblade Craze:
Beyblades burst onto the toy scene in the early 2000s, capturing the imagination of children everywhere. Combining spinning tops with collectible elements, Beyblades offered a unique interactive experience. The craze quickly swept across playgrounds, as kids engaged in thrilling battles, showcasing the dexterity and strategy required to outspin their opponents. The innovative design, customizable features, and engaging storylines made Beyblades an instant hit among young enthusiasts.
A Rich History:
The history of Beyblades can be traced back to the traditional Japanese spinning tops known as beigoma. These wooden spinning tops, which date back several centuries, laid the foundation for the modern Beyblade phenomenon. In the 1990s, Takara Tomy, a Japanese toy company, revitalized the spinning top concept with their Beyblade toy line. The introduction of the "plastic generation" Beyblades marked a turning point, captivating a global audience with their unique battling system and intricate designs.
Check out the YouTube video below to learn more about the Beyblade evolution.
The Evolution of Customization:
One of the defining features of Beyblades is their customization potential. Enthusiasts have embraced the art of creating customized Beyblades by combining different parts and components to optimize performance. From selecting specific metal or plastic tips for different arenas to customizing weight distribution for increased stability or attack power, the customization aspect adds depth to the Beyblade sport. This ongoing pursuit of optimization keeps the Beyblade community engaged and continuously pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
The Thriving Sport of Beyblade Battles:
Beyond casual play, Beyblade battles have evolved into a competitive sport with tournaments held worldwide. These battles bring together skilled players who showcase their spinning top prowess in fierce and strategic matches. The sport has garnered a dedicated community, fostering camaraderie, sportsmanship, and a spirit of friendly competition. Beyblade tournaments provide a platform for players to showcase their customized creations, exchange tips and techniques, and celebrate their passion for this unique spinning top sport.
The Enduring Legacy:
As Beyblades continue to capture the hearts of enthusiasts worldwide, the enduring legacy of this beloved toy is evident. Through its ability to combine physical skill, customization, and storytelling, Beyblades have transcended mere toys to become a cultural phenomenon. With an ever-growing fan base, online communities, and organized competitions, Beyblades remain a vibrant and cherished part of contemporary play culture.
From its humble origins to its current status as a global phenomenon, Beyblades have evolved into more than just spinning tops. The craze and history surrounding Beyblades showcase their enduring appeal and the passion they ignite in both children and adults. As the sport continues to thrive, with enthusiasts creating customized Beyblades and engaging in thrilling battles, the Beyblade community exemplifies the power of play, creativity, and friendly competition. The legacy of Beyblades serves as a testament to the timeless allure of spinning tops and the joy they bring to those who let their imagination spin free.
]]>
Affordable Housing:
One impactful way to utilize abandoned malls is by converting them into affordable housing complexes. The vast space available within these structures can be redesigned to accommodate a significant number of housing units. By providing affordable housing options, we can address the growing housing crisis, reduce homelessness, and alleviate financial burdens for low-income individuals and families. Such a transformation not only benefits the disadvantaged but also revitalizes the local community and fosters inclusive neighborhoods.
Community Spaces:
Abandoned malls can serve as ideal locations for community centers, offering various services and amenities that cater to the needs of local residents. These revamped spaces can house libraries, recreational facilities, healthcare clinics, job training centers, and social support services. By repurposing malls as community hubs, we create accessible gathering places that promote social cohesion, engagement, and empowerment within neighborhoods.
Educational and Vocational Opportunities
Another possibility for abandoned malls is transforming them into educational and vocational training centers. With their ample space, these structures can accommodate classrooms, workshops, and laboratories, providing opportunities for skill development and education. By offering vocational training, career counseling, and entrepreneurial programs, abandoned malls can become catalysts for economic growth, equipping individuals with the necessary tools to thrive in the evolving job market.
Sustainable Initiatives and Green Spaces
The conversion of abandoned malls can also incorporate sustainable design and green spaces. By implementing energy-efficient technologies, such as solar panels and smart building systems, these structures can become models of sustainability. Surrounding areas can be transformed into parks, gardens, or urban farming spaces, contributing to environmental conservation, improving air quality, and enhancing the well-being of the community. The abandoned mall itself can be turned into an indoor garden / green space.
Economic Revitalization and Cultural Centers
The repurposing of abandoned malls offers an opportunity for economic revitalization. By transforming these spaces into cultural centers, art galleries, or mixed-use complexes with a blend of retail, dining, and entertainment options, communities can attract visitors, stimulate local business growth, and create employment opportunities. This transformation breathes new life into neglected areas, fostering a sense of pride and vibrancy within the community.
The abandoned malls that dot the American landscape hold immense potential to address societal needs and revitalize communities. By repurposing these structures as affordable housing, community spaces, educational centers, sustainable initiatives, and economic hubs, we can forge a path toward social progress. The transformation of these spaces not only benefits the disadvantaged but also creates a sense of community, fosters economic growth, and promotes sustainability. As we reimagine the possibilities, let us embrace the opportunity to turn these abandoned malls into beacons of hope, opportunity, and a better future for all.
]]>
One of the most remarkable aspects of the AGC was its compact size. At a time when computers occupied entire rooms, the AGC had to be reduced to fit within the limited space available on the Apollo spacecraft. To achieve this, engineers pioneered miniaturization techniques, resulting in a computer that weighed only 70 pounds. Additionally, a team of talented and dedicated women at the Raytheon Corporation played a vital role in the construction of the AGC. Tasked with weaving the memory modules, they meticulously threaded tiny magnetic cores through wire grids, creating the crucial magnetic core memory that formed the computer's primary storage.
The work of these women weavers at Raytheon was indispensable to the success of the Apollo missions. Their intricate craftsmanship ensured that the AGC had the necessary memory capacity to store critical data, including navigation algorithms, mission parameters, and guidance instructions. The AGC's memory modules, hand-woven by these skilled women, played a vital role in the navigation and safe landing of Apollo spacecraft on the moon, marking a significant milestone in human history.
Another key figure in the development of the Apollo Guidance Computer was computer scientist Margaret Hamilton. As the director of the Software Engineering Division at the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, Hamilton led a team responsible for developing the software that powered the AGC. Her pioneering work in software engineering and her innovative approach to error detection and recovery were instrumental in ensuring the reliability and functionality of the AGC's software. Hamilton's rigorous testing and rigorous coding practices helped prevent potential errors and contributed to the success of the Apollo missions. Her groundbreaking contributions to the AGC's software programming have made her a legendary figure in computer science and an inspiration to future generations of programmers.
The AGC was primarily responsible for guiding the Apollo spacecraft during crucial mission phases, including lunar landings. Equipped with advanced navigation algorithms, the computer processed data from various sensors and instruments to calculate the spacecraft's position, velocity, and orientation in real-time. The AGC boasted an innovative operating system that allowed astronauts to interact with the computer efficiently. The user interface incorporated a digital display and a numeric keypad, enabling astronauts to input commands and monitor critical information.
Considering the high stakes of space travel, the AGC was designed to be fault-tolerant and capable of autonomous decision-making. It featured multiple redundant systems and error-checking mechanisms that ensured the computer's reliability, mitigating potential failures. Moreover, the AGC could autonomously respond to unexpected events and make real-time adjustments to mission parameters, augmenting the astronauts' decision-making capabilities and increasing overall mission safety. The legacy of the Apollo Guidance Computer extends far beyond the moon landings. Its cutting-edge technologies and engineering innovations paved the way for the development of subsequent generations of computers and computer systems. The lessons learned from the AGC's design and operation helped shape modern space exploration technology and found applications in various industries on Earth.
Today, the legacy of the AGC lives on in various museums worldwide, providing visitors with a glimpse into the marvels of early space technology. Museums like the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Computer History Museum, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and the Science Museum proudly exhibit AGCs, showcasing the technical prowess of the AGC and honoring the women who contributed to its creation. The story of the women weavers at Raytheon highlights the often overlooked contributions of women in technology and space exploration. Their dedication and expertise were vital to the success of the AGC and the Apollo program as a whole. By recognizing and celebrating their achievements, we not only honor their legacy but also inspire the next generation of women to pursue careers in STEM fields, leaving an indelible mark on the future of innovation.
The Apollo Guidance Computer was a true technical marvel of its time, pushing the boundaries of what was possible in computing and space exploration. Its miniaturization, reliability, guidance and navigation capabilities, user interface design, fault tolerance, and autonomy set new standards for future generations of computers. The AGC owes its success not only to its groundbreaking technology but also to the talented women at the Raytheon Corporation who meticulously hand-wove its memory modules. Their invaluable contributions ensured the reliability and functionality of the AGC, paving the way for human space exploration. Through the preservation of AGCs in museums worldwide, the legacy of these women and the AGC's significance in history are upheld, inspiring generations to come and highlighting the crucial role of women in shaping the world of technology. The Apollo Guidance Computer and the women behind its memory serve as a powerful symbol of human achievement and the remarkable feats that can be accomplished through technological innovation and gender equality.
Studies have shown that music can have a powerful impact on our emotions and can be used to reduce stress and anxiety. In busy areas like shopping malls or airports, the use of Muzak can help to create a more relaxed and enjoyable environment, making it easier for people to navigate these spaces.
In retail stores, it was found that playing slower tempo music led to customers browsing longer and spending more money. In elevators and waiting rooms, it helped to reduce stress and anxiety by providing a pleasant background noise and filling the ambient space.
Despite its early success through the industrial and commercial booms of the 50s and through into the 90s, Muzak has fallen out of favor in recent years. The company Mood Media purchased the brand name Muzak in 2011 for a deal worth $345 Million and subsequently itself went bankrupt in 2017. Many companies have opted for more personalized and targeted music choices, tailored to their specific brand and demographic. Streaming services like Spotify and Pandora have also made it easier for businesses to curate their own playlists. Still, the legacy of Muzak lives on, and its impact not only on the music industry but also in our collective experience of commercial spaces can be still be felt. The brand name Muzak now synonymous with "elevator music" or just ambient commercial music in general. Its influence also continues to resonate in the Vaporwave genre of music.
Vaporwave, a sub-genre of electronic music originating around 2011, is known for its heavily processed and slowed-down samples of 1980s and 1990s music. It borrows heavily from the Muzak sound, which often consisted of easy-listening versions of popular songs. Vaporwave artists sometimes use Muzak versions of songs as the basis for their own tracks.
Vaporwave's name originated for the term Vaporware which was software that was akin to a vapor or impermanent. It was meant to be used or samples and then to evaporate away. Much like the nature of Muzak which was created to be a vaporous form of music. An impernent and unobtrusive ambient sound design to temporarily fill a space. The two musical movements share this theme of imperanence and transient essence.
Vaporwave samples and recontextualizes Muzak's easy-listening tunes, transforming them into nostalgic, glitchy, and sometimes eerie compositions. The manipulated melodies and slowed-down tempos evoke a sense of longing for a bygone era, intertwining with Vaporwave's critique of consumer culture and capitalist excess.
By appropriating and subverting the sonic essence of Muzak, Vaporwave artists like, 猫 シ Corp., pay homage to the genre while simultaneously deconstructing its original purpose, creating a sonic collage that resonates with a contemporary audience seeking to reflect on the past in an ironic and introspective manner.
Check out some Muzak / Mall Soft playlists below.
Mall Soft & Shopping Mall Ambience Spotify Playlist
'70s Grocery Store Muzak Spotify Playlist
50s / 60s Lounge Muzak Spotify Playlist
]]>
For starters, it was a time when the internet was still new and exciting. We were just starting to discover the things we could do online, from chatting with friends late into the night on AIM to buying things on Ebay and exploring the treasures of eBaums World. It was a time before social media took over our lives, before we were constantly glued to our screens.
But it wasn't just the introduction of the internet that made that era so great. It was also a time when we spent a lot of time outdoors. We ran around outside with our friends for hours with no way for our parents to get in touch with us, rode bikes, went swimming, and played games like man hunt in the back woodsy area behind our best friend's neighbors house. We didn't have smartphones or tablets, so we were forced to be creative and make our own fun. We picked up skateboards and bmx bikes, maybe some of us had Heelies or even a pair of soapshoes. We got lost in our neighborhoods without the use of Google Maps and when we were younger (and if we were lucky) we made it home before the street lights came on.
Of course, technology was still increasing at a rapid pace during that time. But it hadn't yet taken over our lives the way it has now. We had cell phones, but they were flip phones with small screens and limited capabilities. We had to text via T9 word, we programmed ring tones into our phone and forced our friends to listen to ringback tones like 'Cam'ron's - Hey Ma' every time they called us. We had computers, but they were clunky and slow compared to the sleek laptops we have today. We had PS1s and played Tony Hawks Pro Skater and Metal Gear Solid late into the night with our friends in the room with us, fighting over the two controlers on the couch. It was a time when we could appreciate technology for what it was, without feeling like we were constantly beholden to it, and we still had our privacy.
Another thing that made that era so different from today was the dominance of MTV, music videos, and magazines as the arbiters of cool. These were the places we went to discover new music, new trends, and new ways of being. We watched TRL to see which music videos were the most popular, and instead of binging TV shows we devoured songs from our favorites bands and when we couldn't get their CDs, tried to illegally download their songs on Limewire. We made mix CDs for just about every occassion and gifted them to our friends and crushes. We read magazines like Seventeen and Nylon Mag to get fashion and beauty tips. We circled our favorite outfits in Alloy and dELiA*s catalogs and covered our bedroom walls in posters and torn out pages from magazines.
There was something about the music of that era that was so raw and authentic. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden had laid the foundation for the grunge movement in the early 90s, and by the late 90s - early 2000s, we were seeing the emergence of pop-punk and indie bands like Blink-182, Green Day, Paramore, and the Yeah-Yeah-Yeahs. These were bands that spoke to us, they understood our angst. They were the soundtrack to our lives, and we couldn't get enough of them.
In many ways, the late 90s and early 2000s were a time of transition. We were moving from the analog world to the digital world, from the old ways of doing things to the new. It was a time when anything seemed possible, when we were full of hope and excitement for the future. Looking back now, it's easy to feel nostalgic for that era, for the simplicity and innocence of those times. But even though we can never go back, we can still appreciate all the things that made that era so special, and continue to carry them with us as we move into the future.
But why were we so obsessed with transparent technology in the first place? And what does it say about our relationship with food and technology throughout history?
To understand the trend, it's helpful to look back at the history of transparent food packaging. The idea of packaging food in transparent materials dates back to the early 20th century, when manufacturers began using glass jars and bottles to showcase their products. This allowed consumers to see exactly what they were buying and gave them a sense of trust in the product.
Over time, manufacturers began experimenting with other materials like plastic and cellophane, which were cheaper and easier to produce in large quantities. By the 1960s, transparent packaging had become the norm for many types of food products, from cereal to snacks to beverages.
Fast forward to the 90s, and the transparent trend had jumped from food packaging to technology. In many ways, it was a natural progression. Just like transparent packaging gave consumers a sense of trust in their food products, transparent technology gave us a sense of transparency and control over the gadgets that were becoming such a big part of our lives.
Crystal Pepsi was one of the most iconic examples of the transparent trend. Introduced in 1992, it was a clear, caffeine-free version of Pepsi that was marketed as a "bold, refreshing, crystal-clear cola." The idea was that consumers could see exactly what they were drinking and feel good about the purity of the product.
Game Boys and transparent TVs followed suit, allowing us to see the inner workings of our favorite gadgets and giving us a sense of control over our technology. Pagers were another popular item to get the transparent treatment, allowing us to see the electronic components that made them work.
Of course, like all trends, the transparent fad eventually faded away. By the early 2000s, we were more interested in sleek, minimalist designs and bright, bold colors than we were in transparency. But the trend still holds an important place in the history of food and technology.
Looking back, it's clear that our obsession with transparency was about more than just aesthetics. It was a reflection of our desire for control and understanding over the products we consume. And while transparent technology may no longer be in vogue, that desire for transparency and trust in our products is still as important as ever.
3. Kitty Forman from "That '70s Show:
Kitty had a great sense of humor and was never afraid to speak her mind, she also had a tender and nurturing side that made her a beloved figure in the show's ensemble.
4. Becky Donaldson-Katsopolis from "Full House":
Becky was a caring and responsible caregiver/friend to the Tanner girls, as well as a loving wife and mother to her own family. She was intelligent, kind-hearted, career driven and always willing to lend a helping hand.
7. Jill Taylor from "Home Improvement":
Jill was a smart, resourceful mom who encouraged her husband and children to pursue their dreams. She was a great role model, showing that intelligence and compassion can go hand in hand. She always had a solution to whatever problem her family was facing.
8. Hilda and Zelda Spellman from "Sabrina the Teenage Witch":
The rise of digital piracy has been a concern for companies for decades, and in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, they used various forms of anti-piracy efforts to combat the issue. Early forms of technology-based anti-piracy campaigns included the infamous "Don't Copy That Floppy" campaign and various forms of copy protection.
In the late 80s, the Software Publishers Association (SPA) launched the "Don't Copy That Floppy" campaign. The campaign included a music video featuring an actor rapping about the dangers of copying software and passing it around to friends. The video was distributed to schools and libraries as an educational tool to discourage students from engaging in piracy. Despite its corny execution, the campaign was a major success, and it went viral before the term even existed.
Copy protection was another popular form of anti-piracy technology in the 80s and 90s. Software companies would add specific code to their products, making them difficult to copy or install on multiple machines. The most common form of copy protection involved creating a physical copy of the software with a unique code that would need to be entered during installation. Another method involved creating "bad sectors" on the disk, making it difficult for copying software to make a duplicate copy.
As the internet became more popular in the late 90s and early 2000s, companies began using digital rights management (DRM) technology to protect their software and media products. DRM involves encrypting a file to prevent unauthorized access and copying. This technology became popular with digital music files and e-books.
However, DRM has been criticized for being overly restrictive, and some consumers have reported negative experiences with it. For example, some DRM technologies have limited the number of devices that a file can be downloaded onto, making it difficult for people to access their purchased content. Others have reported issues with digital files becoming unusable after a certain period, even if they paid for it.
In conclusion, technology-based anti-piracy campaigns have been a constant presence in the tech industry for decades. From copy protection in the 80s and 90s to DRM in the 2000s, companies have used various methods to combat the issue of piracy. However, the effectiveness of these campaigns has been mixed, and some of these technologies have faced criticism from consumers. Nevertheless, the fight against digital piracy continues to be an ongoing battle for companies and content creators alike.
]]>In the early 1990s, PepsiCo introduced a clear cola called Crystal Pepsi, which was meant to capitalize on the trend of healthier, "purer" drinks. However, it was discontinued just a few years later in 1994, marking one of the most spectacular product failures in the history of the soft drink industry. There are several reasons why Crystal Pepsi flopped and was discontinued, which we will explore in this article.
Firstly, the taste of Crystal Pepsi was not well-received by consumers. Despite being marketed as a healthier, less sweet alternative to traditional colas, many people found its flavor to be too bland and lacking in depth. Crystal Pepsi also lacked the caramel color and other ingredients that give regular colas their signature taste, which may have contributed to its lack of popularity.
Secondly, PepsiCo's marketing strategy for Crystal Pepsi was not effective. The company invested heavily in advertising campaigns that emphasized the drink's purity and clearness, but failed to effectively communicate its taste and benefits to consumers. Additionally, PepsiCo launched Crystal Pepsi with a massive marketing blitz, but failed to sustain that momentum with subsequent campaigns.
Crystal Pepsi was launched during a crowded market for soft drinks, which made it difficult to stand out among competitors. At the time, Coca-Cola had just introduced its own clear cola called Tab Clear, which was also a failure. Moreover, the 1990s were marked by the rise of energy drinks and bottled water, which distracted consumers from traditional colas.
The pricing of Crystal Pepsi was an issue. PepsiCo marketed the drink as a premium product, charging a higher price than regular colas. However, consumers were not willing to pay more for a beverage that did not offer any significant benefits over existing products.
Lastly, the packaging of Crystal Pepsi may have contributed to its failure. The clear bottle was innovative and eye-catching, but it also made the drink vulnerable to light damage. Exposure to light could alter the taste of the drink and make it unpalatable, which may have contributed to consumer dissatisfaction and lack of repeat purchases.
In conclusion, the failure of Crystal Pepsi was the result of a combination of factors, including its taste, marketing strategy, competition, pricing, and packaging. Despite being an innovative product that attempted to capitalize on a trend towards healthier and purer drinks, it ultimately failed to connect with consumers and was discontinued just a few years after its launch.
]]>Here are ten budget-friendly craft ideas to help you transform your space into a cool, neon-drenched paradise:
With these budget-friendly craft ideas, you can easily bring some Vaporwave or Synthwave style into your home decor. Happy crafting!
The Arteries of New York City are a duo of experimental musicians /photographers Jamie and Alex who have based their production style on instinct, letting sounds or ideas conjure through primitive and relatively unformed experimentation.
Based out of the UK, the two friends rely on pulling apart their music and putting it back together again at a later time in a more deliberate state, instead of painstakingly aiming to hit a certain style or mood upon recording. A dependence on quick decisions through an OP-1, vocal loop samples, environmental sounds, improv piano playing and other countless ways to birth a sound, the Arteries of New York City have been able to construct a range of musical landscapes, from faint and brittle to rugged and all-out destructive, and it is their self titled album from 2020 that I want to explore with you today.
If you’re into expansive auditory journeys, all sounds gorgeous to haunting, atmospheric to full of life, this one is for you my friend. Thank you for stopping by today, and let us dive into this true musical oddity.
Let us take a look at the story of The Arteries of New York City and how the duo came to be in the first place.
Jamie and Alex would first meet in 2007 after Alex, who worked with children in after school clubs at the time, would discover the music of Jamie on Myspace. One Friday night, Alex would find Jamie’s band “The Last Dinosaur”, and would end up falling in love with the song “Home”. He would then write to Jamie, explaining how the track would evoke feelings of nostalgia for a place he’d never been, which would eventually lead to the two of them creating material together. Jamie, who I was able to get in contact with and talk to during the creation of this video, explains how these nostalgic feelings seemingly inhabited a similar space on their self-titled album 15 years later, a yearning for a place that perhaps never quite existed at all.
He makes mention of how the two have always been keen observers and over-analysts of the world that surrounds them, and they’ve both appreciated how photography is a perfect use of those attributes or predispositions they’ve found in the world. Their strong connection and love for both music and imagery undoubtedly led to the creation of this album, and as we’re about to get into, what makes it so special.
In regards to the name: The Arteries of New York City is taken from an old black and white film of the transport networks of NYC, a title Jamie kept aside for a decade or so and never allowed himself to forget. They realized that the name portrayed their project perfectly once their material started to take shape. The music brought to mind visions of industrial New York in black and white to the cozy and crunchy autumn leaves of Greenwich village sidewalks, and everything in between.
The two would look through and admire the work of Saul Leiter, a New York based photographer and artist from the 1940s and 50s, a known pioneer in the world of color photography. They would discover imagery that, along with the name, perfectly encapsulated this universe they were creating at the time with their sound.
Saul was known for incorporating rain, snow, and other visual overlays in his paintings to bring to life actually being in New York City, and this practice of applying numerous textures or visual effects on top of the main source material or subjects in Saul’s work is also found within how Jamie and Alex top off the final soundscapes and personalities of sound within The Arteries of New York City.
For the album cover, Jamie and Alex settled on an image taken in the immediate aftermath of an accident; a portrait of a man lying beside the car that had just hit him, framed by two passing commuters.
Looking at the actual image itself, feelings of claustrophobia ensue as the suffocating textures of two suited jackets squeeze the tragic subject matter into such a tiny frame of view. On the surface level, New York City’s big bright lights and never sleeping, always working glamor can coat some of the more horrid, hidden features the city has to offer, and I believe Jamie and Alex couldn’t have chosen a more fitting or riveting cover for a 7-track release titled “The Arteries of New York City”.
After many years of friendship and mutual admiration (as well as a tendency to spend considerable and frustrating amounts of time on their own solo recordings) Jamie and Alex both felt inspired to create something new; something with a deliberate focus to act on intuition and instinct, this album's main component.
One of the earliest sonic combinations of experiments, sketches and vocal loops was quickly (but painstakingly) interwoven with samples from the Yellowstone National Park sound library. These sound bites were collected by Jamie overtime with the intention of using them at just the right moment, and you’ll find them scattered throughout the entire album. These are blueprinted alongside Alex's beautiful, improvised piano tumblings to create a full atmosphere of sound.
The two soon ended up with a track provisionally (and, as it transpired, definitively) titled “Dyn”, which you will find as the 2nd track on the project.
“Dyn” is the longest track on the album at just over 4 minutes long, revving up with the sound of croaking frogs and heavy, yet soft, bellowing drones. Half way through, the song erupts and shrieks into the night, until it is eventually soothed and put back to bed by Alex’s piano playing. It’s absolutely hypnotic, and these warbled keys paired with what seems to be some light strings, tick like a clock.
“Cass” was the next track that emerged. The start of the process followed the same pattern as “Dyn”: an OP-1 sound collage, created through so many quick decisions, Jamie told me he couldn't begin to break it down for me on how the process exactly transpired. He got into the DAW, or their digital audio workstation for those who don’t know the term, and just began messing with, and stretching and deconstructing, the musical substance he had in front of him.
I tend to imagine Jamie sculpting these tracks like pottery, throwing them around and around again and just feeling out whatever he was working with until it stood in a way he found fit.
Various lights in the studio would be systematically turned on or off in different combinations until the duo had the right mood to start improvising. Once Jamie constructed the instrumental to “Cass” with these elements, he was reminded of an old video a friend had sent him of a catatonic schizophrenic being interviewed in a psychiatric facility in the 1960s. The patient (who felt more 'human' than the interviewer) spoke of his relationship to the piano with such beauty and pathos. When he incorporated a sample of this interview into the track “Cass”, Jamie was seduced by the sadness and performed some slight editing on the sample for narrative purposes. This process was done numerous times on the album, Alex providing a piano for example, followed by Jamie building a story on top of that piano in post production with added vocal or interview samples.
“Cass” is a gorgeous track, the unbelievably light and airy piano playing falls like raindrops through your ears, splashing with scattered notes that move in all different directions... I want to reach out and grab every single note that seems to just run away from you as the track progresses into, eventually, nothingness.
“The Telemetry Has Ears, The Magnetic Field Has Eyes” is the shortest recording on the album at only a minute and 19 seconds, a one-mic recording of a little guitar idea Jamie had that Alex improvised to life. The track was made quickly as they stumbled upon the initial idea for the track right before hitting record. Jamie edited the track down in post very slightly, roughing up the edges of the piece to create an interesting element of decay, all aiming to create something organic with elements of digital disruption. The sliding of the guitar and delicate piano fumbling through the faint buzzing feels like two siblings searching for an old photo or heirloom in a dusty attic, and the track ends on a bit of a comedic note, no pun intended, as Alex plays a mistake of a chord, with the two having a laugh about it all... It’s nice.
The track title is a play on words of the painting The Trees Have Ears and the Field Has Eyes by Hieronymus Bosch.
The title track “Yaesu (Light Talking) was built around a loop of Alex moving the piano stool across the floor in the studio, which created a low thumping shuffle and clatter alongside a groaning sound. The loop was free form, Jamie recalls, but it appeared to have its own internal rhythm which Jamie uncovered with piano chords from Alex and improvised bass and electric guitar lines from himself. This piece specifically was aimed to sound like Greenwich village jazz basements, and I could feel exactly what Jamie was aiming for.
A little personal account of myself, Greenwich Village is one of, if not my favorite, areas in all of Manhattan, and when I was in college, my now fiancee would take me to different jazz clubs in Greenwich Village on my birthday. Every time, the clubs would be so overcrowded, stuffed with the smell of whiskey and other well drinks and everything about it was so genuinely charming and alive, so hearing that this was the same inspiration for Jamie’s desires here on the opening track was just so heart warming to me. If you’re not from the area and ever visit Manhattan one day, make sure you make it a goal of yours to get lost in Greenwich Village and just stumble upon a Jazz spot, you don’t even need to look one up beforehand because you’ll definitely find one by just strolling the streets. Anyways, I can talk about the village forever so lets get back to the album.
The track “Capable” is actually a little experiment initially made using the elements from the end section of “Dyn”. Jamie had a voice note of a little idea played on the guitar where Jamie repeated the lyrics “You’re only as capable as you think you are. You’re only as in love as you think you are.” Which Jamie interpolated onto the canvas. They then had some fun playing with rhythm and delay, cymbals, sticks and bass drums, weaving and repeating in and out of time, all eventually disappearing from the piece but continuing somewhere else, just out of range.
“If I Could Make a Living”, the second to last track on the album, mainly consists of a one-take improv by Alex, with some light edits by Jamie in order to create a narrative, similar to how their combined efforts created the end result of the track “Cass” like I mentioned earlier. Improv is the name of the game on this album, as you can tell by now, and this one specifically was polished off in a way to create a subterranean feel around the improvisation. Jamie imagined a camera falling through a gap in the sidewalk down to the subway station... dipping, diving and gliding through empty train lines all accompanied with the sounds of machinery, a faraway train, or an engine idling, waiting for the next part of its journey. The sights and sounds of the subway are essential to the New York City experience, and that heavy low end of the track mixed with the glimmering, sparkling piano work from Alex once again shows all the wonder, highs and lows of New York City life. The echo effects on the track are distant and full of wanderlust, the piano hopeful and bright.
And that brings us to the finale track: “From Worldly Cares”.
Essentially a rescoring of a jazz standard written by Richard Rogers, “From Worldly Cares” is warped and skewed with little glitches from the future interrupting memories of the past, as Jamie likes to put it.
The outro track blends some eerie duet vocal harmonies over more of those laid back pianos. It’s truly beautiful, contrasting, and even cinematic in a way. Both Jamie and Alex play piano on here, adding their own perspective on how to recontextualise Rogers’ melody, and once they finished it, they knew it was the perfect ending for the album.
The album overall has a diverse range of instruments and sound textures, all mixed with scattered vocal samples throughout. Some tracks are quaint and warm, others more mysterious and brooding, but all fit as these glimmering transmissions that peak through the surface, only to burrow back down shortly after. And whenever sounds can get rough or harsh, there’s always this soft side of chill, loungey pianos and jazz club qualities that bring you out of that unknown territory, yet I feel like that alone also just adds to the confusion of the album as a whole. Although relatively short compared to other ambient experimental or musique concrete albums, the oddity in The Arteries of New York City lies in its ability to contrast moods and themes constantly. You can never quite put your finger on what it’s trying to be, and just like the millions of personalities found within New York Cities people, infrastructure, underground or Greenwic village Jazz basements to be specific, the album is full of life and diversity.
You can find The Arteries of New York City as a digital download on the duo’s bandcamp, but you can also find the album at Bloxham Tapes, a UK based label that featured the release on two different cassette releases.
Each of these releases were done at an extremely small quantity. Both editions features an O-card which I always love for cassettes, it gives more of a canvas to express any extra design features or commentary that the artist may want to include on their work, a big shout out to Jamie for sending me over one of these to take some shots of for this video. The O-card features the title of the track, BT23 in the corner which is the catalog number for this release on Bloxham Tapes, and the alternative artwork used for the Bloxham Tapes release of the album. The back features a minimal looking tracklist on the top and more fine print below, and removing that O-card reveals a simple white cassette waiting inside of a clear jewel case, no printed j-card in there which is a really nice look for a release like this. The 2nd edition run of the cassette, which was only released as a 35-copy run,was released on a black cassette, and both of these cassettes are now long sold out.
The duo are slowly, but surely, working on The Arteries of New York City 2 alongside some of their own individual projects. They both want to honor the exploratory spirit of the first album’s creation by not rushing the sequel, but instead, evolving it whenever they feel the need to do so. Jamie states that this method will make the album different from its predecessor, with Jamie’s motto being “never make the same song twice”.
Jamie is currently in the midst of releasing pieces from another side project with a mutual friend of The Arteries of New York city called Lila Tristam. This project, like Arteries, will be released on cassette later in the year as well as digitally. Jamie is also halfway into the recording of a new Last Dinosaur album titled Perigee.
Alex has a collaborative album out soon with Berlin-based label Sonic Pieces. The project is called To Move and will feature more piano improv, along with some compositions this time, all wound together with glitchy analog tape-loop interjections. On top of all this, a mini album will also be released titled Volta, Alex recording that one in Greece last year with Greek composer and sound designer Alkis Livanthinos.
Whenever I get the chance to speak to artists I explore on this channel, I always love to ask them what they believe makes a project impactful.
Alex responded with "I don't like applying the filter of judgment to someone’s work and second-guessing motivations/intentions etc but equally a lot of the time it does feel like a lot of work is just going through the motions of creativity ... It doesn't have to necessarily be something deep; i think we (humans i mean) just like to feel that something meant something to someone when they made it .. but that’s inherently unquantifiable - and it should be .. the second it becomes an over-considered process it risks losing what may have otherwise made it transcendent .."
Jamie states that they are drawn to the sense of movement. And finds beauty in being somewhere at the end that you weren't at the beginning. “We didn't set out to make something experimental, we just wanted to experiment as well as
excite and challenge ourselves and our preconceived notions about how we've been approaching creating and collaboration. A day spent making is never a day wasted.”
Thank you so much for stopping by and checking out today's article, and until next time my friend.
Much love,
ur boi,
Pad Chennington.
--
The average person has three choices when it comes to fonts: Arial, Comic Sans, and Times New Roman. I’d honestly be surprised if more than 1 in 100 people knew fonts other than these three and while they’re great if you’re typing a presentation or an email—
They lack flavor.
All three font options are pretty much stock standard and designed to be easy on the eyes when you’re reading a blog (like this one), email, or article. Not exactly ideal if you’re looking to create a new design for your room, an album cover, or any artistic venture really.
Which is why, today, I’ll be broadening your artistic horizons with a few of the most captivating fonts, from two of the greatest time periods for internet artistry.
Let’s jump in.
80s Fonts
The 80s was a decade that many consider the most transformational pop culture era EVER.
We’re talking fingerless gloves, gel-slicked hair, and fanny packs type of transformational. This time period was marked by some of the greatest names in music, the most iconic movies, and of course— the entrance of the personal computer into the average home.
Clunky cell phones and dial-up internet were becoming more popular, with dial-up allowing more and more pc users to trade ideas and designs online. Most of these ideas were marked by the wild eccentricity, bright colors, and wild patterns that characterized a lot of 80s fashion.
The fonts you’ll see today were inspired by that era.
1. Endless SunriseEndless sunrise feels like Indiana jones, The Beastmaster and Beverly Hills Cop all came together and somehow had a baby. This handmade font was clearly inspired by 1980’s action films and symbolizes the adventure, heroism, and impossible odds faced by our once-favorite action heroes.
Of course, it softens the obviously serious nature of the challenges faced by action heroes, and invites lighter elements like humor and wit into the fray. Its loose design and bright colors are an eye-catching invitation that can be used in sports, music, film, and practically any other design project you can think of.
The font comes with upper case and lower case characters, punctuation marks, numbers, and support for multiple languages. It’s available in TTF, OTF, and WOFF formats.
2. Newark
For most people who lived through the 80s, it was a period characterized by eccentricity and eclecticism. Many cities picked up a stylish edge, rebranded, or reemerged as big figures in the cultural space.
Newark was one of those cities, making it the perfect inspiration for this perfect balance of attention-grabbing character, and sleek, simple design.
It’s a perfect font for posters, headlines, magazines, retro album or mixtape covers— you name it, Newark can capture attention and make your design pop.
3. Retro Signature
There’s probably not another font on the planet that screams “I’m an 80s baby” more than Retro Signature. This font carries the same eclectic energy that made most of the 80s such a radical period. It’s a hand-written masterpiece that can work well on Social Media posts, logos, personal branding, holiday cards, posters, or even just a signature on a wall of your room—
Especially if you’ve been using retro color themes.
4. Action Hero
If Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Jean-Claude Van Damme all popped a tab of LSD, then designed a font— this would be it.
Action Hero is a handwritten brush font that clearly draws inspiration from the styles popularized by 1980s action movie posters. It features two tones on every character that provide depth and contrast that many other fonts lack.
The font comes with upper and lower case letters, punctuation marks, underlines, and numbers, so you’ll have a ton of variety and options for creativity. Plus, if you want to venture across a language barrier or two, it comes with multi-language support.
5. Jassin- A Groovy Typeface
Jassin has barely squeaked its way onto this list, because technically, groovy typefaces take their inspiration from 70s era music albums and posters. Jassin though, does a good job of modernizing the original groovy design, decreasing the wild curves of the more traditional “bell bottom” styled letters and earning it a spot on this list.
It’s a fantastic font for clothing design and is also well-suited for posters, mixtape covers, and even book covers. It comes with everything you need for creating a personalized design including upper and lower case characters, numbers, punctuation marks etc.
As you can probably guess, the 80s and 90s were wildly different time periods. While some of the wackiness had carried over, most of the eccentricity had worked its way out of pop culture by the 90s.
Sure, celebrities still wore crazy outfits on the red carpet, but the 90s were characterized by things like: boy bands, innovative candy commercials, 3D movies, Gameboy and toy crazes, and one of the greatest sports eras we’ve ever seen.
1. Strippy
We’ll start the 90s section off with Strippy, a stark contrast to the wild styles and colors that we’ve seen from the 80s so far. Inspired by movie poster fonts from just a decade later, strippy is a bold and “futuristic” font set that you can imagine on the walls of any of your local theaters.
If you happen to be a 90s baby who had the privilege of watching great films like Jurassic Park, 3 Ninjas, and Sister Act, then you’ve seen Strippy’s Roots.
This font is perfect for your next poster, or graphic tee design.
2. Bronxos
Bronxos calls us back to a time when collage cutouts from magazines and newspapers were a trademark of the pop-punk culture. Inspired by ideas of rebellion, non-conformity, and a anarchist society, Broncos is a simple but bold way to send your message.
It’s best suited for headlines, graphic tee designs, and posters.
3. Record Scratch Retro
Record scratch Retro is a major throwback to the look and feel of indie music and record fonts just before CDs took over the marketplace. It’s a clever mixture of sleek design, simple concept, and a hushed splash of contrast that gives its characters volume, and makes them pop.
It’s a great font for a number of uses and comes with all the works, including multi-language support just in case you’re feeling adventurous.
4. Thunderstorm
Thunderstorm is the kind of font that is a powerful mixture of 90s disco and Cartoony nostalgia. It’s a hand painted brush-type face and its sharp angles and elegant curves make it ideal for most types of aesthetic work— especially posters and canvas art intended to be a center piece rather than background art. Though it can also be great when used on T-shirts and logos.
The font has four styles, italic, bold italic, additional daring italic, and italic inline shadow. The font also comes with, the full works including upper and lower case letters, punctuation marks, symbols, and numbers.
5. Dust
A sharp contrast to Thunderstorm, Dust is a throwback to a time when school work was done in notebooks that used paper, and not notebooks that ran on electricity. A decade when talking in class was done with racing hearts and folded paper messages that you simply prayed the teacher never recognized.
Dust recaptures the spirit of notebook doodles, hating homework, and episodes of Pokemon after school.
6. Sendha
Remember TRON? Sendha does.
Of course, Sendha is inspired by all things technological about the 90s Era. Pulling inspiration seemingly from projects like Duke Nukem, TRON, and Back to the Future. The 90s take on “futuristic” often involved right-degree angles, contrasting tones for depth, and of course— 3D imagery at every turn possible.
7. Vaporfuturism
I dare you to guess what inspired this font.
Vaporfuturism was created by a designer who’s taken significant inspiration from the general Vaporwave aesthetic. Channeling the retro elements into the future for a peek into a vaporwave inspired world. It’s perfect for creating a variety of designs, or posters and since it comes with some backgrounds, this vaporfuturistic typeface can also be used for desktop backgrounds.
Of course— this text is pretty blocky, so it’s best when used in large print. A font size too small, and you risk having your print appear a tiny bit too angular and clunky.
8. Retrowave Space Font
This font is cousin to number 7 on this list and comes from the same creator. The difference of course, being a dramatically different base color panel, more emphasis on an “otherworldly” experience, and of course, oodles and oodles of space-themed backgrounds.
Well, What Are You Waiting For?
You’re by no means limited to the fonts on this list, but, you can use them as inspiration for your next design project, or even reference their creators and find other projects that you vibe with more.
If you feel like we’ve missed some of your favorites, then feel free to comment them below the article!
]]>It’s the holiday season again, which means you’ve probably been sweating bullets looking for amazing gift ideas.
Fear not!
We’ve thrown together the perfect gift guide to help you navigate the holidays Vaporwave style. Just click on any of the items below and add them to your cart.
11. CD Mirror
90’s babies and Nostalgia fanatics, rejoice! This mirror is a call back to the golden ages of PCs and Nintendo 64s. It’s 18 inches in diameter, which makes it perfect as a hallway or shelf decoration, or a bedroom mirror. It’s a fantastic way to spice up any room, and of course, has a high-quality ⅛ inch thick acrylic mirror surface.
Even if your friends have never seen a Cd or DVD in their lives, it’s sure to draw attention and can serve as a great conversation starter.
The melting beauty is one of our seasonal favorites. You can think of it as a little piece of ancient Rome, that you can put on display in practically any room of your home or apartment. The candle is a hand-poured take on the statue of David, with our very own Varporwave spin.
The perfect way to add a vaporwave or roman aesthetic to your home.
9. Mystery VHS
VHS has all but disappeared from human history. They’re practically an urban legend at this point, with only a handful of stores in the entire country keeping them available for sale…
We happen to be one of those stores.
This gift pulls a random VHS tape from the massive library in our downtown LA location. We’ve got a crazy collection of 80s, 90s, and 2000s movies. Plus, there’s a ton of classic anime — like original copies of Ruroni Kenshin — retro computing or gaming tapes, and of course…
Vaporwave surrealist edits.
If you’re on the hunt for a genre/type, you can leave a note with your purchase and we’ll do our best to facilitate.
Remember, all of these tapes are completely out of production, so there’s a chance you’ll find a rare collector’s item as well.
11. Hawaiian Shirts
Maybe you can't give them that dream vacation they want for the holidays, but you can give them the gift of living like every day is a day in p a r a d i s e with our Vapor95 Hawaiian shirts. They're made of a super soft and vibrant premium polyester that never fades. Plus, the designs are really cool.
If you want to get a gift for yourself, but still want to feel surprised or you’re buying for a Vaporwave fan, the mystery box is the perfect fit. The mystery boxes come in two sizes and contain things like hoodies, Random Sticker Sheets, Mystery Pins, Graphic Tee Shirts, A Hoodie, and a Beanie or hat.
If you’re looking to upgrade your wardrobe and your living space this season, you’ve found the perfect gift.
6. Gameboys
As you can probably tell by now, we’ve got a knack for making awesome, retro shit, even more awesome.
Our GameBoy collection is a testament to that.
Choose from any one of our four refurbished and modded Gameboy designs. Each with a unique pattern styled by our friends at Gamechanger Mods. If you love the Gameboy, but you struggle with the bland designs, limited functionality, and the inability to see the screen in the dark, then you’ll love these.
5. Graphic Tees
Got a friend in need of a fashion upgrade? We have over 50 graphic tees available on our site for your selection. Choose from a variety of aesthetcis including vaporwave, anime, synthwave,and retro-gaming.
Our Graphic tees come in all sizes and we make styles for all people.
4. Mystery Minidiscs
Minidiscs were a unique hybrid technology that looked like a cassette, DVD, and floppy disc all in one. Like most of these now-defunct technologies, Vapor95 has amassed a collection of them.
By purchasing this gift, you’ll receive four random minidiscs from a collection built by a deceased Japanese karaoke enthusiast. The collection is one of a kind and features 2000 discs, the majority of which are recordings of undiscovered and unknown pop music from early 90’s Japan.
If you’re into exploring Japanese culture, or want to add an audio element to your aesthetic— this is the perfect fit.
You can read more about minidiscs in our Darknet article here. :)
3. Phone Cases
Every cellphone needs protection, and our collection of cellphone cases features a variety of aesthetic designs to choose from.
We've built these cases with a unique clear-finish technology that embeds images into the plastic surface of the case, instead of printing them on top of it. That way, if you drop your phone, not only is it safe from damage, but your case looks just as sick as it did, right out of the box.
You can choose from any one of our 29 designs, each featuring themes like time travel, Japanese culture, Ancient Rome, and Anime.
2. Our Beautiful, but Ugly Sweater Collection
It’s still a little early to dive into the Xmas spirit, but what’s a holiday season without an ugly Xmas sweater?
We’ve designed a special line of vapor enthusiast ugly sweaters that you can choose from. If you’re on the hunt for something truly ugly, you might be disappointed. Some of the designs are objectively phenomenal, like this Super Chilly Sweatshirt.
Tough time choosing a gift for someone? I get how you feel. There’s a lot of pressure around gift-giving. The gift you pick for someone says a lot about how well you know them, and who you believe them to be.
Bad gifts can end friendships, or best case— end up in the re-gifting drawer.
Skip all the hooplah, with a Vapor95 gift card this year.
]]>
It seems that the discussion for liminal spaces, those weird, eerie in between places void of space, time and rationality, is everywhere these days. From series like The Backrooms by Kane Pixels to the abundance of Twitter accounts posting these odd and uncomfortable empty screenshots–I’ve even done an entire video focusing on a music album solely responsible for my fascination with these liminal spaces.
I believe my appreciation for the album in that video, Infinity Frequencies’ between two worlds, a 2018 classic of the mysterious Signalwave subgenre, comes from the fact that the album delivers the feeling of liminal spaces through audio form, instead of how we traditionally experience liminal spaces, which is visually, through mediums like an image or a video.
And while that album’s personality is so further fueled by it’s cover as well, there’s no way to deny it, the same can be said for the album I am focusing on today, Hantasi’s Liminal Spaces. It's clever sample selection and decision where to make that chop makes all the difference in creating a project that feels powerfully empty. Albums like these capture the opportunity to make such an impact on that setting conjured up in your mind, and their sample curation is just as important as the artwork itself in getting you to the feeling of being in a liminal space. Today, you and I are going to explore a fresh, unique take on the liminal spaces phenomenon, something so visually engrained, but this time, brought to life through music.
The California based Hantasi is known as a legend in the Vaporwave scene, and just like every other video I mention them in, they are mostly known for what many consider to be the first ever Mallsoft album of all time. Their 2012 release of the iconic Vacant Places, a dark entry into the world of the generally optimistic and angelic Mallsoft subgenre that would be later brought to life through artists like 猫 シ Corp. and 식료품groceries.
This article will once again serve as another example of why I beg you to check out the rest of their amazing discography beyond Vacant Places. And, better yet, if you are an enjoyer of that album, I do believe you will find an attraction to the darker nature of Liminal Spaces. Hantasi’s ability to bring these moods to life has always declared them as one of the greats in this uncanny corner of internet music production.
On January 7th, 2021, Liminal Spaces would be released; 19 tracks as well as an additional 3 bonus tracks to give the album a pretty lengthy listen, especially when many other Signalwave releases can feel like they’ve ended before they’ve even got going.
Liminal Spaces contains 22 haunting tracks that beg to be pretty, although you know the slightest touch of these tracks would turn their illusions into a pile of dust. Good Signalwave, for my taste at least, comes down to the artist’s ability to create a narrative through their sound design, the talent to make a sample feel extremely brittle and delicate, all while having the density to tell a story. It’s a fine line to walk, and after reaching out to Hantasi to get some insight on the album, they stated that the creation process of Liminal Spaces has exemplified the entirety of their shape-shifting career, always anchored in the uncanny, but oddly peaceful spacious sounds of Hantasi’s own dream scapes, whether they come as a casual daydream or a deep sleep.
The opening track “Northwest Plaza” is the optimistic buzz after the long and haunted lonely tour of the mall in Vacant Places (a “proper finale” to that album, as Hantasi likes to put it). To me, the track feels like you’re on an abandoned boat ride; there's no workers to operate anything, no guests accompanying you on your journey through the river of unplugged animatronics, so everything feels hollow despite it all looking normal at the surface level.
“Same Old Dream” blends in traces of echo jams with its distant, echoed vocals washing over some heavily diluted guitars saturated in some classic reverby vaporwave effects. It’s a sort of “psychedelic mall tour experience”, wandering in and out of different catered shop decor. Meaningfulness and meaninglessness live in tandem together here.
Delayed, decayed sample loops flipped through a heavy dosage of filters and echoes, Hantasi’s signature taste in sample curation is always perfect for the moods their projects are trying to portray, tracks like “Remember” feel so carved out yet heavy, staring into the depths of a dark room where you can’t see the wall on the other side, yet you know something has to be there. Hantasi aimed for this track to be “motel jazz, mall-ified”. A late night fuzzy buzzing worldly wonder, all packaged into the nice shape of a dated, but upkept, motel.
The track “Shopping Mall Background” is the pensive dread of Hantasi resenting their past, where they’ve been, and how Hantasi got here all while nihilistically basking in the actual piece itself. Hantasi states it as an intense and reflective soundscape meant to freeze the listener, just as it froze time for them as well.
Unfortunately, I do not believe there are, or were, any physical releases for the self released Liminal Spaces. Hantasi albums like Vacant Places were brought to life in such beautiful ways on labels like Geometric Lullaby, and a cassette, vinyl or even CD of Liminal Spaces I think would look great. The album is pretty long at almost 2 hours in total run time and would require something like a triple LP to even bring it to life, but like I always say, bring on some more Vaporwave triple LPs. I really do love the idea of what you can do with gatefold packaging for vinyl, and a project like Liminal Spaces is just perfect for that.
Each puzzle piece of this tracklist jigsaw feels like a different liminal space entirely. It’s one of those albums that each of us will have a different experience with because there is no concrete narrative this album is trying to construct per say, but instead, just a narrative that conjures up the idea of liminal spaces infinitely. Where I may picture a track like “Hello” to take me to an abandoned aquarium for example, that track was sculpted around the idea of spaceship-like design and the aesthetic of Apple’s new main campus, according to Hantasi. And that specific track may take you somewhere completely different, Hantasi’s Liminal Spaces delivers that uncanny open-world nature for anyone that takes the time to dive into its tracklist.
I suggest making a nice cup of coffee or tea, turning down the lights and listening to this album in the dead of night. I was inspired to find out that each of these tracks were derived from so many different places, memories, and senses for the producer… Liminal Spaces is so much more than sampled selections with some effects behind a photo of a stereotypical liminal space. The album is gorgeously empty and blissfully expansive at the same time, and, in all the right ways. If you’re looking for a journey into the unknown, you found your listening for the night.
Much love, ur boi,
Pad Chennington
Need me to show up for a party? It better be accessible on Waze, because if I’m taking directions over the phone, or looking for that one landmark that you “absolutely cannot miss” —
I guarantee you, there’s a 97% chance that I’ll miss it, and end up 15 minutes late because I needed to circle back to another exit.
Yes- I even get lost on freeways…
Luckily, Google Earth exists, and thanks to a collaborative effort from a group of organizations known as the Base Map partner program — and help from several thousand satellites — we can find pretty much any place we need to go.
Problem is… We can also find a ton of creepy s**t, that we probably weren’t meant to… I’m talking, things that really… shouldn’t.
We’ll be diving into a list of those things and where you can find them on Google Earth.
We’re starting the list off with a banger.
There’s a wetland reserve in Jordan, called the Azraq oasis. It was established in the 70’s to protect the over 300 species of migratory birds that once used the area as a staging ground. Unfortunately, in 1992, the tributaries that fed the oasis dried up due to human influence and the birds stopped coming… Now onto the weirdosity.
Soon after, due to the emergence of satellite imaging systems, a series of wheel-like ‘geoglyphs’ was discovered in the area.
Have you ever heard of the Nazca Lines?
They’re a series of man-made structures in Peru, that create images that aren’t visible from the ground but are visible from the air.
Here’s one called “The Monkey”:
The most recent theory on the Nazca Lines, suggests that they were used in a ritual way, as a plea to the gods for water. Considering the area only sees about 20 minutes of rain per year- the theory holds up to some scrutiny.
The wheels of Azraq are similar in age to the Nazca Lines, but a few predate them by as much as 6000 years and are far more numerous. They appear thousands of times between Syria and Saudi Arabia.
One theory suggests that they’re depictions of the sun during the solstice since they line up. But no one has been able to take the speculation much further than that.
Bullseye
Among the Azraq wheels are a few that appear to be depicting bullseyes. The one depicted below is in Saudi Arabia, and not only is it a bullseye, but there are also arrows pointing directly to it, with lines of rocks that act as guides.
Face in the Snow
Let’s jump across the globe to a climate that’s the polar opposite of Saudi Arabia… Antarctica.
A couple minutes of Googling will tell you that there’s a lot that’s creepy about Antarctica. Why did everyone race to the south pole after WW2? What was operation High Jump really about? Is there really an entrance to the “Hollow Earth” in Antarctica as reported by Admiral Byrd?
Yes, Byrd was a real person, and he was a highly credible and sane individual, his story was also corroborated by a previous account by a man named Olaf Jansen.
All of that though is a little besides the point — peep this:
What do you see here?
Does that not look like an alien face carved into a mountain in Antarctica?
Here’s a quick video that gives a better look.
Sure, there’s a chance that wind erosion just happened to carve a symmetrical, proportionately alien face into the side of a remote mountain…
On an even more remote continent that was the focus of exploration for multiple nations, one of which was well known for exploring the occult (cough, cough Germany)....
But — it could also just be a coincidence.
Antarctic Pyramids
Now, the pyramids that were located in the Antarctic are definitely a little easier to dismiss with a ‘scientific’ explanation.
Here’s what they look like:
As you can see, the big one on the left is pretty pyramidy. If you were to zoom out, however, you’d see that this pyramid may simply be a natural outgrowth of this mountain range. Apparently, pyramid-shaped mountains are a phenomenon that has occurred before, with the Bulandstindur (pictured below) in Iceland being the next best example.
The Hare…
If you played Friday Night at Freddie's, this next object may be a little familiar…
Okay, it’s not exactly as creepy as demon-possessed animatronic serial killers. But, it is definitely not something you’d expect to see from a low-orbit satellite. This 200-foot “toy bunny” is found in Italy and goes by the name Hase or Hare.
This 200 ft monstrosity is actually a knitting project.
I shit you not… A knitting project.
It took five years of work to complete and if you zoom in, you’ll see that this macabre doll actually has its entrails falling out from its abdomen.
Here’s a closer look:
Why was the creepy bunny built?
Apparently as a source of entertainment for hikers passing through the area. While the bunny still existed (it was made of biodegradable materials and decomposed), hikers were able to walk, jump and rest atop the giant bunny.
A Site of Unholy Worship
I’m definitely baiting a little bit here.
Apparently, this 1200 ft diameter pentagram located in Kazakhstan isn’t a gigantic site for summoning demons… Definitely not.
Apparently, someone had the definitely not nefarious idea, to construct this park in the shape of a pentagram. Seriously though, according to achreologist Emma Usmanova, this symbol was used because of it’s popularity during the Soiviet Union.
Of which- Kazakhstan was a member.
Creepy Dudes in Cloaks?
Unlike our face in Antartica — which in my opinion is OBVIOUSLY alien in origin — the next is just… weird.
These images first went viral after a content creator on TikTok made the shocking discovery just outside of Death Valley, California. At first glance, the scene appears to be a group of men engaged in some kind of ritual and at least one of them was late to the party…
The real story?
This is actually an art feature called the Goldwell Open Air Museum and it was designed by Belgian artist known as Albert Szukalski. His original intention was to create a piece that resembled the last supper of Jesus and his disciples.
The piece was supposed to last for 2 years in the scalding heat of the desert, but has not only stood the test of time — having lived from 1984 to now — but also has become the founding piece for the Goldwell Open Air Museum.
You can see some high Resolution photos of it right here.
The Not-So-Secret Military Base
In the Gobi Desert, you can spot a series of strange markings and structures on the ground.
It would be super fun to speculate about alien influence, demonic summoning grounds or dimensional rifts, but I’m all out of those.
Military experts have determined that the spot is actually a secret military base in China. Currently it’s being used for calibrating spy satellites and weapons testing. Despite how comparatively boring it is to the things we could make up conspiracies about, it’s still crazy that you can see something like this on Google Maps.
Wrapping it all Up
There’s a lot more than this on Google maps, but much of it was visual glitches or online trolls. The locations sited in this article aren’t online trolls. As far as my research has shown, they’re 100% real and verifiable.
Also — That face was definitely an alien carving. I’ll stand on it.
It goes without saying that technology, has become an increasingly integral component of human existence. Most of us, now walk around with a computer several times more powerful than the greatest supercomputer in the history of the world up to around the 1990s… I’m talking about your phone.
Your smartphone is more powerful than all early computers and most early supercomputers.
Plus, the amount of information at your fingertips is several exponents greater than at any time in human history. In the year 2020, the amount of information stored on the Internet was estimated at 64 zettabytes.
Of course, you probably don’t know what a zettabyte is. So here’s some perspective:
If I haven’t botched the arithmetic on this, the best guess at the amount of information on the Internet is around 128 billion laptops or 1,280 billion cell phones…
And it grows substantially every day.
A little bit more context. The “Big Four”: Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook store around 1200 petabytes on the Internet. A petabyte is roughly equivalent to 1 million gigabytes, plus or minus 40,000 or so.
So the Big Four alone, store 1.2 billion Gigabytes of information. If we were to convert that into audio files, we would be able to listen to roughly 2.2 BILLION YEARS of audio…
Even if the very first organism on earth started listening, we’d still have a few thousand years of catching up to do today. We’d probably be around “I’m a Barbie Girl” by now.
All of this context sets the stage for a very important discussion:
“How is technology changing our sense of self?”
Here’s why the context matters.
A large portion of that near-inconceivable amount of information comes in the form of social media.
Sure, technological innovations have made dramatic shifts in our lives in other ways:
Irrigation gave us agriculture, wheels made transport exponentially faster, Colour TV gave us an easy way to disseminate information to entire populations…
But Social Media is an entirely different beast.
Instead of just making things faster, better, or easier, is actually transforming our sense of self on a fundamental level.
And maybe for the worse.
Our Sense of Self
Our awareness of being aware, is the fundamental bedrock of our existence.
All of us have that fundamental level of awareness… hopefully.
The second most fundamental level of thought encompasses all of the things one level up from that. Our childhood memories and programming, the influence of our relatives and parents, the impact that siblings or a lack of siblings had on us, school, partners…the list goes on.
All of these things come together to create who we perceive ourselves to be as an individual.
Most of who or what we think we are, actually came from other people. Here’s an example. Right now, you probably have a set of beliefs around money. If you came from an average or below-average family, then you probably believe that money is hard to come by, that “it doesn’t grow on trees.”
You know deep down, that you have to work for money, even though that’s not always the case.
Let’s take the polar opposite example- a spoiled rich kid. What do you think their beliefs about money are? Probably that it just comes to them, that they always have it no matter what and they don’t have to worry about it.
You cringe thinking about spending $150 on shoes, the rich kid doesn’t even blink.
Better example; Everybody loves food.
One way or another, you have a favorite of SOMETHING. If you’re from Boston, chances are that you love deep-dish pizza and think it’s the greatest thing to cross a table. If you’re from New York, you probably disagree, STRONGLY.
If you’re from California, you probably think that In-N-Out seasons their burgers with heroin, but if you’re from Texas, then there’s no question Whataburger seasons their stuff with cocaine.
And if you’re African American, Caribbean, or Mexican, you think white people don’t season food with anything…
Because they don’t. (I’m kidding.)
But the belief is there, and you probably don’t even question it. But why?
Most of our “Thinking” Is Done in Assumptions
As we’ve gone down the rabbit hole of this particular subject, you’ve probably started to do some self-analysis.
“Why do I even like the Mets? Why is Drake, my favorite rapper? Why…..”
You’re becoming aware Neo. You live in the matrix. A bundle of assumptions about life and the nature of reality that you didn’t even know you had, but now cannot unsee.
You’re realizing that you make a lot more assumptions than you were aware of. Which isn’t a bad thing evolutionarily speaking. Back when many of our decisions were life or death, we didn’t have time, or calories to spare.
Big scary cat behind us? RUN OR DIE.
Brightly colored fruit on a tree? Good for food.
People who don’t look like us carrying weapons? Fight first, talk later.
Of course, these are extreme examples, and I’m sure many strange groups of humans made attempts to communicate before resorting to violence. Since fighting costs calories, and serious injuries meant death.
My point is, that we have evolved very efficient mechanisms for conserving energy— assumptions.
By simply absorbing the biases and assumptions of people around us, we made our survival energy-efficient. Not using conscious thought for every decision meant we had more energy left over when we needed it and we avoided danger more often than not.
Hence, when our parents told us that “money doesn’t grow on trees” when we were younger, we didn’t question it. We went along with the assumption, and it proceeded to shape our lives.
Technology Has Displaced Community
Until recently, the world was largely made up of a number of small communities, that were all slightly different from one another. The smallest of these communities are families. As a matter of fact, for most of human history, we’ve been very tribal, separatist beings. Hell, not too long ago, America was only a rumor to someone in Eastern Europe.
These mini societies are very responsible for giving rise to differences in thought.
One family's beliefs and assumptions differ from another. So they perceive incoming information in varying ways. One may see a field on fire and think “how horrible” because they see the fire as destructive.
The other, being a farming family, understands the value of burning older grass or produce, to make land quickly available for tilling and to return nutrients to the soil.
When a difference of opinion arose, people had firmly held but disparate beliefs that would give them the confidence to speak up. After all, their father, grandfather, and uncle all told them about how good the fire is for next year’s yield. Right?
The Other Half Of Our Sense of Self
Of course, no person is simply a bundle of assumptions and emotions given to them by their families and circumstances. The other half of ourselves comes from our interpretation of the world.
As we grow older, we start to seek out our own places within the social strata.
We process and capitalize on our own predispositions, tendencies, and abilities in doing so. If we’re athletic and tall, we gravitate toward sport in one way or another. Those who are extroverted and creative, often find themselves in the performing arts.
Bad or good relationships with other people also play a massive role in our self-interpretation.
Some very beautiful people see themselves as ugly, because of a bad experience or two as a child. Given a child’s lack of life experience, it’s not shocking to think that one or two impactful experiences could transform their self-perception.
Obviously, there’s a lot to explore here and I won’t be able to do it all in this blog.
Up until recently, according to psychologist Dr. Jim Taylor, our senses of self were constructed by about 50% external influence and 50% internal influence. The recent proliferation of the Internet and Social Media has now tilted that balance far more toward external influence than at any other time in human history.
In the past decade, we’ve gone from being influenced primarily by the people closest to us, to being primarily influenced by Social Media.
Our brains are built to form and maintain connections with around 150 people. The majority of those connections won’t be very close, they’ll be acquaintances. Social Media has inadvertently plugged us into a virtually limitless number of social connetions.
We’ve begun to judge ourselves and others based on the numbers of likes on posts and comments on a variety of content.
We’re also consuming more and more opinion-based content from people who don’t even know us personally, nor have our best interest at heart. Even if we don’t want to. Social Media feeds are literally designed using game theory to keep us scrolling indefinitely.
Just today, you’ve probably snapped yourself out of a couple “Youtube Trances” that started because you tapped on a single Youtube short, that quickly became a 15 video streak. Don’t believe me? Go check your viewing history right now.
I’ll wait.
Didn’t think it was that bad huh?
Social Media Has Created a Hive Mind
Okay, obviously we’re not in a science fiction movie and it may be more accurate to say that Social Media has replaced and amplified a lot of the influence that our families and close friends would once have had on us.
Nowadays, instead of engaging in thoughtful dialogue with the people around us, most of us consume our opinions from influencers, pundits, or reporters online.
When we have a question- instead of asking someone we know, typically we plug it into Google and pick something out of the top 10 responses to form a new opinion. We don’t even rely on an alternative search engine, other than Youtube. Which also happens to be owned by Google…
97-99% of the world’s search volume goes through Google one way or another.
People are engaging with local and regional newspapers less and less. Pretty much the only people viewing major news networks anymore are all over 65+ years old. The newspaper industry shrinks by a startling 25%~ every year.
We’re all becoming increasingly dependent on Social media for our intellectual and emotional needs.
According to Dr. Taylor popular culture has stopped serving as a mirror of self-reflection, and has instead begun producing a portrait of who we all ought to be. Instead of reflecting on the world and deciding on what it means to us, and what it means to our authentic selves, people are increasingly concerned with being socially accepted.
To quote him directly:
“The goal for many now in their use of social media becomes how they can curry acceptance, popularity, status, and, by extension, self-esteem through their profiles and postings. Self-awareness and self-expression give way to impression management and self-promotion.”
In essence, our biological desire for social acceptance has been subverted by Social Media and has turned us into slaves of a sort to a global idea of what people “should” be.
As we further engage with Social Media, the lines between our public and private selves become blurred. Persona and personality become one. Our identity becomes what we would like people to see, rather than who we really are.
Our sense of self becomes a means for social acceptance, rather than the foundation of who we are.
Ultimately, we may end up in a sea of sameness. Monotonous babbling in unison, with no depth or true meaning.
What does This Mean For the Future? What is The Answer?
The answer to this problem is pretty simple — moderation.
Making moderation popular though? That part will be difficult, to say the least. The only real answer to groupthink is individualism. So it falls to you dear reader, to be yourself. To think critically about the information you consume and genuinely question yourself.
How do YOU feel about it? (Whatever IT is.)
Not how you think other people want you to feel about it.
By having the courage to develop your own sense of self, you’ll give other people the freedom to do the same. No need to preach to others who may disagree with you, or force your view of the Darkside of social media onto them.
Simply be yourself, but genuinely.
Become cynical about the information you see online. Ask deeper questions: “Is this really true? Is there another side to the story? Is there a perspective that I’m missing? Do the people telling me this really believe it, or are they just playing for points on Social Media?”
Without action on an individual level, we’re practically doomed to becoming a hive mind. A group of individuals who all agree, about everything, all the time. Not because we’ve all reached the exact same moral conclusions and agree with them, but because Social Media will be what defines our sense of self.
Without critical and individual thought, our measure of self will become what’s “liked” on our social pages, and who decides that?
We’ve seen that the internet overlords curate our access to a variety of content that they deem good or bad. But what gives them the standing to do so? What makes them superior to everyone else’s moral compass and individual perspective?
Wake up Neo.
*Mic Drop*
]]>
Big heads up.
This blog covers a few of the… weirdest, but coolest aesthetic movements in human history.
That’s definitely an oxymoron- I get it. But, these movements are an exploration of parts of our human mind that are hard to put into words. They play with the kind of creepy surreality that we find in the world of dreams and in places where time stands still.
That being said, I’ll be doing my best to be your guide as we jump into Liminal Spaces, Dreamcore, and Weirdcore. Three creepy but captivating, aesthetic movements that in recent times have SOMEHOW transfixed an entire subculture on the internet.
Liminal Space- What is it? Where did it Come From?
Liminal space is an aesthetic that’s centered around locations that are a transition between two spaces or states of being. The Latin root of the word, “Limen” literally translates to “threshold”. The space or state in between one thing and another, or one time and another.
So picture a school hallway or courtyard- but during summer. Still maintained, still clean, and still a “School”, yet somehow- it’s a husk of itself. It lacks any elements that give a school life. It’s a space in transition. The aesthetic tends to focus on spaces just like this; rest stops, waiting rooms, grocery stores, hallways and parking lots are some of the basic archetypes.
Essentially, these spaces when taken out of their functional context, i.e. being completely devoid of human life, transforms them from places where we’d meet and greet friends, to areas that stand on the edge of the unknown.
Of course, some editing motifs courtesy Vaporwave, Acidwave and Glitch have made their way into the space, which makes adding the “heebiejeebies” to any liminal space photo pretty simple.
As we’ll soon see in the original story of the Liminal Space aesthetic. The aim was initially to explore “disquieting” spaces from the safety of your screen. Some may find that photo of a vacant hospital waiting room nostalgic. Others -like myself- are promptly creeped out by it.
Liminal spaces give you the feeling that there’s something just “wrong” with the space. Similar to how you feel being outdoors late at night. If you’ve ever stopped for a smoke, at night, in a wooded area, you know what I mean. Or maybe you’ve been camping and had to answer nature’s call in the wee hours of the morning…
There’s “something” watching you- you just don’t know what it is.
That’s the feeling.
The edge of uncertainty.
The Sorta Creepy Origin Story
4Chan is the Internet’s universal home for creepy, gory, and all-around weird stuff. So it’s no surprise that Liminal spaces as an aesthetic can be traced back to it. On May 12th, 2019, an anonymous 4chan user posted a challenge to the board of /x/ paranormal to “post disquieting images that just feel off.”
That’s it-
The thread took off and over time edits from Vaporwave, Acidwave and Glitch became staple parts of the Liminal Space aesthetic, as they easily conveyed tones of “creepiness” that 4Chan users were looking for.
The Backrooms
The backrooms are what many would consider the pinnacle of the liminal space aesthetic. Inspired by a glitch in video games that allows players to exit the typical game space and enter into “backrooms” that allow them to traverse a space that exists outside of the intended function of the game.
Almost invariably, these spaces are creepy.
Often featuring glitched character models, lots of darkness, and random things that had been coded in previous versions of the game but weren’t intended for release, like lakes under a city, or locker rooms in the middle of a forest.
Backrooms have made their way into a variety of media, however, there’s actually a wiki that features fanmade backrooms that explore the liminal space concept in incredible detail. These creations are often infinitely vast in theory, with elements designed to inspire discomfort. Like a long undulating corridor, that has no end in sight, that’s also filled with toxic water with no way to escape…
Yeah- someone invested time into making that…
And I can’t lie.
As creepy as it feels to stare at, it’s pretty awesome. There’s one thing we can’t deny, about this entire movement and its offspring, Dreamcore and Weirdcore…
There is something utterly entrancing about liminal spaces, that’s hard to put your finger on. By their very nature, they suggest “transition” and “uncertainty”. They exist not for themselves, but solely as a space between one location or time and another.
There’s always a lingering sense of “who or what comes next?” Which I believe is the source of our fascination.
Here’s a sample, from Level 37 “Sublimity”
You can find this and other backroom examples on the wiki. There’s also a ton of liminal space content on TikTok.
Enjoy!
Dreamcore
No one really knows where Dreamcore came from.
At least, there isn’t an origin story that’s as traceable as Liminal Spaces. The aesthetic gained a significant amount of popularity in early 2020 when a series of visuals with disjointed, surreal, and “dreamlike” aesthetics started trending on TikTok.
Given how crazy 2020 was, and the number of people that suddenly found themselves isolated from society- maybe the origin of Dreamcore is self-explanatory.
The visuals seemed like the kind of thing you’d start hallucinating if you were isolated in total darkness for 72 hours. In many cases, these would feature characters that were “stitched together using a variety of images.” Most often, these characters would have objects for heads, even the ones that were clearly intended to be human, would have toasters, monitors, eyeballs, and other things instead of a head.
Inspired by Liminal Spaces
Dreamcore is effectively a surrealist aesthetic.
It’s centered around the kinds of imagery and motifs you might see in a dream. Shifting environments, vibrant, light colors, a “wavering” and ever-shifting reality interspersed with a variety of “random” features like eyeballs, wings, teeth, and a lot more that I can’t fit into this sentence.
Dreamcore is a lot like surreal memes, minus the reliance on absurdist humor.
Instead of “making a point” or telling a joke, Dreamcore is seemingly focused on simply emulating the experience of a dream as closely as possible. Hence the reliance on characters that you might see in a dream or a nightmare to tell a story.
Of course, there isn’t a NEED for characters, but they’re used pretty often, especially if there’s a story being told.
Nostalgia- but Uncomfortable
Dreamcore plays on that same feeling of familiar suspense that we get from themes in the Liminal Space aesthetic.
Often, the imagery used is centered around things we would have once seen in our childhood, but of course, warped so that our sense of nostalgia is intruded upon by a sense of unease.
Here’s one that hit a particularly creepy note for me.
I feel like, I’ve seen a lot of the imagery in late-night 90’s TV, cartoons, and video games. The juxtaposition of the upbeat music, and the lyrics that are obviously pointing toward your feelings of nostalgia take you on a creepy journey.
I’ve never done LSD, but I imagine this is what a bad trip looks like…
Weirdcore
Weirdcore is like the younger, creepier sibling of Dreamcore.
While Dreamcore does mostly inspire feelings of unease, you’re still able to find creations that err on the side of nostalgia and a simple appreciation of “dreamlike” states of consciousness.
You’ve got little to no hope of that once you venture into Weirdcore.
I’m not exaggerating…
The fanmade Wiki, defines weird core as: “a surrealist aesthetic centered around amateur or low-quality photography and/or visual images that have been constructed or edited to convey feelings of confusion, disorientation, dread, alienation, and nostalgia or anemoia.”
If you’ve never heard of the word “anemoia” don’t stress, it’s actually a term that was recently coined in -get this- “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows” and it means “nostalgia for a time you’ve never known.”
I think that about sums up the ethos of Weirdcore.
It’s dream core, but creepier, featuring an abundance of images that were once shared on a far more primitive Internet. In fact, Weirdcore creators set out to instill feelings of dread, for anyone who’s lived a childhood between the 90’s and 2000’s.
Think, 90’s to mid 2000’s lo-fi photography, with a splash of amateur editing and image compression- and probably some creepy music and you’ve got a good idea of Weirdcore.
Still lost?
Check this out.
@aasshley_anne id@kish #weirdcore #dreamcore #f #fyp ♬ original sound - noeli🧸🎀
Sure, it’s fun seeing Windows Media Player and reminiscing on the playlists you’d burn onto DVDs, but there’s no point to this story. Which in a way, is the point of Weirdcore. It’s not explicitly a horror-based genre, instead, creators rely on the lack of context and seemingly random assortment of creepy images to trick our brain into that sense of foreboding and dread.
Where did it Come From?
Much like Dreamcore, it’s hard to pin down an exact “starting point” for Weirdcore.
Some sources say, that it’s been around since 2010 in a variety of forms, which makes sense to me as a kid who grew up on the internet. I can think back to my teenage years and I’ve definitely seen some of the themes and motifs in modern Weirdcore, in the darker parts of early Internet.
At present, the earliest Weirdcore edit with a confirmed creation date was made in 2017.
A Youtube video by DavidCrypt who broke down the Weirdcore aesthetic can be credited with starting it’s upward trend in popularity. However, many of the most popular creators exist on Tumblr, a site that doesn’t show follower counts, so there may be a few creators who are missing out on credit here.
Tying it all Together
There’s always been a strange side of the internet and the upsurge of Liminal Space and related content isn’t surprising given the crazy few years we’ve had recently. If you’re interested in exploring feelings of anxiety or creepy things -as many of us are- you’ve probably just stumbled onto a treasure trove of binge-able content.
Be careful though.
Many Weirdcore and Dreamcore creators warn of feelings of depersonalization as a result of binging the content, so keep tabs on your mental state and consume in small bite-sized chunks. Especially from creators who make you feel more creepy than nostalgic.
All the best.
]]>
There have been a handful of times in humanity’s history when we’ve all collectively lost our shit.
The recent crypto and NFT craze is a fantastic example. Despite rug pulls, failed coins, and even the recent crash- most people’s enthusiasm for cryptocurrency and blockchain technology remains foaming at the mouth high.
(I’m a crypto fan too btw- I walk around with napkins at this point… Get it? For all the foam?
Yeah jokes are usually funnier when you explain them…Definitely.)
Another recent batshit crazy moment? The last episode of Game of Thrones…
I know… If you threw up in your mouth a little bit- I get it. The most incredible series of all time, ever- ruined all at once by a single episode. Although, I guess if you think about, things not going as you expect them to is pretty on theme for GOT.
Either way, back in the 90’s, there was another seemingly insane phenomenon that actually created its own microeconomy- well before blockchain or any other technology made digital microeconomics possible.
Beanie Babies.
What Were Beanie Babies?
Nutshell answer: Beanie Babies were $5 plushies, stuffed with pellets and designed in the shape of a variety of animals. There were 9 Beanie Babies at the time of the first launch in 1993. They were made with an inner lining that made them “posable”. So unlike other stuffed animals, which couldn’t do much outside of being propped up on a wall, Beanie Babies had a certain “character” to them.
Each Beanie Baby had two tags that were used as a form of identification. A heart-shaped “swing tag” at the top and a “tush tag” at the bottom. Initially, these tags were labeled with “To” and “From” making them decently customizable gifts. You can think of a Tush Tag, like a Tramp Stamp, with a lot more words on it.
Eventually, however, Beanie Babies would be produced with a 4-line poem about the respective baby. These poems named each Beanie Baby individually and gave them a story. Making each one it’s own unique item, rather than merely one of a mass produced “batch”- but more on that later.
Physically, that’s about all there was to Beanie Babies, besides the variety in models, there really wasn’t all that much to them. They didn’t bounce, make any noises, have any “action” features or anything of the sort.
Ty Warner, the creator, intended simply to create a toy that was cute and cheap, making it accessible to all Americans.
What Made them so Crazy Valuable?
At this point, you’re probably wondering wtf the craze was about. If Beanie Babies didn’t even do anything special, what made them so valuable?
Answering that with 100% accuracy probably requires both philosophical and sociological analysis, that can’t really be covered in this blog. Fundamentally though- the truth, is that beanie babies were successful almost by accident.
At least- if we take their creator’s intent for granted.
You see, Ty, really didn’t want to “sell out” to a big manufacturer but he also wanted to keep Beanie Babies reasonably priced. To pull this off, Ty would limit production and only sell to smaller retailers in batches of 36.
Since the points of sale, were often small retailers, large ad campaigns were rare and arguably useless. The hype generated by upcoming retail however, would have collectors and other Beanie Baby fans, camping out in front of small retailers to snag one of the dolls before stock ran out.
The unpredictability of releases paired with small batch sizes that were only ever released at small retailers, created an artificial scarcity that did wonders for beanie baby sales. This effect was heightened even further, when in 1995, Ty would begin “retiring” particular models, driving scarcity even further.
Crazy Beanie Stories
Beanie baby resale values were pretty astronomical.
Reselling has become popular again as of late, but at the dawn of eBay reselling- there were beanie babies. These little fluff balls would resell for an average of $30 -six times their retail value- however, several of the rare “retired” beanie babies would pull in astronomical resale value.
Even today, some beanie babies are worth ridiculous amounts of money. One curly the bear, recently auctioned for $9500 (on eBay of course) and curly isn’t even a particularly rare bear. Historically, thousands of Curlys were given away at major sporting events, so they aren’t particularly difficult for collectors to find.
Steg, the Stegosaurus on the other hand, tops the auction list at a whopping $50,000. Steg was first produced in November of 1994, but was released alongside two other adorable dinos, Bronty and Rex in June of the Following year.
Authenticity is everything when it comes to Steg.
Unfortunately, counterfeiters have had arguably the most success recreating the tye dye dinosaur, but collectors in turn have learned how to spot original work. Apparently, Steg was only ever produced one time, which is part of what makes him so valuable. This makes his tush tag pretty unique, since it will always have 1995 on it.
Bankrupt for Beanies
For every story of outrageous Beanie Baby wealth, there are a thousand tales of lost money and family woe- typically originating in the year 2000. The year the bubble popped.
One such family, was documented by, Chris Robinson, in a mini documentary for a university project. The story is a pretty captivating telling of his family’s over investment into the Beanie Baby craze.
They spent years acquiring the plush nuggets of gold, expecting to cash out as values continued to soar. As a matter of fact, they amassed collections for each of their children, hoping to start a college fund for each of their children.
Unfortunately for them, they jumped in at the peak of Beanie Baby hype expecting them to continue growing in popularity, as we’ll see in the next section. This was sadly not the case…
Sorry to Bust Your Bubble
In the year 2000, Beanie Babies imploded.
Not literally -since that would have made Ty a criminal mastermind of Batman proportions- but figuratively, which actually made Ty a criminal mastermind of Mr. Bean’s proportions…
In the year 2000, Ty announced that Ty inc. would stop producing Beanie Babies at the end of the year. Looking at the move now, it’s clear that it was a marketing tactic. Artificial scarcity was Ty’s bread and butter and it had transformed him into on of the wealthiest men in America, with over $1 billion in annual sales by 1998.
Predictably, due to public outcry, Ty agreed to continue making Beanie Babies, but damage had already been done.
Beanie Babies were no longer the fad. Pokemon and Furby had taken over and the dotcom bubble was about to pop. With the announcement, the market was flooded with Beanie Babies from desperate owners trying to offload their now worthless product.
Families like the Robinsons, were left holding the carcass.
Where Are They Now?
As mentioned briefly in the blog, Beanie Babies are still around today. Production has long ceased, with the final Baby “The End” bear being released in 2000, however, beanie babies are still being auctioned on eBay to this day. With The End Bear selling for anywhere between $1000, to $12,000 USD.
With the resurgence of collectibles, is there a chance that Beanie Babies return?
Maybe in partnership with an NFT, since many millennials are now sitting on disposable cash, but- there’s no real way to say for sure. Pokemon made a resurgence and trading cards shot up in value in recent times. But Pokemon is still a very active brand and arguably the single most successful media franchise of all time.
So, if I was a better person- No. Beanie Babies are probably not coming back any time soon.
]]>
Hi Yianna, we’re so excited to have just released your single Blue on DARKNET Recordings. Can you tell us a little bit about your inspiration for the song and what it means to you?
Happy to be a part of Darknet! We wrote the song last year, and I think I was still in the midst of feeling nostalgia over a person I had been with in the past. Everyone in the room was sharing stories about unhealthy relationships and heartbreak they had experienced and so we kind of just went down this rabbit hole of reminiscing. Writing this song was pretty therapeutic actually haha. I'd never written a song in that style before so it was actually a challenge for me. Naturally I tend to write more bluesy or r&b melodies, so writing something "hyper pop" was hard. I enjoy trying new styles musically and for me "Blue" was one of those moments.
What was your creative process like writing and making the song? Do you write about your experiences as you’re experiencing them?
It really depends on the song and what I'm going through. Sometimes I'll get into a session with no ideas or expectation and I'll have a conversation with another songwriter and we'll go from there. Usually someone will play a chord progression and I'll start by singing a melody and then hook on to a lyric. If I'm falling in love or having a bad day, I'll sit at my piano or play the guitar. Personally, that's my favorite way to write and it's when the best ideas come out of me, but ideally I'd like to avoid a lifetime of heartbreak just so I can write songs.
You have an incredible voice! Have you always been a singer/know that was what you wanted to do?
Thank you!! Definitely not. I used to sing in choir as a kid, but I had horrible stage fright. I would come home from school and lock myself in my room and sing karaoke tracks or play piano and write for hours. That's how I learned how to sing. I didn't actually start to pursue music more seriously until I was 18 or 19.
You collaborated with Nitepunk on the single ‘I’m Not Yours And You’re Not Mine’, a favorite song of ours. Tell us a little bit about what that experience was like.
Aside from Lasha (Nitepunk) being an incredible talent, he's also one of my best friends in the whole world. We work together a lot. 'I'm Not Yours And You're Not Mine' was actually the first song we wrote together without any other songwriters. He had this studio setup in his bedroom in Brooklyn overlooking the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan. It was such a magical place to work. I think some of my best vocal performances have come from that room. We had a long talk about something he was going through in his personal life and just made a song of it. We laughed a lot during that session. I love that song.
Do you have a dream collaboration in mind or any upcoming music projects we should look out for?
People ask me this question a lot and I usually name a producer or an artist. But honestly my dream collaboration is to just always work with talented, like-minded, driven producers, artists, songwriters, and musicians. There's no greater feeling than being in the studio with people who uplift you and challenge you. I want to work with people that make me lose track of time during a session because I'm so in it. So that's the dream collaboration. I have a lot of singles coming out that I've been holding on to for a while. The next one will most likely come out in late August.
Who are your biggest influences in music right now?
I can't stop listening to ABBA so theres one. Hmm let me check my Spotify... Okay i'm back. I've been listening to a lot of Thundercat, Snoh Aalegra, Rufus Du Sol, Tame Impala, a lot of 80's records. I like everything. If it's good, it's good.
What has been your all time favorite performance you’ve done? Do you have any upcoming shows?
Good question. Aw man, when I lived in New York I would play everywhere I could. There's a few performances when I played with the full band that come to mind. I'd tell the venue owners to leave the doors open and people from outside would literally walk in. Nothing brings people together like music. I'd like to perform at the end of the summer now that I'm in LA. 90% of why I make music is to play live. Not to be cheesy, but it literally fills my soul.
The music videos you’ve released are super fun and creative! We especially love ‘When I’m Loving You’, how did you come up with the concept? What about for your video for Blue?
Thank you! So when I was writing my mixtape "Class of 1995" I was in my early twenties feeling like an insecure teenager again. So I made the whole project thematically about that. I had dreams of re-creating prom for one of my videos and when I sat down with Michael Casker the director, he mentioned it before i'd even said anything. It honestly was a dream come true to film that. I filmed "Blue" last year in the freezing cold with my friends Daniel Francis and Matt Callamore. It was super on the fly and they honestly made my vision come to life. I wanted to create a dream world and a visual representation of transitioning from this 'Class of 1995' period into a new era and dimension. David Gogokhia did all of the spfx. He's a wizard.
Yianna is an incredibly talented vocalist and song writer, her new single released on the Vapor95 record label DARKNET Recordings will be on repeat for us the rest of the summer. Come with us on our journey to mend the heartbreak. Stream BLUE YOUTUBESPOTIFYAPPLE MUSICTIDAL |
The online music platform known as Bandcamp welcomes in hundreds of new music uploads daily. From the odd and unsettling, to the ethereal and mysterious, you are guaranteed to find some pretty interesting albums on the site. So today, I invite you to travel with me as we once again get lost within the deepest corners of Bandcamp and discover what strange and mystifying sounds await us. If you haven’t yet, check out volume 1 in this series before beginning this article. Cheers, and let’s begin!
Seraphim by the Polish Ambient Collective known as How To Disappear Completely is an almost 2 hour long journey into soft and heavenly fields of drone and texture exploration. Split into 10 tracks, with titles treating the project like 10 individual pieces to the process, Seraphim explores sounds specifically made for headphone users, with the Bandcamp page making a note of this towards the very bottom that also adds “All perceived silence and audio deformations were intended”.
Seraphim uses the Bandcamp page to further enhance the moods and feelings of the extremely slow moving and hypnotic nature of the project. Everything is so dark and expansive, with barely legible text and a pitch black background to boot.
While the length of Seraphim may be a bit off putting to some, this release is a perfect tool for those who have a bit of time on their hands and are looking to build a collection of albums to drift away to, or material to escape the world with. Hazy, stretched out moments of auditory bliss to get lost in. It’s one of those albums that becomes so connected to your inner soul that you just forget it’s there after leaving it on for a while, only to recognize its presence when the waves of sound get slightly larger in size from time to time, only for it to slowly crash into this colorless sea of sound.
A perfect album cover to go with the project as well, Seraphim gives off the same experience of looking out into the sea in the dead of night. I don’t know if you’ve ever been out on a boat in the middle of the ocean in the middle of the night, but there’s something so humbling about only seeing a couple feet out in front of you. The light illuminating from the boat only showcasing the first 10 or 20 feet of waves in front of you, but beyond that is just this pitch black screen of seemingly nothingness. The world is much larger than we perceive it to be, and this is the same with Seraphim. If you want something meditative and simply beautiful, this is a masterclass in ambient sound exploration and I hope you seek to get lost within it as well.
Now let’s get a little upbeat and choppy!
Eキャンパス†107 (translated to: E Campus 107) by 人懐っこいECO (translated to: Friendly ECO) is a short 6 track project from all the way back in 2013. It’s always really fun to go back and check out the earlier times in the Vaporwave sphere, I only really discovered the genre a couple of years later so sometimes stumbling upon albums like this truly feels like uncovering distant memories that never actually happened for me, which is what the Vaporwave genre is all about in the first place, so these experiences are always super fun to get lost in.
A wacky tracklist to perfectly exemplify this strangely upbeat Signalwave production, you’ll notice some pretty well known samples in here like John Mellencamp’s “Jack & Diane” on track 4 “タバコSHOP☪☪☪”, or Taylor Swift’s “22” on the finale track “♥♥より良いあなたの♥♥" (translated to: “Better for your”), this weirdly piercing sample flip that alone is almost as long as the entire rest of the tracklist combined.
This really seems like one of those old albums that just got lost to the ever expanding internet and all the constant music uploads that happen every second, looking at the page there isn’t the usual section filled with people who have supported the project, and this is because the album is available as a free download which is really cool, but it ultimately creates this super small Bandcamp page that just looks like it was forgotten about.. and I’ll always love that strange vibe.
Released back in November of 2020 as an homage to the iconic Vaporwave producer Internet Club, アクアティックリゾート† (translated to: Aquatic Resort) by ベリキャンディ(translated to: Beri Candy) contains 14 silky yet cruddy and empty tracks, a majority of which, with no surprise, are smooth jazz sample flips reconstructed into hypnotizing loops perfectly fit for that special someone always searching for a groovy escape into an abandoned luxury aesthetic. I think that’s got to be one of my favorite aesthetics, look at this thing. I gotta say, one of the best things in life has got to be a hotel that has an indoor pool, like growing up as a kid I was always mind blown at the concept of being able to go swimming indoors while outside it's cold or snowing... This album hits that spot perfect, and even though that indoor pool gets closed at 9 o'clock, it’s albums like this that let you sneak back in with your room key after everyone else calls it a night, and it’s just you and that ability to soak in that beautiful smell of humid chlorine in the air.
Fans of classic Vapor, simple loops and a mixdown that makes everything truly feel lonely, the secluded sound design of アクアティックリゾートis great ear candy for those looking to wind down, kick their feet up and relax heavy, so add this to your collection of tracks if this sounds like you.
The album was originally released on Occasionally Tapes, but later dropped on the label ‘98 with two cassette runs, both now long sold out.
Released on the 1st of February, Italy’s Abul Mogard and their 3 track piece titled In a Few Places Along the River is another riveting piece of ambient goodness that slowly begins to blend into your surroundings minute by minute.
Composed with synthesizers and various other added effects, these three tracks were recorded during 2019 and 2022. Similar to the project we started this video off with, Seraphim, In a Few Places Along the River once again strips the concept of ambient music down to the very bare bones; everything is simple, stretched, yet we’re able to visualize all the itty-bitty fibers and threads that make up a singular sound with these tracks. These three tracks are emotional, in your face and to the point, and it’s so easy to just get lost in the gradual enormity of these tracks. The first two pieces contain these individual layers of sound headed in the same direction, that slow but powerful wave rising to seemingly infinity, all for it to slowly duck back down and nestle itself as close to silence as it possibly could get. And the finale track, “Along The River”, becomes a bit more melodic and sonically diverse compared to the first two. It’s a great little treat after traveling through the first 2 tracks of the project and really brings to life the beautiful colors and bliss of the album artwork as well.
It’s artists like Abul Mogard and the collective of How To Disappear Completely that understand how breathtaking and rewarding it could be for us to be patient as a listener, and for us to grab on to one or two sounds and ride it into the audio frontier. They are able to bring tracks to life, all while having the ability to also slowly tame them back down, ambient mastery that just gets me everytime. Brilliant work and I hope you check out the rest of Mogard’s work whenever you get the chance.
Based out of Western Australia, Matt Rösner’s solo project titled No Lasting Form is a quaint and mesmerizing 8 track drone and ambient album filled with delicate, yet impressive, personality.
Recorded in 2020 and released in the Spring of 2021, Rösner presents the listener with airy and fun loops that blend together natural sounding habitats with more concrete, slightly buzzier textures. These little bells, chimes, and other instruments give off this feeling as if the songs are gradually coming to life, slowly awakening and stretching out after a long sleep. Rösner details the origins of his creativity for the project with a note on the Bandcamp page:
“After the long break from making music, I was starting at ground zero. Initially I was flooded with ideas, there were too many possibilities, and I was met with a state of confusion about where to begin in this new place I had arrived at. To refine the direction, many hours were spen just listening and thinking about what had led me to this point. I was soon trying to figure out when the pieces were complete or whether I’d captured the intent or feel of a particular sound.
There were months where I didn’t record a single note, I just listened in a very detailed and deliberate way. Because of this process the album feels like it’s a lived in room or an old pair of shoes, or that precious memory you hold from the past…it reflects on times and places I have inhabited and I am pleased to invite others to now come and be inside this sound world.” -Matt Rösner
No Lasting Form is a beautiful and passionate piece of sound art and design, it showcases the idea of just letting the world around you do the talking. Imagine music taking form into thousands of little ants and beetles, all crawling around pipes and tubes and little cracks in the cement. It’s a bustling world that somehow manages to constantly remain soothing, reflective and relaxing... A great mind-massager of an album.
Containing moments of echo jams, signalwave, eerie vocal chops and ice-cold sample flips, スピ ネルライフ’s after the dark is just another one of those solid, lost-to-the-void Vaporwave albums that relies so heavily on it’s album artwork to further deliver a vibe or feeling to the project as a whole.
Echoing saxophones and splashy crash symbols emphasizing the fuzzy blur of a blizzard in the late of night… Vocals that pop out and call at you from a distance… wispy and windy flutes crashing into one another on tracks like “souvenir”— everything is fun and constantly moving on the album and gives after the dark so much life as a project that is merely comprised of easy going sample flips. It’s a quick little snack of a project at only 6 tracks, despite some of them being pretty lengthy, but everything flies by anyway when you’re having fun.
A big shout out to one of my favorite YouTube channels that curates great music, channelsurfing, for being the first place I actually discovered this thing. If you’re looking for a channel with some really obscure music (I would say 85% of the time I am discovering something new on there when they upload), definitely check out their channel.
Let’s top off the list with a crushingly luxurious throwback to a once thriving department store business now closing its doors: Sport3000’s Clearance†Sale.
If you’re looking to score some last second home-run deals on some furniture or appliances, travel through the various floors and shopping areas located in this Classic-style Vaporwave world created by one of the most legendary Signalwave artists in the game, Sport3000.
Sport3000†always has the perfect touch on their tracks, the fuzziness and VHS buzz is always poured out at the perfect amount and always served ice cold. I love how the tracklist gradually builds up to the final moments of this all-in-one store, all leading up to that finale track that ends with a brooding, rumbling growl of sound signifying the emptiness of this once bustling shopping venue.
The album was also released on the Toronto based Adhesive Sounds on an extremely limited edition cassette run of 25 copies only.
There are a really solid handful of Sport3000†releases to go through, but Clearance†Sale’s attention to the setting it is meant to represent is spot on. You can feel the dusty, mustiness in the air from all the moving of clothing racks and furniture displays as they empty out the showrooms of these magical shopping destinations lost to a time long ago.
Until next time… Much love, ur boi,
Pad Chennington
]]>