VAPOR95 LIVE 4.0 REPLAY

IN CASE ANYONE MISSED THE FOURTH VAPOR95 LIVE STREAM...

We've uploaded September's full show for you here:

It was a privilege to bring thirteen artists together for a visual and auditory spectacle and to share that with our fans and friends was an honor. Thank you to everyone who joined us to talk and vibe with the artists, fellow fans, and supporters!

Special thanks to ΛDRIΛNWΛVE, CVLTVRE, Neon Vectors, Limousine, Pad Chennington, Future Girlfriend Music, Vaperror, Macross 82-99, Flamingosis, Android Apartment, Lola Disco, kissmenerdygirl, and Tupperwave and the Vapor95 friends and family! Follow, explore, and support these musicians if you had a good time at Vapor95 Live 4.0!

We're excited to do more of these shows so stay tuned for upcoming digital concerts by following the DARKNET Recordings Instagram, the Vapor95 Instagram, or our Facebook. You can also sign up for our mailing list on the bottom of our store's homepage.

LETTER FROM THE CEO

Hello everyone!

This is River, the CEO. I just wanted to personally thank you for checking out Vapor95 and becoming a part of our family.

Here is a little message from me about why I started the company and our future at Vapor95:

Almost four years ago, I started this company from my bedroom. Now, it’s expanded into something I could never have imagined. I will be eternally grateful for this. My gratitude really stems from two things. The first is Vaporwave itself, as a thought movement and as a philosophy.

When I first discovered Vaporwave, I really felt like it was the truest expression of my self identity that I had yet to find. It was me, it was my generation, it was what I grew up with, it was my t a s t e. I loved the colors and the moods. The feeling it imbued in me. This deep longing and at the same time, a deep peace. A peace that the time and place did exist, not only in the recesses of my childhood memories but in the collective subconscious. And now, it was being expressed.

The surrealist flow of Floral Shoppe and the disjunctive attitudes of Blank Banshee. When I was a teen (sixth through eighth grades), I used to go to the Boys and Girls Club after school. It was the ‘90s. We would watch MTV in the “teenroom” where you had to be sixteen to enter.

I remember the Thong Song music video in detail. I also remember Dragon Ball Z was on at 5 PM on Toonami. I would force the other kids to watch it with me while they mocked me for liking cartoons. I played Metal Gear Solid on the PS1 with my cousins and I bought the strategy guide and delicately opened the secret section. I had a Green Day tape and black bucket hat that was my only connection to teenage life when I had to drive across the country with my mom for a summer. I spent late nights on AOL chat rooms and on AIM trying to get people to download Subseven so I could make their CD tray open. I had Beck's "Odelay" in a yellow shockproof CD player. I had JNCOs. I could go on and on.

Vaporwave hearkened to those times and made me recall a simpler life: my life as a kid growing up in the ‘90s and into the new millennium. When I first realized that this beautiful movement existed, that I was a part of it, and that there didn’t exist a centralized source to buy clothing in this style, I understood what I had to do. I realized that if I didn’t do it, then someone else would.

I realized that Vaporwave at its core, its essence, resonated deeply in our society. We missed the free, wild, early internet. We missed low resolution. We wanted to represent this identity through what we wore, naturally. I will have to admit that when I made Vapor95, I wasn’t in the best place, and looking back I’d say I was pretty depressed. I think this is another aspect of Vaporwave that attracted me. It soothed me.

Recently when I did a giveaway on Instagram, I asked people to comment what Vaporwave meant to them, and I think a majority of the answers were something akin to: It helped me with my anxiety and depression and The atmospheres and feelings it gives me make me feel better about life and my place in it.

I am also grateful for this.

The second thing that I am grateful for is all of you. Each of you reading this. I’m grateful that I was able to find my place in life. All of your support in so many different ways has made this dream possible.

I always worried that Vapor95 could be interpreted as a patronization of Vaporwave, a cheap way to profit off of the movement. I worried that the community would reject me, but the opposite has happened. The Vaporwave community as a whole has supported and loved our brand and company and allowed it to flourish and continue to grow. It's really through this growth that Vapor95 has been given the opportunity to expand and enrich the already vibrant Vaporwave community. This is really one of my main goals. To spread Vaporwave, the message of Vaporwave, the peace and unity of Vaporwave.

The amount of gushing and beautiful words I was told at both ElectroniCON festivals changed me. People cared about the company and we were like a family. I cried thinking about all the people that actually cared. Words really can't express how thankful I really am for this, for this opportunity, and responsibility.

When I made the company I really had one main goal in mind: to provide a reliable, quality, American-made and customer-oriented source for Vaporwave clothing online. Which, at the time, didn't exist. I wanted to make sure that everything Vapor95 did and made was quality and above board, nothing made overseas or cheaply. I wanted everyone that had an interaction with the company to feel positive, excited, and inspired, to be entirely satisfied with their purchase and wanting more.

Unfortunately due to the nature of reality, this has been a statistical impossibility and it pains me to think of the ways I have also made mistakes, but I know that I have learned from these mistakes and this allows me to continue to move us constantly and consistently in the right direction, and with the same aspirations I had when I first started it.

The future right now for Vapor95 is incredibly bright. Although the Coronavirus has delayed many of our ambitions plans, I know we will get through this over time.

There are so many places and directions I want to take the company and the fashion industry in general. I want to develop the future of clothing. I want to incorporate technology and the perfect aesthetic into a new form of artwork that will revolutionize what we wear as a whole.

I am so excited and honored to have you with me on this journey.

Long Live Vaporwave!

If you ever need anything at all or have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at River@Vapor95.com.

With Love,

River

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: ALEXA

We’re super excited to feature you in the Employee Spotlight this month! What's the first thing that came to mind when you found out you were next to be featured on Vapor95's Employee Spotlight?

Thank you. Excited to be featured! When I first heard I was going to be the next Employee Spotlight I was curious about what the questions would be. They tend to be pretty creative.

First, tell us a bit about yourself and what you do at Vapor95.com. What does your day to day look like?

I live in Brooklyn and work remotely, handling marketing and PR at Vapor95, specifically working on influencer strategy and relationship building, managing brand partnerships, creator design collaborations, planning live streams, and events, and reaching out to editors for press coverage. My day to day varies a lot depending on what projects I’m working on. I can say that I do a lot of emailing, researching, and planning every day, and have to be pretty organized to stay on top of everything that I’m working on at once.

How did you find yourself working for the company?

I was friends with River (the founder of Vapor95) before working for the company. He knew that I was working really long hours at my previous job and wasn’t super happy there. He asked me to come work for Vapor95 and it was the greatest work decision I’ve made.

What did you do before Vapor95?

Before Vapor95, I was a Digital Strategist working on influencer strategy for a creative agency. I worked with a variety of lifestyle, beauty, and tourism clients as an account lead for everything influencer related.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be a treasure hunter or an actress. I went to performing arts schools and had dreams of becoming a movie star, which is funny to me now because as I’ve gotten older I really don’t like being in the spotlight. When I initially went to college, I went thinking I wanted to pursue a career in creative writing. I later switched gears and went into marketing.

What are your passions and interests outside of work? What's your creative outlet?

Before the city shut down due to COVID-19, I would spend a lot of my time going to shows, mostly to see local Brooklyn bands, but also made sure to see larger bands I love when they made it to NYC. I like to snowboard in the winter, when I am able, but unfortunately didn’t make it out this past year. I wish I could say I have a creative outlet currently. I think I’ve had ‘start writing again’ on my to-do list since I graduated college. I have started getting into genealogy over the past few months while we’ve been stuck at home and have discovered so much about my ancestors. It might be lame, but in general I love doing research and discovering personal histories.

How do you relax when work finishes? What's your ideal weekend?

Working remotely, I sometimes have a hard time establishing a good work-life balance, partly because I’m excited about what I’m working on and also because I haven’t set up a consistent hourly routine for myself, so I often work late into the night. To relax, I like to take a bath, journal, read, light candles, and listen to music like Mazzy Star, Beach House, or J. Mascis. Pretty standard stuff I guess. 

My ideal weekend is being outside in the sun, laying and hiking around in nature. I feel so deprived of it after being stuck in a little apartment for months. I think I need to get more plants for my room!

What is your favorite part about working for Vapor95? What are you working on now?

My favorite part about working at Vapor95 is feeling like I’m heard and respected, and that what I have to contribute is valued. I am able to be super creative and try out any ideas I have. There is an opportunity to get involved in all parts of the business that interest me, and I think that’s pretty invaluable.

Everyone at Vapor95 is super cool and easy-going. There is an immense opportunity for everyone working here to grow and learn new skills as the company grows. 

Right now I’m working on a few things: finalizing our marketing calendar for the remainder of the year, launching new influencer merchandise collections that I helped design and am really excited about, managing co-branded collection drops, launching a new women’s collection, reaching out to the magazines about Vapor95 news, and managing our influencer and creator partnerships.

What's a secret about you that your co-workers have never heard before?

This question is reminiscent of having to go around the classroom and introduce yourself with one interesting fact about yourself, but worse. Working remotely I haven’t really had the opportunity to get to know all of my co-workers on a super personal level so there is a lot they probably don’t know about me.

If you had to choose, what is your favorite design at Vapor95, why?

My favorite Vapor95 design is the Severus, a limited edition, embroidered hoodie. I love all of the details that went into the design. I’ve been trying to get River to bring it back forever. 

I’m also a big fan of the Vinne Art designs, especially CyberVision, Prototype, and Always Cute.

We ask this question to artists we interview here. Letʼs say you get full artistic freedom on a billboard on the busiest road in a huge city where millions will see your message. What would your message be? Any combo of words and images is fine.

If it’s possible, maybe a semi-translucent, holographic billboard that simultaneously casts rainbows and the shadow of the words printed on it onto the road below. The message:

Remember Magic

Or maybe just this quote by Ernest Hemingway:

Live the full life of the mind, exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated by the romance of the unusual.

If you weren't working at Vapor95, what would you be doing?

Most likely working for another lifestyle brand involved in the music or snowboard industry doing marketing, events, and influencer stuff.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Where do you see Vapor95 in five years?

In five years, I hope to still be with Vapor95. I think we’ll be doing really big things and I’m so excited to see the brand evolve and to be involved in that growth.

Which year of your life would you like to relive?

Is this a situation where you go back to change something knowing what you know now about life? I don’t know that I would want to relive one specific year in my life, but I do look back longingly at my childhood and wish I could relive portions of it. The simplicity of life, when the most important things to me were playing outside with friends, and logging into AIM as soon as I got home. Summers spent climbing trees, catching hermit crabs at the beach, and believing in magic. When days felt like they lasted as long as my weeks do now, and memories of my favorite times were easy to recall. When I would stay awake all night to devour books and write plays that I’d make my family act out. I would go back to those moments when things felt calm, simple, and happy. 

What message do you have for the vapor95 fans and customers reading this who admire the brand and want to create something or do something similar?

First and foremost, thank you! Thank you for being excited about the brand and a part of our community. The customers and fans of Vapor95 are the most amazing, kind, and creative people I’ve encountered. Working for a brand that you feel good about and connect with is so rewarding. 

As cliche as it sounds, just go for it. Put aside any fear of failure and know that there will always be people out there who relate to and connect with what you’re doing. It may take time, and a lot of hard work, but you will find your audience or community. 

How to Make Your Own Aesthetic Face Mask

If you’ve managed to depoliticize the mask wearing issue in your own head (or even if you’ve hyperpoliticized it), you’re onboard with wearing one.

Most people agree that in spaces with the potential for crowding, wearing a mask is, at the very least, common courtesy (if not common sense).

Either way, chances are that you’re interested in making your mask a bit more personal and less bland and/or medicine-y (Yes, I made that word up and you know exactly what I mean). Japan and Korea have been on the aesthetic mask wave for years now, so we need not look far for inspiration for an aesthetic design of our own.

We’ve put together this brief guide to help you put together a mask of your own from the comfort of your own home.

Equipment You’ll Need

There are a few varieties of masks that you can make and each of them requires slightly different starting materials or tools. In this guide, we’ll be covering a couple of varieties:

• Face Masks with Rubber Strings or Hair Ties
• Face Mask with Built-in Strings

1. Mask Fabric (any design of your choosing like these, for example)
2. Scissors
3. Rubber bands or hair ties (Not necessary for Mask with Built-in Strings)
4. A ruler or tape measure
5. Pencil or some other writing utensil
6. Paper
7. Some sort of adhesive like hot glue, iron-on patching, or stapler

Making a Face Mask with Hair ties

We’ll get started with the easiest face mask by procedure to make. For this process, you’ll only need to fold your fabric in a specific pattern and attach your hair ties or rubber bands accordingly.

Step 1:

Measure an 8-inch x 14-inch segment of your fabric and cut it into a rectangle.

If you’re working with a printed Tee, or tie-dye pattern, you may want to measure this area over the part of the design you want facing outward. Do your best to have your favorite part of the design as centered as possible.

If you’re cutting from a T-shirt, don’t worry too much about stitches, since they’ll most likely be hidden when you fold.

Step 2:

Fold Your Fabric or T-shirt material from bottom to middle and top to middle

For this step, you’ll want to measure about 1 inch from the top and bottom of your fabric and make a line across its width. Once you’ve done that, fold your fabric along this line.

Step 3:

Fold your fabric once more to “double” it and add rubber bands

Once you’ve folded it once, fold your fabric once more about midway through the first folds to double its thickness. Once you’ve done this, measure about 2 inches from the right and left edges of your fabric and attach your hair ties or rubber bands here.

Step 4:

Fold Right and Left Sides Toward Center

The right and left sides of your mask should meet once you fold them toward center. If you’d like, you can secure them here with stitching, or stapling, but the tension once you wear your mask should be more than enough to keep it in place once worn.

Making a Mask with Built-in Strings

For those of us without hair ties on hand (who also happen to have scissors available), our hopes for an Aesthetic Face Mask-erpiece (I’m neither proud nor ashamed of this play on words) remain alive. There is far less folding required for this version of your mask.

Step 1:

Measure an 8-inch x 14-inch rectangle of your fabric of choice

Step 2:

Measure 6-7 inches from the right and left edges of your rectangle and cut.
In this step, you’re aiming to measure out the length of your tie strings, while leaving a central rectangle or block of fabric to act as your actual mask. To achieve suitable thickness for each string, you'll want to measure 6-7 inches along the bottom and top of your fabric rectangle and then about .3 to .5 inches toward the center.

Once you’ve done this, be sure to create a mark or line to cut along since these lines will be the edges of your strings.

Step 3:

Add 2-3 layers of fabric to the portion of your mask that covers your face.

As you may have already noticed, this design is a lot thinner than our previous one and thus, will be a little less effective as a filter. As a result, we strongly recommend measuring the central part of your mask, cutting matching rectangles from your fabric or another fabric and placing them between your mask and mouth.

If you don’t have a stapler or needle and thread available, you can cut small holes into the corners of your new fabric squares and the corners of the face covering portion of your mask and thread your tie strings through them.

Making your N95 or Surgical Mask more Aesthetic

Of course, no homemade mask design can match the effectiveness of an N95 or surgical mask, but they certainly can be better when aesthetics are taken into consideration. If you’re the type of person who isn’t willing to sacrifice safety for looks, you can consider this final process to make your surgical mask or N95 even more aesthetic.

Measure your Mask

First things first, you’ll need to know the dimensions of your mask as closely as possible. Of course, when it comes to the N95, shape prohibits precise measurement, so you’ll probably want to hold your fabric against the surface of your N95 and cut instead of taking measurements. Surgical masks are usually rectangular when not worn, so you’ll have little issue when taking measurements for these.

Attach Your Design of Choice to N95 or Surgical Mask

Once you’ve measured your fabric of choice, we recommend gluing, ironing on, stapling, or stitching your new design onto the front of your mask, being extremely careful to thread or staple only through the very edges of your mask and not through the breathable surface, since this can compromise your safety and the safety of others.

Where You can Find Aesthetic Designs for Your Mask

Finding a creative and aesthetic design for your mask can be tricky, especially since there are so many options available. If you didn’t have anything particular in mind, or are interested in finding colorful, vibrant designs with references to Japanese, Ancient Greek and Vaporwave culture, consider using a Vapor95 bandanna as the base fabric for your material.

Our bandannas are incredibly comfortable and long-lasting, so they’ll survive the necessary cleaning and sterilizing that all masks must go through inevitably.

We also have a huge collection of Aesthetic Face Masks available online at Vapor95.com.

The Birth, Death and Resurrection of Tamagotchi

If you didn’t live through the '90s, you probably missed one of the biggest technological fads in recent human history. In this blog, we’ll be taking a look into Tamagotchi, the fad that took the mid '90s by storm and died a premature death shortly after.

What Was Tamagotchi?

Put simply, Tamagotchi was a tiny plastic egg with a black and white display and three unmarked buttons. In this plastic universe, there lived a digital pet that required care and attention, much like a real pet. Tamagotchi pets required feeding, loving attention, watering, and the occasional poop clean-up.

According to their origin story, Tamagotchi pets are alien beings, who required their plastic cases to remain safe from the Earth’s atmosphere. These pets would routinely alert you to their needs, at practically any time of day or night and should they be left unattended for too long, you could quite literally return to a dead Tamagotchi.

True heartbreak for any child of the '90s.

How it originated

Tamagotchi pets originally found life in the minds of Aki Maita of Bandai and Yokoi Akihiro, who worked for WiZ, a company that specialized in animations and toys. Interestingly, Maita wasn’t a toy designer at Bandai originally, but instead worked as an office manager, presumably helping with HR and logistics.

As the story goes, inspiration struck one day as she was watching TV and she felt the desire to create a pet that children could take with them anywhere and care for at all times. She brought her idea to Yokoi, who helped with the design process and even helped her shape the origin story for Tamagotchi.

How it became popular

Once an initial design was agreed upon, Maita did an incredible amount of groundwork to ensure that Tamagotchi would provide the maximal amount of entertainment and joy for children. Maita took several hundred prototype Tamagotchi pets into the High Schools of Shibuya. Then, they distributed them to high school girls, who she thought would be the primary demographic for the pets.

Once distributed, Maita conducted several surveys to fine-tune Tamagotchi pets into the powerhouses they would soon become. In November of 1996, Tamagotchi was launched in Japan and shortly after that, they took over the world.

Why Was Tamagotchi Such a Hit?

It's crazy to think that in a time where technological entertainment was advancing so steadily that something as comparatively simple as a Tamagotchi would become as popular as it did. By the time the Tamagotchi began its invasion of American shores, Gameboy, Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo, and PlayStation 1 had all been released at this point.

Titles such as Super Mario 64, Pilot Wings, Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, Tomb Raider and Crash Bandicoot had all been released and were thriving. One would think that these titles alone would be enough to satisfy the technological or entertainment cravings of any mid '90s teenager.

However, Tamagotchi offered a type of entertainment and development that was entirely separated from an action or adventure genre.

Tamagotchi Provided the Illusion of Life

For those of us who lived through the '90s or were born before it, we’re probably all too familiar with the attachment we developed to our stuffed toys and action figures. We spent hours playing, constructing story lines, building “houses” and “neighborhoods” for them to live in with pillows and Barbie houses and anything else we could dream up.

We wanted them to live.

Taken out of context, that could seem extremely creepy, but these toys were already very much alive in our minds. The only thing cooler than acting out those stories would have been our toys being able to interact with us as a pet would.

Tamagotchi filled this childhood void, by pretty accurately simulating the demands of a real-life pet. This effect was amplified by the fact that Tamagotchi pets' needs would have to be addressed at seemingly random times, the same as a real-life pet.

Finite Lifespans Heightened Emotional Attachments

So long as you could keep your Tamagotchi functioning, you could theoretically play and engage with new pets for an eternity. However, each individual pet’s life lasted only a finite amount of time. In modern Tamagotchi pets, lifespans can technically be infinite, so long as users avoid making mistakes in caring for their pets. 

The average Tamagotchi of the past, however, would last 12 days or less. Which in effect made every moment we spent with them that much more precious. Every beep for food or play or cleanups meant a little bit more, since there was a chance that it could be the last one for that particular pet.

If Tamagotchi was So Popular, why did it die out?

The exact reason why Tamagotchi died out is still up for debate. There were several contributing factors, but one of the most commonly cited was the fact that they were so damned hard to keep alive for the average kid. Once the rush from being part of the trend died down and children began interacting with their virtual pets in depth, frustration became a common part of the experience.

Given their widespread popularity, many schools in the USA also moved to have them banned for a number of reasons. Most markedly was the simple distraction from the school curriculum. This resulted in a significant amount of cultural upheaval in the suburbs as parents were taking on the additional task of keeping their children's pets alive since they could no longer take them to school.

It’s safe to say that Tamagotchi didn’t die a pretty death…

If you’re Feeling Nostalgic, There’s good News

On a brighter note, there is some good news for those of you who are now feeling that pang of nostalgic hunger. Tamagotchi was recently re-released as a larger, full color version with more functionality than its black and white predecessor.

The new Tamagotchi On allows you to customize your Tama, raise them to adulthood, marry them and give rise to new generations of Tama who are combinations of their parents. There’s even an app that goes with it, allowing for connection with other Tama parents and fun minigames.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: SEERLIGHT

We're so happy to feature you on our darknet blog since you've been collaborating with us on designs! Tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you've been doing art.

Thanks for having me! I've been drawing for the majority of my life. I've only gotten serious at it when I was around 17 and wanted to pursue a career in the game or animation industry. I was never hired anywhere but I did end up paving my own career through social media instead.

Tell us a little bit about the designs you've created in collaboration with Vapor95. What inspired these works? If you had to pick a favorite, which one would it be and why?

A lot of the artwork I do is inspired by anime and Lo-fi and Vaporwave aesthetics. I like to mash all the aesthetics I love into one piece. That's why all my work has small elements of anime, Lo-fi, Vaporwave, and sometimes Cyberpunk in them. If I had to choose a favorite, it'd probably be my Konohagakure piece (named Ramen Village on the site). It's just a favorite of mine.

Your style is incredible, inspired, but as original as they come. Please tell us about your artistic journey.

My style wasn't always just line art and flat colors like you see now. I used to do a lot of paintings with many textures and tried to make them look like oil paintings. I used to draw that way because I absolutely hated doing line art. But ever since I started experimenting with line art more, I've really leaned into it and enjoy it now.

Could you tell us more about what you're creating/working on right now?

Right now I'm working on various projects I can't talk about at the moment. But I'm always doing fan art of various series.

Do you listen to music while working on your art? If so, please share your favorite artists or albums with us!

Yes, I listen to a lot of Lo-fi and Chill music. Right now, my favorite artists are probably Powfu and LUND.

You are a world creator. Your designs look like they could be from animated feature films. Where do you get your inspiration from to build these worlds?

A lot of times they're actually fan art from anime series or films so that's no surprise! I like to take specific scenes or ideas from films and try to recreate it with my own spin.

Every artist faces days where they lack inspiration and drive to create. How do you deal with these moments?

When I'm not motivated, I simply take a break and do something else for a while. A lot of times, that's gaming or reading manga and watching shows. After I've had my fun, I'm usually ready to work again.

If you werenʼt an artist, what would you do for a living?

I'd probably end up being a pro gamer or something lowkey.

What is your ultimate dream to accomplish with your art? How do you see yourself at the highest point of your career?

The highest point I can imagine myself is having my work recognized by practically anyone who uses the internet.

Anyone who sees my work will instantly know it was made by "Seerlight".

If you could blast a text message to every phone on the planet to deliver one 160 character message, what would it say?

Boobs.

Finally, what would you say to up-and-coming artists who want to pursue their passion?

Take it easy. Don't force yourself to work more than you should. You should always be having fun with your work.

✨ SEERLIGHT ✨

INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
WEBSITE

✨FOLLOW DARKNET ✨

SOUNDCLOUD
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
BANDCAMP

Seven Ways To Bring Some Aesthetics To Your Apartment

Apartment design usually seems like a really ambitious project. Repainting, relocating furniture, cleaning up before, cleaning up after. It’s probably seemed, for a long time, like something you can simply do later. Fortunately (or unfortunately) for you, we’ve all been forcefully given some extra time indoors. So, right now might be your best shot at actually getting some work done on your apartment.

Adding some style to your place doesn’t have to be a herculean undertaking though. There are a number of very simple things you can try to get that aesthetic look you’ve been searching for, without a ton of effort. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Full disclosure: many of these come from Vapor95.com.

#1: Philips Hue Lighting

One of the most obvious considerations when redecorating an apartment is repainting. Painting your walls can create a dramatic change in the ambiance of your apartment. This isn’t just a weird psychological trick. There’s actually a scientific basis for why this works.

Physical objects have a tendency to absorb visible light and other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. The color of an object is determined not by the colors they absorb, but by the colors they reflect or fail to absorb completely. So, an object that appears primarily red, is actually all colors but red.

Trippy? Yes, but core to understanding the next point.

The reason the “feel” of a room becomes cooler when you paint a wall blue, is because there’s slightly more blue light bouncing around the room now. This affects how you perceive things in the room, since the colors will appear slightly different.

This same effect can be achieved without all the effort of repainting an entire room by using the Philips Hue Lighting System. This system allows you to fully customize your lighting, switch colors when you’re bored, change the color and intensity for romantic ambiance, or even create epic shows that groove with your music.

#2: Heisei Accent Poster

The word “Heisei” refers to the period of time in Japanese history and culture which started in January of 1989 and ended on the 30th of April 2019, when Emperor Akihito abdicated from the Chrysanthemum throne. That probably sounds way too cool to be true but it’s a fact, not a video game story line.

This period in Japan’s history is characterized by a large expansion in the availability of technology and has thus promoted the spread of Japanese artwork and themes across the globe. This Heisei poster captures something of that period through its use of the color palette and a gun-wielding anime girl.
If you’re looking to add something unique to your room in addition to lighting, this is a solid choice. Given it’s use of color, this poster doesn’t even need lighting to be an accent.

#3: Gasmask Geisha Poster

In a weird juxtaposition of traditional culture, beauty, and modern warfare, the Gasmask Geisha can make an interesting accent piece in any room. There isn’t a ton of background info on the poster, though it clearly draws inspiration from anime-styled animation and even hints to some extent at the possibility of violence among the flirtatious musings of the geisha.

Being black and white, this poster can take on a number of tones and work well in pretty much any mood lighting you choose. It’ll also look stellar in a lighting music show.

You can find this poster here.

#4: Indoor, Desk or Tabletop Zen Garden

Regardless of how bland or boring your apartment may be, it’s hard to make a Zen garden flop. If you can afford to get a Zen garden sized for your apartment, setting one in front of the TV or as a centerpiece in your living room can be an incredible addition.

Zen gardens offer a ton of aesthetic value and make a significant contribute to a relaxed feeling in most apartments. If you can’t get a large garden, there are options for tabletop ones that offer similar value aesthetically. You can even make your own.

#5: Himalayan Salt Lamps

True Himalayan salt is harvested from the Khewra Salt mine in Pakistan. The salt here is argued to be millions of years old and gets its distinctive pink color from minerals found in the salt. Lamps made from this salt are believed to be healing in nature and provide a few benefits like:

1. Clean the air in your home
2. Soothe allergies
3. Increase feelings of well-being

While we cannot explore the veracity of these claims in this singular blog post, we can confirm that Himalayan Salt lamps, do lend an awesome, warming atmosphere simply by being placed in a room. If you’re hoping for a romantic movie evening or just good lighting for falling asleep, this is a solid bet.

#6: Miniature Cacti (And other easy to maintain plants)

Small cacti look cool. Nothing else need be said.

Jokes aside, a few well-placed plants can make a tremendous difference in any room, especially if they flower. Normally, the idea of taking care of something is a turn off, if you’re not a maintenance-oriented or care-giving person. The plants we suggest, however, are all easy to maintain and bloom without much difficulty.

They are perfect additions to our aesthetic list of easy things to do to make your apartment a cooler place.

Low maintenance plants in order of coolness:

1. Christmas Cactus
2. Amaryllis
3. African Violet
4. Hibiscus
5. Peace Lily

#7: Cross Room Themes

Cross room themes can be a good way to add some consistency to your apartment and “extend” an aesthetic to multiple places. Take for example the Scanset blanket and beach towel from our site. If your room and bathroom have similar base colors (like beige or white walls), then having this design as a center piece can catch your eye and fill the space nicely.

The best part of using a blanket or towel as a center piece besides the practicality of them, is their cost. Buying a blanket for room aesthetics is far cheaper than repainting and takes way less time to get set up. At the worst, you’ll actually have to make your bed to maximize your aesthetic. Not a bad way to start a good habit.

This combo can be replicated with many of the designs found on our site, since our blankets and towels come in many designs. If you’re feeling ambitious or are just very committed to color, there are a number of posters and framed prints which also fit this aesthetic.

Enjoy!

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
POST WOOK

We're so happy to feature you on our darknet blog! Tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you've been doing art.

Thank you! I am a full-time artist based in Los Angeles, California. My days are usually spent packaging up and placing orders, making art for clients, and making art for myself. I love going on hikes in the mountains here, and going to the beach. When I have free time, I prefer to spend it underwater scuba diving.

When did you start your artistic journey? And what made you dive into the world of collages?

I started making art as POST WOOK in June 2018, but I’ve been making collages here and there since I was 12. I don’t know exactly what sparked my interest in collage vs. other forms of art, but I enjoyed the process of cutting things out and pasting them more than learning how to draw or paint. My grandmother is a classically trained oil painter and after seeing how much time and effort she had to devote to her craft, I respected it but took my creative musings in a different direction. Oddly enough, we make similar art even if its a completely different
medium.

Please tell us about your creative process, how are your art pieces created? Where do you find the components of your works, are they also created by you?

I make my art on Photoshop now. In the early days way before POST WOOK, I used to cut out pictures and textures from magazines but found that Photoshop provides a way more compact and less messy outlet for what I want to do. I find my images all over the internet, and did a deep dive into copyright law before I started posting art publicly. The most important thing for finding art on the internet is making sure it's royalty free. Occasionally, my friends and followers who are photographers will send me their photos to use, and in the future I plan on getting a camera myself and taking some of my own photos to use as well.

How do the external world and current events influence your art and creativity?

I try not to make art solely based on current events but rather my feelings and emotions that derive themselves from whatever I’m seeing and feeling. Sometimes my emotions are inspired by current events, but I’m more so enthralled with the world around me.

Have you ever reflected on what draws you to surrealism? If so, what did you come up with?

I’ve always had an imaginative brain, and I didn’t realize how odd my worldview was until I started talking to other people about their perspectives. I’ve never gotten a medical opinion, but I’m almost positive I have synesthesia -- I can see and feel sounds in a way that I really can’t describe. My boyfriend is an audio engineer and sometimes when he’s putting something together I’ll describe it as ‘the smell of old leather’ or ‘ripping apart bubble wrap’ and he has no
idea what I’m talking about but it makes sense to me. When I look at people’s faces, they look much like Picasso’s cubism portraits which is why I tend to not use people in my art-- I never can find the place for them. When I listen to music, I see a world that looks like my art in a dynamic reality. I guess I make art that reflects the way I see things in a multi-layer, colorful and dysfunctionally functional world.

Could you tell us more about what you're creating/working on right now?

I’m very presently in an in-between phase with my clients, but I am doing a year-long project with the California-based, craft beer company Firestone Walker. I just wrapped up another year long project with the science and space publication, Inverse, and I’m currently working on a few projects I legally can’t discuss! But for myself, I’m planning on expanding my online store a bit more towards the end of summer to include new tapestries, blankets, and notebooks in addition to the maelstrom of prints that my followers and supporters love so dearly.

You have worked with big brands and musicians. Tell us about your favorite collaborations and the process of working with others.

This is such a good question! I really love working with Firestone Walker because the team is so laid back and fun to work with. I worked with Zillow in the very beginning of my career and that was also a very exciting project as well. I’ve been lucky enough to work with a lot of amazing clients though, it’s hard to pin down a specific project!

The process is just a lot of emails back and forth. It’s not super glamorous, now because of COVID it might be more zoom calls than anything else, but I’m usually just sitting on my couch taking notes and then revising projects. Depending on my direct and physical involvement in the project, something can be as hands-on as traveling for the brand and creating in-person content, or quite literally sitting on my couch revising it. With most things in entertainment, the big picture comes together once the project is finished and out in the public. That’s usually when
I can celebrate the triumph.

If you werenʼt an artist, what would you do for a living?

I actually loved my last day job and would do it again if I had to. I was an assistant for a private events team in a luxury hotel here in Los Angeles, and I really enjoyed that job. I’m an extrovert to my core and enjoy being around people and putting something together that makes them happy. I also love the logistics that go into event planning and execution, and the hospitality industry at large was the best industry (outside of art) that I’ve worked in.

What is your ultimate dream to accomplish with your art? How do you see yourself at the highest point of your career?

I really want to keep making an impact on the surrealism art world, and bring a new perspective to art. I’d love to see my art break into fashion at some point -- seeing my art on clothing in a runway show is definitely a goal of mine. I’d love to diversify outside of just digital art and start making more physical pieces for galleries and public art displays. I guess my tip top goal would be having my art as the display on the Los Angeles Convention Center, or to collaborate by name with a large brand like Gucci or Prada. I try not to think too much about the ‘means’ that lead to the ‘end’ because I’ve found that the path is always different that I anticipate.

Letʼs say you get full artistic freedom on a billboard on the busiest road in a huge city where millions will see your message. What would your message be? Any combo of words and images is fine.

Oh, I have so many things I could say. Before I even made art, I worked in politics and still have a deep affinity for reforming campaign finance because it can be a very dark place, so maybe ‘Overturn Citizens United’ -- or just ‘Vote’ if I’m taking the political route. Without words, I’d probably just make a nice landscape piece that portrays the surroundings of the billboard. I’m also a fan of abstract, almost troll-like art, so knowing me, I’d just put a big mirror on a billboard for no reason.

Finally, what would you say to up-and-coming artists who want to pursue their passion?

There’s so much! The most important thing is to think about the long term and your goals for the future. Invest in learning your craft as much as you can, and honing in your own style that sets you apart. Inspiration is great and can get you on your feet, but finding a new path to carve out will be far more helpful than trying to run someone out through their shadow. Google is a great resource for most questions, and you can learn a lot from different fields and people’s experiences. Become an expert in social media because the days of only getting recognition from galleries is over, and content is king.

Learn how to be your own agent and manager until you can find those people. I think all artists, not just visual artists, think there will be some superman that will do all of the logistical work for them so they can just make art. That might be true later, but learning how to be your own business manager will help you so much -- from correspondence with clients, to negotiating rates, managing a website, and organizing documents like contracts and tax documents. Art and business should go hand in hand if you want to succeed!

✨ POST WOOK ✨

INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
WEBSITE

✨FOLLOW DARKNET ✨

SOUNDCLOUD
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
BANDCAMP

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
DAVANSH ATRY

We're so happy to feature you and your incredible art on our blog DARKNET! Tell us a little bit about your background, share your story with us!

My name is Davansh Atry, 3D artist from India. I was an Electronics major at college and graduated in 2016. I was never much interested in a job in that field, majorly because I sucked at it. Haha. Art wasn't my thing from the very beginning. I stumbled upon it by mistake and it just stuck with me. And, i'm glad it did.

How long have you been creating art? And what was the deciding factor for you to pursue it professionally?

I have been creating art for almost three years now, started out sometime in 2017. Like i said, it wasn't my thing from the beginning, initially it was like a hobby that acted as an escape from what I was doing at that point in my life. And as time passed, people started approaching me with opportunities and it was then, when I decided to roll the dice and see where it goes.

Tell us about your process - how do you manage to make your ideas come to life and how close are they to your initial inspirations?

It usually starts with an emotion/thought and then I decide a scene set up for it, a concept, if I may. I then work on it until I'm able to somewhat bring out that emotion through it or basically until I'm satisfied with it.

The real treat is when the audience is able to feel the emotion/thought I felt while creating the artwork.

Do you listen to music while working? If so, what do you usually listen to? How do you see it affecting your final product?

Yes, I do listen to music while working. Here's my Spotify playlist that I usually have on loop while working.

Music is definitely one of the major sources of inspiration for me.

Where do you see yourself at the pinnacle of your career? What would be your ultimate dream come true involving your artwork?

I'd say working with some of my favorite artists would be both a dream come true and where I'd be at the pinnacle.

What would you tell passionate up and coming artists who want to pursue their art?

The only thing I'd say is "never give up". Consistency is the key, as they say, "Rome wasn't built in a day", so the more time you spend on it the better. Plus, share your work with the community as much as you can.

✨ DAVANSH ATRY ✨

INSTAGRAM

✨FOLLOW DARKNET ✨

SOUNDCLOUD
INSTAGRAM
FACEBOOK
BANDCAMP

VAPOR95 X VINNE ART FEATURED ON HYPEBEAST

Vapor95 is excited to present to you its feature with Vinne Art on the popular blog HypeBeast.

HypeBeast featured one of our collections with Vapor95 Creator Vinne Art. The previous collection, titled Neon Zero, includes three designs applied to a series of T-shirts, hoodies, bomber jackets, joggers, swimwear, and blankets.

We're so proud and grateful to reach this milestone and super appreciative of our customers who helped make it happen.

You can read the entire feature titled Vapor95 Launches Cyberpunk and Anime-Inspired Collection with Illustrator Vinne Art through one of the links below.

Additionally, you can find Vinne Art's new collaboration with Vapor95 in the store. It's called Millenium Dream and it's complete with the retro-futuristic and anime-infused works of art he's become known for. 

SHOP THE COLLECTION
VIEW HYPEBEAST ARTICLE

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Mishko.co

We're so happy to feature you on our Darknet blog! Tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you've been doing art. 

I've been creating as long as I can remember, but really got into digital art about 8 years ago. I started learning photoshop and got really into editing my photography to create new worlds. Pretty soon I was creating near daily as I started sharing my work on Instagram. I grew up in a small logging town, so social media was a huge way to feel connected with things that felt much bigger and exciting than my daily life. 

What inspired you to dive into the graphic design world? What was that spark for you?  

Your style is super unique, interesting, and really beautiful. Please tell us about your artistic journey.

It is so interesting to see how you achieve your final look for your art! Please tell us about your creative process. What software do you use? Do you have text in mind before you start creating?

Do you listen to music while working on your art? If so, please share your favorite artists or albums with us! 

If you werenʼt an artist, what would you do for a living?

What is your ultimate dream to accomplish with your art? How do you see yourself at the highest point of your career?

Letʼs say you get full artistic freedom on a billboard on the busiest road in a huge city where millions will see your message. What would your message be? Any combo of words and images is fine.

Finally, what would you say to up-and-coming artists who want to pursue their passion?

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

DanZ CM

Hello Danz CM! We're happy to have you as a very talented and unique musician with us on DARKNET blog! We know you're based in NY! Please tell us a little about yourself and your journey! 

I'm from a small town in upstate New York called Woodridge. I moved to New York City to attend college. After taking some time off from school - and working several jobs at restaurants and retail, not knowing what I wanted to do with my life -  I started to make music for fun, and chose the moniker of Computer Magic. To my surprise, people didn't mind it when I put my songs up online!

How long have you been making music and what was your first inspirational spark to dive into this world?

I've been making music since I was around 20 years old. I didn't know I had the ability to until I sat down and tried. I found out I could make music by ear- hear melodies and chords in my head, get them down on a keyboard without knowing the notes I'm playing. I was always obsessed with music (here is a Discogs list I made recently of my favorite records), but it wasn't until I was an adult that I learned I could actually put a song together.

We know you use analog synths! Tell us about the very first one you got and what are your favorites nowadays?

I do love analog synths. They're very warm sounding to me. The first one I got was a Moog Voyager that I no longer have anymore. I had to sell it to make rent one hard month in New York, and have regretted it ever since. But now I have a nice, albeit small, collection. The main obsession I have now is with small desktop analog modules, like the Moog Minitaur and Prophet 6. They sound great and are fairly portable. I want to build a custom rack for all my desktop modules eventually. 

Photo Credit: The Synth Sanctuary in NYC

Tell us about your musical inspirations! Who are the artists you grew up listening to and who you look up to the most today? 

I go through a lot of musical phases. Growing up I listened to a lot of Radiohead, Belle & Sebastian, Ladytron. These days I'm listening to a lot of Gary Numan, New Order, Giorgio Moroder. It's always changing, really, and I appreciate all types of music. The main songwriters I look up to are probably Paul Mccartney, Trent Reznor, David Bowie, Thom Yorke.  

What does your creative process look like? How do you go from trying out new ideas and jamming to finished records?

Sometimes a song takes a day, sometimes it takes a little longer. Songs are easy to make, but the album process takes a while. I used to just record, mix and master all my songs, make some random artwork and throw them up online without thinking twice, (take the Dreams of Better Days EP for example) but now I like to release albums a little more thoughtfully (take Davos or Danz as an example). It's a long process especially since I self-release everything on my own label (Channel 9 Records) that I run solo. Not only is it creating the songs themselves, but it's having to get them mixed and mastered properly, figuring out artwork, possibly getting a distribution deal for an advance to make quality videos and hire PR, getting records pressed, figuring out a tour, etc. 

If I'm doing a remix or a cover it's much faster, maybe a few days. Albums take longer only because I'm pretty particular about the process being just right.

Is Computer Magic your only project? And how often do you collaborate with other artists? Who would you want to work with the most?

I've been releasing everything as Computer Magic but I'm thinking of switching to just Danz or Danz CM for my next album. A lot of people think of Computer Magic as a band, probably because I have a session drummer when I play live, but in reality I'm doing all the songwriting and producing. All my socials are Danz so it just makes sense.

As for other projects, I also run Synth History, an online media brand that focuses on vintage synths and musicians that use and embrace them. So far I've gotten to interview Vince Clarke, Rick Wakeman, Pete Townshend, Suzanne Ciani, Oneohtrix Point Never. Having Synth History is a pretty neat way to get to talk to my heroes, or e-mail with them anyway. I wanna start doing reviews on synths and tech, etc.

As for my own music, I'd like to collaborate more, but I'm so used to working by myself! I grew up, for the most part, as an only child. When I see or hear things in my head one way, it's hard for me to compromise. My default is working solo, it's just a lot easier, so collaboration for me feels forced or unnatural a lot of the time. Although, I'm growing out of that headspace now and realize the benefits that other musicians or creative minds bring.  My friend Cody and I have a rock-n-roll side project called Cody & Danz. We're both solo artists, normally... so we're pretty stubborn when we work together, but the end result is better for it. 

How do you see yourself at the highest point of your career? What would be your ultimate dream to accomplish with your work and when do you see that happening?

My ultimate dream pertaining to music would be to score a feature someday. With Synth History, it's to keep the brand growing and hire writers. My general dream is to maintain creativity whilst being financially stable. I just want to be happy doing what I love for as long as I can. 

How often do you perform and where could we see you live? Can you tell us a little about your upcoming shows?

I'll probably tour when my next record is out if COVID is gone!

Finally, we would love to ask - What would you say to up and coming artists who want to pursue their passion? 

Hmmm.. number one is, stick to your vision. I remember when I first started making music I had a friend tell me that I didn't know what I was doing because I didn't go to music school and he did, yadda yadda. If I had listened to that friend, who knows where I'd be now. Be the number one believer in yourself and your art. Number two is, don't try to sound like other artists or fit a trend. Inspiration is cool, but there's only one David Bowie, one Stanley Kubrick, one Billie Eilish, one Van Gogh, etc. What makes any piece of art unique is the person or people who made it. If you try and sound like someone else it's just never going to work, people will see right through it. So essentially - and I'm aware it sounds cheesy but - believe in yourself, stay true to yourself.

✨Computer Magic ✨
Instagram
Spotify

Website

✨Follow DARKNET ✨
Soundcloud
Instagram
Facebook
Bandcamp

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT 

Japhy

What's your role at Vapor95?

What do your day-to-day operations look like and what's your schedule usually through the day?

What did you do before Vapor95?

How did you end up working with Vapor95?

What are your passions and interests?

Everyone at Vapor95 has a creative hobby. What's yours?

Could you tell us more about what you're creating/working on right now?

What has been your favorite part about working at Vapor95?

Where do you see yourself in five years?

What are your top three albums to listen to while you work?

What are your top three favorite movies?

How would your co-workers describe you in a few words?

What's something you've never told your co-workers before?

What advice do you have for someone who wants to work in a creative, dynamic environment like a startup or a fashion brand?

What message do you have for the Vapor95 fans and customers reading this?

✨Follow Japhy on Instagram✨

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Nick Kempton

1. Nick Kempton aka Nickjaykdesign, one of the most aesthetic visual artists in the world. We're super excited to have you featured on our blog DARKNET and be able to share your incredible work! Can we go back to when you first decided you wanted to make art? Tell us your story! 

So basically, I have been around computers since I was very young, maybe 6 or 7, and I have always played around with graphic tools like Paint.NET, GIMP & Photoshop. I can remember making wallpapers when I was about 12 that I would post on DeviantArt. I have a lot of passion for graphic design and just being creative in general. I started the 'Nickjaykdesign' project back in 2017 to try to learn more tools and get back to creating.

2. The world in your art is very aesthetic and dreamy through sets, environments, and color schemes. Tell us about what goes into the process of creating your art? Tell us where the inspiration for your characters, textures and the world come from?

I am heavily inspired by movies, music, and the world around me. Often times, I will start a project just by looking around for inspiration on Pinterest while listening to some music. A lot of my art is also inspired by photographs of neon cityscapes. They are just something so beautiful that I cannot get over them no matter how much or how often I look at them.

3. How long did it take you to achieve your very distinct style? And what kind of softwares do you use to achieve the final version of your work?

I would say it took about a year and a half to achieve the capabilities to be able to create my own distinct style, but I feel it also took a lifetime of being inspired to achieve it. I use Cinema4D, Octane Render, Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects most often to create my work.

4. Do you listen to music while you create? If so, what kind and how do you see it affecting your final product?

I absolutely listen to music while I create. Music is a part of who I am. I think I pretty much always have music playing around me at some capacity. I listen to a lot of different kinds of music but most often it is probably EDM. Music is a beautiful thing because it can make you feel anything. It can make you feel happy or sad at any moment. I think that's why it's special to me. It affects my work as often times emotion can be seen shining through the art and those feelings are generated depending on what I'm listening to.

5. Your work and name spread fast in the music scene through the artworks you made for certain artists. Is there any upcoming collab you would like to tell us about? and also, how often do you collaborate with a visual artist?

I have so many projects that I will be showing soon but none that I can currently say :( I don't typically collaborate with other visual artists. Maybe I should do that more often :P

6. How do you see yourself at the highest point of your career? What would be your ultimate dream to accomplish with your work and when do you see that happening?

Honestly, I think working with some of my favorite music artists is all I want. I love seeing my work shared with a big platform and seeing reactions and emotions from viewers. Also, a big motivation for me is inspiring others to create. When someone tells me that my work inspired them, it's really a big deal to me.

7. Do you work on other projects besides Nickjaykdesign?

I don’t really work on other projects, I try to focus my time on my Nickjaykdesign project to really perfect my craft

9) Finally, we would love to ask - What would you say to up and coming artists who want to pursue their passion?

Be inspired. Look at everything you can. Read books, watch movies, look at photographs. Go out and explore. Let the things you see be your motivation. Always listen to your heart and don't let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do...

✨Follow Nickjaykdesign's Instagram ✨

or

✨Visit nickjaykdesign.com for more! ✨

The Nostalgic Sensation of "Vaportrap"

Do you feel a little warm and fuzzy inside when hearing old video game console and retro operating system start-up sounds? Love playing catch up with the hypnotic, yet chaotic, hi-hat patterns, 808 bass samples and poppy snares of traditional, hard-hitting trap beats? Well, do I got a genre for you, my friend.

Say hello to “Vaportrap”, a genre that is… exactly what the name is: a blend of Vaporwave and Trap music. Ever since its birth in 2012 with Blank Banshee’s “Blank Banshee 0”, a commonly agreed upon release that many label as the first of the Vaportrap genre, producers of the scene have been walking on a creative tightrope, a mighty fine balancing act between the two styles to constantly find new and exciting ways to blend the two very different genres together. 

On one end, we have the notoriously nostalgic undertones of Vaporwave; you’ll find your selection of old hardware sounds (take a shot every time you hear the Sega Dreamcast booting up sound effect), spacey, ambient chords and just generally textured filters on top of everything, baking every melody to have that retro charm all recycled from long ago.

In the other corner of the ring, we have the fiery attitude of Trap to cover you with the drums. Like two armies clashing with one another, Vaportrap sends in thunderous layered kick drums, sharp, rapid hi-hats, and orchestral synthesizers to combat the generally laidback and woozy vaporwave style. And while these two may seem to be polar opposites on the surface level, these opposites really do attract here as the ferociousness of trap instrumentals brilliantly fills that missing trait in the chillness of Vaporwave, and vice versa. Like peanut butter and jelly, these two genres were seriously made to be and we have seen some extremely memorable and fun releases ever since its conception.

Today, I want to give you 5 releases from the Vaportrap scene that I feel do a great job at showcasing what there is to offer, and more so, go past the stereotypical tropes of the genre. I really find Vaportrap to be an umbrella term more than anything so you may find some releases on here to be more Electronic than Vaporwave, classic Hip Hop than Trap, etc. I’m also not going to talk about super mega gigantic classics like Manapool and the Blank Banshee releases, those of you reading this article have probably heard those albums multiple times through already so instead, we are going to explore some other essential Vaportrap albums that you may have not heard about. Welcome my friend to the nostalgic sensation of “Vaportrap”.

More so a mixtape than an album, let us start off the list at #5 with CONTACT LENS’ 2012 release of “ICE IN THA VEINS”. Less hectic and more tamed than most Vaportrap selections out there, “ICE IN THA VEINS” is a 27 track long display of chilly, ice-cold sample selections and synthesizers poured over brash hip hop drum loops that take their time with you… a dream haven for fans of downtempo instrumentals. This release feels really long, like some truck driver hauling their 18-wheeler around a snowy mountainside knowing they have hours and hours ahead of them of just seeing nothing but the blanketing nature of winter. CONTACT LENS brings home a very relaxing listen attracting you in with it’s smooth, icicle-inspired sounds at the forefront.

For those who are fans of 100% Electronica artist Satin Sheets, “ICE IN THA VEINS” has a very similar feel to albums like “St. Francis” but replaces the pumpy kicks with more distorted ones and other little additions to make this more of a hip hop Vaporwave experience than a funkier inspired one. While most Vaportrap releases I would definitely not consider to be “background” music, this album is most certainly in its prime state when it is treated as a piece to merely zone out to rather than dissect and have your ears chase every individual sound like other Vaportrap releases. Many may not even consider this to be a Vaportrap release because of that tranquility and lo-fi downtempo structure, but because of it’s extremely early release in the scene and definitely having a heavy influence from Hip-Hop, I know many of you will find comfort in the slow-motion blizzard of “ICE IN THA VEINS”

As the legendary Vito James of DMT Tapes FL stated back in 2017, “I, naturally, made this (ICE IN THE VEINS) my ‘christen 2017 with an album you’ve never heard before’ an entire near half-decade later, and… my god. The quality has held up like you just cut open an air-tight Bubba Kush OG from Sacramento.

“In these modern times, our trials are not those of the flesh, but of the soul. In the long treks between safe and understandable concepts lie a murky uncertainty. Plastic bottles of milk are stacked on shelves in such a way as to make the surplus appear infinite. Like the bottles of milk, our days seem without end, only to suddenly dwindle down to nothing - but the idea that there is no end is still very real in our minds. Shelves stacked with hopes and dreams. Moments crystallized into colorful, morphing cubes that seem to detach and attach themselves to each other with unknown sentience. Like savoring a glass of milk, could one not also savor time? 

Imagine you could buy another day…”

Hello shoppers, welcome to “B u y M i l k” by producer 音LIGHTシステム (translated on Google as Sound LIGHT System). This album is a pure gem and is one of the first albums I actually ever heard when discovering the world of Vaporwave. A pretty short listen to 9 tracks averaging at 3 minutes a song, “B u y M i l k” consists of a hearty blend of characteristics to please any appetite. You’ll find your go-to Signalwave weather reporter sample as early as track #2 “家族 ｗａｋｅ-ｕｐ” and then shoot right over to a more future funk-inspired piece in the next track “夢 - ｌｉｎｅ”.

Every track has its own personality which can range from polished mixdowns to fuzzy, VHS inspired journeys into your television-watching past. Heavy reverb on hi-hats provides an expansive listen, playing homage to the open and virtually endless ocean behind the island we see in the album art. Tropical shakers and whistling birds in tracks like 夜のコーヒー (which translates to Coffee at Night), emphasizes this feeling of being alone on this cubey, 3D rendered pacific island… But being alone may be the best way to soak in everything we have going on here. For something that is only about 26 minutes long, the artist really came to play and truly deserves to have your full attention for each song we have found here washed upon the shoreline.

Next up on our travels, let's soar high into the sky with the wispy and luxuriously aerodynamic “Purgatory” by Cobalt Road. Vaportrap rendered out to have 20/20 vision, the beats kept at a constant 20,000 feet altitude has “Purgatory” feeling like some of the cleanest and freshest produced Vaportrap in the game. This, in a genre that boasts aggressive instrumentals with sounds flying all over the place, is indeed a breath of fresh air as tracks like “Mirrors” towards the beginning of the album would be nothing but a relaxing simple little tune that may accompany an airport terminal elevator if it wasn’t for the pristine drum production giving it weight and parachuting it back down to earth. The just short of a two-minute track titled “Solitude” is as tranquil as they come, distant synthesizers paired with its liking of humble bongos and the go-to reverb-heavy treatment on hats to really give you this respectful and submissive state of Vaportrap. Everything ends with a bang (especially compared to this albums standards) as the final track “Bliss” explodes into a warped, wanderlust inspired horn riff.

Cobalt Road’s release here is a very calm album that lays in between exhaustingly relaxing background music and traditional, yet super fine-tuned, trap-influenced percussion— “Purgatory” is really the perfect name for this album, in this case, an intermediate state between trap extremities and angelic soft tones.

“Suspended between two points; Light and dark, past and future, joy and sadness, life and death.“

Overall, this is a crispy clean release in the Vaportrap hemisphere; quaint yet sophisticated. “Purgatory” has the ability to be your background music while cleaning the house or writing an essay persay, all while having the ability to also be used as a piece to sit around with friends and bump your heads to its heavy trap underbelly. Which side will you take?

This is what a Metroid game would sound like with a Vaportrap soundtrack.

More so influenced by electronic and cyberpunk flair than anything Vaporwave or aesthetics of that nature, “Urania” by Ganz Feld is a great, great release to check out if you are a Vaportrap fan as its layers upon layers of diverse sounds are nothing short of captivating and inspiring for the hyper-active percussion lying below it.

Released on Dream Catalogue back in 2018, “Urania” has it all. Acid-Techno harps and synths accompanied by this marching style directness on track number #10 “Reprogrammed” is powerful and orchestral, especially those little breaks during the track where we get nothing but this buzzing and zapping drone treatment eventually giving room for the drums to creep back in. Track #2 “Hyperware” provides us a playground of techno and trap all getting along with one another... that ambient interlude towards the end of the track providing a small window of air before you dive back down into the fun.

“Urania” feels like you’ve stumbled upon an alien planet but you have yet to discover the lifeforms that inhabit it, unsure if they are going to be hostile or friendly. The album sways between calm and caffeinated constantly and really paints settings of what this alien world would look like from alien factories leaking with sludge to miles and miles of purple-grass covered hills. Almost every track, from change-ups and interludes within them, feels like it’s 3 different songs all crammed into one. Surprisingly, nothing feels abrupt though and that is why I think this release deserves some serious praise. Track #9 “Massive Chain” is a perfect example of this as layers of instrumentals are literally growing and morphing into their final form with one another, not just merely existing to differentiate from one another and making you think “wait, is this a new track?”

Also, we gotta talk about that album art, for fans of that Y2K aesthetic feast your eyes on this thing of beauty. Not sure if this is an actual 3D-rendered creation for the project specifically or if this alien-like vehicle was taken from a video game or something, but damn this thing just straight up sounds like the music coming off the album. Also, nothing screams “early 2000’s” like the color emerald, jewels, and microfiber. And the hyper-reflective water in the background? What a juicy lookin’ piece!

Last but not least, what I consider to be pretty much my favorite Vaportrap release of all time. NxxxxxS’s 2017 release of “Remember Last Summer”. Inspired by 90’s and 2000’s horror movies, “Remember Last Summer” is smoky in its production and comedically spooky in its sound choices, pitched-down vocal chops and flute melodies on tracks like “1000 Ways To Get Paid” have so much personality in them you can’t help but fall in love with its eclectic flair. This track is then followed up with “Come Home 2nite” that quickly places us on a dark path at twilight with it’s warped synths and slower percussion progression throughout the song. Right after this, “Evil Thoughts Be on My Mind” featuring Soudiere brings us right back in the trap with Halloween inspired sound effects and hard-hitting kicks, snares, and hi-hats.

I really love every single song on here and can go on about them all, my favorite I think would be “1000 Blunts”, that Goodfellas sample in the beginning before the pitch dips and that calm and cool flute beat comes in... it is so rewarding and sounds so damn good (trust me, there is no other way to describe it. So. Damn. Good.)

This album, as well as everything else NxxxxxS has in his discography, has grown on me so much overtime. I remember discovering “Remember Last Summer” right around the time I was obsessing over VAPERROR’s entire catalog and the rest of the Plus100 label in general, and I overlooked it as I was mesmerized by the more upfront, aggressive and harsh Vaportrap that you definitely can find in the bubbly world of VAPERROR and his works. There were 3 vinyl records left of “Remember Last Summer” when I discovered the album (don’t ask me how I remember that, I have a weird memory for things lol) and I regret not picking one up!

Most of you may recognize NxxxxxS by his most popular album, “Fujita Scale” (which is also incredible, to say the least), but for me, “Remember Last Summer” takes the cake with its memorable personality and narrative dedicated to cheesy fun horror movies. If there is one album I couldn’t recommend enough from the Vaportrap scene it is definitely this spooky boi right here, this thing goes ridiculously hard in the paint.

G-funk and 90’s hip hop fed through a Halloween sound effects noise bank and cooked up in the kitchen by NxxxxxS himself, a bag of candy better than any haul you have ever gotten while trick-or-treating... Stay spooky my friends.

Much love, ur boi, Pad Chennington.

 ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Parunormal

Hello Parunormal! We've been huge fans of your productions for a while now! One of the most Vaporwave-style artists out there, what is it about the Vaporwave Aesthetic that you find most attractive and inspiring for your music?

Vaporwave for me is a euphoric, out of body experience. Reminiscing on the good ol' days, sort of disconnecting from reality and walking into a doorway of the past.

All the different art I see, music I hear, and the things i experience in real life - those are all important factors that come into play when it comes to inspiration. I put myself inside of all these different pieces of Vaporwave & Aesthetic art and I think to myself.. “What would this sound like? What am I supposed to be hearing while I’m inside of this place?” I try to emulate that, so you could see those elements inside and outside of my tracks. I’ve enjoyed it all really, very fun.  

When did you start making beats and was it Vaporwave influenced trap beats?

I started producing and experimenting with FL studio since I was 13-14. I remember watching tutorials about "How to make Dubstep". As goofy as it was, it set me up for a whole new spectrum of information. As for my sense of inspiration and style, I’ve found myself exploring a very open range of different music. I’ve dabbled in most popular genres, but my go to favorites are definitely Lo-Fi, Vaporwave, Synthwave and Boom Bap.  

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of your music and where do you get the most inspiration from?

First thing that comes to mind whenever I think about my music specifically is that little orange pepper that pops up on the screen (FL Studio). But seriously, I think about the long spent hours on that screen, brainstorming and thinking about new ideas and projects to start up. I believe I take in a lot from my favorite producers and artists from the Internet. Although, I gather most of my motivation by simply wanting to create for others to listen and relate to.

I try to do it to its fullest extent. This is something severely important to me and I’m more than thankful to be able to express myself freely.

Tell us more about your beat making process. Where do you start making music from? Beats? Samples?

I’ll start off of however I’m feeling at the time. If I’m in the zone, I lock into this mojo and get tunnel vision on this specific sound. I’ll start from scratch, but sometimes I’ll just grab a sample from my library and work on it. I’ll spend anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours pinpointing exactly how I want the vibe to be. Once I get the sample to my liking, I already know what the beat is going to be. I just lay it down and deliver some bangin' drum patterns that I’m very satisfied with.

Oh yea, a lot of backwoods and propel water keeps me in tune as well when I’m working.

Is Parunormal your only project? How often do you work with other artists and who are they? 

I’m currently working with 2 separate collectives. My movement here at home in Louisville is Drip Unit. We are 5 members strong - Myself, Yvng Tai, Murda Matt, Traptek, & Bruceman. We collaborate very often and that’s where I exercise more of a modern Juug/Trap influence side of Parunormal. I haven’t really worked with lots of other people other than the same ones I already know, but I’m very open to work with anyone. I love collaborating and creating with others. That being said, there are a few friends of mine that I really enjoy working with. For example, Murda Matt, ItsDaKid, ThrowedToBin, SuperQ, $ Kobain and a few others. All really cool dudes, so be sure to check them out on your free time.

On the other hand, I’m a long time member of Virtua94Records. This is were I tend to do lots of my experimenting music wise. I’ve released a wide range of stuff via Virtua and it’s all been super fun! Founders ToadOfSky & Mr.Hideyoshi recruited me back In 2015. Words couldn’t explain how grateful I am to have the chance to interact and work with these folks.

Currently, Parunormal is my only alias. But, then again, who knows what the future holds? We shall see ...

How far do you think you could take your art and where do you see yourself in the highest point of your career?

I always attempt to create new goals and challenges for myself. Some - I reach, and others - might not get accomplished. No matter what the circumstances are, I will always have a passion for creating music and being able to share it with the world. I believe that I can go as far as I wish to & I’d also like to believe that I can maintain a positive outlook on the situations and stay happy.

I can't predict the future, but I do think that there is something big in store for me. I just have to keep focused, take things very seriously & just keep pushing forward. I try not to think ahead in time too much - but it is something that should be thought about. I’m just here doing my thing and seeing where it goes.
 

How often do you perform and where could we experience your performance? Can you tell us a little about your upcoming shows?

I absolutely love performing. I love seeing reactions from people when experiencing my tracks in real life time. I’ve always had deep love for live music. It’s more than just listening, you are also able to experience the actual sound and frequencies in a tangible form. 

I’ve only had one actual performance, but I’ve hosted lots of parties as a DJ and I’ve done a few shows in my local areas. It was a blast, and definitely something I’d like to continue doing. Keep on the look out for upcoming shows around the Philadelphia and Louisville area! Trying to put together many things this year. Got a few events later in the year already planned out and just really trying to go crazy with it.

Finally we would love to ask - What would you say to up and coming artists who want to pursue their passion? 

Do it for YOU and YOUR PASSION. The money shouldn’t be a factor but a bonus. Don’t let the money throw you off. The music industry is as more corrupt than it has ever been! Labels owning masters, holding expenses from previous albums etc. Just tons of factors that are in play and it’s all very unnecessary and really just disrespectful to artist and the “game” all around. Don’t let yourself be an example of industry slavery! DIY is the way to go! Anyone can do it. 

Follow Parunormal:

Instagram

Bandcamp

Soundcloud

Super Unknown

Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up and how did you find yourself interested in design? Was there a pivotal moment that you can remember?

Hi! My name is Dominik and I’m from Poland. I’ve been designing since I was a child. My breakthrough was the day that I discovered the warp tool in Photoshop. I started creating caricatures of friend’s pictures I took with my old compact camera. I was so young but it made me want to learn the program better and design even more.

People often attribute nostalgia to A E S T H E T I C and Vaporwave. Why do you believe this is such a powerful force for so many people? How do you translate that feeling into your art?

I’m from the generation that remembers VHS tapes and Walkmans. I’ve been watching the same tapes from my childhood over again. I love the aesthetics of VHS tapes and the space it leaves for nostalgia and imagination.

What inspires you the most about creating your artwork and what kind of image or idea are you trying to convey to your audience?

I often use Greco Roman statues and figures to convey platonic idealism. I really wanted to combine the ideas of ancient beauty with more modern concepts. Due to the contrast between present and ancient art and ideas, this fusion has been created. It has it’s own unique style, especially by the fusing of glitch art, which through deconstructing itself enables us to hit inorganic structures and release extra emotions.

How do you feel like the cultural and philosophical themes of Vaporwave have influenced your artwork?

I’m not trying to convey everything word for word. I more often base my work on emotions and visual pleasure than hidden phrases that usually mean nothing.

Do you have a work ritual? Take us through the process of creating your art.

First, I choose the face and prepare it. Then I try to compose everything else beginning with a collage, smoothly deconstructing it through the use of glitch art and colors.

Who are some of your favorite artists, business people, creatives or intellectuals?

I admire musicians the most, but I couldn’t choose a favorite because I have too many of them. Nevertheless, I love their way of expressing emotions. For me, music is the perfect medium that fuels me to create.