Special thanks to all of the amazingly talented artists who performed as well as to everyone who joined the Vapor95 Twitch Livestreams to talk and vibe with the artists, fellow fans, and supporters! Follow, explore, and support these musicians if you had a good time at the Vapor95 shows!
Studio Cult has been one of the most special partners of ours. We wanted to give you a little insights about the company, and more specifically, interview CEO and the designer herself - Yulia Veligurskaya.
We're very proud to have you on our blog and to be showcasing Studio Cult items on our website. Please tell us little more about Studio Cult, how did it all start?
Thanks so much for having me! I started Studio Cult when I left the architectural field. Things were going well but I honestly wasn't fulfilled by the work. There was this constant itch to do my own thing. After I left, I started an importing business which failed and then decided to take a break and work on some other projects. While searching for new business ideas, I happened to find a community of people who were making pins and decided I would make one for fun. I did a ton of research and came up with what I understood was the ultimate pin: a three dimensional interpretation of the Microsoft Paint program. It was precise to its concept, innovative to the medium and obnoxiously large. I paid a handful of pin accounts on Instagram to post about it, threw up a quick online storefront and made a post about it. I didn't think much of it. To my surprise it blew up immediately, the content went viral within a few hours. It was an exhilarating and yet somewhat terrifying experience.
What was the most critical event for the Studio Cult's success?
This sounds really lame, but every time I committed to doing some growth in an area of my business consistently, success came quicker than I expected. There were a lot of cool circumstances that came by chance, but sustainable achievement came from doing simple things like posting at least once a day, studying marketing for 2 hours a day, etc. Making those critical decisions consistently and following through always seems to work.
All the pins are very creative, as well as very relatable. What are the main factors in the real or digital world that inspire you to create these unique designs?
I probably spend more hours at a computer than the average person. While some of the designs seem simple or humorous, they are all products of my day to day interactions with the digital world. They are all quite personal. They seem like trivial little chachkis, but enamel pins have been a very versatile medium to capture my digital experiences. If you look at my collection you get a peak at how I see the world.
Tell us more about the process of designing and creating each pin!
Each pin is designed around an experience. Ideation is hands down the toughest and longest part of the process. Putting it on paper and then sending it to manufacturers is the easy part. It kind of feels like walking through the dark and trying to see if ideas "feel" good. There are a lot of fine lines I try to be aware of: I like my work to be referential but not novelty. It's clever but not cheesy. It's surreal and not bizzare. The idea needs to be immediately understood upon a second of seeing it. It needs to evoke emotion. If it doesn't meet these conditions I toss it. There's a lot of internal dialogue throughout the process.
Do you have any other projects besides Studio Cult? if yes, please tell us more about it.
Studio Cult is my most serious endeavor but besides that I'm really into decorating. I'm always finding cool, a e s t h e t i c things to add to my apartment. A couple of my favorite pieces are a velvet pink couch and a Pachinko machine which is a vintage Japanese pinball game. At the moment I've been trying to think of some kind of art to suspend from the ceiling that would light the space in an interesting way. There's always some idea I'm coming up with for the space.
And finally, what do you see as your ultimate goal with Studio Cult?
I want to design all kind of things: jewelry, housewares, shoes, whatever. I want to create a world of objects designed by me that speak a language totally unique to itself. Some brands I look up to are Jonathan Adler and Areaware; I love these brands and think they do this quite well. I want to make things for the rest of my life to put it simply, it feels like the highest expression of myself.
When it comes to making Vaporwave, implementing and exploring the internet for samples to chop up has become a practice sacred to the very sport of aesthetics itself. Hunting down obscurity within the depths of the YouTube related section, converting a song you like to an mp3 or wav file and then goin’ in on it to make it your own only further pronounced the very mystique attitude of the Vaporwave way of life—A forgotten, mysterious, lost glamour that you happened to stumble upon within’ the crevices of the cyber world.
However, the ways of musical production did not stay solidified in a state purely dependent on sample engineering for very long. Even by late 2012, producers began introducing their own instrumentals to create a palette less sample dense, all while still trying to still ooze this feeling of false technological hope, forgotten media, and nostalgic undertones. An immediate example that comes to mind is Blank Banshee’s beloved “Blank Banshee 0”, the classic pound-for-pound champion of the Vaportrap division that played off of trending vibes existing in that current meta of Vaporwave, all while at the same time, adding in something odd, intricate, and organic to the movement with cleverly placed 808’s and synths sounding like they were sprouted from the soil of one’s strangest dreams.
Nowadays, it is pretty safe to say we have seen it all; a prism stretched far and wide blessed with all sorts of production methods. Sample chopping, field recordings, live instruments, vocals—you name it, we have heard it!
A big discussion seems to come up time and time again in the community: the battle between sampling vs. non-sampling… Which one is “better”, especially in this day and age and the growth of the scene? Is it impossible to abandon the tried and true ways of the sample bender or should we really move on for the sake of newness and fresh creativity?
Well, with this article I want to not necessarily search for an answer on which one is “better”, but more so on how each one contributes to the scene in it’s own, unique way.
Boring answer? Lame answer? I know, but to be honest with you, I believe the discussion should be based less on competitive assets and more so on how each one enhances the Vaporwave genre, all while not going overboard in it’s own way.
Let’s start off with sampling, good ol’ sampling… I mean cmon’ like I said who doesn’t LOVE a nicely chopped, creatively filtered, and perfectly placed sample to coat your soul with something fun and catchy? Who doesn’t enjoy that little rewarding surprise after hearing a Vektroid track and then hearing the original sample used to make that song pop up on your radio only a couple days later?
*Sample used in MACINTOSH PLUS - ライブラリ
Sampling from existing songs is always ironically convenient in a narrative sense of the whole Vaporwave idea, the fact that it can replicate this “bootleg” acquisition within the flow of your track. Using samples to create musical stories, artists can pump out projects and albums at a consistently convenient rate, a good amount of work is already done for you especially when you found that super delicious little loop in a track ripe with instruments and vocals you do not need to put in yourself. All of this further contributes to this melting pot surplus of Vaporwave tracks that already exist on the internet and will always allow for more music to be pumped out at a rapid rate. Who doesn’t love getting lost in the back catalogue of 猫 シ Corp.’s earlier works? Or taking a mini-vacation through the skyscrapers of Luxury Elite?
A lot of us love Vaporwave for that, and always have. This engraved notion of availability, getting lost within the hundreds of bandcamp pages tagged “Vaporwave” always knowing we’ll never be able to listen to it all; and most of those uploads will contain samples. Simply put, it is obvious how important the act of using samples are to the genre’s core.
The flaw in this is that there will be a lot of Vaporwave material put out online that many can find lazy, uninspired, and repetitious. I’ll always find the cheap side of Vaporwave fun, but understandably for many, you may want to hear more than a haunting sample chop. With this issue, implementing some real raw and organic production can set you apart from a good majority of the competition.
I always liked to think of sample-based Vaporwave as Adobe Photoshop and non-sample-based Vaporwave as Adobe Illustrator… For those who aren’t familiar with the two softwares I just named, Photoshop is used to edit already existing images that can’t be enlarged, or you’ll get em’ all blurry, while Illustrator is used to construct vectors and shapes that can be enlarged and/or shrunk without losing resolution. Traditionally, one would create in illustrator and edit in photoshop, you don’t use one over the other but instead use both together in the creation process. .
This is why I see sample and non-sample based vaporwave as more of teammates and less as competitors, there is an open door towards newness all while retaining that signature Vaporwave feel— Never losing sight of this longing for a past that was hopeful for the future to come. One can start with a blank canvas, produce their own material and then glaze it with a sample to add an exciting variety to what one has created themselves. And, if you still think the track is a bit empty sounding or can use some more structure, create some more organic production and continually pair it back up with what you have made so far. A back and forth concoction that could end up creating a final product way more dense, diverse, and wholesome.
Many believed that deterring samples go against the very heart, blood, and soul of the genre’s original roots, and a concern one may have with going strictly non-sample based is that it makes the track lose that “Vaporwave” charm, that undeniably dusty aura that comes out of using an old sample in your track. Sometimes when something is “too organic”, it does not deliver that same smoky punch as, let’s say, an old 80’s RnB sample slowed down. This is why I think it is just more practical as a producer these days in the scene to try their hand at using both, take a shot and hit both sides of the spectrum.
Nowadays it is so nice to see many coming around to the idea of non-sample Vaporwave, realizing the refreshing experience for artists to craft something themselves. Windows96, Dan Mason, FM Skyline, and Runners Club 95 are just a small handful of artists this year that have put out some very notable work heavy with their own formula, and it absolutely bangs.
So what are your thoughts on the whole idea of sampling vs. non sampling in Vaporwave? It is totally cool to prefer one over the other, but when we can see the two as best of friends I believe the possibility for newness and excitement is endlessly legendary.
Listen people, you know the deal… do NOT sleep on Windows96!
What is cookin’, what is poppin’ it is ur boi Pad Chennington and today, let us stroll through the latest release in the ever-growing collection of mystic, musical landscapes with “Enchanted Instrumentals and Whispers”, the new and sudden release dropped by Vaporwave titan “Windows96”.
Known for layered production through a multitude of practices, whether that’d be with some fun and nuance sampling methods or organic instrumentals and keys, Vaporwave artist Windows96 has become a fan favorite due to an organic approach and appreciation for what they personally strive to create; the dude likes to make some hearty, meaty music. In my opinion, I find each and every release that the killer puts out to simply outshine the previous one in regards to the dedication put into creating something wholesome, and that’s a tough feat to do when your discography consists of classics like Gradient Horizont and 100 Mornings.
“Enchanted Instrumentals and Whispers” dropped in late April of this year, I was getting back from the gym the day of its release and was ready to give it my undivided attention with some proper headphones and have it accompany me as I wrote a script for an upcoming video on the channel. This was definitely the next big release for 2019, and I was excited to dive into something special that could sit atop the Vaporsphere with other climatic releases this year like Dan Mason’s Hypnogogia and Advanced Memory Suite by FM Skyline. 2019 has been a revolutionary time for the genre to say the least; releases are crafted with the horse blinds on and artists are doing everything they can to break from the norm and establish their own, signature sound in a genre that many find has fallen stale due to the abundance of producers trying to replicate the same tropes done for years now.
And I’m super happy to say “Enchanted Instrumentals and Whispers” has done just that, the album drives far from many traditional “Vaporwave” tendencies. You will not find your upfront, crooning sample chops or fuzzy VHS textures on here, but instead this instrumental blend of Vaporwave/Synthwave/Ambient sounds that seems to be a big theme so far in 2019, the range makes for this chill-aesthetic that combines a bunch of different sound styles allowing albums like this one to become something you can look forward to revisiting long after your first listening adventure. Each time you re-listen to the album you will have an opportunity to focus on a different sound, aura, or instrument; some excellent replay value with this baby. I like to think of it as a buffet of sounds to satisfy any current musical taste you are in, and you know I’m always hungry so if this is doing the job for me I know you are going to absolutely love it.
Instrumentally speaking, EIaW is pretty on-par with Windows96 last release, 100 Mornings, but this time I find the tracks to sound way more breathful and sprightly. Having this characteristic creates potential for personality and range throughout the entire tracklist where as 100 Mornings had songs built to sound very sharp, shiny, and polished in it’s mixdown entirely (a very streamlined approach, definitely fun in it’s own light but can get pretty over-cooked by the time you get to the end of the album). For those who loved 100 Mornings, you are in for an refreshing treat as this will easily satisfy your desire for a proper follow up all while maintaining its distance to become a release of its own. “Enchanted Instrumentals and Whispers” is simply more alive than 100 Mornings or anything else put out by the eclectic producer.
ElaW is is one of those special albums that can stick around for a little bit due to the unique musical composition and an album artwork you won’t forget... A blast of color, jagged shapes and soupy-lookin’ paint strokes has never looked so delightful. Any longtime fans of Vaporwave, especially Windows96, will get that initial hype feeling of “Wow, okay this is a classic” within minutes of unveiling the opening tracks to your ears.
“Enchanted Instrumentals and Whispers” has a very airy, open, expansive vibe to it, it sounds like you are afloat a light purple colored ocean and seagulls are replaced by friendly spheres and other fun shapes making you feel at home and comfortable. Eerily tropical, you will find a lot of these steel drum melodies rockin’ over some coasting drum loops, peppered with some curious synth keys that tend to tumble all over the place making moments throughout the album sound super rich, natural, sporadic and lively. Nothing on here is ever really “clean cut” in a production sense, a lot of smokey, washy sound effects and textures to pump out this moody little attitude that tends to bleed into the upcoming measure whether it’d be a synth with some heavy delay or reverb or a jumble of jingles that last just a little too long. Keyboard leads also tend to have these quirky solos that can get pretty lengthy, I really can’t remember one instance on the album where the volume just drops or something just abruptly ends / get’s halted for some sort of dramatic effect. The album is constantly calming all while at the same time being an always on the move journey that somehow still makes you feel homey, hooked, and in control no matter what part you are up to in its just short of 40-minute run time.
If Windows96 hasn’t already became a cemented name in the Vaporwave world with Gradient Horizont and 100 Mornings, “Enchanted Instrumentals and Whispers” has definitely done the job in solidifying that. For something that is simply what it states to be, a collection of enchanted instrumentals and whispers, this thing has breathed even more life into the super exciting renaissance of Vaporwave music we have all seen so far in 2019, and I can not wait to see what comes out next.
Much love, ur boi,
Pad Chennington :)
"Also known as "Youtube's Vaporwave Valedictorian", Pad Chennington is a content creator who has created a substantial following on YouTube for his videos discussing all things Vaporwave. Starting in the Fall of 2017, Pad's videos range from reviews to breakdowns, interviews to unboxings, and much more, always revolving around odd and interesting music genres found throughout the internet. Pad has also recently released an album in February titled "CONTRAST" that is available as a free download via the My Pet Flamingo label."
