Top 10 Up and Coming Vaporwave Artists
Top 10 Up-And-Coming Vaporwave Artists
The world of Vaporwave music is constantly evolving and expanding. With this comes the introduction of creative, passionate new artists who are making their mark in the genre through their unique and distinctive sounds. Here at Vapor95, we love exploring new creators contributing their individual style and voice to the Vaporwave community. Here’s a look at ten of our favorite up-and-coming Vaporwave artists:
What I love about Waterfront Dining is his ability to resurrect gorgeous, obscure tracks of a bygone era and breathe a new sense of life into them. It represents the very essence of Vaporwave: dreamy, experimental sounds that transport you to a nostalgic dreamscape you forgot even existed. They often feature a gorgeous beach aesthetic that feels like a warm, ephemeral memory.
Our Pick: Palms and Olives
9. Artfluids
Classic Vaporwave albums often utilize a variety of dreamy samples weaved throughout the album to conjure up a feeling of delicious familiarity. What makes Artfluids so unique is the fact that he uses an incredibly small number of samples in his tacks, yet still manages to evoke the same wistful feelings that draw us to Vaporwave and Synthwave as a whole with his original compositions. His synths are heavy, his melodies are contagious, and he brings forth an exhilarating energy that never seems to fade.
Our Pick: Gaia’s Return
8. Origami Girl
Lotus Flowers by Origami Girl is hands down one of the most whimsical, heartfelt, ambient albums released in the past year. It beautifully blends lo-fi ambient sounds with funk and acid jazz, creating a trance-like soundscape that bring forth the same feelings of introspective bliss you’d feel after a solo walk on the beach at dawn. Their tracks are the perfect start to a dreamy, peaceful day.
Our Pick: Pink Violence
7. Bakmahn
Bakmahn emerged as a promising new future funk artist releasing dark, harmonic tracks with touches of acid-techno and Japanese disco. One of his newest releases, Downstream Integration, truly emerges you in the world of 1990’s office culture. He utilizes the sort of atmospheric corporate music you’d find in a 90’s employee training video, and the technologically retro nature of the sampled pieces makes you feel as it’s 1995, you’re a new hire at Microsoft, and you’ve just stepped into your new, comfortably sterile cubicle.
Our Pick: How The Successful Start Their Day
Another beautiful return to the minimalistic, ambient nature of pure Vaporwave, Diskette Park’s newest release Stray invites us to drift back in time to a world that is effortless and pure. It features the very best of classic Vaporwave elements like 80’s synths, striking vocals, and an overall dreamlike quality that sends us longing for long-forgotten memories of innocent summer days.
Our Pick: Timeless
5. Luxury Elite
Luxury Elite is an absolute powerhouse in the Vaporwave scene, and her newest release, Prism, is one of her strongest yet. Her sounds celebrate the opulence and glamor of the late 1980’s through a unique take on lounge music and smooth jazz. She’s explored a variety of genres throughout her career, like synthpop and New Wave, and Prism is a welcomed addition to our lineup.
Our Pick: Lovers
4. Fujii
Fujii represents the aspect of Vaporwave that leaves you longing for the past while looking towards the future with a sense of childlike hopefulness and neverending optimism. It is a soothing journey that leaves you longing for a place and time that have never existed. It is the embodiment of a long drive with no destination in sight, the wind in your hair and the radio blasting. It is imaginative and creative and a welcomed addition to our rotation.
Our Pick: Running
3. Sea of Dogs
Sea of Dogs is one of the most experimental Vaporwave artists to emerge recently, producing brilliant beats that are every bit aggressive as they are soothing. He dominates Vaporwave subgenres such as Hard Vapor and Vaportrap and tests the limits and boundaries of the genre as a whole. His sounds are powerful, harsh, and invigorating and do a beautiful job of fleshing out his own unique take on Vaporwave.
Our Pick: No Fear
2. Windows96
Windows96 is a gorgeous representation of the simplicity of pure Vaporwave. It’s haunting without being overly ambitious and the minimalism of each track transports you to a simpler time. It’s reminiscent of your favorite early '90s video game soundtrack and features strong synths and ambient samplings throughout every album they’ve produced. Their most recent album, One Hundred Mornings, is well on it’s way to preserving a spot as a Vaporwave classic.
Our Pick: Rituals
George Clanton emerged as one of Vaporwave’s most promising new creators with his dreamy 2018 EP Slide. He describes the album as a “Vaporwave Opera” and constructed every track with a distinct vision and soundscape in mind. It’s an absolute rollercoaster of dreamy nostalgia expressed through smooth '90s R&B and up-tempo breakbeat. It’s the self-indulgence of youth combined with the melancholic longing of a summer afternoon. It’s the passion and the angst of a teenage romance. It’s a heartfelt glimpse into the mind of one of Vaporwave’s most talented new artists.
Our Pick: You Lost Me There