About this category
Step into the surreal, dreamlike world of Vaporwave, where 1980s and 90s nostalgia meets internet culture in a haze of pink and purple. Emerging in the early 2010s from the depths of the internet, Vaporwave is as much a visual and conceptual art movement as it is a musical genre. Characterized by its slowed-down, chopped and screwed samples of smooth jazz, elevator music, and 80s pop, Vaporwave creates a sense of nostalgia for a time and place that never quite existed. From the genre-defining works of Macintosh Plus and Saint Pepsi to the more experimental fringes of the genre, Vaporwave explores themes of consumerism, technology, and the uncanny valley of digital culture. Experience the genre's signature elements: the warped, slowed-down samples that create a dreamlike atmosphere, the heavy use of reverb and echo that creates a sense of vast, empty spaces, the glitchy, digital artifacts that remind us of the internet's early days, and the distinctive visual aesthetic of classical statues, Japanese text, and VHS-era graphics. Whether it's the more accessible 'mallsoft' subgenre or the darker, more experimental fringes, Vaporwave remains one of the most distinctive and thought-provoking musical movements of the internet age.