Interview / 05 Jun 24
Interview with Miami Palm Collective
Tala
Vaporwave, it’s not just a genre of music, it's also a genre of art. So, what exactly is Vaporwave? In short, Vaporwave is an internet movement, started in 2010, that samples consumerist media and artificial pop music. It also celebrates nostalgia from the 80s, 90s and even 00s. Artists go to extremely creative measures where they get to sell their music in different and unusual forms, like for example cassette tapes, VHS, floppy disks, mini discs, and even Game boy advance cartridges. If you got a couple of minutes, read this.
The visual aesthetic includes colours like pink & turquoise, 3D geometric shapes, palms & dolphins, Japanese & Western anime, classical sculptures & neoclassical art, CRT monitors & Windows XP. Vaporwave includes many famous sub-genres such as Future Funk, Barber beats, Dream Punk, Slushwave, Mallsoft & VHS Pop.
So, today we have this special occasion to have a talk with Artur, the owner of Miami Palm, an exclusive Vaporwave label.
Artur, can you tell us how you discovered the Vaporwave genre?
I discovered the genre during the beginning of COVID pandemic, I was listening to a lot of Synthwave music and eventually ended up in the V A P O R W A V E. Anyone who is into electronica should definitely take a dive into the genre.
What are the most notable characteristics that you like about Vaporwave?
I like the slow tempo and the distortion that the genre brings, you start to experience feelings you’ve never had before such as alienation, nostalgia, peace and Deja-vu.
Do you listen to Vaporwave all the time or do you have space to listen to other genres of music?
You’re right, I do listen to Vaporwave all the time. I listen to it when I work & study, but it is a huge genre, and I haven’t even fully yet explored all of it's sub-genres alone. Every day I learn something new about it and that is what keeps me fascinated.
Is there is a dedicated Vaporwave festival?
Yes, one that I can think of right now is the Flamingo Fest by My Pet Flamingo label. I’ve heard also some happening in Florida.
As a Label owner, how do you recognize a new Vaporwave artist, can you do it without the use of the visual aesthetics?
The label is open almost to any vaporwave artist. However, there are rare circumstances when I must refuse a submission simply because it just doesn’t fit the label aesthetically. Visual aesthetics is a critical element because there is a vibe or a connection between your album’s music and its art cover.
Of all the Vaporwave subgenres, can you tell us which are your favorites?
I love Future Funk, a very energetic genre that makes you want to party on a sunny day and wear Hawaiian shirts. I also like Junglewave or as I’d like to call it, Pizzawave. A subgenre that got very famous by an artist called Pizza Hotline. Here are some of my favorite albums of all time:
- LEVEL SELECT by Pizza Hotline
- 大理石のファンタジー by haircuts for men
- ネクロマンサー by macroblank
- 夢の砂漠 by desert sand feels warm at night
- 大理石のファンタジー by haircuts for men
- ネクロマンサー by macroblank
- 夢の砂漠 by desert sand feels warm at night
Do you think that there will be an evolution of the genre, in which case, where do you think the genre is going these days?
The genre does evolve, new sub-genres, labels, and artists get born or get suddenly a massive attention at some point which sparks a huge growth in fanbase.
What are the plans for Miami Palm in the future?
We’re preparing to start releasing vinyls soon, we just need to get everything in order so we can run them smoothly. Definitely in the upcoming months we will be releasing more often tapes. There are also discussions about starting a new sister label possibly in Phonk/Hip Hop genre.
Thank you very much for your time!
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