Vaporwave Essentials

Internet-born vaporwave has attracted many fans, thanks to dreamy songs conjuring up nostalgia for a neon-soaked past. Often building on pitch-shifted ‘80s samples, artists pull sonic elements from popular culture—incorporating anything from video games to advertising—which are manipulated, layered, and synthesized into a languorous haze. Whether found in the blurry ambience of 2814 or the corporate-Muzak stylings of Laserdisc Visions, slowed-down vaporwave offers a subversive twist on all things retro.