Does vaporwave really 'critique' consumer culture or is that just what people say to sound smart?

[Placeholder]

People always say vaporwave critiques consumerism, but if so, how does it actually do so? Does a ten foot solid gold McDonalds logo critique McDonalds if the creator of said statue says it does?

If it was ever meant to critique consumerism, that point has been lost. When was the last time someone just dropped a digital album and that alone made waves? The fans that love vaporwave for going against the norm have ironically made it to where you can't be noticed unless you drop physical and get with a label. That doesn't mean they don't appreciate the music anymore, but more so they will not even give the music a chance unless they get to buy a more expensive version of that music.

For those of us that enjoy online music, we get the privilege of the Bandcamp ecosystem that lets us own DRM free and uncompressed music files. Don't box yourself into being a 'collector' who's paralyzed by FOMO when the digital side of vaporwave is in a great place. Enjoy it while you can too, who knows if EPIC will let a good thing continue.

 

[Some_porcupine]

Mars Mall — newgene_MCMXCIX | Last.fm

Watch the video for Mars Mall by newgene_MCMXCIX for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists.

www.last.fm

Modern Museum (Vaporwave Rip) — newgene_MCMXCIX | Last.fm

Watch the video for Modern Museum (Vaporwave Rip) by newgene_MCMXCIX for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists.

www.last.fm

Mom forgot you in shop... — newgene_MCMXCIX | Last.fm

Watch the video for Mom forgot you in shop... by newgene_MCMXCIX for free, and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists.

www.last.fm

"made" few of those

 

[Placeholder]

i think the only obvious anti-capitalist element of a lot of vaporwave songs (can't speak to what a lot producers are thinking) is the flying in the face of copywrite protections (or are copywrite protections a regulation?). the overload nostalgia might be inflected with some resentment for how capitalism takes on and disposes of cultural moments/images for profit, but that's just a mood

Yes if there's one thing that's actually counter culture about vaporwave, it's in how it represents how little millennials care about traditional copyright laws.

 

[SomaSpice]

I think vaporwave is more about memories than capitalism.

 

[Some_porcupine]

Yes if there's one thing that's actually counter culture about vaporwave, it's in how it represents how little millennials care about traditional copy-write laws.

true cyberpunks
didnt longed long, when "the solution" got there (DRM and or so)

 

[Placeholder]

true cyberpunks
didnt longed long, when "the solution" got there (DRM and or so)

DRM and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race

 

[PurpleHello98]

I think it's what you make of it. For some people, it's anti-capitalism, for some people, it's nostalgia, and for some people, it just sounds cool. Personally, I'm not anti-capitalist, but I do think it's gone too far in some aspects, but for me it's, at least primarily, nostalgia.

 

[Punp]

I'm not anti-capitalist, but I do think it's gone too far in some aspects

lmao "capitalism may have gone to far in some aspects" is the understatement of the century. Today my food arrived cold because I didn't pay more than the other takeaway customers for premium delivery service.

 

[dorgon]

I think vaporwave is more set on focusing on an era (like the 80s or 90s) rather than capitalism. The nostalgia aspect of vaporwave is what drove people to remix japanese pop songs from around that time period. If there was supposed to be a critique of capitalism in vaporwave, I think it would only come later in the movement as people learn how to experiment with delivering messages in music.