Emma Winston and Laurence Saywood suggest that, in the case of lo-fi hip hop (as well as other music on the nostalgia genre continuum) “the specific, personal nostalgia becomes merged, in real-time, into a past which the listener already knows never to have existed.” 10 An attribute of a person’s experience while listening to a song may include how aroused a person feels during listening, as well as the particular emotions that a person experiences during listening.” 8 In sum, nostalgia usually relies on “a person’s relationship to a given song, which may be expressed as how familiar they are with it, as well as the degree to which the song is associated with a personal memory.” 9 In the case of the music within the nostalgia genre continuum, this is upended. 7 Nostalgia for music usually tends to involve familiarity “a person’s relationship to a given song may be expressed as how familiar they are with it, as well as the degree to which the song is associated with a personal memory. 5 Barret and Petr Janata suggest that “nostalgia is often evoked by personally salient music,” 6 while, for music that is unfamiliar, it is unlikely that autobiographical memories will be evoked. An examination of listeners’ narrative explorations of these genres posted online suggests that users engage knowingly and willingly with this “reconstructed nostalgia.” Ultimately, this forms a collaborative and collective universe used by listeners as a method of escapism, through both their own imaginations and online comments.įor Frederick Barret et al., nostalgia is a “complex emotion that gives rise primarily (albeit not exclusively) to positive affect and serves to counteract sadness and loneliness,” frequently triggered by music. Through a discussion of the visual and musical connections that draw these genres together, the concepts of nostalgia in music (as well as the related concept of “reconstructed nostalgia”) are explored. This article argues that the re-interpretation of cultural memory is an important structural feature in chillwave, synthwave, vaporwave, and vaporwave subgenres such as mallsoft and the associated Japanese “city pop” revival. The memories evoked, however, tend to rely on unrealistic depictions of reality and center on times and places that have perhaps only existed in the listener’s imagination. Although these genres certainly approach nostalgia in different ways, they each rely on imagery that evokes nostalgic feelings or memories in a form of collective, imaginative self-soothing. This is the case for both the cover art used for these releases, as well as compositional techniques used in the music itself. All the flavour of Stranger Things, just swap the kids for a crowbar. One of the greatest video games ever made, it shows its age (released back in 1998) but it's well worth a play - swiftly followed by its arguably better sequel, Half-Life 2.In chillwave, synthwave, vaporwave, and their respective subgenres, a common element is the thread of nostalgia, constant in each. Stop us if you've heard this one before: there's this guy who goes to work one day and accidentally witnesses the secretive science firm he works for open a portal into another dimension, through which pour all manner of horrors that start messing with the world. Make like the show’s goofy but lovable Dustin – and nab your own slice of Eighties fashion – with this New Era cap. You can’t help but think that maybe shadowy government execs should stop training kids to blow stuff up with their minds.Īside from the stomach-churning plot twists, have you noticed how well these kids dress? Who actually looked good in a puffa ski jacket? Um, these guys do. The 1988 animated film is rich with cyberpunk cool and grisly violence. Proper bum-clenching terror.Īkira is a kid recruited by the government and forced to develop terrifying psychic powers.
#Miami nights 1984 early summer soundcloud tv
Dan Simmons’ early-Nineties-set Summer Of Night might sound uncannily similar to Stranger Things but, unlike the TV show which is just mildly eerie, this a genuine slow-burning nightmare. Ignore the moaners: The Leftovers, which takes place three years after two per cent of the world’s population has disappeared, is quietly terrifying.įive pre-teen protagonists uncover eerie supernatural events unfolding in their sleepy small town. Online naysayers complaining that it’s overrated? Of course. Handsome small-town cops struggling with life? Yes. Turbulence is less moody, but still brilliantly retro. While you wait for the official Netflix soundtrack release, try Miami Nights 1984 instead. The many Stranger Things-inspired playlists are brimming with Tangerine Dream, show composers Survive and lots of spooky synths – and it’s all a bit intense. Stop pining for the Netflix sleeper summer smash with these not-so-dissimilar odds and ends.