V A P O R W A V E

The Aesthetic: A Nostalgic Surrealism

Vaporwave's visual style is as integral to the genre as its music. The aesthetic draws heavily on 1980s and 1990s corporate culture, often featuring neon colors, glitch art, Roman busts, and Windows 95-era graphics. The imagery evokes a sense of nostalgia for a past that is both real and imagined, blending elements of early digital technology with symbols of capitalism, such as shopping malls and stock photos.

This visual language serves as a critique of consumer culture, presenting a distorted reflection of the promises of capitalism. The movement’s artists often recontextualize these symbols, suggesting that the shiny veneer of consumerism hides a hollow core.

The Cultural Critique: Late Capitalism and Irony

Vaporwave is deeply intertwined with the concept of late capitalism, a term used to describe the cultural and economic conditions of modern Western societies in the post-industrial era. The genre’s music and visuals often convey a sense of disillusionment with consumer culture, using irony and pastiche to critique the emptiness of materialism.

This critique is expressed through the genre’s manipulation of commercial music and imagery. By slowing down and distorting familiar sounds and visuals, Vaporwave artists create an eerie, unsettling atmosphere that challenges the viewer's relationship with the material world. The use of nostalgia serves to highlight the dissonance between the promises of the past and the reality of the present.

The Peak and Evolution: 2013-2016

By 2013, Vaporwave had evolved from a niche internet genre to a broader cultural phenomenon. The rise of platforms like Bandcamp and SoundCloud allowed for the rapid dissemination of Vaporwave music, leading to the emergence of subgenres like Future Funk, which infused the genre with a more upbeat, danceable sound.

Around this time, the genre also began to intersect with other online movements, such as the aesthetic of "Seapunk" and the more politically charged "Post-Internet" art. Vaporwave became a symbol of digital counterculture, embraced by a generation of internet users disillusioned with the mainstream.

However, as the genre grew in popularity, it also faced accusations of becoming self-parodic. Some critics argued that Vaporwave’s critique of consumerism had been co-opted by the very culture it sought to critique, with its aesthetic becoming a commodity in its own right. The commercialization of Vaporwave led to a period of introspection within the community, with some artists pushing the boundaries of the genre to explore new themes and sounds.

The Legacy: 2017-Present

In the years since its peak, Vaporwave has left a lasting impact on both internet culture and the broader art world. The genre's influence can be seen in a variety of mediums, from fashion and design to music videos and commercials. The aesthetic has been adopted by mainstream artists like A$AP Rocky and Drake, who have incorporated Vaporwave visuals into their work, further blurring the lines between underground and mainstream culture.

Vaporwave also paved the way for other internet-based genres, such as Synthwave and Lofi Hip Hop, which similarly blend nostalgia with modern technology. These genres, while distinct from Vaporwave, share a common lineage and continue to explore themes of nostalgia, technology, and cultural critique.

Despite its commercialization, Vaporwave remains a potent symbol of internet culture, representing both the possibilities and pitfalls of a digitally mediated world. Its enduring appeal lies in its ability to evoke a sense of longing for a past that never truly existed, while simultaneously critiquing the very forces that shaped that past.

Curiosities and Contemporary Relevance

One of the fascinating aspects of Vaporwave is its continued relevance in the digital age. The genre has found a new audience on platforms like TikTok, where its aesthetic has been repurposed by a younger generation. The looping, hypnotic visuals of Vaporwave, combined with its haunting soundscapes, resonate with the short, looping format of TikTok videos, demonstrating the genre's adaptability and ongoing influence.

Furthermore, Vaporwave has inspired academic interest, with scholars analyzing the genre as a form of digital folklore or postmodern art. Conferences and papers have been dedicated to exploring the implications of Vaporwave in the context of media theory, cultural studies, and digital art.

The Cultural Tug-of-War Over Vaporwave: How a Subculture Became a Battleground for Ideological Appropriation

Vaporwave, a digital subculture born in the early 2010s, has always thrived on the edges of mainstream culture, acting as both a mirror and a critique of the late capitalist world. However, as its influence expanded, it attracted attention from unlikely quarters: political movements seeking to appropriate its aesthetic and underlying sentiments for their own ends. The subculture, initially a critique of consumerism and late capitalism, has found itself in a complex and contested space, where its imagery and themes have been co-opted by various ideologies, including those on the far right in the United States. This phenomenon, while striking, is not unprecedented in the history of subcultures, as political groups have often sought to leverage cultural movements to advance their agendas.

Vaporwave and the Far Right: A Controversial Convergence

In the mid-2010s, as Vaporwave's popularity grew, a disturbing trend emerged: elements of the far-right in the United States began to appropriate the genre's aesthetic. This co-optation was most visibly tied to the rise of the "alt-right" during the 2016 U.S. presidential election, which saw Donald Trump ascend to power. The alt-right, a loose coalition of white nationalist, misogynist, and far-right activists, found in Vaporwave a visual language that could be twisted to serve their purposes.

The far-right’s appropriation of Vaporwave, often referred to as "Fashwave" (a portmanteau of "fascist" and "Vaporwave"), involved repurposing the genre’s signature nostalgic and glitchy visuals to promote far-right ideologies. Neon-lit Roman busts, once symbols of ironic detachment from consumer culture, were reimagined as icons of Western civilization under threat. The digital distortion, originally a critique of the emptiness of modern consumerism, was recontextualized as a metaphor for a perceived cultural decay.

One example of this appropriation is the YouTube channel "Aesthetic Fascism," which emerged around 2017, blending Vaporwave aesthetics with nationalist, racist, and anti-immigrant messages. These attempts to hijack the genre were not merely about aesthetic alignment but sought to exploit the disaffection and alienation that Vaporwave expressed, redirecting it towards xenophobic and reactionary narratives.

This ideological infiltration of a genre that was once a critique of the very capitalist and hierarchical systems that far-right ideologues seek to preserve is both paradoxical and alarming. The far-right's strategy of cultural appropriation highlights how subcultures can be vulnerable to co-optation, especially when they embody a sense of disillusionment or critique.

Earlier Attempts: Leftist and Anti-Capitalist Appropriations

Before the far-right's foray into Vaporwave, the genre had already been embraced by left-leaning and anti-capitalist movements. The early years of Vaporwave saw it used as a vehicle for critiques of neoliberalism, consumer culture, and the environmental destruction wrought by industrial capitalism. The genre's focus on the eerie and hollow nature of commercialism resonated with those who opposed the neoliberal order.

For instance, some artists within the Vaporwave community explicitly aligned their work with anti-capitalist sentiments. Albums like "News at 11" by 猫 シ Corp. (Cat System Corp.), released in 2016, used Vaporwave’s hauntingly nostalgic soundscapes to evoke the disorienting effects of living in a media-saturated, capitalist society. The genre’s visual and musical dissection of consumer culture often paralleled the critiques found in leftist academic circles, such as those influenced by the Frankfurt School’s critique of mass culture.

Vaporwave’s ties to leftist ideologies can also be seen in its association with "Accelerationism," a controversial philosophy that advocates for the acceleration of capitalist processes to bring about radical societal change. Some within the Vaporwave community saw the genre as an expression of Accelerationist ideas, using its distorted representations of capitalist excess to suggest the unsustainability of the current system.

Subcultural Appropriation: A Historical Perspective

The appropriation of Vaporwave by various ideological groups is part of a broader historical pattern where political movements co-opt subcultures to further their agendas. Throughout the 20th century, subcultures have been both sites of resistance and targets of co-optation by dominant political forces.

One of the most prominent examples is the punk movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Originally a rebellious, anti-establishment subculture, punk was quickly co-opted by various political ideologies. In the United Kingdom, punk's raw energy and anger were harnessed by both leftist and far-right groups. The far-right National Front attempted to recruit disaffected youth from the punk scene, while leftist and anarchist punks formed groups like the "Rock Against Racism" campaign to oppose this co-optation.

Similarly, in the 1960s, the countercultural movements of the United States, which included the hippie movement and the New Left, were initially focused on anti-war protests, civil rights, and opposition to consumerism. However, by the 1970s, elements of these movements had been commodified by mainstream culture, with the aesthetics of counterculture being repackaged and sold back to the public in a depoliticized form.

The sociologist Stuart Hall's concept of "incorporation" is particularly relevant here. Hall argued that dominant cultures have a tendency to "incorporate" subversive subcultures, stripping them of their political content and reconstituting them as mere style. This process neutralizes the subculture’s oppositional potential, turning it into something that can be consumed without challenging the status quo.

Vaporwave's Future: A Continuing Struggle

Vaporwave's journey from an obscure internet genre to a contested cultural space illustrates the ongoing struggle over the meaning and use of subcultural movements. The far-right's appropriation of Vaporwave is a reminder that no subculture is immune to ideological infiltration. However, the resistance to this co-optation from within the Vaporwave community also demonstrates the resilience of subcultural identities.

The genre’s creators and fans have pushed back against attempts to co-opt Vaporwave, reclaiming it as a space for critique rather than endorsement of any political ideology. This resistance is crucial in ensuring that Vaporwave remains a space for questioning rather than reinforcing the cultural and economic systems it was originally meant to critique.

The cultural appropriation of Vaporwave by various ideological forces, from the far-right to anti-capitalist movements, reflects broader patterns in the history of subcultures. These attempts at co-optation underscore the complex interplay between culture and politics, highlighting the ways in which subcultures can be both tools of resistance and targets of incorporation. As Vaporwave continues to evolve, its community faces the challenge of navigating these tensions, ensuring that the genre remains a platform for creative expression and critical engagement rather than a battleground for ideological dominance.

In conclusion, Vaporwave is more than just a genre of music or a visual style; it is a cultural artifact that encapsulates the complexities of life in the digital age. Its evolution from a niche internet phenomenon to a global aesthetic movement speaks to its profound impact on contemporary culture, offering both a critique of and a meditation on the world we live in. As we continue to navigate the challenges of late capitalism and digital culture, Vaporwave remains a poignant reminder of the power of art to reflect and reshape our understanding of the world.