diff options
| author | Christian Cleberg <hello@cleberg.net> | 2024-07-28 19:46:20 -0500 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Christian Cleberg <hello@cleberg.net> | 2024-07-28 19:46:20 -0500 |
| commit | 2be43cc479dfd4cfb621f14381330c708291e324 (patch) | |
| tree | 7ac50f99425c5524c0820360754045b80d1bafcc /content/blog/2021-03-28-vaporwave-vs-outrun.md | |
| parent | afe76ac7d7498b862abaa623790b91410e34574d (diff) | |
| download | cleberg.net-2be43cc479dfd4cfb621f14381330c708291e324.tar.gz cleberg.net-2be43cc479dfd4cfb621f14381330c708291e324.tar.bz2 cleberg.net-2be43cc479dfd4cfb621f14381330c708291e324.zip | |
conversion from Zola to Weblorg
Diffstat (limited to 'content/blog/2021-03-28-vaporwave-vs-outrun.md')
| -rw-r--r-- | content/blog/2021-03-28-vaporwave-vs-outrun.md | 126 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 126 deletions
diff --git a/content/blog/2021-03-28-vaporwave-vs-outrun.md b/content/blog/2021-03-28-vaporwave-vs-outrun.md deleted file mode 100644 index dd8a137..0000000 --- a/content/blog/2021-03-28-vaporwave-vs-outrun.md +++ /dev/null @@ -1,126 +0,0 @@ -+++ -date = 2021-03-28 -title = "Vaporware vs. Outrun" -description = "" -draft = false -+++ - -# Overview - -When it comes to an aesthetic that originated primarily online, there tends to -be a lot of confusion around what falls into each specific genre. This post -discusses Vaporwave and Outrun, which have become almost synonymous in the minds -of those online who aren't hardcore into these genres of media. More -specifically, Outrun is largely an unknown term while all aesthetics in these -two genres are usually attributed to Vaporwave. For example, take a look at the -image search results for Vaporwave: the results include **a lot** of -Outrun-themed images. You'll find a similar trend almost everywhere. - - - -# Vaporwave - - - -Okay, so what is Vaporwave? I'm going to just copy-and-paste some general info -from the Wikipedia article on -[Vaporwave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporwave), so that I'm not repeating -everything you can already search for online: - -> Vaporwave is a microgenre of electronic music, a visual art style, and an -> Internet meme that emerged in the early 2010s. It is defined partly by its -> slowed-down, chopped and screwed samples of smooth jazz, elevator, R&B, and -> lounge music from the 1980s and 1990s. The surrounding subculture is sometimes -> associated with an ambiguous or satirical take on consumer capitalism and pop -> culture, and tends to be characterized by a nostalgic or surrealist engagement -> with the popular entertainment, technology and advertising of previous -> decades. Visually, it incorporates early Internet imagery, late 1990s web -> design, glitch art, anime, 3D-rendered objects, and cyberpunk tropes in its -> cover artwork and music videos. - -This is an excellent summary, and it helps address my point here: there are -specific aspects that make Vaporwave unique: - -## Time Frame - -The time frame for references, logos, etc. focuses mostly on the 1990s in -Vaporwave. You'll see old school Pepsi logos, Microsoft 95 screens, tropical -plants, classic marble sculptures, and many references from Japan's influence in -the 90s. - -## Art - -The color scheme is generally a soft, light palette that uses pastel colors. The -backdrop will often be in a light-pink or teal blue. - -## Music - -The musical genre of Vaporwave incorporates soft tunes, lounge music, and sound -effects that will make the listener reminisce of the 90s. The sounds of the -genre are generally slower-paced and calming. The major breakthrough artist for -Vaporwave was [Macintosh Plus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vektroid), who -released the album [Floral -Shoppe](https://archive.org/details/MACINTOSHPLUS-FLORALSHOPPE_complete) in -2011. Another more recent example is the artist -[sadbert](https://sadbert.bandcamp.com/), whose latest album incorporates the -upbeat tones of the 1999 Dilbert TV series. - -Notice that Vaporwave doesn't include things like racing cars, futuristic -technology, chrome, or the deep orange/purple color scheme. Vaporwave is a focus -on the idyllic state of the world when technology was becoming common in -households, a reality that we have already experienced. Focus on the most -aesthetically-pleasing parts of that past is a large part of Vaporwave. - -# Outrun - - - -Now, let's get to Outrun. This one is a little trickier since the genre has -largely been lumped under the Vaporwave title for so long. However, it stems -from the [Synthwave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthwave) music genre and is -likely named after the 1986 racer game, [Out -Run](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_Run). - -## Time Frame - -Outrun can be thought of as a retro-futuristic aesthetic born from the 1980s. - -## Art - -The color scheme uses a very dark color palette with the main colors being deep -oranges, blues, and purples. Red edges are common around objects in Outrun art. -The background of the Outrun aesthetic is almost always a neon grid like you'd -expect to see in Tron or a 1980s arcade machine. - -Classic sports cars, chrome robots, computer generated graphics and fonts, and -the occasional use of rain or palm trees can be found in Outrun art. - -## Music - -This aesthetic has a more aggressive and fast-paced style of music, which tends -to match the subject of the art in this aesthetic. - -Outrun enthusiasts love what people in the 1980s thought the future would look -like. Take a look at a common video game discussed in Outrun circles, Far Cry 3: -Blood Dragon: - - - -Another example that doesn't force the color scheme as hard as some online art -does is Kung Fury: - - - - - -# Conclusion - -While Vaporwave and Outrun share similarities, they are two distinct aesthetics -with many important distinctions. Someone who enjoys one may not necessarily -enjoy the other, so it's important to make sure we properly describe the -aesthetic we're looking for. |