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diff --git a/blog/vaporwave-vs-outrun/index.org b/blog/vaporwave-vs-outrun/index.org deleted file mode 100644 index e268a3d..0000000 --- a/blog/vaporwave-vs-outrun/index.org +++ /dev/null @@ -1,124 +0,0 @@ -#+title: Vaporwave vs Outrun -#+date: 2021-03-28 -#+description: Learn the differences between the vaporwave and Outrun aesthetics. -#+filetags: :personal: - -* 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. - -#+caption: Vaporwave Search Results -[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20210328-vaporwave-vs-outrun/vaporwave-search-results.png]] - -* Vaporwave -#+caption: Macintosh Plus Album Cover -[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20210328-vaporwave-vs-outrun/macintosh-plus.png]] - -Okay, so what is Vaporwave? I'm going to just copy-and-paste some -general info from the Wikipedia article on -[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaporwave][Vaporwave]], so that I'm not -repeating everything you can already search for online: - -#+begin_quote -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. -#+end_quote - -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 -[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vektroid][Macintosh Plus]], who released -the album -[[https://archive.org/details/MACINTOSHPLUS-FLORALSHOPPE_complete][Floral -Shoppe]] in 2011. Another more recent example is the artist -[[https://sadbert.bandcamp.com/][sadbert]], 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 -#+caption: Outrun -[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20210328-vaporwave-vs-outrun/outrun.png]] - -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 [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthwave][Synthwave]] -music genre and is likely named after the 1986 racer game, -[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_Run][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: - -#+caption: Fry Cry 3: Blood Dragon -[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20210328-vaporwave-vs-outrun/far-cry.png]] - -Another example that doesn't force the color scheme as hard as some -online art does is Kung Fury: - -#+caption: Kung Fury -[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20210328-vaporwave-vs-outrun/kung-fury.png]] - -#+caption: Kung Fury Hacker Scene -[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20210328-vaporwave-vs-outrun/kung-fury-hacker.png]] - -* 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. |