21. the future funk origin story: saint pepsi's laser tag zero (future funk episode) Artwork

The Virtual Ocean

THE "LET'S LISTEN" VAPORWAVE PODCAST. Vaporwave is an art aesthetic that embodies the anxiety, disillusionment, and nihilism of the modern world. In music form, vaporwave dives deep into these unconscious anxieties, manifesting sounds from past decades - warping them, manipulating them, and summoning the ghost of the good times that were promised by modern capitalism, but never came. Vaporwave is an expression of the pains of the collective modern unconscious, taking the form of heroin-level escapism, ecstasy-inducing pop music, or dystopian ambient worlds. Because of its internet-based nature, its aesthetics have evolved so rapidly, further reflecting the chaotic subconscious of the modern mind. Vaporwave captures the modern unconscious of humans raised by the internet succinctly, and understanding this art form matters. In each episode, we listen to tracks that make up genre and give our thoughts, analysis, emotions, and commentary on them. Let's set sail on the Virtual Ocean. {Casted from the Bay Area, California. You can follow us on Instagram: @thevirtualocean to join the conversation! Consider donating to us! $thevirutalocean on CashApp will get you your name and any message you want read at the end of the show, starting episode 63.}

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The Virtual Ocean

21. the future funk origin story: saint pepsi's laser tag zero (future funk episode)

January 07, 2020 • J DOT RAM

The Virtual Ocean is the “Let’s Listen” vaporwave discovery podcast.

What is vaporwave?

Vaporwave is a music genre (and internet meme) that appropriates mood music from the past while presenting subtle takes on modern-day consumerist culture. The genre has drawn many passionate listeners with its powerful immersion, ambiguous commentaries, and the genre's unique ability to amalgamate with the memes created as its byproduct.

It's a genre with several subgenres that are extremely distinct from one another in sound and style; and yet evoke similar archetypal ideas that say, either explicitly or implicitly, a lot about the modern world.

It's also very, very, aesthetic.

In each episode, we listen to tracks that make up genre and give our thoughts, emotions, and commentary on them.

In this episode, we are going to dive once again into the work of Telepath, the most prolific Vaporware artist and the community’s consistent pick as the Greatest of All Time.

In this episode, we’re going to focus on one particular artist who is the Golden Boy of the vaporwave future funk genre: Saint. Pepsi.

We think it’s finally time to give the man, also known as Skylar Spence, his due on this show.

So we will go way way back to December 2012, when it all started with his very first album: Laser Tag Zero.

Let’s experience this piece of vaporwave history together.

Let’s set sail for the islands of Saint Pepsi’s Laser Tag Zero.