Dreampunk

History
With the technological zeitgeist of the 21st century, the world has undergone significant change across all spectrums. Via the rise of the internet, backlash against consumerism, and rising attraction towards nostalgia in media, the music genre, Vaporwave, came to be. Vaporwave's boom, whether it be by legitimate artistic expression or its status in meme culture, acted as escapism for artist and listener alike. The slowed heavy-reverbed tones of the music, the colorful graphic design style, there was a sense of camaraderie in the early 2010s in this online community. It has, since then, partially faded into obscurity. However, not all was for naught, as the artists shifted focus to new genres that diverged into a variety of diverse topics & sounds.

While starting out as an exploration on what a sample-less soundtrack oriented Vaporwave would sound like, the genre known as Dreampunk has since then come into its own. With the musical duo, 2 8 1 4, a new ambient style emerged, dropping the groovy muzak in favor of melancholic soundscapes. Their self-titled album released in 2014 to critical acclaim. Via frequent solo releases by 2 8 1 4's two members, Hong Kong Express and t e l e p a t h, a fervor of albums dropped into the online realm. These albums would find a home on Dream Catalogue, headed by HKE. While the early years of Dream Catalogue saw frequent collaboration with Vaporwave artists, the label soon began to shift towards electronic experimentation and original (sample-free) music. The label was hotly contested in the Vaporwave sect, officially rifting the two genres. Hong Kong Express (and his numerous side projects) focused on Dreampunk (and the ironically named gabber / hard techno offshoot Hardvapour), while t e l e p a t h strayed towards what is now known as slushwave (dreamy hypnagogic ambience) on his Virtual Dream Plaza label.

Dreampunk's typical themes are urbanization, social isolation, surrealism, Asian cultures, and retro-futurism. Naturally, many artists resonate with cyberpunk & film soundtracks, often incorporating those elements into their work. Dreampunk has become synonymous with moody droning synthesizers, recordings of the sprawling city, ambience for active listening, and slower tempos. After the stylistic shift of Wolfenstein OS X's End Of World Rave, many of the Dream Catalogue artists shifted towards Hardvapour in 2016. Dreampunk's horizons widened, and the scene expanded to new labels, bringing new artists as well. 2015-2016 birthed labels such as BLUDHONEY RECORDS, Antifur, and SHUT_INS—all of which pushed the Dreampunk umbrella in new directions. While these three labels have since then closed, the late 2010's have seen a return to the dreamy cyberpunk aesthetic (notably under labels: Pure Life, VILL4IN, and No Problema Tapes). With this second wave, the community has banded together to strengthen the foundations of Dreampunk. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of 2020, popularity of online music festivals surged, shifting the landscape of Dreampunk. Events such as Livewire and Pure Live premiered, furthering the unification of the scene.

For further consideration:

 * w u s o's Dreampunk: The Soundtrack To Dreams
 * Dream Catalogue's Statement on the future of Dream Catalogue and the Dreampunk scene
 * Dreampunk on Reddit
 * DREAMPUNK & FUTURE BEATS: An introduction to dream music