This Is Dreampunk vol. 1 (Various Artists)

Album Description
''The story of 2020 in the world of independent electronic music has been the formation and rapid rise of the dreampunk movement. What started as a vague concept in the earliest days of Dream Catalogue has now materialised into a fully-fledged movement that speaks to something intrinsic about our modern age. Spearheaded by numerous record labels, artists and outlets from around the world, across borders and languages, 'dreampunk' is fast becoming the sound and style of the 2020's, offering romantic introspection and detached respite in a time of chaos and uncertainity.''

'' 'This Is Dreampunk is intended to mark the beginning of a series of 10-track compilation albums, each featuring ten different artists - a series which will continue off-Dream after the label shuts down in January 2021. Rather than the mammoth scene-snapshot compilations that the underground world and Dream Catalogue has become known for in the past ten years, especially after scene-defining 'Eternal Dream System' in 2015, 'This Is Dreampunk' is sewn together specifically to act as a shorter album listen, with quality over quantity emphasised.''

Though it was hard to narrow the first volume down to only ten artists, given there being copious talent in the dreampunk movement to pick from, we have chosen ten of the best here - with some names familiar, and others brand new, showing off what is only a fraction of this growing movement, with names such as Elegance of the Damned, Mutilomaquia and Droidroy showing off the next generation of talent coming through, while Hong Kong Express, Yoshimi and Remember are firmly known as Dream Catalogue and dreampunk legends at this point.

Though Dream Catalogue may be closing down in two months time after a seven year run, the opposite can be said for the dreampunk movement which has caused quite a stir this year, as numerous talented artists previously operating without a name for the work they had been releasing have converged upon it, finding a shared essence that reflects themselves in the world at this moment.

''This is the sound of the time. This Is Dreampunk.''

Track Listing

 * 1) Elegance Of The Damned - The Phoenix That Rose From The Burning Village
 * 2) Mutilomaquia - Rendering The Invisible
 * 3) Yoshimi - Extrication
 * 4) Sangam - Prepare For No Arms
 * 5) AUT2M - City Thrum
 * 6) Iona Dream - Behind The Curtains
 * 7) Hong Kong Express - Tower 2
 * 8) Remember - Haven
 * 9) ＤＲＯＩＤＲＯＹ - 終電
 * 10) Shima33 - Loneliness