Style: Vaporwave
Primary Emotions/Themes: Chilled out to the max
Thoughts: I have such a love/hate relationship with vaporwave. So much so that I have to bring it up in almost every vaporwave record I post, I talk about it. For the most part I find the style to be lazy and uninspired, but when an album hits... it hits hard. 200% Electronica is one of the very few that exceed my expectations from the get go.
What sets this one apart from so many of the seemingly endless other vaporwave records out there are two main factors. The first and most important of these is that the music is sample free. This automatically puts it well above the competition. By excluding samples form the writing process 200% Electronica is able to manipulate the sounds to exactly what Mr. Clanton wants without having to borrow from other artists or sounds.
The secondary factor that boosts this album is the fact the the songs are so damn groovy and chill that they are nearly impossible to ignore. These songs not only have me bobbing my head at nearly every turn, they have me in a trance by their sheer nature.
While all of the songs on here have the relaxed and lethargic feel that are staples of the genre, they never fall into the trap of being boring or derivative. This is where the sample free nature of the music truly has it's benefits. It feels nostalgic, but not for anything specific - rather the feelings of the 80's and 90's are captured in the music instead of being a direct part of the music.
George Clanton has a couple of truly great albums in his catalog. This album and the 100% Electronica album recorded under his own name are two of the best in the vaporwave genre. They contain all the elements of the genre without falling into the traps that so many other vaporwave artists do. Simply excellent music all around.
Written February 18th 2024
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