ᴡ ᴇ в s ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ツ / ライフMIDI – E-motional Cartography
Recommendation: ✂ (“glittery<--->connection”)
E-motional Cartography is a split release between ᴡ ᴇ в s ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ツ1 and ライフMIDI,2 two mostly classic-style vaporwave artists who have been releasing music since 2014 and 2013, respectively. This release is available through Swamp Circle – of which the creative force is Angel Marcloid, who creates all associated album artwork. E-motional Cartography is produced like a vaporwave mixtape; both artists’ sides are solitary tracks with multiple classic-style conceptual elements merged and melded together. The mixtape aesthetic of E-motional Cartography puts the occasional few seconds of silence in between movements (so-to-speak) to split up unrelated elements.
The ライフMIDI side is more informed by classic-style than that of ᴡ ᴇ в s ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ツ this, with a heavy focus on sample curation (especially the first few minutes). Parts of the the former artist’s side also go into ECCOJAMS-mode, as heard at the eleven-minute mark. In contrast, the side of ᴡ ᴇ в s ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ツ is far more lo-fi, with a musique concrete atmosphere that is similar to the long-form works released through Online Records. ᴡ ᴇ в s ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ツ’s side also features elements of noise music and cut-up technique that will be familiar to fans of Swamp Circle, such as Angel Marcloid’s Apk ♀ ᴎᴇᴛ ☯ Ltd℻ project. However, it’s not as crazy-abrasive as Marcloid’s productions; it’s simply less melodically-led than the ライフMIDI side. The first third of ᴡ ᴇ в s ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ツ’s side also features birdsong, like a heavily corrupted new age cassette, and the halfway point incorporates some drone music aspects.
Of the two, the ᴡ ᴇ в s ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ツ side is generally the stronger one, simply because the classic-style mixtape production present on the ライフMIDI side is extraordinarily common in vaporwave and it lacks some of the eclecticism that such an aesthetic needs in order to stand out.
Tracklist
1. ᴡ ᴇ в s ɪ ᴛ ᴇ ツ: glittery<--->connection – (22:32)
2. ライフMIDI: 誰も家ではない「HORROR」 – (14:59)2
1This is simply a Japanese character pronounced as “tsu”. It’s likely in the name because it looks like a smiley-face than as a translatable element.
2Japanese translation: “MIDI Life”
3Japanese translation: “(Horror) No one is home”