Atlana vaporwave vet’s new LP conjures glitchy, dreamy warped-synth soundscapes
In these sickly times, a healthy dose of hyperactive synthesized madness can be the perfect antidote.
One of the most dynamic names in the vaporwave scene over the last several years, Atlanta producer Vaperror has delivered several excellent albums of dreamy, shimmering, futuristic dance-pop. Those include his stunning debut Mana Pool and a pair of 2016 releases Acid Arcadia and Eternity. Now Vapperor is thrilling quarantined fans with his first full-length album since 2016, the lush and ravishing Saccharine Synergy.
Full of ’80s-style drum machines and bending synths, the LP wanders effortlessly into nostalgic dance floor textures while still cloaked in a hyper-futuristic, acid-washed production style that’s nervy, frenzied, and utterly hypnotizing. “Wiggly Watermelon” is the epitome of this colorful and frenetic sonic head trip. Here, Vaperror pummels with propulsive house beats, squiggling keyboards, and stabbing bass lines. Saccharine Synergy fuses elements of house, nu-disco and smooth jazz with chameleonic ease. “Gojira” is equal parts relaxing and effusive, the perfect soundtrack for a dazed, neon-lit pool party. The groovy “Salsa Verde,” meanwhile, rides its glistening Atari-like beats and lounge-jazz rhythms with an addictive, buoyant energy. And then there’s the dazzling and kaleidoscopic “69 Game Boys Singing All At Once,” the album’s sugary climax which dovetails ferociously into the plunging, disorienting final track “Super Megaenergizing Powerup,” whose title says it all.
Saccharine Synergy is out now via 100% Electronica. You can purchase the album HERE, and sample it below. And whenever this quarantine ends, do yourself a favor and go see Vaperror live. His performance at Electronicon 2 was one of the best shows I saw last year.
