Vaporwave and Nashville aren’t exactly two concepts you generally think of together. However, local artist VH1 Classic has managed to figure out how to bring the two together in a perfectly sublime manner without even making a messy Frankenstein’s monster of the genre.
Generally speaking, the Internet born “vaporwave” genre is steeped in a retro-nostalgia for the early 90’s sample sound, has a somewhat underwater production to it and is dance-y without being too in your face. It also manages to avoid a strictly concrete definition most of the time. It’s not quite as loose “indie” in terms of classification but many things are considered a part of the genre without sounding too much like one another. It’s almost like pornography, you know it when you see it.
With WVOL 1470 AM, The Mighty 147! (the album), VH1 Classic has created an album that is decidedly vaporwave and pays homage to Nashville’s own WVOL 1470 AM, The Mighty 147!, the radio station transmitting 80’s R&B songs out of Berry Hill, TN. The local musician, who’s name I’m not sure they want shared, tells us that they source a lot of samples of 80’s R&B tracks for their creations and they happen to hear plenty of 1470 on their drives around town. It’s a surprising match made in heaven.
The only complaint about the album (and vaporwave in general) is that the songs are too damn short. Of the ten tracks available here, not one exceeds two minutes in length. It’s a 13-minute journey that begs for repeat plays.