Electronicon 3 Weekend Recap
After an unwanted three year hiatus, George Clanton & 100% Electronica brought the beloved ElectroniCON festival back to New York City. The vaporwave community quickly rallied, filling out the weekend with other events (Friday’s tape swap, Sunday’s Vaporspace and Club Genki shows) to enjoy the irl company of our url friends for as long as we could. Below are some personal accounts of the weekend from all over the scene. If you want to relive some of the weekend through pictures, Augnos (Twitter | Insta) has a massive photo archive of the tape swap and Vaporspace available for your viewing pleasure.
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ℍUM♥ℕIGHTM☯M
ℍUM♥ℕIGHTM♥RE bandcamp
Cyber Dream Records
I was first introduced to vaporwave when my son Skylar aka ℍUM♥ℕIGHTM♥RE started making it himself (and eventually creating the Cyber Dream label). Sadly, my beloved Skylar took his own life on July 11th 2020. A couple of weeks later I got a message from Dante Mars Ajeto! letting me know that there was a YouTube channel by the name of Vapor Memory doing a tribute livestream for my son. I had never watched an online stream in my life prior to this day, and the chat was a constant sea of love, support, and grief over the loss of my son and his positive impact in this community.
I have since fully immersed myself in the music scene that he was a part of, eventually even deciphering the differences between subgenres like future funk, slushwave, dreampunk, etc. This community stepped in and shined their lights on me when I felt nothing but emptiness. They remind me every day that my son will never be forgotten and his music immortalises him.
Fast forward to August 20, 2022 where I attended 100% Electronicon 3 in NYC. The connections I made url finally got to become tangible irl in the form of the biggest hugs and countless deeply meaningful face-to-face conversations. I also got to meet so many new amazing people at the show. One of the best experiences of my life, hands down. The only comparable vibe from a concert crowd I can think of is when I saw the Grateful Dead in 1994. There is just endless love and positivity resonating in these vaporwavers.
It was also interesting to witness how so many of the fans in attendance knew each other prior to meeting up together at the show. Only internet music could make something special like that happen. Watching people meet irl for the first time and/or being reunited after years of lockdown was so heartwarming.
One of the most touching moments for me personally was when my son's Casio watch beeped at the exact moment death's dynamic shroud began their set. Between that, knowing this was a dream of my son's that I wish he could share, and the sun setting in the window behind dds, I broke down and cried uncontrollably during their entire set. Since death's dynamic shroud was one of ℍUMℕIGHTMRE's top inspirations, seeing them perform in his honor was so emotional. The primal sobs for this bereaved mother were nothing short of cathartic.
After their set I saw Tech Honors of dds and told him about my reaction and we shared some more tears and hugs. Most of the artists are very approachable and kindly interact with their fans. It's the most welcoming atmosphere and everyone was having a fantastic time.
The music is incredibly moving and the visual artwork is astounding. But the vaporwave community is truly so much more than the music and aesthetics. It's a family. And I couldn't feel more blessed to be a part of it
Ronny Louvre
Vaporspace Invaders at Purgatory was a fantastic vibe - every artist brought their best energy to create memorable sets of sound and light to an incredible space, and every attendee felt the love and satisfaction of one last night together with friends from all over the world gathering for one more party.
Vaperror, Yuni Wa, DJ Phantacat, 蒸気 S O U R C E, Enraile, Trans World Airlines, Sound Market, & oipeee! delivered banging set after banging set, while VideodromeTV, ausLo, TVC-95 & Mike Videopunk set a flawless aesthetic mood with their next level visuals all night long.
And Purgatory was the perfect spot to focus the energy of the sold out crowd for one last vapor concert on a Sunday night in Brooklyn.
saturnfoo
Since attending the Electronicon 2 in 2019, I was really anticipating the third one. This time now, I was on the other side of the country, with the new friends I've made along the way, and converging for the music we all love. Electronicon 3 itself was super fun and exciting. The top sets of that day were luxury elite, death’s dynamic shroud, and Saint Pepsi (of course). Specifically, hearing songs like “WIN IT ALL” and “Practice” filled my heart with happiness that I almost wanted to cry.
The parallel difference from attending the other econ was that I felt like the whole crowd was filled with friends (my family), a community of amazing people. Through every set, I was able to meet up with different people that mean a lot to me. That was the highlight of this experience. I believe that the other events that were hosted around Electronicon 3 were just as important as the festival itself. It kept us going, and it allowed us to come together. It is very fortunate to be able to experience this and the memories made overall. My hope is that this is going to inspire more live events locally and for many to create. I am definitely crossing my fingers to see Satin Sheets, Windows96, and my friends to be on the next lineup.
RoninPharaoh
Econ3 was a life changing experience! I've never been to a vaporwave IRL show before, never even been to NYC, but when I heard about this festival from Pad Chennington, I felt compelled to book a flight. And I'm so glad I did. I was nervous about going to a music festival alone in a big city I'd never been to before, so I tried to find a couple people on Reddit to meet up with, which ended up snowballing into a group of almost 20 solo travelers. We immediately began meeting up as early as the Tape Swap on Friday, and I can say that I'm so thankful to have met such a diverse crowd of artists, performers and music fans.
The whole weekend was a magical event, starting with the Tape Swap. Meeting URL friends, turning them into IRL friends, meeting vaporwave labels and YouTubers and artists, seeing a live vaporwave DJ set outside of a computer screen for the first time! And Saturday was simply an otherworldly experience. My top musical moments of the day were: Dan Mason kicking off the day with such energy, seeing Vitesse X for the first time and becoming an instant fan of her early 2000s trance and jungle styles, kicking ass in my first mosh pit in well over 10 years at the death’s dynamic shroud set, turning around and getting my own ass kicked in the George Clanton pit, and taking a desperately needed dopamine crash at the end of the night with Groceries’ cooldown set.
After all that, getting the crew back together on Sunday for the photo op and brunch was the best part of the weekend that I didn’t know I needed. The connections I made with the people I met went further than just a shared love of music. We bonded over our careers, families, and our art.
As of September 2022, our humble little Discord server (that was admittedly only started because the group chat became full at 10 members) has now become a bustling community of almost 40 members chatting throughout the day about music, art, video games, movies, careers, and coordinating more IRL meetups at future vaporwave shows. In fact, it was less than 2 weeks after ElectroniCON that our group started planning our next big meetup at the Yung Bae Groove Continental show in Chicago in late October. Talk about renting an airbnb for this concert was what evolved our little group into what they've dubbed the Vaporhaus Fam.
Not to beat a dead horse, but the biggest thing I had no idea about with ElectroniCON was that I’d be taking it home with me. I’ve made lifelong friendships, and I’ve joined a larger community in a way I haven’t experienced since my teenage years. It started on August 19, 2022, but I feel like it’s something that’s going to stay with me for a very long time… and it feels good to be home.
maki
I remember three years ago, seeing the lineup for econ 1, t e l e p a t h being on the bill was an immediate purchase. Figuring out how to get to New York was secondary. Times change, tastes change, and this year the artist that filled that spot for me was luxury elite (excellent set btw). Another way this year’s show would be different was that there was no Private Suite Magazine (RIP) to worry about - no tape swap logistics, real or self-imposed obligations, etc. Just there to see my friends and enjoy a bunch of great music.
Once again, the show delivered. I got there early, suffered in line with a number of new and old faces, and was able to catch all of Dan Mason’s festival-opening set (which I had missed a lot of at econ 1). As day faded to night, I caught up with old friends, caught up with even older friends, and met some others for the first time. I wasn’t able to see all the artists I wanted to, but that’s never how these things go. Just ride the wave and enjoy the day. And although this year had a different overall vibe to it, it had me just as excited for for the scene and some creative & collaborative ideas as that first one.
The next day, I unfortunately missed Club Genki, but was at Vaporspace Invaders for about half the night. Finally happy to get to a Vaporspace show, despite it not being on Ronny’s home turf! I was able to catch up with a few of the people I didn’t get to chat with on Saturday, and was able to reflect on this amazing weekend during relatively quiet train & Uber ride home. I don’t know what the next big vaporwave event will be, but I hope to see you there (and crossing my fingers it’s in Chicago so I don’t have to travel too far!).
Derek Power
I was very fortunate to attend Electronicon 1 back in August 2019. It became one of the best days of my life, both creatively and personally. It was a vindication of the life-path I took, an affirmation of the scene(s) that I think best reflect a lot of what I am, and finally a realisation of a vision to make something on your own terms and no one else’s.
Almost three years later, I was able to return for Electronicon 3. It was reconnecting with old friends and connecting with new ones. Plus it helped there was more room for more and thus those who weren’t able to go back then can go now. Sure the weather was to be desired (then again, it was hot during econ1), but thankfully that didn’t deter us from experiencing the music with a large group of individuals who happen to like the same things you do.
Once more, we were able to make something happen on our own terms and no one else’s. That can never fade nor be taken away. Keep the dream real.
SUN TURRET
Standing outside the on the hot pavement in line, waiting to get into Econ3, my mind could only summon one thought: “This is a fucking vibe.” After going through the isolation of the pandemic, entering the doors to ElectroniCON 3 felt like spiritual catharsis. The internet was right in front of me.
The event was an array of feelings and ideas that are hard to describe in paragraphs. The vibe was oozing out of every orifice, from the industrial backdrop, to the chatty (and extremely friendly) event crowd. The space had a magical flow to it.
The permanence of vaporwave for me is that it both feels so personal, yet so shared. The musical acts reflect this. Small Black had me swooning; their presence through the chillwave era has been admirable, so seeing them open the event was a love letter to the longtime fans of the label. By the time Death’s Dynamic Shroud came on, my body was dripping with sweat just as the place was dripping with ambience. Heavy bass sounds floated through the rafters, an energetic DDS was on display. Outside later, the atmosphere was ethereal. FM Skyline captivated the audience with his synth; the growth of his live set has been impressive to witness. Saint Pepsi played a set that can only be described as a digital forest of sounds perfectly mixed and fitting with the energy of the evening. Every thread of my body was meant to stay….. but I found myself walking up the stairs, slipping into the cozy feeling of VAPERROR’s set on the Club Stage. There was crowd surfing, there was madness - his set was a blend of performance and technical wizardry. “This man knows club music.”
Econ3 captured all the feeling of the previous events, and more. Vaporwave was on grand display, it was impossible to ignore the vibe. The community grows and expands. Much love to all the labels, artists, promoters, and fans.
