satellite cult 43.43
2003, ILYSM, old Pokémon, Dos COM Jam
welcome to this week’s satellite cult dispatch. i’m so glad you’re here. i hope the artifacts i present you with will take each individual aspect of your personality and compress everything together in a .zip file. ask yourself if it’s time to take up more space, or less.
please be aware that the void dive section below contains flashing gifs.
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an announcement
before we get to the cult content, i wanted to let you know that satellite cult merch is here, and more designs are coming in the future! i don’t make any money from satcult, so if you love seeing it in your inbox each week and want to show your support, this is a great way to.
want more music recs? here’s my Bandcamp collection.
rerelease: 最初の3つ
net label DiskLab Co has released a compilation of EPs by b l u e s c r e e n, the alias of Tyler Ellis. sometimes like a lively boardwalk, sometimes like a warm, steamy rainforest, this collection captures vaporwave at all different angles.
Tendencies
when classic vapor is rooted in slowed, plundered funk with emphasis on a groovy bass, it can feel distinctly like the opposite of future funk, and yet when done well, both varieties of vapor evoke images of neon, dance floors, and the illuminated tips of skyscrapers cutting through the night. this album by マドロスMERCURY, out on Naughty Night, is one such classic vapor release.
エンジェルブラッド EP
it’s been a while since i’ve covered barber beats—though i like the genre, the vapor scene has become oversaturated with it. to be honest, i got a little bored. but this EP by empty m1nd has reignited my interest.
in some places, it embodies the epic and fantastical tone of a JRPG soundtrack, but in others it ushers in the soft lull of an unexpectedly distant past. there are notes of ambient lo-fi, and a horn in the first track took me back to The Front Bottoms’ self-titled and transplanted into the context of vaporjazz.
2003
this album by DJ Dorrit contains only wisps of its title year, but that’s a positive. just a hint is enough in a soundscape dominated by hundreds upon hundreds of DJs and producers trying to replicate the aesthetics of the early aughts. 2003 is ambient, icy, and intentional, with touches of classic vapor throughout.
ILYSM
circling slushwave, ambient nu-disco, and cool, choppy future funk, this album by Jansport George is smooth and melodic with a strong 70s vibe to get you out of the conversation pit and on the dance floor.
fever mixes 1
i wouldn’t have found this bite sized broken transmission EP by fusina if hadn’t searched tags i normally ignore. but i’m glad i came across it, because for a release with a total runtime of 95 seconds, each of its three tracks packs serious sonic complexity.
retro Pokémon publications
while i recovered from surgery, i spent probably too much time trying (and failing) to complete a Nuzlocke of Brilliant Diamond, and while i didn’t succeed, i did reflect on the importance of Pokémon to web culture and decided to see what i could find on the Internet Archive.
this book, Pokémon Jr.: Nidoran’s New Friend, unlocked a lost memory. i definitely owned this title in 2000, when i would have been in kindergarten.
and this Japan-only game guide, Pocket Monsters Red, Green, and Blue Encyclopedia, features a host of illustrations i had never seen before, including long abandoned character design elements like the spike on Charmander’s back and the classic, beloved fat Pikachu:
Cara Grabs Antimatter
available to play in browser on itch.io, Cara Grabs Antimatter by voxel is a 16bit COM game for MSDOS. made for Dos COM Jam 2023, you play as an astronaut traversing a wreck and searching for fuel pellets to power your ship.
void dive
wanna see more art? explore my Void Plaza gallery.
Computer Saudade by lxtxcx
Momentary Lapse 34 by ranxdeer and DJKERO
3-ρɧԹՏȝ by guruguruhyena
thank you for joining me. until next time.