![]() Recontextualising the ridiculous to find a hidden poignancy is a hallmark of internet culture – vaporwave often uses elements of 80s Muzak and old infomercials, and the aesthetics of the glitchy late-90s internet, to tranquilise anthemic tracks like Toto’s “Africa”. The quote felt poignant and familiar, and I realised they’re the words of Russell Brand in the 2010 rager comedy Get Him to the Greek. And I’m sad.” It served as a cue for users in the chat to talk about their own problems and swap ASLs, like the chatrooms of the early internet. One evening, while listening to the station, I heard a voice in a painfully desperate but familiar tone, echoing as the beat paused: “I’m lonely, mate. Wistful movie quotes frequently bookend the tracks on the playlists. ![]() The majority of stations play lo-fi hip hop, or ‘chill hop’, a genre that runs introspective and jazzy old school hip hop beats through the crackly sounds of an old cassette or vinyl record. Stylistically, the stations should be recognisable to anyone familiar with internet aesthetics, from YouTube to Tumblr to different Chans, where a picture of a lethargic Bart Simpson, or an anime character with their pointed face buried in a pile of books, will converge with the colour palettes and stylised text (“C A L M R A D I O 2 4 / 7”) of vaporwave. Stations like Chillhop Music, ChilledCow, and Mellowbeat Seeker play hazy beats paired with looped animations of depressed cartoon characters that smoke or recline just like the stoners among these stations’ listener bases. These stations exist on the fringes of underground online microgenres like vaporwave or its meme-y offshoot, Simpsonswave. ![]() As the rules around access loosened, an unexpected side-effect was the proliferation of 24-hour radio stations that sprang up in their dozens. Two years later, they relaxed the rules over who could stream, at first favouring verified accounts with large followings, then eventually opening it up to people who could amass a simple 100 subscribers. When YouTube launched live-streaming in 2011, it became possible for the video platform’s corporate partners to broadcast in real-time all over the world. While these 10-hour edits may satiate some appetites, over the past few years a new set of channels, first started by amateurs and enthusiasts, have emerged that offer a music-focused approach to calm – and they’ve created some of the most uplifting environments on the internet. ![]() There are already endless loops of aeroplane tones, raindrops, and combinations of white, pink, and soft brown noise to help you find peace. If you work in a loud office or need to focus while studying for exams, YouTube’s expansive noise distraction scene can serve you well. ![]()
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