Night Clerk Radio: Haunted Music Reviews

Discord Spring Cleaning Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon In this episode, we’re discussing the haunted plunderphonics project: chipmunks on 16 speed. These albums consist of pop covers, as sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks, slowed down and processed to sound as if they are being played on a 16 RPM record player. The result is a sludgy and doomy rendition of a pop song that sits perfectly between...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon In this episode, we listen to music recommended to us by listeners on our community Discord server. We cover everything from classic vaporwave albums to dungeon synth and post-rock to future funk. Thank you so much to our community for your support and giving us an excuse to listen to some great music. Music Discussed Eyeliner : Buy Now NUOVO TESTAMENTO : New E...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon The work of Neil Cicierega, from his ground-breaking Flash animation techniques to his music and mash-ups, is instrumental in building the foundation of Internet surrealist humor. In this episode, we discuss his “Mouth” quadrilogy of mash-up albums and their importance to the modern landscape of plunderphonics. Music Sampled Neil Cicierega - T.I.M.E. Neil Cicie...

Post-Rock and Horror Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon In this episode, we examine the link between post-rock music and horror. We explore the ways in which the thematic elements of post-rock, such as despair and passion, make it a profound companion to the revelatory nature of horror media. Thanks to the listener who suggested this topic! Some Listening Recommendations Best Of Melancholic Post...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon Signalwave is easily one of our favorite subgenres of Vaporwave. The genre’s focus on sample curation along with its critique of nostalgia and consumerism makes it an interesting cornerpoint to other subgenres such as Mallsoft. However, despite being such a rich topic for discussion, we’ve never dedicated an episode to it. So, join us as we dig into two recent...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon It’s that time of year again. Dagon, the latest Lovecraft-inspired Cryo Chamber Collaboration, is out. Over twenty artists came together to produce this evocative and cinematic double album that perfectly captures the oceanic horror of the source material and invites the listener to sink deeper and deeper into its world. Our friend Caleb joins us to chat about...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon We’re doing something a little different for the holidays! This episode we’re joined by Max from the Good Brews Bad Views podcast for a special holiday movie party. We’re watching the 1989 French horror film “Deadly Games (aka Dial Code Santa Claus)” and recording an audio commentary track to be enjoyed alongside the movie. If you want to skip the movie, then j...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon What does it mean for a song to be danceable? Does being “danceable” mean anything or is it too broad and personal? Can the term be applied to vaporwave? We’re not sure if we actually answered any of these questions, but we are sure that they led us to discuss two amazing albums. One new and the other an absolute classic. Music Sampled Syndicated Simulcast, Vol...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon Culture Jamming is a reactionary protest against media and consumerist culture that employs a wide range of tactics from photoshopping logos to vandalism and everything in between. There is no one right way to engage, one must merely push back against mass media on its own terms. On this episode we discuss our thoughts on culture jamming and how the practice re...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon As we head into late autumn, with long winter nights ahead, we find ourselves in need of new music appropriate to the mood of the season. Long and languid tracks suitable for listening to while sitting inside and staring out a window into the cold darkness. Some might call it the elusive Autumnal Jam. In this episode, we dig into two new (to us) artists who per...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon It’s our legally obligated spooky month episode! This month we’re revisiting two previously discussed artists. First up, the latest album from horror master and synth aficionado John Carpenter and his trio. Then, we listen to a classic vaporgoth album from the enigmatic artist Chinese Hackers. Join us for this holiday grab bag that explores a wide range of spoo...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon Plunderphonics is a genre of music in which the artist repurposes samples of other music in order to construct new tracks. In essence, using the music of other artists as their instrument to create new original works. While this approach was a key element in the development of vaporwave, is there such a thing as “too much plunderphonics?” At what point does sam...

The Vaporwave Iceberg Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon The “iceberg” is a meme template that has been used in countless subcultures to describe the descent of a fan from casual to obsessive addict. The template typically generates memes that are either light-hearted in-jokes about a fandom or an unfortunate display of gatekeeping and elitism. Recently, Ross found an iceberg meme focused on vap...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon Following up the 2018 release Memories of Tokyo-To, Sounds of Tokyo-To Future is the second Jet Set Radio inspired album by producer and composer 2 Mello. The album itself is a masterful exploration of a wide range of influences and genres that ultimately produces something wholly original and deeply engaging. We dedicate this entire episode to talking about ho...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon PRE-ORDER 2MELLO’S NEW ALBUM: SOUNDS OF TOKYO-TO FUTURE To some artists, hypnagogic music is categorized as “classic”, “ambient” or “experimental.” To others, hypnagogic is thought of as adjacent to lofi hip hop or trip hop. In this episode, we explore two albums that span this diverse range of labels. However one tries to classify it, there’s no denying that t...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon Over the last decade, a new type of horror has become popular on the Internet. Driven by largely anonymous crowds through social media and online communities. In this episode, Ross discusses his thesis on how this new horror appeals to the same themes and aesthetics as vaporwave. Meanwhile, Birk does the audio equivalent of polite nodding. Audio Sampled ＬＯＣ...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon It’s a double secret topic episode as Ross and Birk discuss both the evolution of chillwave and the realities of Summer vacation. These topics serve as the basis for discussing two excellent albums that represent very different interpretations of the summer jam. Albums Discussed Midnight Mixtape by Origami Vato Palmscapes by Hotel Pools Related Links Origami Va...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon In this episode, we dive into two very different dungeon synth albums. One, in this writer's opinion, tells the lonesome tale of an adventuring sea turtle. The other is an evocative blend of genres that serves as the soundtrack for the tabletop RPG of the same name. Both albums are excellent examples of the range of expression possible in a dungeon synth album....

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon Toonami began as a programming block on Cartoon Network, but quickly became a cultural touchstone for a generation. Its choice of shows and aesthetic influenced countless fans, artists, and producers. Instead of an aggressive macho outlook to match cartoons like Dragonball Z and Samurai Jack, it affected a chill, reassuring demeanor. Its mascot, a sardonic robo...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon The Lofi genre is often associated with mixes and 24/7 streams where listeners are exposed to an endless sequence of beats and jazz samples. However, as mentioned on our Patreon bonus episode on Lofi , we wanted to learn more about the genre by listening to albums. We’re starting with two very popular lofi artists, who regularly appear in discussions of the bes...

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon Like other vaporwave subgenres, mallsoft has evolved since its creation. Initially defined by sampling and reverb, new mallsoft albums drift towards exploring new compositions and themes. While actual shopping malls are sliding into the dustbin of history, the idea of mall ambiance lingers with us. The essence of mallsoft transcends the physicality of shopping...

Between Bandcamp and YouTube, we get recommended a lot of music courtesy of the algorithm. In this episode, we discuss a selection of three such recommendations. All three feature rich and varied ambient soundscapes, but each tackle the genre from their unique perspective. Join us as we conduct some spring cleaning on our recommendations and feel free to share your own! Music Discussed Iron Cthulh...

Reminder: Our patreon is up! https://www.patreon.com/nightclerkradio The unique blend of despair and hope present in the work of post-rock legends Godspeed You! Black Emperor (GY!BE) makes their music more relevant and poignant than ever. We discuss our experiences with and love for the music of GY!BE and share our thoughts on their tremendous new album, G_d’s Pee AT STATE’S END! Spoilers: We love...

Reminder: Our patreon is up! https://www.patreon.com/nightclerkradio In terms of hours listened, video game music probably wins for every generation that came of age with a game console in the house. It's no surprise then that new artists use video game music as a starting point for their work - not merely remixing or imitating but building upon it. On this episode we listen to two fantastic video...

Reminder: Our patreon is up! https://www.patreon.com/nightclerkradio Dark Jazz can be droning, languid, and brooding - the music of smoky and quiet bars, of desperate people lost in themselves, of mystery and regret. And we're back listening to it again, this time examining two bands both of whom are deeply linked to the genre as they've been producing excellent dark jazz episodes for decades. We...