Dreampunk

Dreampunk is a microgenre of electronic music characterized by its focus on cinematic ambience and field recordings, combined with various traits and techniques from electronic genres such as techno, jungle, electro, and dubstep. Dreampunk emerged in the mid-2010s. Many early dreampunk artists drew influence from film scores, vaporwave, and drum and bass. Dreampunk originates from the debut of 2814, the ambient duo composed of Luke Laurila () and David Russo (Hong Kong Express). The name is derived from the word cyberpunk because of its frequent use of imagined metropolitan spaces in its sound design, evoking the experience of walking through a futuristic city.
Origins.
On January 29, 2014, British future garage artist David Russo (who performs under the name Subaeris) launched the Dream Catalogue label and released albums under numerous aliases. Inspired by the films of Wong Kar-Wai, he explored ambient music under the name Hong Kong Express.
After befriending American vaporwave producer Luke Laurila (performing under the name ), they quickly released solo albums on Dream Catalogue, usually under aliases. Then they formed a collaborative project, 2814. After ten months of work they released their self-titled debut album via Ailanthus Recordings. Their second album, "新しい日の誕生" ("Birth of a New Day"), was more popular than the first. Described as "the soundtrack to the wandering, exploratory thoughts we have in our best waking moments", "Birth of a New Day" (as well as 2814’s "Rain Temple" exploded in popularity. Drifting from their predecessors, 2814 were steadfast about not using samples, which was common among dreampunk artists at the time. Many independent artists joined Russo and Laurila, making the Dream Catalogue label popular for experimental vaporwave on the music distribution platform, Bandcamp. Housing artists such as 猫 シ Corp, Death’s Dynamic Shroud, Nmesh, and VAPERROR, the label gained traction online in the experimental music subculture. Despite their success in this community, Russo purged the label of many of its vaporwave albums to avoid copyright disputes and focus on his self-described "dream music".
When asked about Dream Catalogue’s style, Russo said, "I feel like the whole 'dream music' vibe is certainly fluid enough to encompass lots of different musical styles, while still retaining certain elements that make the label stand out as a whole—surreality, futurism, heavy concepts and story-driven projects, while 'vaporwave' as a term and an idea has become something of a burden to everyone involved with it." After much fan backlash, Russo took his music and label in an entirely new direction, embracing wosX's tongue-in-cheek hardvapour style and the short-lived ghost tech style.
After meeting at a Chilean university in 2013, Pablo Salas and Gonzalo Silva opened up No Problema Tapes, a cassette-oriented label with early ties to vaporwave (such as MindSpring Memories and Voyage Futur) and drone music (such as Rhucle, PJS, and Keys for Eclipse). No Problema Tapes expanded into the realm of dreampunk, releasing albums from some of the community’s earliest artists (including Sangam, Renjā, and Origami Girl). Salas and Silva gradually expanded their work into dreampunk, often promoting lesser-known musicians. As a figurehead for the heavily-phased "slushwave" genre, No Problema ended the 2010s with a tighter focus: supporting up-and-coming dreampunk producers and their slushwave cohorts (including artists like and ). On October 17, 2020, Remezcla reported that No Problema Tapes’s headquarters had completely burned down. The label was able to resume operations with the help of a fundraiser and by outsourcing tape production to Canada’s New Motion label. It also produced an impromptu compilation album hosted by The ATMO Collective.
With an expanding audience, cultural shift, and newfound internet community, dreampunk artists like Remember, CHUNGKING MANSIONS, KAGAMI Smile, and THUGWIDOW brought darker tones to the genre's cinematic sound. During this time, "dream music" doubled as "dreampunk" in casual conversation. The name is derived from the word cyberpunk because of its frequent use of imagined metropolitan spaces in its sound design, evoking the experience of walking through a futuristic city.
In 2017, Laurila joined Agia Mishazawa under the name Lovers Entwined to create the Virtual Dream Plaza, an organization that said it is dedicated to releasing "love and dream music". While the label was not solely dedicated to dreampunk, they were still able to find a whimsical niche among the community. The label shut down on May 14, 2021.
In a period of growth, dreampunk artists such as 輕描淡寫 (QMDX) and Sangam were featured alongside Disasterpeace and Merzbow on the now-defunct label, BLUDHONEY RECORDS. In its prime, BLUDHONEY's focus on vinyl and cassettes brought a professional edge to the grassroots movement. BLUDHONEY shut down in 2018, breaking several deals with its artists. Some artists affected by the closure include Rashida Prime, QMDX, and the duo Kuroi Ame. These artists opted to release records on VILL4IN. They eventually signed an exclusive contract with Kuroi Ame's PURE LIFE ЧЖ label, which released its first album in September 2018.
The term "dreampunk" was fully adopted by the community following video essay, "Dreampunk: The Soundtrack To Dreams", where he analyzed the history and stylistic features of the genre. In the early 2020s, emerging labels such as PURE LIFE ЧЖ, VILL4IN, and No Problema Tapes have embraced the genre. Dreampunk experienced a resurgence in virtual music festivals, including performances by Livewire, PURE LIVE, and Enter The Void.
Musical characteristics.
Dreampunk primarily draws from sounds of the city, science fiction, surrealism, loneliness, love, and dreams. Musicians such as Vangelis, Burial, and Aphex Twin have been cited as inspiration for some producers. East Asian cinema, anime, and spirituality have also been known to influence dreampunk artists.
Rain is a frequent field recording choice, often used as a callback to the ambience of future-noir film Blade Runner which focuses on palpable atmosphere and worldbuilding rather than plot or action. This concentration on atmosphere gives the music an immersive and dreamlike quality. This quality is further heightened by the frequent use of cassette tapes in recording and distribution.