Mallsoft

History#

Mallsoft originated in the early 2010s, with the release of Vacant Places by Hantasi in 2012 via self-released limited edition CD run of 100 copies. Initially, it was not characterized as a vaporwave release, but was tagged as mallsoft later in March 2013. Other artists, such as Cat System Corp, Disconscious, and 식료품groceries, would soon follow up with their releases of the mallsoft genre.

Characteristics#

Some artists simply slow down and reverberate 1980s pop songs to make them sound as if emanating from the overhead speakers in an empty or abandoned mall. YouTube videos frequently pair mallsoft tracks with images of malls, with an emphasis on those that appear to have been produced in the 1980s and 1990s. The visuals intend to invoke a sense of loneliness along with the cold nature of meandering through overly corporate mercantile environments.

Reception#

Music journalist Simon Chandler described Dutch artist Cat System Corp.’s 2014 album Palm Mall as being “perhaps the definitive mallsoft album”.

See also#

• Ambient music
• Postmodern architecture
• Dead mall