Mallsoft: Nostalgically Liminal Audible Spaces

Preamble

There are spaces in ones life that, when reminiscing, invoke intense feelings of nostalgia.
Whether or not they've actually been to those places, similar spaces can be linked to the one of the source to invoke those same feelings.
With the birth of Vaporwave and Vaporelectronic music (subgenres of Vaporwave) came a slew of tunes intended to invoke such feelings. Feelings of nostalgia, hyperawareness, and even dread.
In a capitalist society, there are specific guidelines to create a 'customer experience'. Think overly clean faux-marble floors that are perfectly waxed, reflecting the bright, often cool white lighting overhead. Palm trees made of fibers, fountains made of cheap stone holding a pile of pennies at the bottom next to a major retail chain, dawning a large lighted sign above the entryway. However, one thing is missing; What do you hear when you think of these things?

Intro to Mallsoft

In the Mid-2010s, Vaporwave was at its absolute peak. Artists like Vektroid (Macintosh Plus), Blank Banshee and Saint Pepsi ruled the 90s themed rave, until the birth of a new subgenre quickly emerged.

This genre sought to provide the experience of walking around aimlessly in a dead or abandoned mall. Stemming from easy listening, smooth jazz and muzak, it's an easy genre to wrap ones head around. Think about it, you're at your local mall near closing time. The metal gates of each retailer seal the goodies inside off to the rest of the hub, and while you stare at the now empty pretzel stand nearby, you tune into the soft, reverberating sound of an alto saxophone. It plays a smooth lead while a clearly electronic piano chimes away behind it, drums stolen straight from an 80's hit, but slower and less complex. It's a smooth, relaxing jingle that wouldn't interfere with your contemplation of what sneakers to buy or what to eat from the multiple options in the food court.
Many artists easily captured this corporate, capitalistic experience, but one stood out as a pioneer of the genre.

Catsystem Corp.

猫 シ Corp, also known as Catsystem Corp. or by his real name, Jornt Elzinga, released an album that many consider the absolute definitive mallsoft experience, as well as the origin of mallsoft itself. Gracing the internet on September 30th, 2014, this record captures everything that makes mallsoft, mallsoft. Palm Mall.

Palm Mall:

Track 1: Palm Mall

Perhaps the most peculiar intro to an album, the first track on Palm Mall is the title track, the titular Palm Mall. Clocking in at a rather amusing 22:22, it's not what most would consider music.
For the duration, many things can be heard. A sweeping, consumerist list of tracks drones on beneath the sound of a bustling, busy mall crowd; Talking, walking and buying their way around a huge capitalist complex. This is what many to consider to be the pinnacle of the audio mall experience. Close your eyes and imagine being there, because it's incredibly easy to do so with the lead off song for the album of a subgenre.

Track 2: Endless 通路 (with CVLTVRE)

Parting from the ambience and diving into melody, the first "real" track on Palm Mall is an extremely pleasant and repetitive (in a good way) one. A beautifully chimey bell fonted electric keyboard pounds away at a soullessly soulful melody while the chippy-chap of the artificial drums behind it. Right away, a defining characteristic of Mallsoft (and Vaporwave as a whole for that matter) is very present: reverb and distortion. The production has a thick sheet of reverb over it, making it feel the way it should: empty, vast, and longing for the past. The distant sound of everything mimics the loudspeaker of any given shopping centre and creates the sterile environment that it strives to create.

Track 3: Special Discount

Beginning with a riser that feels like the most high tech, glass elevator you could ever enter, Special Discount focuses heavily on rhythm with a constant tight beat played by the again artificial drums. Listen a bit further though, and you'll be caught by the beautifully smooth lead saxophone that drives the song forward. This track feels like the Shopping Network at 2 AM.

Track 4: First Floor

Parting from the elevator, you walk around the first floor of Palm Mall.
There's silver guardrails blocking the edges of the oval-shaped space. This track is a slow, perusing experience with plinking chime-like keyboards and swinging solos that'll leave you mesmerized.

Track 5: Congratulatory Message (with Patrol1993)

Cutting to the food court, you browse your options. Cheap pizza, overpriced burritos and your "local deli."
Congratulatory Message feels like the title, congratulations on purchasing those sneakers! How about a bite to eat before you continue?
A gorgeous introduction and addition to this album, it sports a very clean and syncopated horn section, with flashy organ in the back and a truly slick guitar solo section.

Track 6: Second Floor

You go back up the elevator and pop to the second floor. 
Back to the focus of rhythm, this track has heavy pounding drums with an accompaniment of horns and a nice, slowed outro piece. There's quite the mid-day vibe to this track that really feels like a bustling mall at 2 PM.

Track 7: i  c o n s u m e  t h e r e f o r e  i  a m

This is a return to the lounge roots of mallsoft, targeting a relaxed and empty vibe.
Less of a mall feeling to this one, it feels more like sipping an overpriced cocktail and a warm and lowly lit lounge in Manhattan.
With a slow, melodic structure, the keyboards are more piano-like and really resonate with any lounge lizard (especially if their name is Larry and they're in their leisure suit!)

Track 8: Employees Only (with GōsutoMall)

You hear an ad break after the lounge-soaked goodness of the previous track.
It's apparently the last day for the Summer Sizzling Sidewalk Sale! Better get back to shopping!
Fading back into the tunes, for the first time in this album, a slowed sample of vocals is heard. This track highly ties itself to the entire Vaporwave aesthetic and solidifies it as an album to be remembered. A half-note head nod is absolutely vital during this song. Do it, you know you want to.
The excellently crafted electric piano solo at the tail end of the song with the chaotic, chromatic scaling is incredibly unique and lends itself exceptionally well to the contained chaos of capitalism and the consumer experience.

Track 9: Veni, Vidi, Emi

It's closing time. You've done all the shopping your wallet, and your feet, can handle.
As you're walking out, you hear the carousel nearby. It's comforting.
And the final track on this genre defining album is one of few words.
A deep, reverb soaked sample of carousel-esc music plays as the album is over, and you've entered the parking lot. Time to go home.

Closing Thoughts on Palm Mall:

I'm going to make this incredibly informal.
What an incredible album. Whilst doing research, people cite the enjoyment of this genre stemming from "pleasure of remembering for the sake of the act of remembering itself." And how accurate is that? It isn't about what it stands for, it's about the sake of remembering. Not remembering the time gone by, by the act of remembering that time. Truly fitting for the distant sound of this record.

Other Important Mallsoft Moments:

Palm Mall isn't the only incredibly important mallsoft record.
Honorable mentions go to:

Disconscious- Hologram Plaza

식료품groceries- 슈퍼마켓Yes! We're Open 

INTERNET CLUB/DJ INTERNET VISIONS- DREAMS 3D

Thanks for reading!