Record labels have a unique view of the retrowave landscape, and we set out to learn more about their story, niche, releases, and perspective on the scene. Many people running labels are musicians themselves or have been in the music business in one form or another for many years, sometimes decades.
It is with much gratitude we bring readers of the electroscape the Record Label Series. Each label gave precious time to share their story and perspective with us. Many of the people running labels are working day jobs and operating the label during evenings and on weekends. We are incredibly grateful for the time they gave to us so we can share their story with our readers.
Read our entire Record Label Series here.
We connected with several labels to launch our series. We asked all labels to tell us their story, view of how the retrowave scene has changed, and what they expect or hope the future of the scene to look like. We asked the labels what advice they have for artists who might want to land on a label, how they discover artists, and factors at play when deciding to bring an artist on board. Their responses were fascinating, intriguing, and entertaining.
This piece tells the story of two labels that can only be told together: TimeSlave Recordings and My Pet Flamingo.
TimeSlave Recorrdings and My Pet Flamingo were founded and are operated by brothers and best friends Enzo and Jay. TimeSlave was born out of a YouTube rabbit hole. Enzo began seeking out synthwave artists such as Timecop 1983, Botnit, Perturbator, Futurecop!, and Betamaxx after watching the movie Drive, which featured retro inspired electronic music and is often credited to have sparked much interest in the scene.
Enzo was stuck in a pretty dull office job and Jay was teaching music and working part-time jobs to make ends meet. The brothers initially thought they would make tracks together. Enzo referred to Jay as the musical talent of the two, who is also the artist Kid Neon and member of Donor Lens. The brothers decided to pursue a label because they genuinely felt they could make a meaningful contribution to help drive the scene forward, whether that contribution be a “financial investment in artists or just an ear for a good tune and an ability to promote music in a niche genre.”
Enzo said, “The name ‘TimeSlave’ is a play on that feeling of being caught in a time warp, with this music that brings to life a feeling of nostalgia for the films and music of our youth.” TimeSlave specializes in bringing physical releases to life. The label was the first to release synthwave on MiniDisc and routinely releases albums on cassette, vinyl, and digital. The sister labels value their UK identity and purposefully feature many artists from their home country. They also value using their label as a platform to support charitable efforts.
The Past and Future of Retrowave
The retrowave scene today has an outrun core and TimeSlave is keen to keep that side of the scene alive. When asked how the scene has changed, Enzo told us vocal synthwave has become more popular and the production value is rising. Artists are producing “fully-formed pop songs with a retro aesthetic,” such as The Midnight and Gunship. “I hope that the scene doesn’t lose its ‘edge’ though – good music becomes popular, but you don’t need to be pop to become pop if that makes sense.”
There is a darker side to the scene, too, which Enzo described as an “antidote to the more saccharine side” with artists such as Occams Laser who have “a devoted following of fans who prefer harder, darker sound.”
One thing that is clear is the scene has grown exponentially. “There are more artists than ever, and more labels are springing up across the world to push their sound to an ever-growing number of people.”
Labels, artists, and fans alike are all looking for what’s next. Enzo said, “The scene emerged off the back of a cultural shift in nostalgia towards the 1980s and that won’t hold forever – even if it does amongst lovers of our scene.” Enzo also said, “Synthwave has been going strong for almost a decade now so I don’t think it’s going anywhere. But for artists looking to take a step out of the ‘underground’ it’s worth considering how much appetite there will be for 80s sounds amongst the wider music public a year or two from now.”
Movement in new directions are already happening. For example, what is being called ‘New Rave’ is beginning to emerge, which retains some of the synthesizer underpinnings of synthwave but brings in a breakbeat driven style of dance music. The Midnight is a good example of a nostalgic shift. “They’ve started using some production techniques which bring their sound away from the 80s thing, and that’s starting to happen across the board now. It’s fascinating.”
Enzo told us the labels want to see the live scene continue to grow, and the sister labels plan to launch their own events, such as Flamingo Fest. “There are a few events in the UK already, but for the scene to expand there needs to be more happening to keep fans entertained and to help artists to grow.”
Another place the labels would like to see more growth is in independent blogs and magazines. Some places fans can read about different corners of the scene at the moment are PF Synth, Forged in Neon, Vehlinggo, Love Across Light Years, Karl Magi, and here at the electroscape.
A Closer Look at TimeSlave Releases
Perusing TimeSlave’s releases is like viewing a showcase of the entire retrowave spectrum, including Occams Laser, Morgan Willis, Turbo Knight, Timecop 1983, Paradise Walk, Vincenzo Salvia, Ultraboss, Futurecop!, Your Sister is a Werewolf, and more. Zooming in on only a handful of releases is an unjust task. Enzo’s sentiment echoed my own. When asked to recommend an album to dig into for this story, he told us the question is like asking to choose a favorite child. The brothers view all their artists as part of the TimeSlave family.
Read our story about TimeSlave release, Better Than Reality by LukHash here.
La Favière by Iverson
La Favière by Iverson is a nostalgic, synthpop juggernaut with an edge and, even, hints of R&B in places. Enzo said, “I just have this feeling that they could be massive” and “from the moment I heard Josh’s voice I fell in love.” He went on to say, “These guys have crossover potential, and I’m excited to see how they develop and progress over the next couple of years.”
Arcade Summer
Arcade Summer’s self-titled release is fresh, funky and as quirky in places as it is dramatic and intense in others. “Tunnels of Steel” hits on the harder, darker side of the album and plays into a tale of Brad Ritz who was wrongly convicted for the murder of Max Fox and committed to a mental asylum, only to be discovered later an imposter was arrested and convicted. Brad is still missing to this day.
Noice by Waterfront Dining
Noice is a sound known and loved as vaporwave. The album did brilliantly on TimeSlave, yet it didn’t fit stylistically with the other sounds on the label, sparking the creation of TimeSlave’s sister label – My Pet Flamingo in 2018.
While scrolling through my Twitter feed, I stumbled upon a Tweet “Ok, I bite. What’s vaporwave?” My Pet Flamingo is the place to find out. Enzo described vaporwave as “manufactured nostalgia” and “something fresh,” a sound “like nothing else certainly that I’d ever heard.” Enzo went on to say “it took a few listens to ‘get it’ – but if you scratch beneath the surface it’s a diverse scene. There are literally dozens of sub genres, all distinct and yet part of the same family.”
We asked Enzo about the origin of the name ‘My Pet Flamingo.’ He said, “The name came when I was on holiday in Mexico with my girlfriend. We’d spent weeks trying to come up with a name that worked, and we were really struggling to make something stick. While I was away, I was walking along this beach and alongside us was a flock of Flamingos – and every time we got within 50 meters, they’d fly off again. We took some amazing photos that day and it was just a beautiful place. The name came to me in a moment of inspiration (although it might have been heatstroke!).”
Interest in vaporwave is growing exponentially. Enzo said, “You can tell that the industry is starting to take notice at last and we hope to place My Pet Flamingo at the center of that going forward – but there are a lot of labels and artists out there keeping the scene fresh and exciting.”
One distinguishing feature of vapowrave is its sample and plunderphonic based sound, but sample free vaporwave is growing, which Enzo told us “can help raise the ceiling for artists looking to reach a wider audience without fear of reprisals from major labels for copyright issues.” It also opens the door for artists to do more live shows, which is expected to increase over the next few years.
There is already much interest in live vaporwave events online and in real life, such as Electronicon where hundreds of fans gathered in Brooklyn in 2019. The event set a high bar for future events. See why by watching Vaperror live at Electronicon here.
A Closer Look at My Pet Flamingo Releases
I dug into My Pet Flamingo’s extraordinary collection of vaporwave, and before long, found my collection of vaporwave growing. It was a sound – a feeling, really – I had longed for. Vaporwave has a manufactured and synthetic feel from the sampling and plunderphonic foundation to the style, to be sure, yet it also feels incredibly organic, warm, enlightening, layered, and emotional. This is, perhaps, why it is so intriguing to so many.
Summer Body by Lola Disco
If you are looking for fun, look no further than Summer Body by Lola Disco. The album brings together dance and disco with a retro twist. It has elements characteristic of the vaporwave sound, such as vocal samples and the filtering of the listening experience through what sound likes a transistor radio. The album boils over with infectious melodies, some reminiscent of early 90’s rap.
Mannequin Challenge by Saint Pepsi
Mannequin Challenge by Saint Pepsi displays a bit of soul, big bass, dance, funk, and disco, whilst tapping into the theatrics and the emotional ups and downs in a way only vaporwave can do.
Midnight Store by Donor Lens
Midnight Store by Donor Lens plays like a suspended state of equilibrium and closes out quite appropriately with what feels like the sun hazingly peaking through the curtains after a long night of repeated visits to the real life convenience store. Indulge in heavy bass lines and enticing melodies on “Turn the Fridge on” and read our story about Midnight Store here.
The Excitement and the Grind
Running a label brings a good bit of excitement. Enzo expressed it is a true privilege to see albums through from start to finish. “We have copies of every album we’ve ever done on display in the office and it’s a daily reminder of how lucky we are and how vibrant this scene of ours can be.”
Enzo told us “We’ve been able to travel the world and work with some of the most talented artists in the scene and that’s pretty special. So is the feeling of knowing that you’re about to blow people’s minds when you release something that you’ve been secretly getting together for months.”
Enzo said the label provides a platform to pursue their own musical interests as well, such as Timeshare ’94 and Donor Lens. The labels are a ready-made channel to get the music to a large number of listeners.
Working with up-and-coming artist for the first time is also exciting. “You can tell how much it means to them to see their art immortalized in wax or on cassette. It’s a dream come true.”
The sister labels work with artists all of the globe. This provides opportunity to connect with talented artists everywhere, but it also means being on call to chat with someone in Los Angeles and someone in Australia on the same day, which is one of many challenges the labels face.
Enzo said, “It’s also logistically challenging at times having to work with a supply chain that includes artists, pressing plants, couriers, packaging suppliers, graphic design artists, and so on.”
Running a label cuts down free time as well. The labels ship large quantities of vinyl each month, and there is a lot of pressure to keep pace. The earnings from packing and shipping all those records don’t necessarily go in the brothers’ pockets, either, but often have to be reinvested to grow the business.
Breaking Into the Scene
We asked the sister labels what role labels play in shaping the retrowave scene. Enzo said, “Running a label gives you a platform to promote artists to a wider audience, and as the scene shifts there is a role for labels to play in helping to foster the growth of new and interesting sounds.” He went onto say, “Ultimately, though, I think it’s our job to give the people what they want and it’s the artists themselves that have the greatest power to make creative decisions that can push the scene forward.”
We also asked the sister labels what advice they might give to artists who want to land on a label. “Never give up! Work hard, and try to make the most of tools like social media to get your work heard by new listeners. There’s no substitute for hard work, unfortunately, and talent alone isn’t always enough.” Enzo added, “There’s definitely an element of luck in success.”
“It might sound counter-intuitive coming from a label, but it’s not always essential to be ‘signed’. You can make waves in a scene without joining a collective. But one thing that springs to mind is to remember that we’re all part of a tight-knit community; if you’re posting links to your own material in a forum or Facebook group, take a minute to check out someone else’s posts. We’ve ALL got a role to play to get this genre heard by more people and to open it up to a wider audience.”
When asked how the sister labels discover new artists, Enzo said, “We try to listen to as many new artists as we can, whether that’s tuning in to shows like Forever Synth or just checking out new synthwave and vaporwave releases on Bandcamp. There’s so much happening right now that it’s hard to keep up sometimes, but that’s the sign of a pretty healthy scene.”
Bringing a new artist on board is not an easy decision. Enzo told us the brothers “would love to work with more new artists, but the workload is such a strain for the two of us as it is that it’s not always possible to take on every project that we hear and love.” He expressed, “I always feel bad when we don’t have time to give proper feedback to people who send us demos. We’re not ignorant or aloof – we’re just super busy!”
When bringing a new artist on board, the brothers “have to think very carefully about what you put out because there are only so many release slots in a calendar year. It’s a dilemma, for sure.”
Looking Ahead
The labels have an exciting future. My Pet Flamingo is heavily involved in the production of a documentary charting the history of Vaporwave – ‘Nobody Here’. The brothers were inspired to pursue the project after watching Rise of the Synths. The documentary is expected to be huge for the scene.
The brothers are also looking into developing more live events and shows for TimeSlave and My Pet Flamingo, Covid permitting. Flamingo Fest on September 12-13, 2020 is a sign of this effort.
Flamingo Fest is a must-see live stream event presented by My Pet Flamingo and IndyAdvant – a testament to innovation in a changing world. The festival has a blockbuster collection of artists, including Saint Pepsi, TUPPERWAVE, Lola Disco, PowerPCME, DATAGIRL, Donor Lens, Pad Chennington, and many more.
Flamingo Fest supports Black Minds Matter UK.
The sister labels are also always looking for new formats to work with. Enzo said, “The search for quirky and interesting ways to package music is always part of what we do, and we’ve got a few ideas that we’re working on moving forward.”
You can read our entire Record Label Series here.
Help us grow the electroscape! Share our story on social media. Subscribe to receive our stories in your email. And give us a follow on Twitter!