Since dreampunk first gained popularity in the mid-2010s for its minimalist take on vaporwave, more and more artists have begun shifting away from the sample-heavy 80s nostalgia in favor of the hypnotic atmospheres. When 2814 released their landmark album 新しい日の誕生, the dreampunk sound would quickly catch on in underground vaporwave communities. Though artists have often attempted to replicate the emotions and soundscapes found on 新しい日の誕生, it’s the compelling aura of mystique that drives the nostalgic familiarity. Imaginary Pathways takes that dreampunk foundation and transforms it into a sprawling narrative experience. Taking influence from dub, Illbient, techno, hip-hop, and more, Imaginary Pathways feels like a natural evolution of the atmospheric sounds found within the genre. Although SkyTwoHigh has experience creating dreampunk soundscapes, Lindsheaven Virtual Plaza is more renowned for a traditional vaporwave sound. Nevertheless, on albums like NTSC Memories or Transversal Worldwide Shopping, Lindsheaven Virtual Plaza showcases a deep, intuitive understanding of creating engaging atmospheres. On Imaginary Pathways, both artists are perfectly in sync and the result is a captivating journey into the unknown.
The concept of Imaginary Pathways revolves around incomplete memories built from landscapes, scenery, and cities in our minds. While we vividly remember certain details, we construct “imaginary pathways” to fill in the gaps and stretch out the experiences we remember. To achieve this aesthetic design, a lot of the sounds on Imaginary Pathways are influenced by ambient music. The hazy, swirling atmospheres evoke feelings of nostalgia and the airy synths float along like skylines at night. While Imaginary Pathways isn’t sample-heavy, small additions like rainfall provide depth to the varied textures. At the same time though, the album isn’t limited to the slow, hypnotic sounds of dreampunk either. The soundscapes are teeming with life thanks to the duo’s dub and Illbient influences. On songs like “Northwest Skyline”, the ambient foundation is paired with hip-hop drum patterns and breaks to give a distinct energy. Songs like “Melancholy Dream Sequence” layer dub characteristics together like heavy reverb or echo to deepen the atmospheres throughout. The effect is reminiscent of artists like Echospace that breathe life into their synth structures and transitions. There are a few moments on Imaginary Pathways when the ambient sections meander too long or the transitions between ideas materialize too slowly. In particular, the ten-minute songs have awkward buildups that aimlessly drift around certain recurring motifs. While the ambient atmospheres are immersive, they might not always be engaging with how the climaxes remain relatively one-note.
That said, Imaginary Pathways excels at blending together its diverse influences into something refreshing from the countless takes on dreampunk and ambient vaporwave over the years. The magic of its nostalgic sound lies within its dub influences that give the album that organic feeling within the synths. Just like 新しい日の誕生, the music instantly transports its listeners to the cityscapes filled with distant memories and emotions. It’s tragic that Lindsheaven Virtual Plaza’s passing means that Imaginary Pathways will remain a posthumous final album from an artist whose potential seemed boundless. The shift towards a completely different sound felt natural and the chemistry with SkyTwoHigh is immaculate. Imaginary Pathways cements the legacy of Lindsheaven Virtual Plaza and the feelings it evokes extends far beyond the pathways into the night sky.
Must Listens: New Dawn, Northwest Skyline, Rio City Blues
