Night Clerk Radio: Haunted Music Reviews – Details, episodes & analysis

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In this episode, we’re giving summer a big old Labor Day sendoff by checking out the best Future Funk… of 2023! We go through the best future funk albums as voted on by the r/futurefunk subreddit along with an amazing mix from Vaporwave News Network. As usual with these episodes, we can’t cover the episodes in the detail they deserve so go support these artists!

Computer, Don't You Die on Me from Odd Queer by Poetically

Spotify Playlist of Available Albums
MIDNIGHT MATSURI [​夜​中​の​祭​り​] by yuugen
BENDER II by THAT'S MATT!
Downtown by kouek
Evening (The Remixes) by Luanmer
Horizon by Brayan Rojitas
1980 Something by Jansport George
Neo Metro City by VANTAGE
Cyantology: Reborn by CyanBlue
Ocean View by Zai Kowen
Love by BarbWalters
Odd Queer by Poetically
Cyanotype by CyanBlue

Best Future Funk of 2023 (DJ Set) || Mixed by TrucksPassingTrucks || Non-Stop Dance Music MegaMix

Music by: 2Mello
Artwork by: Patsy McDowell
Ross on Twitter
Birk on Twitter
Night Clerk Radio on Twitter
Night Clerk Radio on Instagram
Night Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon

For our August new music episode, we’re submitting to the heat wave by leaving behind the upbeat dance music and settling in with some beats-driven ambient and music about dinosaurs. We’re checking out the third album in the “after” series from Hushtone Records and a Dino Synth anthology from Unreal Estate Records.

キ​​​​​​​ャ​​​​​​​ン​​​​​​​ド​​​​​​​ル​​​​​​​を​​​​​​​3​​​​​​​本​​​​​​​灯​​​​​​​し​​​​​​​た​​​​​​​後 by 後
Echoes of Extinction (Dino Synth Anthology I) by Unreal Estate Records

Music by: 2Mello
Artwork by: Patsy McDowell
Ross on Twitter
Birk on Twitter
Night Clerk Radio on Twitter
Night Clerk Radio on Instagram
Night Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Support Night Clerk Radio on Patreon

For our second episode of Record Label Month™, we’re talking about the Japanese label Dec-Affe-Inated Records. This private label is populated by the numerous aliases of a single artist whose music often focuses on themes of depression, isolation, and loneliness. Join us as we check out two albums that take the listen on an eclectic plunderphonic journey.

冬​の​憂​鬱 by 因縁を爆撃する
NoRIP​-​E, The Plundered by NoRIP-E, The Philosopher

NoRIP-E, The Philosopher / Dec-Affe-Inated RECORDS
Dec-Affe-Inated RECORDS on SoundCloud
Dec-Affe-Inated RECORDS on YouTube

Music by: 2Mello
Artwork by: Patsy McDowell
Ross on Twitter
Birk on Twitter
Night Clerk Radio on Twitter
Night Clerk Radio on Instagram
Night Clerk Radio on Bluesky

How do you find new music? For some, this can be a difficult question as the landscape of music distribution continues to evolve. In this episode, we talk about some of ways we scour the Internet for new albums and artists. Even better, we get to listen to two new albums recommended to us by Ronny from Vaporspace StL. Join us as we discuss these two excellent albums and let us know how you find new music!

Music Discussed
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Extra Breezy by Bonus Points
Smoker's Lounge Deluxe by Trans World Airlines

Related Links
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Find more music at Vaporspace StL
July 12, 1979: 'The Night Disco Died' — Or Didn't
Strings Attached: How Symphonic Soul Scored Big In The 70s

Credits
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Music by: 2Mello 
Artwork by: Patsy McDowell 
Ross on Twitter
Birk on Twitter
Follow Night Clerk Radio on Twitter for updates

This episode we are joined by our good friend Bridget to discuss the music and sound design elements that go into making horror video games. Great games, like those we discuss, create an atmosphere of dread and anticipation while keeping the player engaged without becoming fatigued. The developers, working alongside composers and sound designers, must carefully balance these cycles of tension and release. Join us as we explore how three classic survival horror games nail this balance.

Support Bridget
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Bridget on Twitter
Bridget on Patreon
Cry on Twitter
Cry on Sponsus
Cry on Itch.io
Cry on Role Playing Public Radio

Music Discussed
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Resident Evil 3 - Nemesis Theme
Silent Hill 2 - A World Of Madness
Silent Hill 2 - The Darkness That Lurks In Our Mind
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented - Projection Room
Resident Evil - Safe Haven
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented - Head Builder
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented - Reika
Akira Yamaoka - You're Not Here
Amano Tsukiko - Koe

Related Links
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Interview with Akira Yamaoka (Music 4 Games)
Akira Yamaoka: How the Silent Hill Composer Revolutionised Survival Horror

Credits
--------
Music by: 2Mello 
Artwork by: Patsy McDowell 
Ross  on Twitter
Birk on Twitter
Follow Night Clerk Radio on Twitter for updates

Dark ambient could not exist without movie soundtracks. The quiet moments of dread in a horror film sparked something in musicians and listeners alike - who craved more of these soundscapes of dread before the monster appeared. In this episode we look at two albums that are clearly linked to cinematic masterpieces of fear. They are also some of the high water points of the genre, reaching slightly more mainstream audiences than most dark ambient albums ever get.

Albums Discussed
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Anthology Resource Vol. I by Dean Hurley
Everywhere, an empty bliss by The Caretaker

Related Links  
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Revisiting Eraserhead’s haunting, industrial soundtrack
In Heaven: Celebrating the surreal sounds of David Lynch
Soundtrack from Twin Peaks by Angelo Badalamenti
WhoSampled for Everywhere, an empty bliss
Example of Numbers Stations
Leyland James Kirby On The Caretaker, Alzheimer's Disease And His Show At Unsound Festival
My Father's Brain: What Alzheimer's Takes Away by Jonathan Franzen

Credits
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Music by: 2Mello 
Artwork by: Patsy McDowell 
Ross  on Twitter
Birk on Twitter
Follow Night Clerk Radio on Twitter for updates

What do we mean by the term "haunted music?" This phrase is rooted in the concept of Hauntology, a philosophical concept that refers to how we relate our memories to the past, whether that past is real or imagined, and how elements of those memories persist and "haunt" us today. Join us as we discuss how Hauntology relates to vaporwave and how it can be a useful tool for examining media more generally.

Relevant Links
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Ghosts of My Life by Mark Fisher
Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher
Babbling Corpse by Grafton Tanner
Specters of Marx by Jacques Derrida
Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor (Official Video)

Credits
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Music by: 2Mello 
Artwork by: Patsy McDowell 
Ross  on Twitter
Birk on Twitter
Follow Night Clerk Radio on Twitter for updates

We sit down with Caleb Stokes to discuss Cryo Chamber's 2019 release "Hastur," part of their Lovecraft Collection. This massive double album is a collaborative effort by over 20 artists who worked together to create its unique blend of sounds and textures. The result is a two and a half hour journey through an immense variety of genres and soundscapes. Grab your drink ticket and join us for a listen!

Album Discussed
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Hastur by Cryo Chamber

Where to Find Caleb
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Caleb on Twitter
The Mixed Six Podcast
The Mixed Six on Twitter

Credits
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Music by: 2Mello 
Artwork by: Patsy McDowell 
Ross  on Twitter
Birk on Twitter
Follow Night Clerk Radio on Twitter for updates

Hypnagogia is the state of consciousness one experiences when transitioning from waking to sleeping. Hypnagogic vaporwave attempts to capture this sensation through the production of music that can be airy and ethereal or moody and ambient. Join Ross and Birk as they discuss one of their favorite sub-genres of vaporwave through the lens of two classic albums.

Albums Discussed
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virtua.zip by ESPRIT 空想
A Heart Full Of Love by DARKPYRAMID

Related Links
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Essential Hypnagogic Albums
Pad Chennington Interview with George Clanton

Credits
--------
Music by: 2Mello 
Artwork by: Patsy McDowell 
Ross  on Twitter
Birk on Twitter
Follow Night Clerk Radio on Twitter for updates

Whether it hits you with aggressive 808 kicks or lifts you up with airy synths and trap beats, vaportrap offers a unique and wide-ranging blend of hip hop and vaporwave that can't be found anywhere else. In this episode, Ross and Birk talk about two classic vaportrap albums discussing topics such as production styles, the relationship between albums and genres, and the preservation of art in the digital world.

Albums Discussed
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DREAMS by FRCLN
Fujita Scale by NxxxxxS

Related Links
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io808: An in browser Roland 808 emulator.
808: A documentary about the 808 drum machine.
Brian Eno on anachronism in art.
NxxxxxS - Extratropical Cyclone (Official Video)
The /r/Vaporwave thread on NxxxxxS Deleting Music.

Credits
--------
Music by: 2Mello 
Artwork by: Patsy McDowell 
Ross  on Twitter
Birk on Twitter
Follow Night Clerk Radio on Twitter for updates