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”Hot Takes” is a high energy music discussion podcast featuring vaporwave artist Skeleton Lipstick and vaporwave DJ Yung Shiro 白. Every other Monday, tune in at 9PM ET for interviews, music discussions, and strong opinions! No judgment!
Episodes
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
As is now customary for "Hot Takes", we finished season 3 with another mega episode, but this time we wanted to concentrate on involving the community! Bringing on more guests to the show simultaneously than ever before, episode 63 is more brief than the last two retrospective episodes, but what it lacks in length it makes up for with pure chaos! We've lost count of how many people joined us live that night, but we made sure to make room at the table for not just prior guests but friends of the show, donors, mods, and members of the vaporwave community in the Discord server as well. Keeping conversation flowing was not a difficult task at all, and nearly every guest got a chance to share their best arguments, debate a little, geek out some, and drop some great questions and spicy takes! Despite some imperfections in audio levels, multitasking difficulties, and some people losing their train of thought a time or two, the third official "Hot Takes" retrospective episode and conclusion to our third year as a talk show was a rousing success and was enjoyed by many. If you missed it, be sure to block out time to restream it, but prepare yourself for some fun conversations and wild moments!
"Hot Takes" is a safe space for all opinions! Join the conversation at
Sunday Jan 28, 2024
Sunday Jan 28, 2024
Right on time, we we came forth with episode number sixty-two of "Hot Takes", and our special guest on the show was graphic designer, producer, and show organizer Crystal Eternal! We spent two hours on Monday night talking taste, technique, and opinion with Reina, and it was a delight. Known for their phenomenal graphic art as Chameleon Crafts and future funk/vaporwave production, Crystal Eternal appeared on the show right after releasing "Keygen" on Business Casual and immediately prior to putting on their second Nostalgia Lounge show in Columbus, Ohio, featuring Imcopav, King Quartz, VCR Headaches, and Frankjavcee. We timed our episode with her perfectly! Rewatch the episode to get the 411 on the lore behind DJ John Cena. Get into the details of Crystal Eternal and Skelly's vocal production techniques! Hear about the birth of the Crystal Eternal project, and enjoy the audience submitted hot takes in the intro portion of the show. The audience really came through for this one and were rewarded with Reina's thoughts on cliques within the vaporwave scene and her love of the Scorsese film "Casino". You heard it on "Hot Takes"!
"Hot Takes" is a safe space for all opinions! Join the conversation at
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
Wednesday Jan 10, 2024
Open late and ready for service, "Hot Takes" episode number 61 introduces the gang to well-seasoned and highly requested British vaporwave duo, Donor Lens! Staying up late with the bois and the attending audience, Jay and Thom chopped it up with us, dropped some takes for the audience, and shared some secrets that you won't want to miss during their time on the independent art and music talk show. Known for their prolific work and progressive interpretation of the vaporwave sound, Donor Lens has been moving and shaking, collaborating with many acts in the scene and amassing a dedicated online following. In addition to both of their own side projects, the members are heavily involved with the UK live music scene, online blog and show Futuresounds, and labels My Pet Flamingo and Timeslave Recordings. Rewatch to hear about Donor Lens' careful techniques in selecting samples, including a hot take about sample-free vaporwave! Watch the duo talk about their favorite musical influences, like Architects and Drexciya! Hear Jay state that djent isn't a genre of music! Donor Lens and the attendees helped make episode 61 of "Hot Takes" an incredibly fun and action-packed experience, despite the myriad technical difficulties. Now you have a chance to rewatch it if you weren't able to be there live!
"Hot Takes" is a safe space for all opinions! Join the conversation at
Sunday Dec 17, 2023
Sunday Dec 17, 2023
This sixtieth episode of "Hot Takes' featured community member Eric from the label SlyVinyl Records! It made sense to bring Eric onto the show, having been releasing work by independent net-based electronic acts for so long and also recently involved with My Pet Flamingo and Utopia District's Flamingo Fest event. Two hours really wasn't enough time, but what time we did have was packed with fun moments like talking about Eric's background producing and selling skate tapes in school and deep diving into the three's love of Radiohead and their discography. There may or may not have been some background in how SlyVinyl sourced Chlorine Mist as a performer for Flamingo Fest. It is said that there may have been a firsthand look inside the vinyl manufacturing process over the years in America. The announcement for SlyVinyl's next release by Blue Sky Black Death was teased, and some talk occurred regarding re-releasing an overlooked album by electronic post-rock act El Ten Eleven. Episode 60 was a very good time, so don't waste time if you want to know the story of how SlyVinyl Records was taken over, hear thoughts on the importance of physical media within and without the vaporwave scene, and know a little bit of the scoop on the barber beats beef!
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Saturday Dec 02, 2023
Saturday Dec 02, 2023
"Hot Takes" episode 59 is an ode to JD Senuti! When considering the microgenre of vaporwave that overlaps with lo-fi house music, JD Senuti was the most obvious guest for us to invite. We didn't quite get our traditional two hours with our guest due to eleventh hour technical difficulties, but the valuable time that we did have overflowed with memorable conversations like the transgressive nature of vaporwave music and overused tropes in pop and rock music. JD Senuti had some thoughts about eurodance, the future of music, and the band The Drums. The topic of making a living on music vs. music on the side transpired at some point during the show. The three discussed the benefits and drawbacks of the cassette tape as a form of physical media; and a chat about hyperpop, deconstructed club music, and phonk music was had as well. Episode 59 was one to remember, so run it back if you want the 411 on bad audio in arena venues, sampling and soundfonts in production, and some really bad Blink-182 songs! Only on "Hot Takes"!
"Hot Takes" is a safe space for all opinions! Join the conversation at
Thursday Nov 16, 2023
Thursday Nov 16, 2023
"Hot Takes" episode 58 was focused on multifaceted vaporwave up-and-comer Device Operator! Following a pattern of working closely with Pacific Plaza Records and affiliated acts, we managed to dodge an episode delay and coordinate our schedules so that we could sit down for an evening with our friend. Known for their work with Business Casual and Pacific Plaza Records, their affiliation with Luxury Noise's Coast to Coast Collective, and their recent "Kiwi Pop" album of future funk heaters; Device's time he spent with us was definitely not enough, as we learned his backstory and took live audience submitted queries as well. We conversed about his journey to the vaporwave scene and the local scene where he is in Baton Rouge. Shiro and Device Operator vibed on their shared love of Trademarks & Copyrights. Lots of chats about DAWs, hardware, dubstep, mashups, and a whole lot of love for Shannon may have also come up during the conversation. And there were tons of other great moments throughout our evening with Device Operator as well, so don't miss a moment of it: hit that play button!
"Hot Takes" is a safe space for all opinions! Join the conversation at
Sunday Oct 22, 2023
Sunday Oct 22, 2023
Front and center for "Hot Takes" episode 57 was seminal early vaporwave duo Topaz Gang! We have been wanting to bring some guests from across the pond on to the show for a long time, and what better act to debut with than our old friends Topaz Gang!? Known for their early involvement in the scene, collaborating with such greats as Luxury Elite, Saint Pepsi, and even Vektroid herself, our allotted time with Topaz Gang hardly seemed sufficient to pick their brains and celebrate their stories. We got to know their backstories making chiptune in Newcastle, along with plenty of details about their current coldwave/post-punk project Novyi Lef. Plenty of details about hardware came up, in addition to some factoids and well-kept secrets regarding Topaz Gang's production process. We got to see some of the favorite grails in their physical media collections, and Euan spoke at profoundly great length about the Bootleg Beatles. So many more great moments transpired during the episode that haven't been highlighted, so let it play and tell us what your favorite moment with Topaz Gang was!
"Hot Takes" is a safe space for all opinions! Join the conversation at
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
Wednesday Oct 04, 2023
For "Hot Takes" episode 56, Skelly and Shiro called upon vapor-adjacent up-and-comer Popcultr! With a background in dubstep production and audio engineering, Popcultr has put out a handful of tight, clean chillwave-meets-vaporwave releases and has played several live shows within the scene, including Utopia District's tape swap events and Virtual Memory live shows as well. If you take a raincheck on this episode, you'll never get to hear about the unique vocal techniques Popcultr utilizes for his studio and live output, the team's thoughts on leftfield sample usage in vaporwave, the degree to which a DJ should prepare for their live sets. The episode seemed to end before it began, as the threesome covered such subject matter as getting over writer's block and knowing when a song is complete. Skrillex and Linkin Park love? Rooming with Enraile and Molo360? Unauthorized bootlegs of vaporwave albums!? If you don't tune in to "Hot Takes", you'll never get to hear about it!
"Hot Takes" is a safe space for all opinions! Join the conversation at
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Episode 55 of "Hot Takes" stars longtime friend of the show and vaporwave jack-all-trades Augnos, joining the duo for a series of engrossing discussions about such topics as World of Warcraft and the ability and willingness to teach oneself new skills. In addition to the release of their recent vapor-infused breaks mini-album "Gilded Sentience", Augnos has made a name for themselves with their stellar concert photography portfolio and noteworthy performances as a DJ as well; boasting such events as Crystal Nostalgia and Terminally Chill: NorCal Edition! They also code and mix and master audio too. Enjoy hearing Augnos' thoughts on starter camera equipment, living on a submarine in the Navy, favorite EDM and drum ‘n bass acts, and a host of other things!
"Hot Takes" is a safe space for all opinions! Join the conversation at
Saturday Aug 12, 2023
Saturday Aug 12, 2023
On the 54th episode of "Hot Takes", we strategically chose to bring on vaporwave label owner, artist, and metal musician Geometric Lullaby. A musical polymath with a background in metal now rising to the forefront of the vaporwave live show circuit, Geometric Lullaby was our top choice for the show owing to his Summer Slushy Fest event coming up right before ElectroniCON; and we spent the evening geeking out and learning about the man behind the label and various projects. Our two hours that we shared with the community flew right by, as we chatted about the differences between touring Europe and touring the United States, the experience of starting and running a label, and the various types of art films that Geolull and Skelly both enjoy! Check out this "Hot Takes" if you enjoy deep cuts of art and music, and keep on watching and listening if you enjoy it!
"Hot Takes" is a safe space for all opinions! Join the conversation at