For me it's Mallsoft.
I discovered this lovely sub-sub-genre of music in the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic (early 2020), and it's easily the most delightfully niche interest that I have going at the moment. If you don't know, Mallsoft is a subgenre of Vaporwave that attempts to create an ambiance similar to that of shopping malls from the 80's and 90's through the use of heavy reverb/distortion effects applied to muzak-esque tracks with other sounds layered in like advertisements echoing from a simulated loudspeaker and the din of a bustling mall interior.
I find this niche little subgenre of music to be especially appealing right now with malls and big box retail struggling like never before due to the pandemic. The gradual demise of shopping malls in the wake of internet shopping has been something that most Americans have observed for the last decade or so, but COVID-19 really accelerated the decay. That's why I really enjoy how this music conjures up feelings of being among throngs of happy shoppers in a giant shopping mall that many of us enjoyed as youths in the 80's and 90's. It's bittersweet in that it brings back pleasant memories of an experience that has largely died out or is at least on the verge of vanishing completely.
Here are two examples of what Mallsoft sounds like:
Given that it's made to sound like unobtrusive background music, it has been perfect as music to work remotely to at home during COVID.
So that's mine. I look forward to hearing everyone else's obscure interests or hobbies, and I hope to maybe stumble upon a new one for myself via this thread.
I discovered this lovely sub-sub-genre of music in the early days of the COVID-19 Pandemic (early 2020), and it's easily the most delightfully niche interest that I have going at the moment. If you don't know, Mallsoft is a subgenre of Vaporwave that attempts to create an ambiance similar to that of shopping malls from the 80's and 90's through the use of heavy reverb/distortion effects applied to muzak-esque tracks with other sounds layered in like advertisements echoing from a simulated loudspeaker and the din of a bustling mall interior.
I find this niche little subgenre of music to be especially appealing right now with malls and big box retail struggling like never before due to the pandemic. The gradual demise of shopping malls in the wake of internet shopping has been something that most Americans have observed for the last decade or so, but COVID-19 really accelerated the decay. That's why I really enjoy how this music conjures up feelings of being among throngs of happy shoppers in a giant shopping mall that many of us enjoyed as youths in the 80's and 90's. It's bittersweet in that it brings back pleasant memories of an experience that has largely died out or is at least on the verge of vanishing completely.
Here are two examples of what Mallsoft sounds like:
Given that it's made to sound like unobtrusive background music, it has been perfect as music to work remotely to at home during COVID.
So that's mine. I look forward to hearing everyone else's obscure interests or hobbies, and I hope to maybe stumble upon a new one for myself via this thread.
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