How to Start a Chillwave Band

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Wave hello to the worst pun you’ve read all day and your new favorite genre of music in one: chillwave. In today’s educational post, we’re going to a) try to describe this obscure genre of music b) teach you how to record your own Chillwave track c) suggest some chillwave hits to rub over your eardrums, and d) help you decide on your band’s awesome, chilled-out name. Breathe in, now!

Chillwave: A Definition The sound of teen angst as discovered on the beach in the 1980s, if that decade had occurred for the first time 20 years from now. You following? Ensure you’re lonely but happy. Young but mature. And slightly quirky. You’re chillwave.

How to Record a Chillwave Track Think positive thoughts, go to the beach, record a quirky, gently offbeat song, and ensure you use plenty of looping and synth effects. Edit. OK, now play the full song underwater and record at the same time. Discard first beachside recording and keep second underwater version. Upload onto your computer. Add a moody melody and ensure you use an echo effect at times. Now loop something random. Yep. And filter again. You’re done!

Some Chillwave Hits to Inspire Your Brain There aren’t heaps and heaps of chillwave bands because this is a term that’s been made up to help differentiate a handful of groups from being merely “indie.” Because there are about five million “indie” bands and only about ten “chillwave” bands, the title sets them in a class of their own. Lucky ducks! So, before we join them, let’s sample their sweet synth sounds. We suggest:

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, “Round and Round” The Drums, ” Skippin’ Town” Toro Y Moi, ” You Hid” Washed Out, ” Feel It All Around” Neon Indian, ” Deadbeat Summer” Boat Club, “All The Time

A Rose By Any Other Name It’s crucial that you pick just the right name for your band to ensure maximum success. We’ve created a formula to help you get the best results. Combine a word that describes “water” with a word reflecting your “angst.” Thesaurus time and a little head start:

Fresh Sorrow Cold Confusion Wet Dread Falling Madness Splashing Despair

And you’re done! Just like that! Phew. See you over the summer festival season, my chilled-out friend. Remember to wear sunscreen.

This post originally appeared on the excellent blog of Comeback Kid, a men’s clothing store in Melbourne, Australia.