Sailorwave III - Macross 82-99: Review
Macross 82-99
is a Mexican producer who dabbles in Vaporwave and Future Funk. He is signed to one of the most prominent Bandcamp labels for Vaporwave, Neon City and his most acclaimed releases are the two previous editions of the Sailorwave trilogy, which have their own cult like following.
Review By Lav:
I love Sailorwave. Even though I don't listen to as much Vaporwave these days as I did when the genre was at its height in the middle of the 2010's the one leftover from that era I continue to return to, aside from whatever Vektroid is up to, is Macross 82-99. More specifically his Sailorwave series which first grabbed me years ago with the very first addition. If you know me well I can already hear what you're thinking, "you only like this because you love Sailor Moon." While it's true that I'm a moonie and that it's one of the only anime series I have experience with, I'm firstly a music critic and if I didn't like the music I wouldn't listen to it even I could acknowledge a cool concept at its core. That isn't the case with Sailorwave, Sailorwave fucking rules. Or at least the first one in the series does. The second came in the form of an EP and while it is certainly good I'm not as crazy about it and that's mostly how I feel about the third edition. Once the excitement of its arrival finally wore off and it was time to actually digest the music I came to realize that it is solid, but not quite as transcendent as the original.
Let's talk highlights first because there are quite a few. Legacy is a great start to the album introducing bouncy synths and distant horns. While it does ever so briefly dial it back around the midpoint the whole thing is in service of an even brighter, more shimmering return. It is just two minutes long but an appropriate start to the record. Girls Night Out takes that momentum and runs with it grabbing you right away with some punchy 80's drums and a particularly memorable bassline. The songs vocal samples are heavily manipulated in just the right way to never lose that true electronic music feel and the song just instantly makes me want to party.
Jupiter Funk is an appropriately titled song that has a much more nasally vocal feature at it's core and I can't really come up with a better way to describe it other than tape-decky. It's a simple sounding song with a repetitive house like composition that I never get bored of. If you were in a lab trying to design a song that would specifically appeal to me it would probably be called Pastel Banger. As much as the title got me hooked the song itself might be even better and includes a few musical quirks that I adore. The fuzzy drums and obscured vocals assemble one of the most groove heaviest vibes on the entire record and I absolutely can't get enough of it.
Talk Radio is basically an interlude but it's worth talking about because it is just a straight up club jam complete with a transitioning bridge producer tag and I think it's an awesome inclusion. That Music keeps up the club vibes with the most purely dance inspired song on the record bringing short vocal samples and a tight drum loop. It's that bright and hard hitting style that I find pretty infectious and it doesn't overstay its welcome. Let It Be Real is another track that grabs you right away but this time with those retro reverbed synths and the gentle vocals all feeling like the most magnetic 80's throwback you've ever heard. The song gets even better as it goes on and I love the circular little bridge and the re-introduction of the songs core refrain which just gives it all new life across the last minute or so.
The last few songs on the record make for it's least appealing run by far but I've sort of come around to Neoncity Racing Team. It feels like less of a song and more of a constant eruption of new sounds for like 2 minutes. It's a blitz but when all is said and done I enjoy it. Two Of A Kind really tries to put the funk in future funk and mostly succeeds at that. The guest vocals are obviously pretty neon tinged and reverb soaked so it can be difficult to make out details but at least it fits in with the sonic aesthetic. The big problem I have with the record is that it sort of whiffs on trying to be romantic given how tightly synthetic everything feels.
I'm not crazy about the closing track FNK N ROLLAZ. It's more than a minute longer than any other song here and it spends that extra minute on a pretty long build-up to any kind of core refrain. It's one of the most sonically reserved tracks here even at its peak which makes it feel more like an exhale than a grand finale. My least favorite song is Sailor Saturn which is a shame because the real Sailor Saturn is pretty damn cool. The best thing about the song is the loudest thing in its mix, a wiggly synth line that sounds so much like a sound effect from Super Monkey Ball that I think it actually might be the same sound effect. Beyond that it has some trap drums that are introduced in a really clunky way and the continuous stopping and starting wrecks any chance it has to build up momentum.
While just through the virtue of being called Sailorwave, Sailorwave III had big shoes to fill. While it may not be the same caliber album as it's predecessor it also sets its own path, content with being an entirely new experience rather than trying to emulate past successes. Where earlier editions lean into soaring funk instrumentation and city pop style influences this is much more firmly a house and dance record. The style and aesthetic of the record is both consistent and continuously pleasing which is something you can't say for a lot of the more faceless Vaporwave outings that experience minor blow-ups now and again. Ultimately I'm happy with III as a conclusion to a trilogy that I fell in love with over a decade ago and yet another testimate to the incredible reach of one of my favorite childhood TV shows. Well done again Macross. 7/10
This had the potential to be good. The drawing is basic but has a nice action line and composition. I wish it has been colored in to give it some life and I don't think the text at the top matches the vibes of the drawing. It looks rushed and thrown together which sucks because it has music and source material with so much personality to pull from. 3/10
