Chillwave Essentials

Chillwave Essentials

Chillwave is as much a state of mind as it is a sound, with its dreamy vocals, blurry beats and liquid synth lines evoking life in its most blissed-out potential. Toward the end of the 2000s, pioneers like Washed Out, Neon Indian, and Toro y Moi took their nostalgia for ‘80s synth-pop and dream pop and spun it with a touch of hazy psychedelia and sun-soaked escapism to mesmerising effect—often created straight from their bedrooms. Several acts would follow their lead into the 2010s, experimenting further with synths, samples and reverb, all to create a mood that ultimately seeks comfort in the haze.

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