Orlando vaporwave maestro Dan Mason releases crystalline new compilation album

Over the past decade, Orlando’s Dan Mason has become a preeminent name in vaporwave, and few of his works epitomize that quite like his latest release, Compilation Singles.

As the name indicates, this six-song EP is a roundup of singles specially made for various compilations, mostly from the past year. The comps were curated by vaporwave labels across the U.S. and even in the U.K., and feature Mason alongside other genre stars like Skylar Spence and Luxury Elite.


Despite these songs’ diffuse origins, Compilation Singles is a colorful, cohesive and salient collection that’s a prime gateway into Mason’s well-crafted world of nostalgia. Because they were all conceived as singles, each song here makes its own complete and concise statement. Together, they’re a loaded ride of immediate hits.

What Compilation Singles particularly underscores is the pop craft that distinguishes Mason. Rather than the hazy, abstract ether that many of his vaporwave peers weave, Mason’s compositions are clear songs of pop clarity and structure, sometimes complete with singing. “Summer Splash,” for example, is even ready for the dance floor.

Moreover, in a genre heavily based on sampling, Mason stands apart for his original sounds. With the exception of “Your Touch,” all the tracks on Compilation Singles are almost entirely free of samples, a modus operandi that he’s largely maintained for years.

While other vaporwave artists achieve the requisite 1980s vibes by straight plundering, Mason faithfully recreates the soft-focus aura from scratch. And instead of burying it all in reverb, he keeps it considerably more crisp and distilled than his contemporaries.

Compilation Singles is a beacon of pastel retro electronics that’s rendered in vivid hi-def. It’s a tight, stylish package that’s as definitive and sharp a collection as Dan Mason’s released yet. The EP is generously available on Bandcamp as a name-your-price download.

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