Select:
-> GOAT
– Biography
– Vaporwave
– Discography
– Live Performance
-> 100% Electronica
– Merch
– Amplifying Other Voices
– Takeaways
GOAT
George Clanton has been surfing the forefront of electronic music for the better part of 2 decades. The visionary has had numerous projects take shape in this time. His revolutionary approach to music at every turn has been core to his character in the industry through it all. As a result, in tandem with his genius sonics, inspiring ethic, and genuine charm, George Clanton stands as a titan in the eyes of those that know him; and for those that don’t, they wish they did.
Simply put, nobody makes music like George Clanton- well, maybe ESPRIT 空想 (George Clanton’s other alias) – and maybe, Mirror Kisses (George Clanton’s old alias) – and well, maybe Neggy Gemmy (co-founder of 100% Electronica) – plus maybe a few artists from their label 100% Electronica (Vitesse X, FM Skyline, 96 Windows, and Caroline Loveglow*). Forgive me for being a bit tongue-and-cheek, but this is exactly what makes George Clanton the VaporKing. His ingenuity and innovation within the world of chillwave has left a wake of new artists, primed with inspiration to seek out the sounds that first inspired Clanton: Lush, warm, psychedelic, exciting, vaporwave that ranges from chill synths to intimate triphop, maxing out live with “arena anthems for outsiders.” We’ll get more into this later when we dive into his unforgettable concert performances.
https://floodmagazine.com/69953/the-loudest-voices-in-the-chatroom-the-story-of-100-electronica
Biography
As we hear on the opening moments of 100% Electronica’s “Never Late Again”- George is at the center of his music.
But who is George Clanton?
Simply put, the GOAT (greatest of all time).
Born in 1988 in Ridgeway, Virginia, George Clanton grew up on a healthy dose of punk shows and tech tinkering. His whole world changed when he downloaded a misnamed track by The Brian Jonestown Massacre. Inspired by what quickly became an internet rabbit hole, he went on to write under the name Mirror Kisses.
George Clanton and Lindsey French (Neggy Gemmy) started the label 100% Electronica in 2015 to champion great music through non-exploitive label practices. Not even a full decade in and the indie world has changed for the better with their presence.
Though he claims to be no genius on “Genius” of his pre-100% Electronica record Heartbeats, George Clanton’s gotta be close.
Ever since he was a kid, George has been tinkering with technology, eventually teaching himself how to program. He used these skills to create an interactive experience between his audience and his label through streaming. His humor is another distinct characteristic that many (myself included) love about him. He also has a degree in Anthropology.
“He and Neggy Gemmy both hail from Virginia and played their first show together in 2011 along with other artists such as Skylar Spence. In 2019, they launched 100% Electronicon, the first vaporwave music festival.” -Thanks Wikipedia!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Clanton
Vaporwave
Although his music often receives the label “vaporwave,” vaporwave has a certain aesthetic to uphold that some might see as distinctively stylized while others might see it as series of arbitrary of rules- namely, a formula of pitched down vocals over slowed and reverbed 80’s hits. The result is a sonic injection of nostalgia set to timeless trippy grooves.
“In Vaporwave, even the genre’s biggest supporters have claimed it is dead year after year. However, we just had the biggest gathering of Vaporwave fans in the world this year with our ElectroniCON festival. We are selling more records and getting more streams than ever. It’s clearly alive and growing rapidly. That would never happen with a major label in charge. We are now in our 5th year as a label and are finally getting major label interest. It’s just not in their business plan to try something for 4 years assuming there might be a payoff in year 5.”
https://www.precisionpressing.com/blog/label-feature-3-100-electronica
On rateryourmusic.com, George Clanton actually holds the top 4 spots for the best rated albums of a genre called “chillwave” so perhaps that’s the right term (though genre might as well be called “georgewave”). Regardless, these dreamscape joyrides are nothing less than ethereal sonic experiences.
An interesting observation made by No Smoking Media is how, “6-8 years out from chillwave’s peak (and 30 years beyond the 80’s), the influence can be cycled back and reincarnated by the new generation of artists who grew up with it as a referent. 100% Electronica is equal parts sincere and snarky, self-referential and rooted in eras past.”
http://nosmokingmedia.com/discover/george-clanton-100-electronica/
Discography
Clanton shows up a couple more times in the top 20 plus a handful of other 100% Electronic signees that decorate the list. But what’s the use of just showing you a list of albums? Go listen for yourself! While you do that, I’ll go through what makes each of these albums so special. Rather than ranking them based on global ratings, I’m gonna use my ranking of his albums (as seen below).
We’ll start with George Clanton’s 2018 seminal album: Slide. This is the one to know. You should know it all but- there is a good reason this is his top rated album.
“The title track is one of the best songs of all time” – a George Clanton fan (4/21/24)
Slide is a time machine that speeds up and slows down, rearranging pieces of a puzzle before putting them back together again.
Favorite Tracks: “Make It Forever,” “Dumb,” “Livin’ Loose,” “Tie Me Down,” “Monster,” “Walk Slowly,” and “Slide”
Next up is the label’s namesake- 100% Electronica. Every song on this album is exceptionally crafted, navigating edge and vulnerability with evocative songwriting that sparked the chillwave revival of the mid-2010’s. 100% Electronica explodes into infectious vocal melodies riddled with earworms as it carries us across intricate oceans of synthesizer on its computerized ballads. The blueprint.
Favorite Tracks: “Warmspot,” “Kill You In Bed,” “Never Late Again,” “Did I Flounder?”
Heartbeats is a retro memory with sky-high peaks, Mirror Kisses sophomore album- a pre-100% Electronica relic. On this album, Clanton’s voice swells like an electric guitar amidst melody and mystery alike. An easter egg that I cherish is how “Genius” sounds like it interpolates “Last Christmas” by Wham!
Favorite Tracks: “Genius,” “Heart Beats Black,” and “Runaways”
This album is a dive into the world of hypnagogic vaporwave that’s driven forward further by George Clanton’s songwriting with a touch of edge. George has distilled a lot of wisdom into these tracks. As it swirls in mysterious sounds, it’s easy to get lost in Ooh Rap I Ya. With its heavy synths and churning vocals, this album is meant to be played loud. Another stellar record in the discography of the Vapor King.
Favorite Tracks: “Everything I Want,” “For You, I Will,” “I Been Young,” “Punching Down,” and “Justify Your Life”
Bursts of emotion mixed into cybernetic synthesizers are ripped right out of the 80’s and thrown into the future on Mirror Kisses’ debut, Bad Dreams. Raw and authentic- this is a radical beginning for it all that remains potent after all the years.
Favorite Tracks: “She’s Gone,” “Proud,” and “Slow Lover”
On 200% Electronica we soar through the reimagined sonics of George Clanton, remixing past beats and discovering new ones. The atmosphere on this project is beautiful and invigorating, adorned by sweeping synths and Clanton’s low pitched vocals which function as their own instrument. A delightful listen for real chillers only.
Favorite tracks: “Play That Thing Again,” “You’re In Love,” and “Warmpop”
The instrumental virtua.zip is a maze of cloudlike beatwork to get absolutely lost in. Classic vaporwave styles run wild as they collide with Clanton’s own fresh styles.
Favorite Tracks: “Whispers.Wav,” “Esprit.Wav,” and “Withyou.Wav”
Further by Kid’s Garden is a relic from 2007- the true and unknown beginning of it all. It’s interesting to see the seeds planted so long ago. It’s also interesting to hear Clanton reach out into soundscapes with something some would consider an early naivete while others would unbridled imagination. There’s a rock n roll presence here that would be synthesized in later works- it’s cool to hear that raw sound in Further.
Favorite track: “Ourselves”
George Clanton and Nick Hexum of 311 teamed up to deliver a fun fusion of chilled out summer sounds. They’ve produced some easy listening that at best- are some great tunes to vibe with the homies to- while, admittedly, at worst is forgettable.
Favorite Track: “Aurora Summer”
So we’ve gotten through his extensive discography… that’s not all.
One approach that I love about George Clanton is his gung-ho’ness on remixing tracks- from unheard stars to his own catalog, George Clanton takes every opportunity to lift other voices up while reinventing his own. There’s no two ways about it; he’s just the GOAT.
We’ve waited long enough, let’s dive into George Clanton’s live shows.
Live Performance
He runs the sound himself. fshjkvslnkfbknjs
Anyway, George Clanton’s approach to live music is akin to Frankenstein’s in the sense that- “IT’S ALIVE!” Flood magazine put it best when they described his music as “arena anthems for outsiders.”
I’ve seen George Clanton twice and both times it’s been nothing short of electric. He keeps things exciting and intimate by diving into the crowd and dancing around while bellowing out choruses that drop the audience into a state of euphoria.
His stage presence and humor are two more sides that make his performance unforgettable. It’s a recipe for something awesome.
On top of his own amazing music, George Clanton will always bring the coolest bands he can find to open for him- never intimidated by “the new.” The first time I saw George Clanton, he’d brought Death’s Dynamic Shroud and Frost Children along to open. The second time I saw George Clanton, he’d brought Full Body 2 along to open. All 3 of these bands placed me in a state of otherworldly bliss- buying fully into the magic that’d been presented in front of me.
Merch
His merch-game at these shows is also unrivaled. 100% Electronica keeps this energy of excellence in their merch game too; Limited runs are emerging all of the time with items going in and out stock on a well upkept web- but I needed to bring attention to the merch game at these shows- it rocks (he even signed my Slide record).
Merch is a bit of an all encompassing word that acts as anything that supports George Clanton and 100% Electronica but it’s as vast as fashion, physical media, and even instruments.
They also incorporate the “George Clanton fan club”- which sells exclusive physical media such as special vinyl records and cassettes, 100% Electronica themed tapestries, and even old Clanton gear like synths and guitars. The fan club is 10 bucks a month and helps keep the dream alive in everything 100% Electronica does.
100% Electronica
*From the about page on 100% Electronica:
“Founded in 2015, in Brooklyn, NY from the minds of George Clanton and Lindsey French. 100% Electronica has made a name for itself as a truly independent record label with a personality. The label has made history while doing its own promotion, distribution, music festivals, music and merchandise production, all famously without the use of exploitative contracts.
100% Electronica is now headquartered in Los Angeles and boasts a roster of iconic artists such as George Clanton, death’s dynamic shroud, Equip, Neggy Gemmy, Windows 96, and more. 100% Electronica has a dedicated worldwide community and is based in Los Angeles, CA.”
https://www.100percentelectronica.com/pages/about
Amplifying Other Voices:
100% Electronica has brought new sounds to the forefront of indie electronic music.
Let’s start by talking about Surfing.
We dive into a world of synthesizers and saxophones as we rewind into a fantasy. It’s emblematic of what vaporwave ascribes to be: phased out, hypnagogic, retro, and magical.
“Clanton found Surfing’s Deep Fantasy well after its 2012 release by letting YouTube’s then-nascent “recommended” algorithm run uninterrupted. While the album’s take on syrupy psych rock imbued with vaporwave’s sample-heavy nostalgia was already in high demand for a vinyl release, 100% Electronica had to do some convincing to press four hundred copies. Van Hazelberg and Nania were certain Clanton would be stuck with at least half of the records. The pressing sold out within six hours.
“We were just really successful in the first five or ten releases, so then the label had money to print more records and to take some risks,” says Clanton.
https://floodmagazine.com/69953/the-loudest-voices-in-the-chatroom-the-story-of-100-electronica
George Clanton has immaculate taste in music (duh)- it’s why we’re all listening to his music. But beyond that- it’s why his label has seen such success. There is an unwavering trust in what he considers is “good music.” This trust allows him to uplift the voices of other stellar artists that rule- such as the aforementioned: Neggy Gemmy, Vitesse X, FM Skyline, 96 Windows, and Caroline Loveglow.
Takeaways
Make great music. First and foremost- 100% Electronica is cool because George Clanton makes cool music. Beyond that- there are so many other reasons why 100% Electronica is “cool,” but predominantly (and at least personally), it all takes root in George Clanton. He is the successful face of the label and stands independently as a giant in his own right.
Innovate ways to engage with your audience. An interview by Spirit Level on Medium outlines this perfectly:
“his supporters aren’t just invested in the label’s artists, but more so in the label itself.
“It’s easy to get people excited about an artist. I think it’s kind of harder to get people excited about a label, because a label, by definition, is a business. It’s almost like a corporate thing,” Clanton says.
“We see a lot of kind of deep, obsessive interaction with the label. I never would have been as obsessed with a label as the people who follow us are, because when I was growing up, I never knew of any labels that I thought were doing anything interesting.”
As a means of connecting with this core following, Clanton launched his own fan club several years ago, where in exchange for a monthly fee, his fans would be granted access to unreleased music and unique ways to communicate with him.
“(With the stream), we have 300 people in the chat every week. Maybe it’s not a coincidence that there’s also about 300 people in my fan club, and they’re giving me $10 a month. So that’s a lot of money that I earn through this stream,” Claton quips.
“It’s kind of like marketing. We don’t have a marketing department, so our marketing department is me trying to connect with the audience.”
Again, the label prides itself on NOT SCREWING OVER ARTISTS- the biggest mistake of the record label industry in the past half century is pissing off artists and making them believe that the world is out to get them- because it has been!
George Clanton and Lindsey French have changed the game, innovating in both sonics and commercial approach. With sounds synonymous with our current age of internet- 100% Electronica has blended seamlessly- incorporating streams, great website design (updates frequently), worldwide tours, and of course- a hefty dose of nostalgia.
George Clanton is firing off on all cylinders- worldwide touring, live streaming with friends at the label, and of course, releasing album of the year contenders every time he drops- most recently Ooh Rap I Ya which landed in NCC’s top 4 of last year’s releases. He’s inspiring a new wave of artists with every album and performance. Enough people have said the words, “Listen to Slide, it’ll change your life.”
So yeah, he’s the GOAT.
