365 ELECTRONIC MUSIC ALBUMS IN 365 DAYS
Day 32: Macross 82-99 — CHAM!
Genres: Future Funk / Nu-Disco / Vaporwave
Year: 2015
Country: Mexico
(This is a personal opinion; I have no formal knowledge of music theory, but I love electronic music. Please keep that in mind while reading.)
A few reviews ago I talked about Vaporwave, the internet-born movement that turned nostalgia into an artistic language.
It reshaped graphic design.
It reshaped electronic music.
But there was one small issue.
Most Vaporwave wasn't made for dancing.
It was made for contemplation.
Eventually, a new generation of producers asked a simple question:
"What if nostalgia could fill a dancefloor instead of a museum?"
That's where Future Funk truly found its voice.
Among the artists who helped define that first wave stands a Mexican producer.
Alberto Muñoz.
Better known as MACROSS 82-99.
If one album helped establish the sound of early Future Funk, it was undoubtedly CHAM!.
Running just over forty minutes, the record feels like a perfect snapshot of everything internet music communities were exploring around 2015.
The first half blends Vaporwave aesthetics with Nu-Disco, Japanese pop influences and smooth collaborations from artists such as Diana Shroomy and LILB4N0 on tracks like Peach and Ash, creating a surprisingly warm and organic atmosphere.
Then the second half arrives.
And suddenly everything clicks.
Songs like Miss You, Dark City and especially Fun Tonight became defining moments for an entire generation of Future Funk producers.
People often compare Future Funk with French House.
Honestly, I understand why.
Both genres are deeply in love with sampling.
With looping.
With transforming a few forgotten seconds of music into something entirely new.
The difference is that Future Funk looks toward Japanese City Pop, Disco and 1980s nostalgia through a uniquely internet-born perspective.
Listening to CHAM! again reminded me of something I sometimes miss in today's scene.
Early Future Funk didn't need endless processing chains or impossibly complicated sound design.
Its magic lived inside the sample.
Find the perfect loop.
Add drums.
Respect the groove.
And let the music breathe.
Sometimes simplicity is enough.
Maybe that's why this album still feels so fresh.
PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS:
There was a confusing period in my life when Future Funk became my escape.
I was living alone.
Trying to figure out who I wanted to become.
Many nights were spent producing music on nothing more than my iPhone.
I spent countless hours browsing forums, meeting other producers creating music under similar limitations.
Some eventually became well-known names within the scene.
Others quietly disappeared.
Listening to CHAM! again after all these years felt like opening an old photo album.
It reminded me of a younger version of myself searching for a musical identity.
Now, as I move through my twenties, I finally feel like I'm beginning to discover the sound I've always wanted to make.
Maybe that's why this album means so much to me.
It isn't just an important Future Funk record.
It's also part of my own story.
If you've ever wondered what the early Future Funk movement truly sounded like, CHAM! remains one of the best places to begin.
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