Episode Overview
Podcast: New Books Network: New Books in Music
Episode: Michael Brown, "Eyeliner’s Buy Now" (Bloomsbury 2025)
Date: November 22, 2025
Host: Bradley Morgan
Guest: Michael Brown, Music Curator at the Alexander Turnbull Library (National Library of New Zealand)
Main Theme:
An in-depth exploration of Michael Brown’s book Eyeliner's Buy Now, which analyzes the New Zealand vaporwave artist Eyeliner’s album Buy Now, situating it within internet subcultures, global music scenes, and the development of Vaporwave as a genre. The episode provides a rich contextual biography of Eyeliner (Luke Rowell) and discusses the shifting cultural, technological, and economic landscapes that shaped the artist and his music.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Eyeliner and Buy Now?
- The 33 1/3 Oceania subseries focuses on significant albums from Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific (02:11).
- Buy Now is atypical compared to more “canonical” works—highlighting internet-fueled subcultures and the globalization of niche genres like vaporwave, especially from geographically remote regions (03:35–04:48).
- “My pitch for the book…looked at this as an example of things that have been going on in music since the Internet began…niche genres…global reach even if people listening…might not really have an idea of where they are based.” – Michael Brown (03:45)
2. Luke Rowell’s (Eyeliner) Early Influences
- Raised in Lower Hutt, a suburb of Wellington in a family with both artistic and technological interests (05:01).
- Early exposure to computers through a Commodore 64; developed an early love for video game music and 8-bit soundscapes (05:01–07:37).
- “He kind of became enamored of the soundtracks of games…that really became his first musical love.” – Michael Brown (06:23)
3. Socioeconomic & Technological Context of NZ in the 80s/90s
- The neoliberal reforms of the 1980s brought rapid deregulation, influx of American pop culture via TV, and an early New Zealand connection to the Internet (08:04–11:30).
- Rowell’s cultural consumption shaped by both family/friends and international online communities on early internet/bulletin boards.
4. Online Communities and DIY Music
- Tracker programs (e.g., Jescola Buzz) and the “demo scene” in Europe became major influences, allowing Rowell to both make music and join online communities (11:55–14:52).
- “He’s starting to put his music out there…sharing it with the community…It’s really the catalyst that takes what was previously kind of more like a hobby…and turning it into a practical proposition.” – Michael Brown (13:49)
5. First Forays as ‘Disaster Radio’ & DIY Distribution
- The alias ‘Disaster Radio’ originated from a quirky 1950s Japanese transistor radio; its aesthetic borrowed from Cold War pop culture and camp sci-fi (15:14–17:32).
- Using mp3.com, Rowell shared free music globally—reflecting early web music democratization.
6. Academic Influence & Early Career
- Studies in computer science and music at Victoria University; inspired in part by critical theory (Tonelli, detournement).
- Live performances as Disaster Radio became prominent in mid-2000s New Zealand (19:12–21:52).
7. Artistic Maturation & Chiptunes to Songcraft
- Albums Visions and Charisma showed growth toward full-fledged song structures, with viral successes like “Gravy Rainbow” capturing both satire and pop appeal (22:13–24:34).
- “Awesome Feelings…became kind of a local Student Radio hit…The album ended up being named Album of the Year…” – Michael Brown (22:43)
8. From Nostalgia to Social Critique
- Disaster Radio and Eyeliner share an interest in 1980s/90s sound palettes and technology—not just nostalgia, but critical reflection on pop culture, advertising, and the globalized “mallmusic” aesthetic (24:57–28:09).
- “He wants to build in the capacity for music to make a comment about what it is referring to. And this is very much an affordance of music that he gets from those early influences…” – Michael Brown (27:42)
9. Web 2.0 and Vaporwave: The Birth of a Genre
- Internet’s transition to social media (MySpace, Tumblr, blogs) enabled the aggregation and decentralization of niche scenes; vaporwave arose as a critical reflection on digital culture and early internet aesthetics (28:39–30:25).
- “Once users had the ability…to comment, like, share…people…start to turn back onto the Internet as a subject in itself.” – Michael Brown (28:57)
10. Pioneer City Art Project as Vaporwave Incubator
- Commissioned to soundtrack a conceptual art project advertising fictional real estate on Mars; compelled Rowell to rapidly produce “corporate promotional” music, laying the groundwork for Eyeliner’s sound/conceptual palette (30:47–34:45).
11. Birth of Eyeliner: High Fashion Mood Music (2012)
- Eyeliner was a “character,” not just an alias, emphasizing themes of advertising, consumer culture, and self-aware branding (35:04).
- The album presented as “soundtracks for different perfume advertisements”.
- “It’s really moving towards quite a sort of integrated concept behind Eyeliner…” – Michael Brown (36:13)
12. Etymology and Critical Framing of ‘Vaporwave’
- Term popularized by critic Adam Harper, drawing on the 80s term ‘vaporware’ (overhyped products that never launch) and notions of liquidity and ephemerality in late capitalism (37:31–42:09).
- “There was a really nice pun there on the term vaporware…there was the idea of vapor, of a sort of a liquidity of culture.” – Michael Brown (41:48)
13. Evolution with Larp of Luxury (2013)
- Concept album with tracks named after consumer brands, synthesizing advertising critique, nostalgia, and the Eyeliner persona (43:44).
- “There is certainly a greater cohesion to that concept behind Larp of Luxury and behind Eyeliner more generally.” – Michael Brown (44:23)
14. Critique of Capitalism and the Democratic Potential of Technology
- The Buy Now album emerges amidst millennial anxiety about prosperity post-2008 financial crisis and Rowell’s hope in accessible music technology (45:30–46:56).
- “On a computer you’re programming music…there are affordances…that allow anybody really to put together music feasibly.” – Michael Brown (46:19)
15. Key Musical Ingredients of Buy Now
- Slap Bass: Inspired by Seinfeld, embodying both nostalgia and post-ironic humor.
- “...every track of the album…has slap bass…Why don’t I create an album that’s got slap bass on every track?” – Michael Brown (47:09)
- Korg M1 Synthesizer & Linn Drum Machine: Both iconic 80s–90s sounds, viewed with a sense of affectionate irony and as vehicles for both critique and genuine affection for the era (49:56–52:42).
16. Vaporwave’s Dialogue with Commercial Music History
- Referencing Timothy Taylor’s work, Brown describes the 80s/90s commercial music shift from bespoke jingles to repurposed and licensed pop—blurring pop and advertising music identity (53:07–57:14).
- “Product marketing is starting to then merge with popular music on another level…popular music…got drawn into these other parts of the economy.” – Michael Brown (55:36)
17. Vaporwave’s Pivot Point and Buy Now’s Place
- Buy Now released in 2015 as vaporwave community exploded online (literally thousands of albums). Eyeliner’s work was notable for balancing nostalgia and critique without didacticism (57:29–59:51).
18. Michael’s Favorite Tracks from Buy Now
- “Venetian Blinds” – Homage to 80s TV and movie soundtracks; evokes nostalgia but recontextualizes it.
- “Pictionary” – Ambient, subtle, blending New Age and game soundtracks (59:55–62:06).
- “It’s a study in how ambient music, New age music, and the soundtracks of certain games all…share a world making quality.” – Michael Brown (61:25)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On discovering computer music:
- “He kind of became enamored of the soundtracks of games…that really became his first musical love.” – Michael Brown (06:23)
-
On music as critique:
- “He wants to build in the capacity for music to make a comment about what it is referring to.” – Michael Brown (27:42)
-
On the origins of ‘vaporwave’:
- “There was a really nice pun there on the term vaporware…there was the idea of vapor, of a sort of a liquidity of culture.” – Michael Brown (41:48)
-
On slap bass and post-irony:
- “Why don’t I create an album that’s got slap bass on every track?...It’s kind of humorous,…a flavor that’s, you know, almost a cliche.” – Michael Brown (47:15)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 02:11 – Introduction to Eyeliner’s Buy Now and its significance
- 05:01 – Luke Rowell’s family and early technology/art influences
- 08:04 – NZ’s 80s/90s sociopolitical context and cultural openness
- 11:55 – Online communities (Jescola Buzz, demo scene) and their impact
- 15:14 – Origin of ‘Disaster Radio’ and early online DIY music distribution
- 19:12 – Academic influences and early live performing
- 22:13 – Songwriting shift in Visions and Charisma; viral hits
- 24:57 – From nostalgia to critique in musical style
- 28:39 – Web 2.0 empowers niche genres; Vaporwave’s emergence
- 30:47 – The Pioneer City art project and Eyeliner’s sonic birth
- 35:04 – Creation and concept of High Fashion Mood Music as Eyeliner
- 37:31 – Naming and theorizing ‘vaporwave’
- 43:44 – Larp of Luxury and evolution of the Eyeliner persona
- 45:30 – Capitalist critique and democratizing technology
- 47:09 – The slap bass, Korg M1, and Linn drum as album foundations
- 53:07 – Commercial music’s evolution and media convergence
- 57:29 – Buy Now in the context of vaporwave’s boom
- 59:55 – Michael’s personal favorite tracks from the album
Conclusion
The episode offers an expansive cultural, technological, and personal lens on Buy Now, exploring its place in both New Zealand’s local context and the global vaporwave phenomenon. Brown’s research and Rowell’s career together illuminate how niche genres can challenge, satirize, and reinvent mainstream musical and cultural narratives in the digital era.