A few months ago, I decided to act on an idea I’d been mulling over for months: live mallsoft. Inspired by attending pivotal vaporwave events like Electronicon and the first-ever FlamingoFest, I felt an insatiable itch to push the scene further in my own way.
I envisioned a live DJ set filmed inside a dead mall—a perfect blend of nostalgia and creativity. Lucky for me, San Antonio has two of these relics of the retail past: Wonderland of the Americas and Rolling Oaks Mall. After months of emailing and receiving nothing but radio silence, I decided to take matters into my own hands. After all, it was a dead mall—who’s going to be there?
With a two-person film crew in tow, we arrived at the mall, gear in hand, ready to bring the vision of live mallsoft to life. Our plan was simple: set up quickly, blend in seamlessly, and make it seem as though the music was coming from the mall’s own sound system. We placed a few GoPros around the space, hooked up the turntables, and began filming. Unfortunately, our plans were cut short—just 25 minutes in, mall security arrived to shut us down. My white lies about having manager approval didn’t convince them, so we reluctantly packed up our gear and called it a day. Staying true to vaporwave tradition, though, we capped it off with lunch at Formosa Garden, the very restaurant that inspired and lent its name to my first album.
We didn’t let this hiccup derail my vision. Determined to make it happen, I quickly reached out to another dead mall: Rolling Oaks Mall. To my surprise, I received a response within minutes, along with a list of strict yet straightforward rules and guidelines for using their space. Thankfully, everything was practical and easy to follow. Two weeks later, we were back at it—this time in a more organized and ‘professional’ setting, ready to bring live mallsoft to life once again.
For this location, we were granted full access after closing hours, providing the perfect opportunity to bring our vision to life. The setting couldn’t have been better—I set up to spin records between two large escalators, creating a striking and nostalgic backdrop.
This time, we came better prepared, with more cameras, improved lighting tools, and the freedom to play for as long as we wanted.
The first record I queued up was Limousine’s SKYMALL, a track I had originally planned to play during our previous attempt. Mallsoft in an empty mall—it was perfect. I followed it with 8:46 by the king of mallsoft, 猫 シ Corp.
As the sounds of these records echoed through the vacant halls, it felt surreal, as though I was finally bringing to life the vision I had been working toward for months. With each track I queued up— from AURAGRAPH to Dan Mason, and artists from Geometric Lullaby’s catalog, through to Saint Pepsi—I felt more confident that this project had captured the essence of what I set out to achieve.
By the time we finished recording, it was nearly one in the morning. After packing up our gear, we explored the eerie, vacant spaces of the mall. We wandered through empty corridors and slipped in and out of doors marked ’employees only,’ soaking in the surreal atmosphere. Eventually, we made our way to our designated exit and headed home, satisfied.
To wrap up the experience, we premiered the video on YouTube, where we had the chance to chat live with viewers, hearing their feedback and praise in real time. The excitement and positivity from the community left me with a deep sense of relief and fulfillment—knowing I had successfully shared something I’m passionate about with like-minded people.
However, I don’t think this is the end of blending malls and music in unique ways. Maybe more live sets, guest DJs, or even a full-on mall party? For now, I’ll let the echoes linger and see what the future holds…
This article was written by Aldo, Groove Remote. You can check out his YouTube channel for more Vapor-related content (including vinyl rips and live sets) plus his music via Bandcamp. Aldo is also a co-host of the FutureSounds FM podcast which is available on your streaming platform of choice.