Vapor Talks #16: International Telecom

A text chat with the anonymous signalwave producer

Out of the myriad of new vaporwave producers that have been flooding platforms since the pandemic, International Telecom caught my ear repeatedly with their atmospheric sample collages in a classic signalwave style. Their music is carefully constructed from samples of obscure television programmes looping over static noise and other ghostly ambience.

There’s a certain mystique surrounding the project. The Bandcamp page features mostly grainy photos of satellite receivers and old TV sets and states Russia as its location. The info blurb says simply “information business and cable telecommunications”. Other than that, there’s no information to be found online. It doesn’t help that the artist name is not very SEO-friendly.

I was intrigued to find out more and asked victory over death to put me in touch with the reclusive producer, because they had worked together in the past. Quite unexpectedly, the person behind International Telecom agreed to an interview.

Please note that contrary to my usual policy of doing interviews in oral conversation, he wanted to provide his answers in writing – not because he feared for his anonymity but because he didn’t feel his English was fluent enough for a call. So I made an exception here, which is reflected in the style of the interview. But it somehow fits the vibe of International Telecom’s broken transmissions.

all images courtesy of the artist

Are you really based in Russia, or is that classified information?

Not at all. I think many of my listeners know that I was born and live in Russia. However, I keep my name, place of residence, and age secret.

Why?

For the most part, I do this so that my project is not associated with a specific person or individual. I have tried to make International Telecom feel impersonal. Nevertheless, listeners can interpret the personality behind the project as they wish, whether it be a tired TV studio employee or an entire television company.

What kind of music did you grow up on?

I grew up listening to pop music from the 2000s and 2010s. I even recorded tracks from the radio on a tape recorder so I could listen to them later. Sometimes it was hard to sit in one position without making a sound, but the result was worth it.

Did your family play music around the house?

No, but my father downloaded various music onto his phone. The music was diverse, ranging from rap to post-punk. But what caught my attention the most was Linkin Park’s music.

What type of music were you into in your teenage years?

As a teenager, I liked rap music. At that time, my favorite artists were Ghostemane and Suicideboys. Then I discovered vaporwave, after which I became more deeply interested in music and genres. Perhaps if I hadn’t discovered vaporwave, I wouldn’t have discovered other genres and other good music. I don’t listen to rap much anymore, compared to other genres.

Did you receive any musical training? Did you play in bands?

I didn’t receive any musical training and didn’t play in bands. When creating my music, I rely solely on my ear. But I would really like to learn to play the bass guitar or synthesizer. I even planned to start a band with a friend. The genre would have been post-punk, but the idea never got beyond the planning stage. We realized that it would be difficult and not very authentic to make that kind of music without real instruments.

When and why did you start producing music on a computer?

I first started making music in 2019, but those tracks weren’t posted anywhere. At that time, I was just starting to try my hand at vaporwave, and it was quite fun. Like many other artists, I started with Audacity, and in 2020, I switched to FL Studio. As for why I started doing this, it’s because I believed and still believe that slowing down and using effects in tracks can significantly improve the sound of songs. Simply put, sometimes vaporwave versions of tracks sound better than their originals, and when creating my tracks, I tried to improve the sound of the originals.

How and when did you first discover vaporwave? What drew you in and what did you like about it?

My first encounter with vaporwave was accidental. I stumbled upon a music video on YouTube, the visuals of which were done in the vaporwave style. I was very interested and began to study this genre until I listened to the track “Shadows in Bloom” by Games. I thought, “Wow, this is literally the best song I’ve ever heard in my life.”

What I liked most about vaporwave at the time was the feeling of false nostalgia that these tracks evoked. But I also liked the retro visuals, which I still love to this day. I really love using screen caps from old TV shows and commercials, primarily because of the grainy image quality.

What do you mean by “false nostalgia”?

Nostalgia for times you never experienced. It’s a very strange feeling, but definitely a pleasant one. It’s like you remember something from a bygone era and for some reason feel a connection to those things. It’s hard to explain how and why it works that way. As of now, I haven’t felt this way in a very long time, probably because I’m just very used to it, or maybe I just haven’t found anything that triggers this feeling yet.

Your Bandcamp releases go back to 2022. Did you make and release music before that?

Yes, I published albums under different names, but almost all of them have been deleted or lost. Perhaps it’s for the best, because those albums were pretty bad. But looking back, I realize that even creating such bad albums was necessary for me to gain experience and later determine the genre in which I release music now.

Which artists and releases inspired you when you started creating your first albums?

In the beginning, I was very inspired by sport3000’s albums. His music inspired me so much that sometimes my tracks had identical samples to his, although this happened completely by accident. What always inspired me in his music was how he could recreate the vibe of watching TV at night.

But at the moment, it’s hard for me to say what inspires me. I want to immerse listeners in the atmosphere of watching TV at night, and perhaps that intention inspires me the most.

What equipment do you mostly work with – hardware and/or software?

Right now, I only use software to create tracks. In the future, I plan to use hardware, although I don’t know how soon that will happen. Someday you will hear sample-free albums from me.

How do you find the right samples, and what does your album process look like in terms of production methods?

Creating an album always starts with coming up with a concept, although sometimes albums can be without a specific concept – or the concept can be abstract. For the most part, it all depends on what feelings or aesthetics I want to put into the album. I always select samples by ear. I simply choose the samples that sound best, then slow them down and use effects as needed. Most of my samples are musical excerpts from TV shows, so it’s not always necessary to use effects. Essentially, I use traditional methods to create vaporwave tracks.

How would you say the project has developed over the years since 2022?

I can say that my project has developed significantly since 2022. I have started experimenting with sound and concepts much more often, but I still find it difficult to create conceptual albums that are not related to television. I have always tried to create albums that fit well with the aesthetics and theme of the project.

But despite the differences in the sound of the albums or tracks from 2025 and 2022, I think I managed to preserve the “skeleton” of the project, with its characteristic sound and style. And I can’t help but be happy that after so many albums, I managed to keep my signature sound.

You created mutual projects with Tele+1, victory over death and Florida Rains. How do you seek out your collaborators?

It’s very simple. If I like an artist’s work and think we can make a great album together, I suggest we do a collaboration. Although artists often approach me with suggestions for a collaborative album – and I usually agree. Creating such albums is always intriguing, as two people with their own ideas and views on music and aesthetics work on the project at the same time.

Do you feel like you’re part of the signalwave community?

From a logical point of view, I am definitely part of the online signalwave community, because I post albums in this genre. But if we look at it from a spiritual point of view, I find it difficult to answer. I am not the most active user on the Signalwave Discord server, and I don’t have many long-term relationships with other users. Unfortunately, I am not the most communicative person.

Do you want to shout out some of the most progressive signalwave producers out there? Who’s inspiring you right now?

I can say with confidence that the most progressive signalwave performers are victory over death and Florida Rains. victory over death plays with samples beautifully, creating stunning soundscapes. Florida Rains recreates a rather curious vintage aesthetic, while staying true to the signalwave theme.

What’s your stance on using generative AI for artwork and/or music?

Although I am not opposed to people using AI in their work, I personally am unlikely to ever use it myself. Almost every AI album I’ve heard doesn’t sound as good as albums created by humans. Although, in my opinion, creating AI albums can be considered an interesting experiment. But AI is still a long way from replacing human artists.

Where’s a good start into your discography for a reader who hasn’t heard any of your music?

I think the best place to start would be with the albums AtNight and OrbitalLocation. These two albums reflect the main idea and aesthetic of my project. They strike the perfect balance between nighttime and technical television aesthetics, which is literally the foundation of International Telecom.

My personal favorite of yours is 3 a.m. Signals. How did that one come to life?

This album is heavily inspired by the album LATE NIGHT VHS. I decided that I definitely needed to make an album in a similar style, but do it a little differently. In addition to the late-night vibe, I decided to add a focus on television and signals. I also used television samples from a different era, instead of the jazz motifs of LATE NIGHT VHS. So that album literally became the progenitor of one of the most recognizable albums in my discography.

What are some of your favorite television shows and films? Did they inspire the project?

I don’t have a specific show that inspired the project, but as a child I really enjoyed watching TV early in the morning when it was still dark outside. It was a very enjoyable experience. I also liked teletext. I was a little scared at first when I accidentally pressed the button on the remote that turns on teletext, but then I found it interesting.

Recently I discovered a channel that shows views from cameras in my city. Just a small number of cameras in the city broadcast images to the channel accompanied by nice music. This channel is good for thinking and organizing your thoughts. It’s probably my favorite channel, and I think it would be cool to make an album with a similar concept someday.

Is a positive reaction from an online audience in the vaporwave scene important to you, or is your goal achieved when you’ve made the music?

Of course I appreciate the positive reaction from the online audience, but to be honest, it’s secondary to me. I like trying new sounds and ideas, and that doesn’t always get a positive response, but I’m okay with that. In my opinion, it’s better to do what you like, even if someone else might not like it, than to do something you don’t like, even if others might like it.

What are your musical plans for the future?

To try new ideas, experiment more boldly, and enjoy what I do.

Listen to International Telecom on Bandcamp

International Telecom’s Top 10 Vaporwave Albums

(unranked)

• Sport3000 – Eternal Intermission (self-released, 2016)

• t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者 – 現実を超えて (self-released, 2014)

• チェスマスター – I Am Chesumasuta (Dream Catalogue, 2016)

• 暗い自然 – 氷床 Earth (Black Records, 2016)

• Sport3000 – specter (Dark Web, 2019)

• Sport3000 & バーチャル Paragon ™ – Secret Place (Elemental 95, 2018)

• t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者 – 断線 (self-released, 2015)

• 2814 – 新しい日の誕生 [Birth Of A New Day] (Dream Catalogue, 2015)

• チェスマスター – Cultivation Of The Flesh (TKX, 2019)

• テレビ体験 – Y. 2089 (TKX, 2014)