Weirdcore is an internet-based aesthetic that emerged in the early 2010s. It is characterized by heavily manipulated, surreal, and often unsettling imagery. Weirdcore evokes feelings of nostalgia, euphoria, and liminality through its ironic use of retro technology, colors, and pop culture. Though it originated online, weirdcore has crossed over into fashion, music, and other creative fields.
What is Weirdcore?
Weirdcore is a genre of internet art and music that incorporates elements of nostalgia, surrealism, irony, and the grotesque. The aesthetic typically utilizes distorted VHS-style imagery, retro video game graphics, analog TV static, psychedelic colors,Ec, and pop culture icons that induce feelings of liminality and euphoria.
Some common weirdcore visual elements include:
- Distorted, warped, or corrupted images and video
- Glitch art effects
- VHS-style color bars and analog TV static
- Psychedelic colors and filters
- Retro video games and technology
- Surreal, dreamlike imagery
- Unsettling, grotesque, or creepy imagery
Though weirdcore originated as a niche online movement, its aesthetic has become more mainstream in recent years. It is now closely associated with internet microgenres like vaporwave, Simpsonwave, and dreamcore.
History and Origins
The term “weirdcore” is believed to have first emerged sometime around 2009-2010 on Tumblr. Early weirdcore was characterized by heavily filtered and distorted imagery along with cryptic or absurd text. These early weirdcore Tumblr blogs and posts were often tagged with related keywords like “weird,” “bizarre,” and “creepy.”
Over the next few years, weirdcore evolved beyond single image posts into a broader generational aesthetic. By the mid-2010s, weirdcore encompassed nostalgic pop culture references, surreal humor, creepy imagery, and absurd memes.
Some cultural influences on early weirdcore include:
- Surrealist and absurdist art & humor
- Glitch art and databending
- Analog/VHS nostalgia
- Y2K/millennial internet culture
- Noise music and experimental electronic genres
- Cryptic online communities and message boards
- Creepypasta and proto-memes
- Retro video games and technology
As weirdcore grew in popularity in the late 2010s, it increasingly blended with adjacent aesthetics like vaporwave, Simpsonwave, and dreamcore.
Defining Features
Though ambiguous and multifaceted, weirdcore tends to exhibit several core features:
Nostalgia
Weirdcore invokes nostalgia for analog technology and retro pop culture. This includes:
– VHS/CRT TV aesthetics with scan lines, distortion, and color bleeding
– Obscure retro video games and computing technology
– References to bygone decades like the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s
Surrealism
Surreal, dreamlike, and absurd imagery are common weirdcore elements. This creates a hallucinatory, liminal quality.
Irony
Weirdcore often utilizes irony through its juxtaposition of creepy/unsettling and nostalgic/kitschy elements. This creates an absurdist tone.
Liminality
The surreal imagery and technological nostalgia evoke feelings of being in-between different states, times, or realities. Everything feels oddly familiar yet alien.
Euphoria
The sensory overload of colors, sounds, and surreal imagery can induce feelings of euphoria. This dreamlike quality is often compared to psychedelic experiences.
Creepiness
While not universally dark or morbid, weirdcore frequently incorporates eerie, sinister, or disturbing imagery and audio. The overall vibe is often unsettling and creepy.
Aesthetic Elements
Weirdcore encompasses a wide range of visual styles and motifs. Some common aesthetic elements include:
Retro Pop Culture
References to nostalgic pop culture like old video game characters (Mario, Sonic), movies (The Matrix), TV shows (Spongebob), and celebrities (Michael Jackson).
Glitch Effects
Heavy digital distortion like pixelation, vs, and datamoshing.
VHS/CRT Effects
Visual artifacts associated with analog VHS tapes and CRT televisions like horizontal scan lines, distortion, color bleeding, and static.
Neon & Vaporwave Color Palettes
Weirdcore often features neon colors and vaporwave gradients along with black and white.
Surreal Imagery
Bizarre, hallucinatory imagery that invokes feelings of dissociation and liminality.
Creepy/Unsettling Imagery
Imagery that is eerie, sinister, or disturbing like skulls, blood, monsters, creepy faces.
3D Rendered Objects
CGI models of retro objects like electronics, furniture, and toys.
Abstraction
Heavily filtered and distorted imagery that becomes almost unrecognizable and abstract.
Datamoshing
A glitch effect caused by manipulating video compression that creates surreal distortions in motion and color.
Crossover with Related Aesthetics
Weirdcore displays significant overlap and exchange of elements with several related aesthetics:
Vaporwave
Shares nostalgia for retro pop culture, neon colors, abstraction, and glitch effects. More focused on late 80s-early 2000s.
Simpsonwave
Specifically nostalgic for late 80s/early 90s combining vaporwave with Simpson’s references.
Dreamcore
Similar creepy, surreal imagery but more muted pastel color palette.
Y2K
Nostalgic for late 90s-early 2000s tech and pop culture. Overlaps with vaporwave.
Creepypasta
Shares unsettling, creepy, and surreal horror themes and imagery.
Noise Music
Experimental electronic music genre focused on dissonance. Weirdcore music often incorporates noise elements.
Despite these overlaps, weirdcore maintains its own distinct identity and aesthetic style.
Tools & Techniques
A variety of tools and techniques are commonly used to create weirdcore visual art:
Photo/Video Editing Software
Programs like Photoshop and After Effects to edit images/footage and apply effects.
3D Modeling & Rendering
Software like Blender to create and render surreal 3D objects and environments.
Pixel Sorting
Rearranging portions of an image pixel-by-pixel to create glitch effects.
Databending
Manipulating image/video files on a binary level to create visual artifacts.
Datamoshing
Manipulating video codecs to create surreal distortions in motion and color.
AI Image Generation
Using AI systems like DALL-E 2 to generate weirdcore imagery and concepts.
Found Footage
Appropriating and remixing old analog footage, pop culture clips, retro games, etc.
Fashion & Style
In addition to visual art, weirdcore has emerged as an aesthetic for fashion, style, and music:
Clothing
Baggy, oversized fits. Black, white, and neon colors. Retro patterns and graphics.
Accessories
Chokers, oversized jewelry, fingerless gloves, and band/festival wristbands.
Makeup
Dark eyeliner and lipstick.PENTP and psychedelic/rave inspired makeup looks.
Hairstyles
Dyed hair in neon colors. Bangs, pigtails, spiky and layered cuts.
Footwear
Chunky sneakers and boots. Jelly shoes. Grunge and punk inspired.
Music
Electronic genres like vaporwave and digital hardcore. Lo-fi hip hop. Noise and industrial.
Overall, weirdcore fashion favors a surreal, retro-futuristic look blended with punk and grunge influences.
Impact on Art & Culture
While originally a niche internet subculture, weirdcore has gradually impacted mainstream art and culture:
Art & Fashion
Major influencer on contemporary art, fashion, and design drawing from weirdcore’s nostalgic creepiness.
Music
Widely felt impact on electronic, hip hop, and experimental music. Directly spawned vaporwave and adjacent genres.
Gaming
Many indie games directly reference weirdcore or appropriate its aesthetic style. Seen in game art, graphics, and music.
Film & TV
Increasing incorporation of vaporwave and weirdcore aesthetics into mainstream film and television. Most visible in horror and surreal genres.
Branding & Marketing
Major companies and brands leverage weirdcore imagery and retro nostalgia to connect with younger demographics.
Though once obscure and subcultural, weirdcore is now an evolving generational aesthetic embedded in mainstream pop culture. Its influence continues to grow and spread organically.
Conclusion
In summary, weirdcore is an internet-based aesthetic movement centered on surreal, ironic, and creepy distortions of retro pop culture. Born online in the late 2000s-early 2010s, it was shaped by broader generational forces like analog nostalgia and experimental electronic music.
Core features of weirdcore include heavy digital manipulation, retro aesthetics, neon colors, dissociative imagery, and a vibe that is simultaneously creepy, nostalgic, and euphoric. Though multifaceted, weirdcore maintains a distinct identity and continues to evolve both within internet subcultures and the mainstream. Its influence on art, music, fashion, gaming, film, and marketing is undeniable and growing. At its core, weirdcore provides a dreamlike escape into technological nostalgia and creeping digital decay.