2814 (stylized in fullwidth characters as 2814[1]) is a British-American collaborative ambient and vaporwave project of the electronic musicians Luke Laurila, also known as Telepath (stylized as "t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者"), and David Russo, also known as HKE (an abbreviation of the earlier moniker Hong Kong Express), respectively.[2] The duo is best known for its second album, Birth of a New Day (新しい日の誕生), described by Rolling Stone as "a late night cruise through the cyber-future dream highway."[3]

2814
OriginLondon, England, UK
Sterling, Ohio, USA
Genres
Years active2014–2020
Labels
  • Dream Catalogue
  • Ailanthus Recordings
Members
  • t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者
  • HKE

History

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2814 debuted in 2014 with a self-titled release on the Internet music label Ailanthus Recordings.[4][5] The album was followed up in early 2015 by Birth of a New Day, released digitally and in a limited run of CDs on HKE's own label, Dream Catalogue.[6][7] An Indiegogo campaign later in 2015 to press a double LP record version of the album ended with £6,432 at 161% of its goal.[8][9] The project released its third album, Rain Temple, in 2016.[10][11] In 2019, the duo released a compilation album, Lost Fragments, which contained the duo's previous works found on other compilations, as well as new releases.

Influence

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The project has described its own work as a focus on the surreal qualities of vaporwave rather than a 1980s or 1990s aesthetic. In the group's interview with Rolling Stone, HKE said when describing Birth of a New Day, "We wanted to show how the whole vaporwave vibe could be made as original music rather than just relying on the same muzak and kitsch-pop samples everyone else had been using for years..." Not Not Fun Records boss Brit Brown called the album "amazing cyberfuture ambient vaporwave," while Vice called the duo "vaporwave superstars."[12]

The group's later album, Rain Temple, was described by HKE as "intense, dramatic and cinematic," and as containing elements of spirituality.[13]

Reception

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As of 2015, its albums were often staples of the Bandcamp charts.[3] The group's LP Birth of a New Day managed to gain much praise from critics,[12][14] while maintaining a cult following from internet users.

Discography

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Studio albums

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Title Details
2814[4]
  • Released: October 25, 2014
  • Label: Ailanthus Recordings
新しい日の誕生
(Birth of a New Day)[7]
  • Released: January 21, 2015
  • Label: Dream Catalogue
Rain Temple[10]
  • Released: July 26, 2016
  • Label: Dream Catalogue

Compilation

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Title Details
Lost Fragments[15]
  • Released: July 5, 2019
  • Label: Dream Catalogue

Extended plays

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Title Details
Pillar / New Sun[16]
  • Released: February 1, 2018
  • Label: Arcola
Voyage / Embrace[17]
  • Released: September 9, 2020
  • Label: Virtual Dream Plaza

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Interview: Dream Catalogue (HKE, 2814)". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  2. ^ "2814 | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b "10 New Artists You Need to Know: November 2015". Rolling Stone. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  4. ^ a b "2814, by 2814". Ailanthus Recordings. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Interview: Hong Kong Express - 2814". NeonVice. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  6. ^ "Interview: Hong Kong Express - 2814". NEONVICE. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  7. ^ a b "新しい日の誕生, by 2814". Dream Catalogue. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  8. ^ "2814 - '新しい日の誕生' on 2xLP, 12 inch vinyl". Indiegogo. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Interview: Dream Catalogue founder HKE". Marcel's Music Journal. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Rain Temple, by 2814". Dream Catalogue. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  11. ^ "Dream Catalogue releases "Rain Temple" by 2814". Sunbleach Media. 25 July 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  12. ^ a b "Prepare to Get Deliriously Dreamy with Vaporwave Sensation 2814's "Shinjitsu no Koi"". www.vice.com. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Vapour Dreams: An interview with HKE of Dream Catalogue and 2814". Neon Dystopia. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  14. ^ "10 New Artists You Need to Know: November 2015". Rolling Stone. 25 November 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Lost Fragments, by 2814". Dream Catalogue. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  16. ^ Bleep. "2814 - Pillar / New Sun. Vinyl EP. Bleep". Bleep. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  17. ^ "Voyage/Embrace, by 2814". Virtual Dream plaza. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
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