Political 'Wave' Aesthetics

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The following article contains and discusses content that may be distressing to some readers.
Reason for Warning: This page documents a variety of online aesthetics that are used to promote political ideologies, some of which are racist, controversial, or extremist in nature. The content is presented for encyclopedic purposes and does not represent an endorsement of these views.

The Political Compass, a popular internet format, adapted to illustrate the different retrofuturistic-inspired subgenres of Political 'Wave' Aesthetics. The image uses the characteristic visual style of each movement to represent its position on the political spectrum.

Political 'Wave' Aesthetics is an umbrella term for a group of internet-based visual styles that adapt the retrofuturistic motifs of Vaporwave and Synthwave for political messaging and propaganda. Emerging primarily in the late 2010s, these aesthetics are defined by their ideological purpose rather than by a distinct musical style, which distinguishes them for the other, more legitimate subgenres of the latter. They often serve as a form of online propaganda, attempting to appeal to younger audiences by packaging political ideologies within the recognizable and nostalgic framework of 80s and 90s-inspired digital art. This page serves as a neutral overview of these various subgenres.

History

The use of Vaporwave and Synthwave aesthetics for political ends stems from the inherent, though often ambiguous, political undertones of Vaporwave itself, which is frequently interpreted as a satire of consumerism and late-stage capitalism. This inspired explicitly political offshoots like Laborwave.

The first widely reported political derivative was Fashwave, an alt-right offshoot that appeared around 2016. It was an attempt by extremist groups to co-opt the aesthetic for white supremacist messaging, though it was largely rejected by the mainstream Synthwave community. The emergence of Fashwave established a template that was subsequently adapted by creators across the political spectrum, leading to the creation of numerous other ideological "-wave" aesthetics. These styles gained traction on social media platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and TikTok, their rise coinciding with increased political polarization in the 2020s.

Key Subgenres

Fashwave

An image depicting the Fashwave aesthetic's themes and motifs.

Fashwave is an aesthetic used to promote fascism, neo-Nazism, and other far-right ideologies. It combines the neon grids, sunsets, and retro-futuristic elements of Synthwave with fascist and Nazi symbolism, such as the Black Sun, and imagery of historical and contemporary far-right figures. The style often uses a desaturated or militaristic color palette and is intended to make extremist ideologies appear modern and appealing. It is frequently criticized as an attempt by white supremacist groups to infiltrate and co-opt mainstream internet subcultures.

Laborwave

A Laborwave moodboard.

Laborwave is an aesthetic used to promote or satirize communism, socialism, and other far-left ideologies. Visually, it borrows heavily from Vaporwave's critique of capitalism, but repurposes it for explicitly pro-communist propaganda. Common motifs include classical busts, glitch art, and Japanese text, combined with communist symbols like the hammer and sickle, the red star, and portraits of figures like Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, and Mao Zedong. The music often consists of slowed-down, "vaporized" versions of Soviet or Chinese patriotic songs.

NATOwave

An example of NATOwave, showing the NATO headquarters.

NATOwave is an aesthetic that promotes the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and interventionist foreign policy. It emerged around 2021 as a direct response to other politicalwave genres, seeking to reclaim the Synthwave and Vaporwave aesthetic from perceived extremists. Its visuals often feature footage of modern military hardware, such as fighter jets and tanks, edited with VHS filters and set to Synthwave music. The aesthetic aligns with centrist and neoconservative ideologies, emphasizing themes of globalism, liberal democracy, and anti-authoritarianism (specifically directed against states perceived as hostile to NATO).

Militarywave

M I L I T A R Y W A V E

Video by JaxVellex

Militarywave is an aesthetic that glorifies military forces and nationalism. It primarily uses edited combat footage, film clips, and video game captures, set to aggressive electronic music like Phonk. While not tied to one specific ideology, it often aligns with right-wing and authoritarian themes, promoting a sanitized and powerful image of the military. The aesthetic has been criticized for its propagandistic nature, historical inaccuracies, and for promoting exclusionary narratives that often overlook the contributions of women, minorities, and LGBTQ+ individuals in the armed forces.

On June 29, 2024, Rishi Sunak, the prime minister of the United Kingdom from 2022 to 2024, posted an edit glorifying the British military on X, some days before his position as the prime minister was succeded by Keir Starmer. The video featured the song "Little Dark Age" by MGMT. This event highlighted how political figures may attempt to leverage the aesthetic to appeal to younger demographics, though the post was met with widespread skepticism.

Tradwave

An example of Tradwave depicting a Catholic procession of the Lord of the Miracles in Lima, Peru.

Tradwave is an aesthetic used to promote religious traditionalism, most commonly Traditionalist Catholicism. It combines Vaporwave effects with classical religious art, such as paintings and sculptures of saints, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus Christ. The imagery is often accompanied by Bible verses or quotes from prominent conservative religious figures. The goal is to convey a sense of spiritual revival in opposition to perceived modern secularism.

Other Subgenres

This category is for the other political "wave" aesthetics that are less widespread in online communities.

Anarchowave

An Anarchowave edit of the CNT-FAI.

Anarchowave is an aesthetic used to promote anarchism in its various forms. It combines the visual language of Synthwave with heavy glitch effects, distorted imagery, and symbols of anarchist movements, such as the circled-A and historical flags from anarchist uprisings like the Spanish Civil War. The visuals are intended to evoke a sense of chaos, rebellion, and anti-authoritarianism, often with a critique of capitalism and the state.

Monarchowave

An example of Monarchowave, portraying Kaiser William II and Franz Joseph I of Austria.

Monarchowave promotes monarchism and traditionalism. The aesthetic uses Vaporwave and Synthwave visuals to frame historical European royalty and imperial imagery in a nostalgic, reverent light. Edits often feature portraits of kings, queens, and emperors, overlaid with national flags, classical art, and religious symbols. It shares themes with Royalcore and often carries an anti-modernist sentiment.

Faragewave

An image depicting Nigel Farage drinking next to the flag of England.

Faragewave, sometimes called Brexitwave, is an aesthetic that originated as a meme glorifying Nigel Farage, a British politician and prominent figure in the Brexit movement. The earliest examples date to October 2016, with a resurgence in 2024. The aesthetic uses Synthwave visuals to showcase themes of conservatism, British or English nationalism, and populist optimism.

Libertywave

An edit based around American libertarianism.

Libertywave is a subgenre focused on right-leaning libertarian ideologies, primarily within an American context. It uses Synthwave and Vaporwave motifs to promote concepts of individual liberty, anti-authoritarianism, and anti-socialism. Common imagery includes references to the American Revolution and symbols associated with the libertarian movement.

Serbwave

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Serbwave is an aesthetic that emerged from online meme communities, centered on Serbian nationalism and nostalgia (or "dark humor") for aspects of the Yugoslav Wars. It involves remixing footage from the conflict and Turbofolk war songs with Vaporwave or Synthwave effects. The aesthetic is often considered insensitive due to its trivialization of a violent historical period, and many of its creators and consumers are not of Serbian origin, participating for the perceived "edgy" nature of the content.

See also

• Hyperborean ─ An evolution of Fashwave that developed on TikTok and 4chan in the 2020s.