Virtual Algorithm
| Virtual Algorithm | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Information | |
| Owner | Sinobus and CD |
| Location | [to be edited] |
| Opening Date | March 1st, 2022 |
| Status | Active |
| Years Active | 2022 - |
Virtual Algorithm (also rendered in Japanese as 仮想アルゴリズム) is a for-profit vaporwave bootlegging label specializing in unofficial issues on physical formats, founded by Sinobus of Sonokinetic Spectrum and Whitespace (as Yokohama), and CD of Deep Sea. The label is comprised of two parts: an online storefront for physical releases, and a Bandcamp page for reuploading myriad albums in various forms of accessibility online. The digital reuploading includes Bandcamp-unavailable releases such as Chuck Person's Eccojams Vol. 1 and the esc 不在 double-album, removed releases from Elemental 95 and Dream Catalogue, and, curiously, nearly the entire fortune 500 catalog, which remains available on their official Bandcamp page.
In physical releases, the goal of the label is stated to be to "provide the physical experience of albums that are never to be translated to physical format or replicate existing but extremely scarce official releases."[1]. With this in mind, the label created multiple new physicals of historic vaporwave and adjacent releases such as the Eco Virtual discography and multiple t e l e p a t h テレパシー能力者 albums.
luxury elite Bootlegs and Label Correspondence
As a part of their physical bootleg releases, the Virtual Algorithm catalog included a cassette rerelease of luxury elite's with love in 2023, published in spite of objections from the artist in a way that was reflected in the tape's promotion.[2] This incident would be followed up by a series of aggressive public posts by the label to other first-party vaporwave labels and artists such as Secret Schools of Geometric Lullaby[3], Tiger Blood Tapes[4] and No Problema Tapes[5]. During this time the owner revealed the founding of Virtual Algorithm was based on a fallout between them and previous bootleg group Deluxe Vaporwave Cassettes.[6] To this end, nearly two-thirds of the label's catalog from 2022 to 2024 overlaps with the DVC catalog from 2019 to 2021.
In 2025, the project released a vinyl run of luxury elite's world class album, embraced as a project deliberately against the artist's wishes and resulting in the label repeatedly insulting artists and fans critical of the decision.[7][8][9][10] In response, luxury elite published a Bluesky thread specifying an owner of the project as vaporwave artist "Alto" / Sinobus, who had attempted to communicate with luxury elite anonymously via the Whitespace label. luxury elite was also given an anonymous tip from a label-member that VA was a group project between Alto and CD. This Bluesky thread, and subsequent replies from other users, included a series of racist remarks from Alto on Discord and otherwise, written as early as 2021 and as late as November 2024.[11] Virtual Algorithm later added the entire luxury elite discography to their Bandcamp archive in return, along with the discography of Alternate Skies and Dream Sequins® by Nmesh.[12] This action, combined with the fortune 500 discography being reuploaded specifically around the time of the with love bootleg, implied that the additions to the archive are influenced by a combination of unavailability and spite against artists the project is critical of.
Discography
† indicates a release overlapping with the Deluxe Vaporwave Cassettes catalog.
External Links
- Official Website
Bandcamp Page(Offline)- Twitter Page
- Instagram Page
- Discogs Page (Seller)
- Discogs Page (Label)
References
- ↑ Virtual Algorithm About Page
- ↑ Tweet by @v_algorithm "made with love ❤️😂🤦♂️", 2023/10/20
- ↑ Tweet by @v_algorithm, 2024/09/07
- ↑ Tweet by @v_algorithm, 2025/01/11
- ↑ Tweet by @v_algorithm, 2025/02/05
- ↑ Tweet by @v_algorithm, 2025/01/30
- ↑ Tweet by @v_algorithm, 2025/02/20
- ↑ Tweet by @v_algorithm, 2025/02/20
- ↑ Tweet by @v_algorithm, 2025/02/21
- ↑ Tweet by @v_algorithm, 2025/02/21
- ↑ Posts by @luxuryelite.bsky.social, 2025/02/22
- ↑ Tweet by @v_algorithm, 2025/02/23