
Night Clerk Radio: Haunted Music Reviews
Ross Payton, Birk McBirkinson · Ross Payton
Show overview
Night Clerk Radio: Haunted Music Reviews has been publishing since 2020, and across the 6 years since has built a catalogue of 158 episodes, alongside 4 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 95 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 33 min and 40 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. The publisher flags most episodes as explicit, so expect adult themes or strong language throughout. It is catalogued as a EN-language Music show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 6 days ago, with 12 episodes already out so far this year. Published by Ross Payton.
From the publisher
Birk and Ross plumb the depths of vaporwave, dark ambient, and other haunted genres of music. Discover new music to listen to and find out why we're drawn to retro aesthetics and dark music.
Latest Episodes
View all 158 episodesEpisode 153: A Random Dose of Climatewave.
August New Music for Drifting Through Space and Cyberspace!
What Maketh a Microgenre?
The Inferno Discussion
A Boards of Canada Retrospective Extravaganza of Some Sort
May New Music: Empire of Light and Philosophie du Soi
The Nobody Here Episode
April New Music: ロービット and Superwave
Cinematic Doom Jazz

Ep 144March-ish New Music
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on Patreon We’re getting back on schedule with a one-time only accelerated release cadence! Also, you gotta release March new music in March. Those are just the rules. I don’t make em. In this episode, we follow our traditional approach of having literally zero coordination leading to the selection of two very different albums. First up, we have a delightful ambient album from composer Nick Bowers that was written to accompany a painting exhibit. Then, we get into the most recent compendium from classic dungeon synth artist DIM. All that plus some questionable shout outs and more! Come join us! Shout Outs Despiser on IMDbWarlock Corpse / Труп Колдуна - You and I are in a Dark Crypt ForeverPortal Man on IMDbMax Cooper - A Sense Of Getting CloserBorn Into A Dream on IMDbCenter Core Never More Albums Discussed Music for Chromaticism by Nick BowersCompendium V by DIM Credits Music by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Ep 143A Title Other Than Gone Fishing
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on Patreon While some may wax poetic about the ancient and noble art of fishing, they often overlook that it’s an activity that inspires some excellent games with incredible soundtracks. Well, in this episode, we haven’t forgotten! We’re talking about fishing games, their music, and their influence on vaporwave. We primarily focus on two plunderphonics albums from River Master, but we also talk about a handful of other albums, both old and new. So grab a six-pack and some nightcrawlers and join us! Albums Discussed The Angler's Dream by River MasterMemory Lake by River MasterFISHING TALES by slowerpace 音楽Fishing by Abel ProjectYuka Umezawa (梅沢由香) & Tomoko Tsuyama (津山知子) - Fishes' Dream (魚たちの夢) Additional Links Fishing Shop Simulator on SteamRelaxing Fishing Game Music VHS Tape DREADMOOR on SteamThis Fishing Game’s Soundtrack DID NOT Have to Go This Hard! Credits Music by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Ep 142February New Music: Mana Lake and personalFX
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on Patreon We've emerged from our winter slumber to share some new music. First, we’re listening to the latest collaboration from City Girl & Guided Tour, Mana Lake, which takes the listener on an evocative journey through house, lofi, and vaporwave. Then we’re checking out personalFX, the debut album from 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝑜𝓃𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑒, a fantastic album that similarly tackles a range of genres and moods. We hope you join us and check out these artists! Albums Discussed Mana Lake by City Girl & Guided TourpersonalFX by 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝑜𝓃𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑒 Credits Music by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Ep 141December New Music: Halogen Star and Oneohtrix Point Never
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on PatreonIn our last new music episode of 2025, we’re checking out some recent albums with a focus on experimental electronic music. First up, we have an evocative journey through supernatural and eerie memories inspired by horror video game OSTs. Then we’re diving into the latest from plunderphonics pioneer and veteran Oneohtrix Point Never, an album that offers a lush exploration of 90s commercial sample CDs set against a hazy backdrop of digital nostalgia. Shout OutsThe Signalwave Christmas Special 2025 by The Signalwave Communitynosleep by Various ArtistsChristmas on the Isles from Roge CorpROUTINE on SteamCHRISTMAS VAPORWAVE 2025 | Holiday VaporwaveRoboCop statue Albums DiscussedSecrets in Motion IV: The Ghost Writer by Halogen StarTranquilizer by Oneohtrix Point Never Additional LinksThe Signalwave Christmas Special 2025Oneohtrix Point Never - Tranquilizer (Full Album Visualiser)CreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Ep 140A Utopian Scholastic Winter Break
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on PatreonOkay class, settle down and bust out your textbooks because in this episode we’re digging into Utopian Scholastic. It's the aesthetic of optimistic encyclopedias, multimedia learning, and the sleek, educational graphics that promised a brighter, hyper-informed future. We'll explore how Utopian Scholastic, with its love of Dorling Kindersley and Encarta, shapes our nostalgia for education in the 90s and its natural connection to vaporwave.Outro SampleDiscovery (Virtua Theme) from Virtua by trndytrndyVisual MixesScholastic Exploration 📚 (Encartwave Mix) by ArpWire𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 📖 1990s Nostalgic Atmospheres (Music & Ambience) ✨🛰️🌍🦒🌿 by Kester SpachAlbums and ArtistsVirtua by trndytrndyDaniel White on BandcampENCARDIA '99 by slowerpace 音楽Informative LinksCARI Article on Utopian ScholasticUtopian Scholastic - Aesthetics WikiWikipedia - Dorling KindersleyUtopian Scholastic: A Consumer Aesthetic of Intellectual Curiosity and OptimismUtopian Scholastic & Eyewitness - The World You Once KnewI ate at every Rainforest Cafe in the Country CreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Ep 139November Late Music: DREAM SELECT and Once, We Were Infinite
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on PatreonWow, would you look at that? It’s an episode covering some new music, and within Birk’s local light cone, it still qualifies as a November release. After spending an absurd amount of time on a couple of shout outs we get into two great albums. First up is some vaporwave/drum and base from Pizza Hotline inspired by nostalgia for early 00s video game soundtracks. Then we embrace the black friday recording date with some chillwave/mallsoft synth work from Dead Shopping Malls. Put down that 65” box of Kraft Dinner and join us!Shout OutsVaporAid3 VOD on Hot Takes’ Twitch ChannelThe Man from Mo'WaxIn The Line of Duty Film SeriesCar Alarm (extended reprise)Transcendental Style in FilmVideo Essay: Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real" Anymore Albums DiscussedDREAM SELECT by Pizza HotlineOnce, We Were Infinite by Dead Shopping MallsCreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Ep 138We’re VHS Poppin’
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on PatreonAnnouncement!We were fortunate enough to be invited onto the “Hot Takes” vaporwave talk show. We sat down with YUNG SHIRO 白 and luxury noise for two hours of chatting about everything from Boards of Canada to horror tropes. Please check it out here: Episode 87: Night Clerk Radio.Anyway! Wow, another genre episode! It’s been a while. What will they talk about this time? Will they talk about Bandcamp tags for an uncomfortable amount of time? Will they get hung up on overly niche hyper characterization of niche genres? The answer to all these questions is obviously “yes!” In this episode, we’re digging into the genre of VHS pop, which is often thought of as the upbeat and optimistic cousin of late night lo-fi. We talk about our history with the VHS format, attempts to classify niche genres, the power of nostalgia for physical media, and our hope for a revival of the sub-genre. Join us!Outro SampleFANTA from NEW AIR by channel select Links To Check Outa journey through VHS pop by AzurestarGenre Classification from Reddit circa 2019VHS Pop on BandcampCreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Ep 137October New Music: The Gargoyles of Vyônes and INFINITY VOL.II
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on PatreonAnother episode already?! That's right! We're working to return to our regular release schedule. In this episode, we're diving into some new October music. As usual, we've got two albums: Ross stayed on theme for spooky month with a unique take on plunderphonics and dungeon synth from Magnum Innominandum, drawing inspiration from classic cosmic horror. Birk immediately jumped on that brand new Navigateur album, which offers an eclectic blend of genres and masterful production. We hope you join us in checking out these albums and supporting these artists.Shout OutsLego Pirates: 1989-1996 by Dreamcastle™Lost Secrets by Notorious Secret & Lost Traveler ロスト"Tennis, Everyone?" — A Tribute to the Late, Great James O. Incandenza by Hakita░▒▓█ RAGGAWAVE █▓▒░ by "愛"The Living Tombstone - "Everything Is Fine (Remix)"Albums DiscussedThe Gargoyles of Vyônes by Magnum InnominandumINFINITY VOL.II by Navigateur Other LinksDirection by NavigateurCreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Ep 136Spooky Video Game Soundtracks
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on PatreonIt’s a late start to the spooky season! We’re jumping right in with a handful of soundtracks from recent horror video games. We’re checking out the big meaty six hour journey that is the Silent Hill 2 (2024) soundtrack. Then we’re turning our attention to the soundtracks for Look Outside and CULTIC. We discuss the games, their soundtracks, and what we love about video game soundtracks more generally. Grab these games, their soundtracks, and join us!Thanks so much for your support! There will be a deluge of episodes coming out over the next few weeks as we get back on schedule.Outro SampleShop Til You Drop from CULTIC Soundtrack by JasozzAlbums DiscussedSilent Hill 2 (2024) Soundtrack by Akira YamaokaLook Outside Soundtrack by Eric Shumaker and Francis CoulombeCULTIC Soundtrack by JasozzOther LinksSilent Hill but it's a 1994 trip-hop albumCreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Ep 135September New Music: VIDEOFUNK and Leviathan
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on PatreonIn this episode, we're diving into some new September music. With summer coming to a close, it seems we were both inspired to explore some of our favorite comfort genres. For Birk, that's the hazy and nostalgic VIDEOFUNK, a unique blend of vaporwave, signalwave, and future funk from FIJI島の水. For Ross, it's the evocative and cinematic dark ambient of Leviathan by NoRinTon. Join us as we check out some new music!Shout OutsVAPORMEX 北方人 by Cerecita Spice & PENTIUM 2 ダニCULTIC: Chapter TwoWelcome to the MiniDisc WikiAncient Fan Death Studios Live @ LATE NIGHT LIGHTS IIThe Last Tokens. Albums DiscussedVIDEOFUNK by FIJI島の水Leviathanby NoRinTon Other LinksRegional Mexican music genres explainedEvolution of Mexican Pop Music be likeCreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky

Ep 134The Curious Case of the Dungeons and Dragons Promotional Cassette
ESupport Night Clerk Radio on Patreon In this episode, we dare to enter Ross’s cherished domain: the tabletop role-playing game! We’re checking out “First Quest,” a 1985 promotional cassette released by TSR UK. The cassette features a wide variety of tracks from an eclectic collection of artists. The end result is a fascinating assortment of electronic music that ranges from upbeat and poppy synths to ambient and drony textured soundscapes. So sit down, grab a pre-gen, and join us!Check it out on YouTubeAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons -- First Quest: The Music cassette (1985) Artist Links (Where Available)Phil ThorntonDave MillerDenis Haines (aka Francis Haines)Steve ParsonsBarrie GuardThe DeviceG P HallValentine Dyall (The Narrator)Other LinksAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons: First Quest – The MusicThe Weird and Wonderful World of D&D MerchandisingMörk Borg’s Putrescence Regnant is a grim ‘bog crawl’ adventure releasing as a vinyl music album CreditsMusic by: 2MelloArtwork by: Patsy McDowellNight Clerk Radio on Bluesky