Why does this ever so sum up the millenial's experience? What were we expecting? What our babyboomer parents had but then cooler? Well I guess, anything but WWIII, but we might be already in it. This sound for sure is fitting. I love it. But it's scary at the same time. This world is scary.
@@yosra3551 we were expecting a bubbly future. Days of happiness and of what technology and synergy would bring. Look where we are now. Separation, angst, political overtones to everything. Technology following us. Selling us. War.
@@hyperchaotix32x poetic. That door/window to the future didn't even exist. It was just a mirage and behind it was.... a trap - all along...? I guess... the millenial's experience is about the lie of this worldly life - amplified - Best to do your best for the next one (hereafter in eternity), no more scare
@@yosra3551 Don't lose hope, Gen Xer here, we screamed from the rooftops about what was coming and got dismissed left and right, and now it has come to pass, mind you not all Xer's were dialed in, some of us, like myself had a long family history line in the armed forces, grandparents, uncles, and friends who fought in many wars from WW2 all the way to Iraq and Afghanistan, truth be told, my earliest memories are Star Wars, the Iranian revolution of 79, terrorism, and the aftermath of the end of the Vietnam war, which my father was a veteran of, we have always been in a perpetual state of war, and when it isn't a hot war it's war by other means, what you are expressing is appropriate but it means you are aware to what's really going on around you, and that's key to navigating the madness, and finding your center to get you through it too, part of my centering is this music, as I imagine it may be for you too, hold your loved ones close and never lose hope, we've been here many times before, we'll get through this too, peace to you and yours, don't ever let them take your hope away.
@@yosra3551 I suppose that comment can be applied to any age group/era. I suppose for us here in the USA, our nostalgic, glass half full feeling ended on 9/11. Many realities came to be revealed. the housing market crash in 2008 as well. This windows 98 theme is a tribute to the world before "reality" came crashing in on our beliefs.
What I love about this era was the hope. There was so much hope for the future, we were on the cusp of something magical that feels like never manifested, but we lived it and experienced it and that was the magic.
The late 90s - early 2000s (pre 9/11) WAS actually a great time to be around. We had just the right amount of personal tech and open access to information. But none of the evils of "social" media, and none of the invasive addictiveness of smartphones keeping us logged in/switched on 24/7. The thing is, as humans, we always live with the expectation/hope that tomorrow will be better than today, even when today is objectively pretty damn good! For anyone who is fortunate enough to have survived the hell of 2020-22 with their life, health and faculties intact (and lets face it, millions of people have not been so fortunate), if there is one lesson I have learned and would advise others take heed of, it is to stop and smell the flowers TODAY, wherever you are today, and whatever your today looks like, because there is no guarantee we will even have a tomorrow, and if we do, no guarantee there will be any "roses" left. Having hope for the future is great, but ultimately we are experienceing the feeling of that hope in the present, so don't neglect/ignore the present, it's all we really have. Peace and love to all.
@@charlesiveson2642 Idk about that. I'm 24 and I think I remember the last gasps of that era. Circuit city, windows XP and vista, flash games, pagers, CRT monitors, eMacs, iBooks, iGoogle. Things were experimental and hopeful. Vibes changed slowly but surely after the great recession and the introduction of the iphone.
When I was little my mom had a PC with Win98 and I remember looking at the clouds from the booting up screen and hearing the startup sound and thinking how I’m entering a sacred space unknown to the outside world, like it’s just another dimension where everything is different but very pure. Sometimes I would think that maybe this is where I’ll be in the future, just transcending to a higher place than the one I was in, it gave a feeling so mysterious but also hopeful. I am glad you’re continuing this feeling for us, it’s a blessing really, and I again feel the hope to “transcend” to something beautiful and pure.
@nick.p.9328, yeah, I had (and actually still do whenever I look back on those days) that same feeling myself. Our family (or rather, my parents) also had that same Windows 98 computer back then. And yes, whenever I got to use it (which was happened only occasionally in our family), I was always just as excited as a kid could be, wondering what kind of worlds it could lead me to, when I turn that machine on. So, yeah, I think I can imagine how you feel.
It's interesting as I feel like for a lot of people, whether religious or not have a sense of eternity on their hearts, like we know there there is more to life then we know. That sense of beauty and purity definitely reflects heaven. The idea of “transcending” to something beautiful and pure is not much different to a christian perspective on things. "20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. - Philippians 3:20-21 NLT"
Yes, you can see the atmosphere of that great optimism and also innocent, genuine hope in the movies and video clips from that decade… and to the 80’s guy here, you come from a simpler time yes, but it was still very optimistic and full of dreams about the bright future, I think this had all began somewhere in the 70’s at the west at least, peaked at the 90’s and began to decline from early 2000 and further…
I remember the late 90s Technologies was full of optimistic ideas in a unified world. Then came the internet and gave every idiot a megaphone and now we stand more divided than ever. Thank you for posting this. The Nostalgia is healing
The internet should have never been opened to the masses. It was our way to escape the idiots in our everyday life, our sanctuary. Smartphones and corporations ruined the internet for everyone.
@@Izelor Even if big corpo has a role in it, the interwebs is still a reflection of homo sapiens as a species. Once it became mainstream it also became conflated with every type of conflict known to man.
@@pho3nix- The major issue isn't the mainstream-ness of the general public but the realization that big companies could use the internet as their domain to advertise, collect information, and spread misinformation, and making algorithms for people to be advertised (news or products) to. Relevant today with big tech industries, both social medias and Generative AI, alongside with mass advertising and faux news outlets spreading hate/misinfo. It all contradicts the idea of information and knowledge being accessible and safe. There's a lot I can go into but I wont lol Without a lot of the blights we suffer today from the actions and consequences of these corporations and the desire to earn more power (money, influence), it wouldn't be AS bad, even with what you say about it being a reflection of ourselves, but that'll always be a situation to tackle in any situation really
No, it wasn't the internet that ruined things. Far from it. It was SOCIAL MEDIA that ruined things. And the combination of social media along side smartphones created a double-whammy of (intentionally) addictive and invasive platforms, with a convenient hand-held device to drip-feed you that addiction 24/7 everywhere you go. THAT is what turned everyone into tech addicted zombies. The first full decade of popular intenet use (circa 1995 - 2005) was amazing and exiting! Crude, clunky, and slow by today's standards, but also non invasive, non-addictive, youthfully naive and full of optimism and exitement. I rember as kid my first time being let loose on the internet to do what I wanted (think it must have been about 1997 or maybe 98) and it just totally blew my mind, it was like the discovering of second world I never knew existed before. There was no fighting, no trolling, nobody against each other, no political/social polarisation, no (or much less obvious) censorship of information, no government and media collusion/propaganda to manipulate people. The internet was, and is, an amazing tool (look, we are talking to each other right now from across the world, on a vidoe of some amazing ambient music some guy we've never heard of decided to share with the world basically for free!). Society is what went wrong. Human greed, narcissism and the need for power and control took a good thing and spoiled it, as it always does. The intenet is merely reflecting the values, traits and priorities of the societies that shape it in the current moment.
I fully explored the file system of Win98SE and all the CDs with the drivers, finding odd images, WAV files and midi files. It was a true adventure and a feeling of awe.
The funny thing is, I'd never have expected the future to turn out like it is today. Where the very thing I loved - the computer - would fit in your pocket and completely ruin the new generation with addiction and vanity.
But ultimately all the smartphone does, is reflect back to us, and allow us to continually access and engage with, whatever topics, platforms etc. that we are prioritising in the moment. To say smartphones "ruin" people is to overstate the power of the device, and dismiss the power of the individual in terms of their ability to make choices on how/when/why they use the device and what they choose to access with it. Granted as a species our minds are poorly equipped to deal with devices of this nature because we have never had to before - We are all guinea pigs in that sense. But if there is a lesson to be learned, I think it is that we need to become more conscious and discerning about HOW we use our personal tech, how much we should rely on it, and what our overall intention behind having/using it is, rather than using it habitually and unconsciously, as we have been doing for too long now. The problems arise when we don't really think about what/why/how we are using these powerful tools and simply copy what we think everyone else is doing. We then become the slave, rather than the master, and the tech starts to control us, rather than vice versa. But all that is required to address that is a shift in mindset towards a more conscious and intentional use of personal tech, rather than passive/habitual use.
@@soundseeker63 I think the original comment was about kids getting addicted to smart phones, yet you seem to talk about adults who didn't grow up with smart phones. Yes, adults can actually acknowledge the negative effects of it, but kids won't. If you spent your whole childhood on a phone, you are already ruined in many ways. Only now we are waking up and thinking we should not get smart phones for our kids. But one generation is already kind of ruined by it.
@@decarthes I agree we give kids access to smartphones WAY too young these days. But also I would say part of the problem is the complete lack of education before we give them. Even if you wait until 16 or 18 before getting one, you can still end up being harmed if you don't know what you're doing. At the moment there is no compulsory education about the pitfalls of social media and how to use it safely, how algorithms work and can fuel addiction and extreme views, online stalking, bullying, sexting etc. We just give young people these very powerful tools with zero warnings and zero guidance and then wonder why they get messed up by them... Well maybe thats OUR failing as a society. Perhaps we need to start treating smartphones more like motor vehicles in the sense there needs to be some compulsory education, a minumum age limit and some checks on basic mental competency and understanding before being allowed to operate/own one.
I love the 90s and old windows 98 computers. It felt so special to connect with internet. And play Tibia for the first time. Game developers was more experimental back then.
*arrive at office circa 90s* "Lets turn on the computer now, and just find something else to do on the other side of the building until it boots up" *half an hour later* "lets do some work"
Turn on my pc, hang up my coat, switch on the copy machine as I head to the kitchen, prepare the drip coffee machine, start it, head to the bathroom to pee, return to the kitchen and wait for the coffee to finish brewing. Pour a cup, sip and savor as I walk back to my desk, get my water bottle from my bag and fill it from the water cooler, stroll around and check if any plants need watering, chit chat with any coworkers who have arrived, collect any faxes that came in overnight, sit down, open my Day Planner, review my schedule ~~ Windows chime ~~ yay I can log in!!
Windows 95/98 shouldn’t have taken more than a minute to start, unless you had a royally screwed up StartUp path with 15 applications in it. (Which, I suppose, many people in the 90s did…)
Again, depended on the machine’s startup path (and Extensions list, in the case of classic Macs) so you could easily bring it way down if you knew how. A modern-day SSD-powered PC or Mac should boot in under 30 seconds… if not, something is definitely wrong.
@@adammuncy8475 Truly. It was one of a kind. The only other one that I think is just as good is Windows 7. It felt like the lats TRULY great OS that was made for desktops. Not everything has conformed into this cold Android esque, modern art looking crap that is so hard to navigate and understand even I as a tech savvy guy can't wrap my head around it after several years.
Thank you for making these. Windows 95 and 98 were a part of my childhood, and I just woke up from a nap while listening to the windows 95 video. Now I check the channel and there is a 98! Bless you homie.
Windows 98 era: The age of wonder. The theme, musical elements and the UI played a huge part in it making the experience inviting to the user. The problem now is the flat, modern aesthetic in the UI is devoid of warmth and sterile. The music also started playing a lesser role and Windows 10 is a good example of the harshness in sound and sterile UI. Thankfully, Windows 11 has more mellowed out music (plus a new startup theme after years) and while the UI is still flat, it does try to evoke some nostalgia with shading and more colors in the UI.
Where do you get music from Win 10 and 11? My computers never make any boot up sound. I had to find some hack in regedit to add back in music, and then 6 months later windows did another update and then the music was gone again. They removed the start up music for some reason.
When virtual reality becomes accessible and wieldy enough, I can see myself venturing into these hour-long meditative experiences as a healing respite from the hustle and bustle of the world.
In 1995, i got my first Computer. It had Windows 95 on it, but was later upgraded to 98. These were special times in a lot of people's lives. My Life changed for Gaming playing Quake 2, and getting a new Voodoo 2 (16MB!) Video Card. Went from looking like a Playstation game with Software Mode to a Super Nintendo 64 Version at 60 Fps if that makes sense. The one thing I hated and still remember about Windows 98 was this: "This program has preformed an Illegal Operation and will be Shut Down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor" This happened to a lot of programs like Aol and certain games though I did nothing wrong lol. Those were the days for sure lol! Edit to say the Specs were a 233 Mhz Computer with an Intel Pentium Processor (With MMX Technology!) A Packard Bell nonetheless. Had a CD Rom drive and a Built in 56k Modem and a Microphone which was a big deal at the time!
Similar experience for me. I worked in the computer lab when I was in high school during a free period, and I always got first pick of the equipment that was being surplused. I ended up with a Pentium Pro 200 machine that I ended up adding extra ram and an additional hard drive into. I bought a used Riva graphics card so I could play Quake. I think I had Windows 98 and then Windows 2000 on that machine. I later ended up with a massive Compaq server machine that I ran for years as a NAS server.
Listening to this when I got out of the shower here in the bathroom and while this is playing im looking at an old bottle of Old Spice Nightlife Calogne from 97' on my shelf that I never got rid of along with an old Gillette razor from 98' I kept. Listening to this while starring at those 2 items, I cannot tell you about the quick burst of excited sweating sensation that hits the tops and backs of my shoulders as I reminisce about when my parents were younger in the late 90s and they were going out all the time and we were doing stuff with the whole entire family. Now family gatherings have become fewer and far between but I play in a rock band around town just about every weekend and I cant tell you how much it makes my life complete to see my parents and family and friends in the crowd because it reminds me, "The Good Old Days Never Stopped...."
This take me back to my childhood like the meal does to Anton Ego at the end of Ratatouille. Incredible. I hope they'll be coming to Spotify so I can add them to my on the go playlists ❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥
I gotta be honest, these kinds of playlists, (Ambient, Silent Hill inspired, Nostalgic) all bring me a sense of peace, a feeling that I can't quite describe. It's almost like you've done all you wanted in life and are now outside in a beautiful garden, the sun is setting and you're watching it go. You have a nice, fresh beverage and you're sitting on a long chair. That's what this makes me feel.
Man, this playlist goes so hard. Windows 98 was magnificent, and was my introduction to computers. The old Lego and Hot Wheels websites were my go to. Then you had tons of great PC games, including those ones from the cereal boxes, like Roller Coaster Tycoon.
EXCITED. As a child, Windows 98 and Windows 2000 made up the majority of the operating systems on the computers at my school. There were occasional Windows 95 computers as well, but this sound is just Iconic. Thank you for this soundscape!
After listening to your Windows 95 video the last few days, I've just discovered this, and am now very much looking forward to Windows XP 😁, which is, in my opinion, represents the last of the Good Old Days. By 2007, Windows Vista, social media and smartphones were entering the chat, and well, I genuinely believe it's all been downhill from there, but perhaps that's personal experience talking...
Thanks for not using AI in your videos. I've recently been listening to quite a few different "1 hour ambient" channels, and after digging around a little, realizing that most of them use AI in some capacity, many of them in a very large capacity. It sucks, because many I find truly beautiful, and so part of me says "it doesn't matter". But a bigger part of me says "it does matter". We're in a weird place with AI right now, and it's forcing me not just to think about the END result of a piece of art, but having to now grapple with the MEANS as well. I still don't know exactly where I land, but I do know that I feel somewhat exploited when I feel emotionally moved or inspired by a piece of art, only to find out it's been generated by AI. Why does this bother me? I don't know yet. Anyway. AI thoughts aside, love your stuff. As a kid who first experienced computers in a DOS context, the Win95/98 stuff is deeply nostalgic. You create a sort of "layer of fantasy" on top of that nostalgia too, which is really magical.
Man O Man, I so mourn the optimism of the 90s everytime I listen to and watch these ambient videos of yours. Thank you for posting Retrovex and God bless you. Amen!
This is perfection... the visual transition coincides with the soundtrack accurately, conveying the evolution from 95 to 98. Not only is this true in the Windows universe you are representing but the other dimensions of life as well. This will be my theme song for the rest of February ❤🔥 I eagerly await 2000...
This is my 90s teenage experience as ambient music. The hope for the future was high but then 9/11 happened and all optimism for the future went out the window.
this aesthetic needs to come back. too many negative vibes nowadays, we need to go back to being hopeful. if we do that it may actually become reality, mind over matter stuff
If there was an alternate history that the 90 stayed the same throughout history I would be a very happy little child! Play classic PC games, surf Netscape, order books off of Amazon, and getting your ears lacerated by phone data when trying to call your home phone. All good stuff! 🐋🌈
в детстве так же хотел послушать полную версию начальной музыки 98 машины... благодарю, что дал послушать его :'[ хоть и не идеал, но я расплакался как маленький
My very first computer. I was 5 when I got it from my older sister who introduced it to me a bit earlier, thus making me fascinated with computers and how they work.
I love the graphics mixed with the ambient sounds of old school Windows. It reminds me of some of the games from that time like Spyro but also the boot up screens from Dreamcast and PS1
Great work, this reminds me of the music to the game Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the future (from around 2001 I think) but yours is more minimalistic and ambient which I love. I'm a film based artist and would love to use some of this in a video work sometime.
Thank you, I will think about some ideas and get back to you. This music definitely gives me a lot of inspiration! If you would like to see some of my previous work feel free to visit my channel. @@RetrovexAmbient
Running Windows startup themes thru a Hologram Microcosm was effin genius, sir! I'm super jealous I didn't think of it myself. Props to you, it sounds awesome.
I swear I wasn't high when I made this... this computer definitely was though..
you can support my ambient addiction on ko-fi.com/retrovex 💜
you can be hight no problems
Love that you say this cause I for sure was going to ask you what you were on haha. Thanks for the nice content, cheers from Paris.
from Toulouse@@moussetache1815
Lol
Can you please do another 90s style alien invasion music like This one? Please?
Remembering a future that never came.....
Why does this ever so sum up the millenial's experience?
What were we expecting?
What our babyboomer parents had but then cooler?
Well I guess, anything but WWIII, but we might be already in it.
This sound for sure is fitting. I love it. But it's scary at the same time.
This world is scary.
@@yosra3551 we were expecting a bubbly future. Days of happiness and of what technology and synergy would bring. Look where we are now. Separation, angst, political overtones to everything. Technology following us. Selling us. War.
@@hyperchaotix32x poetic.
That door/window to the future didn't even exist.
It was just a mirage and behind it was.... a trap - all along...?
I guess... the millenial's experience is about the lie of this worldly life - amplified -
Best to do your best for the next one (hereafter in eternity), no more scare
@@yosra3551 Don't lose hope, Gen Xer here, we screamed from the rooftops about what was coming and got dismissed left and right, and now it has come to pass, mind you not all Xer's were dialed in, some of us, like myself had a long family history line in the armed forces, grandparents, uncles, and friends who fought in many wars from WW2 all the way to Iraq and Afghanistan, truth be told, my earliest memories are Star Wars, the Iranian revolution of 79, terrorism, and the aftermath of the end of the Vietnam war, which my father was a veteran of, we have always been in a perpetual state of war, and when it isn't a hot war it's war by other means, what you are expressing is appropriate but it means you are aware to what's really going on around you, and that's key to navigating the madness, and finding your center to get you through it too, part of my centering is this music, as I imagine it may be for you too, hold your loved ones close and never lose hope, we've been here many times before, we'll get through this too, peace to you and yours, don't ever let them take your hope away.
@@yosra3551 I suppose that comment can be applied to any age group/era. I suppose for us here in the USA, our nostalgic, glass half full feeling ended on 9/11. Many realities came to be revealed. the housing market crash in 2008 as well. This windows 98 theme is a tribute to the world before "reality" came crashing in on our beliefs.
I miss the old days!!! I want to cry now. I'm 38 years old and just wish we could go back to the old style pc days!!!
that feeling of success when installing something...
@@m.s.8573 yes!!! Haha. Just listening to the sounds when you hear the windows logo and you hear the PC start up.
Pls dont cry my baby
Same!
I'm 25. I was 5 in 2004, 20 years ago and I still have the Toshiba Satellite that ran Win 98 that I played on around that time. I want to go back too.
What I love about this era was the hope. There was so much hope for the future, we were on the cusp of something magical that feels like never manifested, but we lived it and experienced it and that was the magic.
apart from war and other disasters every gen looks back at childhood with awe and wonder
The beginning phase of WWIII looks interesting right now.
The late 90s - early 2000s (pre 9/11) WAS actually a great time to be around. We had just the right amount of personal tech and open access to information. But none of the evils of "social" media, and none of the invasive addictiveness of smartphones keeping us logged in/switched on 24/7. The thing is, as humans, we always live with the expectation/hope that tomorrow will be better than today, even when today is objectively pretty damn good! For anyone who is fortunate enough to have survived the hell of 2020-22 with their life, health and faculties intact (and lets face it, millions of people have not been so fortunate), if there is one lesson I have learned and would advise others take heed of, it is to stop and smell the flowers TODAY, wherever you are today, and whatever your today looks like, because there is no guarantee we will even have a tomorrow, and if we do, no guarantee there will be any "roses" left. Having hope for the future is great, but ultimately we are experienceing the feeling of that hope in the present, so don't neglect/ignore the present, it's all we really have. Peace and love to all.
that was the world through younger eyes
@@charlesiveson2642 Idk about that. I'm 24 and I think I remember the last gasps of that era. Circuit city, windows XP and vista, flash games, pagers, CRT monitors, eMacs, iBooks, iGoogle. Things were experimental and hopeful. Vibes changed slowly but surely after the great recession and the introduction of the iphone.
All those memories will be lost in time like tears in rain
When I was little my mom had a PC with Win98 and I remember looking at the clouds from the booting up screen and hearing the startup sound and thinking how I’m entering a sacred space unknown to the outside world, like it’s just another dimension where everything is different but very pure. Sometimes I would think that maybe this is where I’ll be in the future, just transcending to a higher place than the one I was in, it gave a feeling so mysterious but also hopeful. I am glad you’re continuing this feeling for us, it’s a blessing really, and I again feel the hope to “transcend” to something beautiful and pure.
@nick.p.9328, yeah, I had (and actually still do whenever I look back on those days) that same feeling myself.
Our family (or rather, my parents) also had that same Windows 98 computer back then. And yes, whenever I got to use it (which was happened only occasionally in our family), I was always just as excited as a kid could be, wondering what kind of worlds it could lead me to, when I turn that machine on.
So, yeah, I think I can imagine how you feel.
strange way of expressing your love with Excel
It's interesting as I feel like for a lot of people, whether religious or not have a sense of eternity on their hearts, like we know there there is more to life then we know. That sense of beauty and purity definitely reflects heaven. The idea of “transcending” to something beautiful and pure is not much different to a christian perspective on things.
"20 But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. 21 He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. - Philippians 3:20-21 NLT"
Same bro. Same))
This is actually such an accurate description
The 1990's were the decade of great optimism for so many...Now it is all gone...
Only for you
I agree and we have not been able to regain it since 9/11 to make matters worse!
Glad I grew up in the 80's instead, a much simpler time.
Yes, you can see the atmosphere of that great optimism and also innocent, genuine hope in the movies and video clips from that decade… and to the 80’s guy here, you come from a simpler time yes, but it was still very optimistic and full of dreams about the bright future, I think this had all began somewhere in the 70’s at the west at least, peaked at the 90’s and began to decline from early 2000 and further…
Optimism a state of mind is
I remember the late 90s Technologies was full of optimistic ideas in a unified world. Then came the internet and gave every idiot a megaphone and now we stand more divided than ever. Thank you for posting this. The Nostalgia is healing
The internet should have never been opened to the masses. It was our way to escape the idiots in our everyday life, our sanctuary. Smartphones and corporations ruined the internet for everyone.
@@Izelor Even if big corpo has a role in it, the interwebs is still a reflection of homo sapiens as a species. Once it became mainstream it also became conflated with every type of conflict known to man.
@@pho3nix- The major issue isn't the mainstream-ness of the general public but the realization that big companies could use the internet as their domain to advertise, collect information, and spread misinformation, and making algorithms for people to be advertised (news or products) to.
Relevant today with big tech industries, both social medias and Generative AI, alongside with mass advertising and faux news outlets spreading hate/misinfo. It all contradicts the idea of information and knowledge being accessible and safe. There's a lot I can go into but I wont lol
Without a lot of the blights we suffer today from the actions and consequences of these corporations and the desire to earn more power (money, influence), it wouldn't be AS bad, even with what you say about it being a reflection of ourselves, but that'll always be a situation to tackle in any situation really
tiktok is where it all went wrong
No, it wasn't the internet that ruined things. Far from it. It was SOCIAL MEDIA that ruined things. And the combination of social media along side smartphones created a double-whammy of (intentionally) addictive and invasive platforms, with a convenient hand-held device to drip-feed you that addiction 24/7 everywhere you go.
THAT is what turned everyone into tech addicted zombies. The first full decade of popular intenet use (circa 1995 - 2005) was amazing and exiting!
Crude, clunky, and slow by today's standards, but also non invasive, non-addictive, youthfully naive and full of optimism and exitement. I rember as kid my first time being let loose on the internet to do what I wanted (think it must have been about 1997 or maybe 98) and it just totally blew my mind, it was like the discovering of second world I never knew existed before. There was no fighting, no trolling, nobody against each other, no political/social polarisation, no (or much less obvious) censorship of information, no government and media collusion/propaganda to manipulate people.
The internet was, and is, an amazing tool (look, we are talking to each other right now from across the world, on a vidoe of some amazing ambient music some guy we've never heard of decided to share with the world basically for free!). Society is what went wrong. Human greed, narcissism and the need for power and control took a good thing and spoiled it, as it always does. The intenet is merely reflecting the values, traits and priorities of the societies that shape it in the current moment.
There is just something weirdly magical in Win95/98 aesthetics... well, the fact that it can already be called aesthetics lol. It's amazing.
I fully explored the file system of Win98SE and all the CDs with the drivers, finding odd images, WAV files and midi files. It was a true adventure and a feeling of awe.
@@Kris.G Despite how far you went there's still more to see. It's less than a gigabyte of data but a seemingly infinite place to explore.
Back in the era when connecting to the Internet was a sacred ritual and a privilege possible to the few. Feeling nostalgic
@@armandoveracarvajal1241 oh man, here in Sweden we had Bipnet. 😂 Good times.
The funny thing is, I'd never have expected the future to turn out like it is today. Where the very thing I loved - the computer - would fit in your pocket and completely ruin the new generation with addiction and vanity.
💯
But ultimately all the smartphone does, is reflect back to us, and allow us to continually access and engage with, whatever topics, platforms etc. that we are prioritising in the moment. To say smartphones "ruin" people is to overstate the power of the device, and dismiss the power of the individual in terms of their ability to make choices on how/when/why they use the device and what they choose to access with it.
Granted as a species our minds are poorly equipped to deal with devices of this nature because we have never had to before - We are all guinea pigs in that sense.
But if there is a lesson to be learned, I think it is that we need to become more conscious and discerning about HOW we use our personal tech, how much we should rely on it, and what our overall intention behind having/using it is, rather than using it habitually and unconsciously, as we have been doing for too long now.
The problems arise when we don't really think about what/why/how we are using these powerful tools and simply copy what we think everyone else is doing. We then become the slave, rather than the master, and the tech starts to control us, rather than vice versa. But all that is required to address that is a shift in mindset towards a more conscious and intentional use of personal tech, rather than passive/habitual use.
@@soundseeker63 I think the original comment was about kids getting addicted to smart phones, yet you seem to talk about adults who didn't grow up with smart phones. Yes, adults can actually acknowledge the negative effects of it, but kids won't. If you spent your whole childhood on a phone, you are already ruined in many ways. Only now we are waking up and thinking we should not get smart phones for our kids. But one generation is already kind of ruined by it.
@@decarthes I agree we give kids access to smartphones WAY too young these days. But also I would say part of the problem is the complete lack of education before we give them.
Even if you wait until 16 or 18 before getting one, you can still end up being harmed if you don't know what you're doing.
At the moment there is no compulsory education about the pitfalls of social media and how to use it safely, how algorithms work and can fuel addiction and extreme views, online stalking, bullying, sexting etc.
We just give young people these very powerful tools with zero warnings and zero guidance and then wonder why they get messed up by them... Well maybe thats OUR failing as a society. Perhaps we need to start treating smartphones more like motor vehicles in the sense there needs to be some compulsory education, a minumum age limit and some checks on basic mental competency and understanding before being allowed to operate/own one.
@@soundseeker63I STAND WITH YOU!!!!! Just like motor vehicles!
Biblically accurate Windows 98.
I love the 90s and old windows 98 computers. It felt so special to connect with internet. And play Tibia for the first time.
Game developers was more experimental back then.
*arrive at office circa 90s*
"Lets turn on the computer now, and just find something else to do on the other side of the building until it boots up"
*half an hour later*
"lets do some work"
hahahahha
Turn on my pc, hang up my coat, switch on the copy machine as I head to the kitchen, prepare the drip coffee machine, start it, head to the bathroom to pee, return to the kitchen and wait for the coffee to finish brewing. Pour a cup, sip and savor as I walk back to my desk, get my water bottle from my bag and fill it from the water cooler, stroll around and check if any plants need watering, chit chat with any coworkers who have arrived, collect any faxes that came in overnight, sit down, open my Day Planner, review my schedule ~~ Windows chime ~~ yay I can log in!!
Windows 95/98 shouldn’t have taken more than a minute to start, unless you had a royally screwed up StartUp path with 15 applications in it. (Which, I suppose, many people in the 90s did…)
A Macintosh took close to half an hour, and most PCs still left enough time for a coffee break during the boot screen
Again, depended on the machine’s startup path (and Extensions list, in the case of classic Macs) so you could easily bring it way down if you knew how. A modern-day SSD-powered PC or Mac should boot in under 30 seconds… if not, something is definitely wrong.
Can't wait for a Windows XP ambient video. It's gonna go so hard 🗣🔥🔥
20 years later and they still haven't made an OS that can compare to XP
@@adammuncy8475 It's more like everything that has come after XP has just been bells and whistles, nothing really meaningful from a UX point of view.
Can someone translate this comment into English?
@@adammuncy8475 Truly. It was one of a kind. The only other one that I think is just as good is Windows 7. It felt like the lats TRULY great OS that was made for desktops. Not everything has conformed into this cold Android esque, modern art looking crap that is so hard to navigate and understand even I as a tech savvy guy can't wrap my head around it after several years.
@@gandalf0987 It was in English. What are you talking about?
Fly little pc fly!! You done good 🙂
I refuse to go in heaven if I don't hear this on my way up.
That or reborn into a new timeline where its both awsome and badass.
I would prefer to reborn, if there'll be more tracks like this in the next life.
Hell is modern computers, fyi
I had a Windows 98 computer until 2006 so this is incredibly nostalgic for me, the startup sound gives me goosebumps
Perfect background music for Flight Simulator. 😊🛫
I don't care what your intention was when making this, but you're doing God's work :)
Thank you for making these. Windows 95 and 98 were a part of my childhood, and I just woke up from a nap while listening to the windows 95 video. Now I check the channel and there is a 98! Bless you homie.
so nostalgic it hurts. This is oddly powerful voodoo.
How ironic you say that when it comes to Voodoo, the Video cards of Voodoo, Voodoo 2 and Voodoo 3 will greet you!
techno voodoo
3dfx voodoo!
Nope it's just music, not witchcraft.
1996-2000 were phenomenal years. 9/11 turned everything into a dystopia.
But hey, 2004 gave us frutiger aero!
PS1 startup ambient planned?)
OMG YES!!!! We NEED this! Immediately!
PS2 too 100%
Windows 98 era: The age of wonder. The theme, musical elements and the UI played a huge part in it making the experience inviting to the user. The problem now is the flat, modern aesthetic in the UI is devoid of warmth and sterile. The music also started playing a lesser role and Windows 10 is a good example of the harshness in sound and sterile UI.
Thankfully, Windows 11 has more mellowed out music (plus a new startup theme after years) and while the UI is still flat, it does try to evoke some nostalgia with shading and more colors in the UI.
Where do you get music from Win 10 and 11? My computers never make any boot up sound. I had to find some hack in regedit to add back in music, and then 6 months later windows did another update and then the music was gone again. They removed the start up music for some reason.
When virtual reality becomes accessible and wieldy enough, I can see myself venturing into these hour-long meditative experiences as a healing respite from the hustle and bustle of the world.
the quest 3 already exists, friend. you can do this right now.
@@doka-sp By accessible, they meant ~$200 range
Granted we have Google Cardboard and mobile VR through phone but.... meh
@@ovum the quest 2 was on sale for 250 not long ago and i got one and dont regret the purchase one bit... its my perfect escape the real world device
Instantly makes me think of Steve Roach which is good because he works on the far extreme end of ambient soundworlds.
In 1995, i got my first Computer. It had Windows 95 on it, but was later upgraded to 98. These were special times in a lot of people's lives. My Life changed for Gaming playing Quake 2, and getting a new Voodoo 2 (16MB!) Video Card. Went from looking like a Playstation game with Software Mode to a Super Nintendo 64 Version at 60 Fps if that makes sense. The one thing I hated and still remember about Windows 98 was this:
"This program has preformed an Illegal Operation and will be Shut Down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor"
This happened to a lot of programs like Aol and certain games though I did nothing wrong lol. Those were the days for sure lol!
Edit to say the Specs were a 233 Mhz Computer with an Intel Pentium Processor (With MMX Technology!) A Packard Bell nonetheless. Had a CD Rom drive and a Built in 56k Modem and a Microphone which was a big deal at the time!
Similar experience for me. I worked in the computer lab when I was in high school during a free period, and I always got first pick of the equipment that was being surplused. I ended up with a Pentium Pro 200 machine that I ended up adding extra ram and an additional hard drive into. I bought a used Riva graphics card so I could play Quake. I think I had Windows 98 and then Windows 2000 on that machine. I later ended up with a massive Compaq server machine that I ran for years as a NAS server.
Listening to this when I got out of the shower here in the bathroom and while this is playing im looking at an old bottle of Old Spice Nightlife Calogne from 97' on my shelf that I never got rid of along with an old Gillette razor from 98' I kept. Listening to this while starring at those 2 items, I cannot tell you about the quick burst of excited sweating sensation that hits the tops and backs of my shoulders as I reminisce about when my parents were younger in the late 90s and they were going out all the time and we were doing stuff with the whole entire family. Now family gatherings have become fewer and far between but I play in a rock band around town just about every weekend and I cant tell you how much it makes my life complete to see my parents and family and friends in the crowd because it reminds me, "The Good Old Days Never Stopped...."
I just love this.
Hear hear!
This take me back to my childhood like the meal does to Anton Ego at the end of Ratatouille. Incredible. I hope they'll be coming to Spotify so I can add them to my on the go playlists ❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥❤🔥
We were on the crest on a high and beautiful wave...then it crashed and rolled back...
That's from Fear and Loathing, if the first one was '68 and then '98 every 30 years we should get another beautiful wave in '28!
If this visual was a screen saver back in the day every one would of had it on their desktop. Its so nice :)
I gotta be honest, these kinds of playlists, (Ambient, Silent Hill inspired, Nostalgic) all bring me a sense of peace, a feeling that I can't quite describe. It's almost like you've done all you wanted in life and are now outside in a beautiful garden, the sun is setting and you're watching it go. You have a nice, fresh beverage and you're sitting on a long chair. That's what this makes me feel.
It has a very ethereal feeling, and at the same time it brings back memories of my school days. Both 95 and 98 did a great job.
Incredible work, waiting for Windows XP Retro Ambient!
Man, this playlist goes so hard. Windows 98 was magnificent, and was my introduction to computers. The old Lego and Hot Wheels websites were my go to. Then you had tons of great PC games, including those ones from the cereal boxes, like Roller Coaster Tycoon.
EXCITED.
As a child, Windows 98 and Windows 2000 made up the majority of the operating systems on the computers at my school. There were occasional Windows 95 computers as well, but this sound is just Iconic.
Thank you for this soundscape!
After listening to your Windows 95 video the last few days, I've just discovered this, and am now very much looking forward to Windows XP 😁, which is, in my opinion, represents the last of the Good Old Days. By 2007, Windows Vista, social media and smartphones were entering the chat, and well, I genuinely believe it's all been downhill from there, but perhaps that's personal experience talking...
Listening to this through computer speakers from the 1980s! Great!
Hope you're holding your mobile in front for the full "imminent text alert" pre-warning noise :D
Omg. Love this. I need bigger speakers, so whole street can feel transcend through their windows....
Listened to this during a day nap. So ethereal. Sounds like the PS1, Westwood Studios/ C&C, and Windows 95/98 startups all rolled together
Thanks for not using AI in your videos.
I've recently been listening to quite a few different "1 hour ambient" channels, and after digging around a little, realizing that most of them use AI in some capacity, many of them in a very large capacity. It sucks, because many I find truly beautiful, and so part of me says "it doesn't matter". But a bigger part of me says "it does matter". We're in a weird place with AI right now, and it's forcing me not just to think about the END result of a piece of art, but having to now grapple with the MEANS as well. I still don't know exactly where I land, but I do know that I feel somewhat exploited when I feel emotionally moved or inspired by a piece of art, only to find out it's been generated by AI. Why does this bother me? I don't know yet.
Anyway. AI thoughts aside, love your stuff. As a kid who first experienced computers in a DOS context, the Win95/98 stuff is deeply nostalgic. You create a sort of "layer of fantasy" on top of that nostalgia too, which is really magical.
OMG, It was crazy, to start my first ever computer in 2000 with Win98, and hear a heavenly soundbite! These are not tears, just a rain on my face.
I've been loving these ambiences lately, helps with focusing on writing or just something chill to listen to.
What are you writing?💜
@@RetrovexAmbient I've been trying to write a novel recently!
Thats awesome! Glad I can help you with such heavy task💜
Man O Man, I so mourn the optimism of the 90s everytime I listen to and watch these ambient videos of yours. Thank you for posting Retrovex and God bless you. Amen!
Man... That intro... THAT GLORIOUS INTRO
win98 intro sound is the best sound of begin windows
Incredible work Retrovex!! Captured this moment in time perfectly. Takes me back to a simpler time. 💜
This was more relaxing than some of the ASMR I listened to 10/10 windows 98 lol
I didn't have computer back in 1998. But still it was a great year with good memories!
This is perfection... the visual transition coincides with the soundtrack accurately, conveying the evolution from 95 to 98. Not only is this true in the Windows universe you are representing but the other dimensions of life as well. This will be my theme song for the rest of February ❤🔥 I eagerly await 2000...
The lore expands!
Listening to this I can hear the CD drive opening right in front of me. All those „installation“ CDs we ised to have.
This is my 90s teenage experience as ambient music. The hope for the future was high but then 9/11 happened and all optimism for the future went out the window.
Thank you, for creating this unique time machine.
I remember this time. It was when you bought a computer, and by the time you unpacked it at home it was obsolete. Good times!
Really great chords and textures here. Thank you.
this aesthetic needs to come back. too many negative vibes nowadays, we need to go back to being hopeful. if we do that it may actually become reality, mind over matter stuff
Up to Win7 it was great! (the "frutiger aero" aesthetics)
@@Kaizzer yes, everything is very sterile now
This is the relaxing and reminiscent soundscape I never knew I needed. Thank you for making this.
If there was an alternate history that the 90 stayed the same throughout history I would be a very happy little child! Play classic PC games, surf Netscape, order books off of Amazon, and getting your ears lacerated by phone data when trying to call your home phone. All good stuff! 🐋🌈
I liked the startup sound of Windows98, so this ambient sound is great😂🎉!!
Love this one, and the Windows 95 one you made. Hope you keep it up and do a Windows XP one at some point!
в детстве так же хотел послушать полную версию начальной музыки 98 машины...
благодарю, что дал послушать его :'[
хоть и не идеал, но я расплакался как маленький
on good headphones, this is absolutely sublime.....
It was nothing like this. Screensavers were boring then😂😂😂 I put this video on loop and slept well😴 Thanks!!
I guess you never heard of the after dark screen savers.
@ebonhawken574 Gen X here and yes I have.
@@M1N1Girl007 Might be different for millennials. A lot of that stuff was part of our earliest formative memories, sitting on the laps of our parents.
Fantastic and very great idea !
We need some series with the PS2 charge screen. Also waiting for this one in Spotify. I love it.
This is Seve Roach level, Thank You for Your work(^^
Thank you for this work of art. Seriously
Wonderful! AWESOME WORK ! CRAZY❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉
Awesome. Hope to see Sega Dreamcast version someday
Felt asleep like a baby with this 🩵🪟
My very first computer. I was 5 when I got it from my older sister who introduced it to me a bit earlier, thus making me fascinated with computers and how they work.
This came out immediately after my request from the last Windows Vid! Amazing, very excited for this timeline you're on! Great work.
i was born in 98
just in time to enjoy 98 and xp before they disappeared
early windows will always be close to my heart
Windows XP was my first, its very special to me, the sounds, the look, im definitely going to make it a special ambient episode 💜
Is this Windows 98 heaven?
I had an old Gateway that ran Win98 when my family, and I moved (I was 3, so this was 2000). I still have the motherboard.
I can feel the tension and stress melting out of my brow, neck and shoulders as I listen to this 🥲 Thank you! 💖
i’m so pumped for this
This is fantastically useful and clear! Thank you.
thank you, but are you talking about the image? because the song isn't out yet haha
the pc go to heaven 🙏
Man, these hit hard, takes me back, keep it up
I love the graphics mixed with the ambient sounds of old school Windows. It reminds me of some of the games from that time like Spyro but also the boot up screens from Dreamcast and PS1
We experienced an optimism that only a new millennium can bring. Maybe people will experience something like that again in a thousand years.
this is powerful man, subscribed
thank you sincerely! 💜🙏
I realize the next step will probably be XP, but I'm really hoping 2000/ME doesn't get forgotten. I'd kill to hear that startup expanded like this.
You inspired me so much I started my own channel! Thank you, this video is beautiful!
yes this is good really takes you on a ride back to that time . Well done
Fantastic and professional work
Great work, this reminds me of the music to the game Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the future (from around 2001 I think) but yours is more minimalistic and ambient which I love. I'm a film based artist and would love to use some of this in a video work sometime.
feel free to email me about any requests to discuss anything in more detail 💜
Thank you, I will think about some ideas and get back to you. This music definitely gives me a lot of inspiration! If you would like to see some of my previous work feel free to visit my channel. @@RetrovexAmbient
My same thoughts exactly, a beautiful hidden gem of a game soundtrack 👍
Thank you for this. I hope I'm not the only 432hz fan here
O m g im back 16 years old, browsing through ini files and looking at codename chicago
Running Windows startup themes thru a Hologram Microcosm was effin genius, sir! I'm super jealous I didn't think of it myself. Props to you, it sounds awesome.
Wonderful... trance
Brilliant animation. Better than the Flying Toasters
Perfect for getting in the flow state when coding!
This is the most beautiful thing on the internet.
Search ‘pool rooms ambient’ for more 👍
For some reason, seeing that floppy drive in an animated flying PC makes my knees weak.
Wonderful production ... is there any possibility to get this beauty?
Legend has it some Sony dictation machines can record from line level sources 😉😉👍
Great Idea Retro! Appreciate a fellow ambient guy
your videos are like a mini-masterclass, love tuning in!