name that musical genre
July 27, 2018 2:00 PM Subscribe
Is there a name for that current musical genre made up of glitchy loops of old jazz and lounge music (particularly piano and female voice), usually accompanied by a mellow electronic beat? And what are some of your favorites?
lo fi hip hop beats to chill and study to
posted by blue t-shirt at 2:19 PM on July 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
posted by blue t-shirt at 2:19 PM on July 27, 2018 [12 favorites]
my favorite is lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
posted by blue t-shirt at 2:20 PM on July 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by blue t-shirt at 2:20 PM on July 27, 2018 [3 favorites]
For artists, check out Elija Who. Most of the streamers have good metadata now, so easy to find artists/songs you like that way. One of them even has a powerful bot that will let you query artists and songs, vote, tag favorites, etc.
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:25 PM on July 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by SaltySalticid at 2:25 PM on July 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
I sometimes work to a Pandora station like this, which is seeded by Nightmares on Wax and Wax Tailor. — Obviously, the station is called “Nightmares on Wax Tailor.” Another artist that shows up there a lot is RJD2.
posted by D.Billy at 2:28 PM on July 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by D.Billy at 2:28 PM on July 27, 2018 [6 favorites]
Without the "mellow" I would've said electro-swing, though that's been around for a minute now... any examples?
posted by ominous_paws at 2:28 PM on July 27, 2018
posted by ominous_paws at 2:28 PM on July 27, 2018
Gotan Project maybe?
posted by bunderful at 2:34 PM on July 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by bunderful at 2:34 PM on July 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: There seems to be a tradition of putting adorable animation loops on these videos, too! Is that a chillhop thing in particular? Now I want to know more about the animations...
ominous_paws: yeah, electro-swing seems to be a relative of what I have in mind, but with a much more frantic energy. Krazor and blue t-shirt's links are a good fit, though maybe a bit too chill and relaxing to use as anything but background music. SaltySalticid's recommendation is pretty much exactly what I was thinking of!
posted by moonmilk at 2:35 PM on July 27, 2018
ominous_paws: yeah, electro-swing seems to be a relative of what I have in mind, but with a much more frantic energy. Krazor and blue t-shirt's links are a good fit, though maybe a bit too chill and relaxing to use as anything but background music. SaltySalticid's recommendation is pretty much exactly what I was thinking of!
posted by moonmilk at 2:35 PM on July 27, 2018
Yeah Wax Tailor FTW.
posted by janey47 at 2:46 PM on July 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by janey47 at 2:46 PM on July 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
This is called Electroswing! Check out the excellent Good Co in Seattle (full disclosure: this is headed by a buddy of mine).
posted by rossination at 4:00 PM on July 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by rossination at 4:00 PM on July 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
If Elijah Who is exactly what OP wants, that is most assuredly in the lofi chillhop spectrum, and not electro swing, which, as mentioned above is more upbeat and frantic, and has been around since the early nineties.
Lofi hiphop/chillhop is most definitely related to electro swing, but it is much younger and different. Different BPM, different production techniques, different a e s t h e t i c ;)
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:27 PM on July 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Lofi hiphop/chillhop is most definitely related to electro swing, but it is much younger and different. Different BPM, different production techniques, different a e s t h e t i c ;)
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:27 PM on July 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
I do want to note - all of these stations are in direct homages to one of the main creators of the movement, Nujabes (RIP) and also DJ Okawari. Several of the songs being played are sampled from various Japanese anime theme songs, Joe Hisaishi tracks, other famous popular Japanese musicians (like Utada Hikaru and Ryuichi Sakamoto), and also Nujabes songs as part of that lineage.
Nujabes' Luv Sic six-part series is extremely formative and canon-level work. (the last one is published posthumously by his friend and collaborator Shing02). His Modal Soul (2005) album is very important, for it also contains the songs used in Samurai Champloo (intro song) (closing song), which is a famous anime that he composed for. Totally shattered the internet in 2005.
Thankfully, the entire Nujabes discography is now avaliable on Spotify for your pleasure! I have looped his entire discography for years, while waiting for the hole for chillhop to be filled with these 24 hour stations. I don't think the artistry is the same, a lot of the lofi chill hops is a lot less emotional and expressive than Nujabes' work, but I can hear them trying to make their own forms of expression as well. That's why I call them a direct homage.
posted by yueliang at 4:44 PM on July 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
Nujabes' Luv Sic six-part series is extremely formative and canon-level work. (the last one is published posthumously by his friend and collaborator Shing02). His Modal Soul (2005) album is very important, for it also contains the songs used in Samurai Champloo (intro song) (closing song), which is a famous anime that he composed for. Totally shattered the internet in 2005.
Thankfully, the entire Nujabes discography is now avaliable on Spotify for your pleasure! I have looped his entire discography for years, while waiting for the hole for chillhop to be filled with these 24 hour stations. I don't think the artistry is the same, a lot of the lofi chill hops is a lot less emotional and expressive than Nujabes' work, but I can hear them trying to make their own forms of expression as well. That's why I call them a direct homage.
posted by yueliang at 4:44 PM on July 27, 2018 [11 favorites]
Also what he is asking for is totally NOT Electro Swing. But if you want a great Electro Swing recommendation, there's an album of Studio Ghibli electro swing covers that is authorized and is super, super fun and quite good.
posted by yueliang at 4:51 PM on July 27, 2018
posted by yueliang at 4:51 PM on July 27, 2018
I don't have a great name for this genre, but St. Germain's album Tourist from 2000 would seem to be a canonical example. St. Germain is described on Wikipedia variously as "Nu Jazz" (ew), "Jazztronica" (shudder), and "Jazz House", which seems a little closer. (wiki)
There's also this tool, powered by Spotify genre info, which you could try. For example, St. Germain is apparently classified by Spotify thusly: nu jazz, downtempo, acid jazz, trip hop, electronic, electro swing.
posted by The Minotaur at 5:18 PM on July 27, 2018
There's also this tool, powered by Spotify genre info, which you could try. For example, St. Germain is apparently classified by Spotify thusly: nu jazz, downtempo, acid jazz, trip hop, electronic, electro swing.
posted by The Minotaur at 5:18 PM on July 27, 2018
Oh another godfather of Chillhop (along with Nujabes and the other good stuff provided by yueliang above) is the the somewhat incongruously named MF Doom E.g Doomsday has the signature female vocals and laid back beats.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:26 PM on July 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:26 PM on July 27, 2018 [1 favorite]
If I'm understanding your request, I highly recommend Dead Horse Beats.
posted by rhiannonstone at 5:47 PM on July 27, 2018
posted by rhiannonstone at 5:47 PM on July 27, 2018
If you like MF DOOM’s stuff, check out the instrumental ‘Special Herbs’ series. If you like Nujabes, check out DJ Krush. And if you like chillhop, you might also like Knxwledge.
(None of this is chillhop (trip-hop, instrumental hip-hop, and downtempo are all adjacent genres), just some of its predecessors.)
posted by box at 6:16 PM on July 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
(None of this is chillhop (trip-hop, instrumental hip-hop, and downtempo are all adjacent genres), just some of its predecessors.)
posted by box at 6:16 PM on July 27, 2018 [4 favorites]
Oooh, I never get to answer a music AskMe with such confidence!
You are looking for Jan Jelinek, Loop-Finding Jazz Records
(Entirely made of micro loops and samples from old jazz records)
posted by Beardman at 6:23 PM on July 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
You are looking for Jan Jelinek, Loop-Finding Jazz Records
(Entirely made of micro loops and samples from old jazz records)
posted by Beardman at 6:23 PM on July 27, 2018 [2 favorites]
Beardman, that scratches my itch. Thanx
posted by shoesfullofdust at 7:11 PM on July 27, 2018
posted by shoesfullofdust at 7:11 PM on July 27, 2018
oh how could I have forgotten about MF Doom, thank you Saltysalticid! This is such an awesome round of answers.
posted by yueliang at 8:20 PM on July 27, 2018
posted by yueliang at 8:20 PM on July 27, 2018
I apologize - the Samurai Champloo tracks that Nujabes composed was actually on the soundtrack, but still contains some of his most beautiful work such as "Arurian Dance."
posted by yueliang at 9:17 AM on July 28, 2018
posted by yueliang at 9:17 AM on July 28, 2018
my favorite is lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to
I'm listening to this right now. Just heard a mashup of Notorious B.I.G. and The Carpenters. My head almost exploded.
posted by fuse theorem at 5:26 PM on July 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
I'm listening to this right now. Just heard a mashup of Notorious B.I.G. and The Carpenters. My head almost exploded.
posted by fuse theorem at 5:26 PM on July 29, 2018 [1 favorite]
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posted by Krazor at 2:08 PM on July 27, 2018 [4 favorites]