not sure how zchyrs and I can be friends now tho haha
― imago, Tuesday, 2 February 2021 13:57 (three years ago) link
i find this stuff annoying too, because of the market for it that's been created by Spotify, YouTube et al, it just feels basic and cynical. I'm sure that's been discussed on threads to do with streaming. I'd like to be dissuaded on this because as background sometimes it works nicely.
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:00 (three years ago) link
xp sorry buddy.
I find the way this music is consumed much more offensive than the music itself, which again I think is just...fine. It's of a piece with the whole functioning of anodyne Spotify playlists.
Thing is, this is (afaik) still music being made by people. It takes a measure of enthusiasm and craft (if even a small measure) to make anything, so I can't begrudge the creators. They're probably making this stuff because they like to make it, and that's nice!
― american primitive stylophone (zchyrs), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:04 (three years ago) link
tbf when I think of 'lo-fi' I am thinking of something verrrrry different to this
― imago, Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:07 (three years ago) link
That's totally understandable. I do too, and it's kind of interesting to me (from a linguistics perspective) how the label has evolved into something else. I'd bet that a fair number of listeners and creators aren't even aware of the original meaning (I want to stress that this is neither or a bad or good thing IMO)
― american primitive stylophone (zchyrs), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:12 (three years ago) link
yeah there isn't a lot of tape hiss or distortion on stuff called "lo-fi"
― treeship., Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:12 (three years ago) link
xxxp True. It's enough to say that I rarely feel like listening to it anyways (because how often do i-not want to put a record on-not check out a specific mix-find whatever Worldwide FM is playing a little too hectic-not want to explore an ambient playlist for fear of experiencing any emotions at all-yet still want to hear music
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:12 (three years ago) link
i think kids think the "low" has to do with the tempo, not the audio quality
there is certainly a cynical aspect - playlists designed to be just 'set and forget', and listened to for an hour or more, are deliberately pushed in order to get users spending more time on platform rather than listening to a couple of hits and then dipping out
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:14 (three years ago) link
these are my loffy study beats https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6KaEi1J1Pl3GI61o08CMqo?si=zh0MgRi3QX67EwtWqbfCrA
― Party With A Jagger Ban (dog latin), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:18 (three years ago) link
- fear of experiencing any emotions at all-yet still want to hear music
this is like the motto of so much contemporary music
― treeship., Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:19 (three years ago) link
this all makes me think of KIDEODROME: scary "Kid's Youtube" algorithms, fringe programming, insert conspiracy theory here
and is now making me think of a crossover where pregnant elsa is the one vibing 2 these chill beatz
o god
― imago, Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:19 (three years ago) link
a couple producer friends of mine call it “low-effort beats”
― tiwa-nty one savage (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:20 (three years ago) link
good horror movie premise.
are you chill yet?
― treeship., Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:20 (three years ago) link
xp imago
treesh: sure and sometimes I'll reach for such contemporary music. These streams are for when you just utterly cannot be arsed in any way
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:21 (three years ago) link
haha a horror movie based on all the kids being addicted to this stuff is both #trenchant but also a good idea imo
― imago, Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:22 (three years ago) link
asmr is part of this too i think. i don't really understand what asmr is, but it seems like another way of people engaging with digital media as a kind of drug
― treeship., Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:25 (three years ago) link
This shit is way too busy I like "pirate ship creaking and it's raining outside (no thunder)" for 10 hours
― Scampi reggae party (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:27 (three years ago) link
let's workshop some titles for the horror movie:
THE FEED
― american primitive stylophone (zchyrs), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:27 (three years ago) link
asmr is very distinct from this in concept but in practice there are similar patterns of accumulation
the biggest difference is that it's harder (or it SHOULD be harder) to generate the good asmr stuff algorithmically or by half-assing it aiui, although I'm no connoisseur
maybe there are just loads of shitty asmr videos collecting mad views from a completely desensitised public tho #areyouchillyet
― imago, Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:28 (three years ago) link
Oh I like THE FEED
Japanese village is a good one too. Might run a ballot poll for these later
― Scampi reggae party (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:29 (three years ago) link
asmr is designed to deliver a sensory response, lo-fi is more about vibez
― tiwa-nty one savage (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:30 (three years ago) link
asmr is supposed to be, anyway
not really experienced these loffy beats but i've been listening to a lot of noise playlists to go to sleep. If you put your settings right in Spotify, it'll actually segue the different noise textures together which becomes very interesting when you're just dropping off. I have discovered that Brown Noise works better than White Noise as it's a deeper, more enveloping hum whereas white noise is a little on the harsh side.
― Party With A Jagger Ban (dog latin), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:31 (three years ago) link
Japanese village?
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:32 (three years ago) link
― tiwa-nty one savage (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:30 (one minute ago) bookmarkflaglink
exactly, asmr is for those who wish 2 feel, but as I said I wonder whether there has been an elision and people who don't really know what asmr is are consuming bad asmr content in a functionally similar ambient way to these lo-fi beatz
― imago, Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:34 (three years ago) link
just learnt that dog latin has bowels of steel good 2 know
what are you feeling though? "low grade euphoria" according to the wikipedia page. still feels measured, controlled, vibelike
― treeship., Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:36 (three years ago) link
itt: people who don't get asmr or loffy
― Scampi reggae party (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:38 (three years ago) link
xps I sleep with brown noise. Should we poll all the noise colors?
― american primitive stylophone (zchyrs), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:40 (three years ago) link
asmr = weedloffy = xanax
idk this^ feels wrong still lol
― imago, Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:41 (three years ago) link
Brown Noise works better than White Noise as it's a deeper, more enveloping hum whereas white noise is a little on the harsh side.co-sign
― excuse me while I fold my pants (morrisp), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:43 (three years ago) link
a lot of it strikes me as descended from Dilla
― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:43 (three years ago) link
Wasn't there a thread on this the other day music playing in background for cat rescue centres, copyright free music for podcasts, timelapse vidoes of going up and down a ladder?
― saer, Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:43 (three years ago) link
Nujabes is a key touchpoint too
― american primitive stylophone (zchyrs), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:44 (three years ago) link
co-fi would be a great name for a chill beats and coffee joint that i would never ever visit
― would a nit be nice? (NickB), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:49 (three years ago) link
lolol
― treeship., Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:49 (three years ago) link
A+ Nick
― A Scampo Darkly (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 14:50 (three years ago) link
Guys I'm writing a big post
― change display name (Jordan), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 15:24 (three years ago) link
everybody clear the room!
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 15:26 (three years ago) link
or you're in for a slow and steady drumming
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 15:27 (three years ago) link
― brimstead, Tuesday, 2 February 2021 15:36 (three years ago) link
that big post going to feel so satisfying when it comes out
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 15:39 (three years ago) link
Ok, I've never really gathered my thoughts on this topic, although there was a good recent discussion about it here: ILM's 2010's blindspots
So here we go. For me the roots of it obviously go back to Dilla and the L.A./Low End Theory beat scene, although if you wanna go back farther you could just say that downtempo and trip-hop served the same function (see also early Four Tet etc). But there was a wing of the beat scene that was particularly focused on found-sound percussion and textures that were more influenced by r&b, New Age, etc. Lots of Rhodes, square waves, surface noise, and Roland SP404s.
Teebs 'Ardour' is a true classic of the genre:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLj29qehYLM
But for me the true template for 'lo-fi' is Shohmo's Bad Vibes album:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIKMKki5l1M
At the time, I was extremely into this sound before there was a name for it, and I was trying (with varying levels of success) to make my own version of it too. Some other personal touchstones from when this still seemed like an exciting path in the early '10s:
Dropping Gems records out of Seattle/Portland:https://droppinggems.bandcamp.com/album/djaohttps://droppinggems.bandcamp.com/album/find
IG88:https://ig88.bandcamp.com/album/breathing-suit
The first Torus EP that apparently doesn't exist anymore. Early Lapalux, Shigeto, Airhead, the first few milo EPs, etc etc.
Anyway, I never got into Soulection, but that seemed to be the writing on the wall as far as consolidating this sound into a brand/label/radio station that already felt a little watered down (although the producer Monte Booker who linked up with them was and is incredible).
When I first heard the term 'lo-fi hip-hop' I had no idea what it was referring to, but it quickly became apparent it was the final form of this sound after it had been reduced to basic components and anonymized for the world of streaming + playlists + algorithms. That was around when I made a hard turn toward dance music (and for awhile went way too far in the other direction with really abrasive sounds, as a reaction against making music for background listening). And I still feel a little sad about it, because making beats out of kitchen utensils and jazzy Rhodes chords is a pleasant activity, but it would feel like a pointless act.
Although like I said on the other thread, I'm sure people have their favorite lo-fi producers and I'm curious about that, and I do think there's room for a ton of skill and creativity, but also wouldn't be surprised if infinite lo-fi playlists were cranked out by AI starting soon.
― change display name (Jordan), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 15:49 (three years ago) link
this is like easy listening boom bap. lots of indie-ish guitars in there too. its not like listening to dilla or doom really. but it IS good to work to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qap5aO4i9A
― candyman, Tuesday, 2 February 2021 16:57 (three years ago) link
xp to jordan -- booming post
― american primitive stylophone (zchyrs), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 16:57 (three years ago) link
booming bapping
― change display name (Jordan), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 17:01 (three years ago) link
plenty of crossover with the indie game music community imo
― Scampi reggae party (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 2 February 2021 17:05 (three years ago) link
xp
― maf you one two (maffew12), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 12:52 (three years ago) link
on the chilledcow wiki, the genre is down as lo-fi hiphop, click that and you get ...Chillhop"Lo-fi hip hop" redirects here. For the genre of jazz-influenced hip-hop, see Jazz rap. For the genres of hip-hop characterized by low sound quality, see Mumble rap, Memphis rap, and Cloud rap.lol
― maf you one two (maffew12), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 12:56 (three years ago) link
"That channel Sund4r posted has a “live chat” going; never seen that on YT before."
Live chats are definitely part of YouTube livestreaming channels. I've seen it before with concerts or e.g. last year's virtual Canada Day.
― to party with our demons (Sund4r), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 13:10 (three years ago) link
Not to mention people playing Minecraft.
― peace, man, Wednesday, 3 February 2021 13:20 (three years ago) link
Is there just some big factory where one person makes a bunch of these beats and then assigns artist and track names at random?
ive seen articles over the years speculating about spotify filling out their first-party playlists for things like "chill jazz"/"peaceful piano"/whatever by paying people a flat fee to create original tracks that are then credited to fake artists, with spotify owning the master rights. i guess its the 21stC equivalent of library music, in 30 years i wonder if there will be Numero-style comps of such stuff
― nobody like my rap (One Eye Open), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 13:32 (three years ago) link
One Eye Open OTM about this being like contemporary library music. It also kinda reminds me of Weather Channel music, though that stuff tends to be more like smooth fusion
― american primitive stylophone (zchyrs), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 13:53 (three years ago) link
Remember Weather Channel music guys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnkjvKv5R84
― american primitive stylophone (zchyrs), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 13:54 (three years ago) link
AOTY in The Wire iirc
― nobody like my rap (One Eye Open), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 14:06 (three years ago) link
Adult Swim is probably an important link too, when they started commissioning Flying Lotus to do bumpers between animation, and the current college studiers were kids.
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 14:57 (three years ago) link
I read a couple high school essay-level Medium articles on the origins of lo-fi hip-hop, mostly pretty bad (defining "low fidelity" and mentioning Dilla then jumping right to the current crop of channels and producers). But there were some illuminating bits, about Youtube introducing that 24/7 mode, those big channels and the anime girl, Nujabes being the Dilla of the genre (aside from Dilla being the Dilla of the genre), and some other specific producers getting name-checked.
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 15:11 (three years ago) link
Minecraft soundtrack music is exactly like this, yes.tempted to start making this music just so I can add in a few tracks with subtly disturbing melodic shifts and ruin everyone's studies
― Bastard Lakes (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 15:32 (three years ago) link
im tempted to start making this music so i can have a successful youtube channel with little effort
― nobody like my rap (One Eye Open), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 15:38 (three years ago) link
Too late in the game to enter know I think. There’s thousands of clones and I’ve only seen less than 10 channels that are successful with it and they’ve been at it for years now.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 15:45 (three years ago) link
Now not know stupid autocorrect
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 15:46 (three years ago) link
In addition to the precursors already mentioned, I think these 2 artists deserve mentioning:Wagon Christ, "Throbbing Pouch" album specifically (1995)Fat Jon, "Wave Motion" album specifically (2002)Like this would fit right in on one of these Playlists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYKrp_VE0lY
― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Wednesday, 3 February 2021 21:44 (three years ago) link
a former ilxor makes ambient techno playlists that work better for this purpose i think.
― treeship., Tuesday, 2 March 2021 10:47 (three years ago) link
do tell?
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 2 March 2021 10:54 (three years ago) link
it's not a controversial one, at all. an estimable and interesting person. but i don't think they hang around here or want to be namechecked.
― treeship., Tuesday, 2 March 2021 10:55 (three years ago) link
two of the artists i've learned of through this playlist, and liked, are special request and bella boo.
― treeship., Tuesday, 2 March 2021 10:56 (three years ago) link
therefore you might go as far as to link? please?
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 2 March 2021 10:57 (three years ago) link
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2JhdzQsWXG8Ku6hdROqbc6?si=0be241835bce4a60
― treeship., Tuesday, 2 March 2021 10:58 (three years ago) link
my wordthanks
― maf you one two (maffew12), Tuesday, 2 March 2021 10:59 (three years ago) link
Corey <3
― A Scampo Darkly (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 2 March 2021 12:46 (three years ago) link
chilledcow changed their youtube username to Lofi Girl. smart branding move i think.
also i saw this recently lol https://hard-drive.net/lofi-hip-hop-radio-girl-still-fails-test-after-four-years-of-studying/
― treeship., Monday, 3 May 2021 15:38 (two years ago) link
'Probably somewhere in Italy' – nah, I'm pretty sure that's Lyon in the background.
― pomenitul, Monday, 3 May 2021 15:40 (two years ago) link
My (second grade) kid asked recently - "Is it OK if I use YouTube while I do homework, to play quiet music that's made for studying?"
― BeardsleyCollege.edu (morrisp), Monday, 3 May 2021 15:56 (two years ago) link
That's so adorable.
― peace, man, Monday, 3 May 2021 16:27 (two years ago) link
morris, did you break out in tears of joy at that moment?
because i did, just reading your post.
― Totally different head. Totally. (Austin), Monday, 3 May 2021 16:35 (two years ago) link
the algorithm finally bumped this into my background and i probably got two hours in before i looked up and went, wait what the fuck am i listening to here
― When Young Sheldon began to rap (forksclovetofu), Monday, 13 December 2021 01:58 (two years ago) link
got him
― Tracer Hand, Monday, 13 December 2021 07:49 (two years ago) link
I was listening to the Youandewan 2016 album and saw different people refer to it as good study music. It's certainly good music.
― Nabozo, Monday, 13 December 2021 08:20 (two years ago) link
somebody made a two-hour vince guaraldi compilation and uploaded it to youtube as a single video and all the comments are about how great it is to study to
― Tracer Hand, Monday, 13 December 2021 12:42 (two years ago) link
― Jeff, Monday, 13 December 2021 14:22 (two years ago) link
They recently added some more tunes in the 1.18 update too.
I do like the occasional xmas lo-fi song. There's an "Oh Christmas Tree" version I particularly like, will have to try and find out the source.
― Ste, Monday, 13 December 2021 14:37 (two years ago) link
lol this onehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbfVLyKtLLc
― Ste, Monday, 13 December 2021 14:38 (two years ago) link