Music has a special place in ‘ ‘everyone’s heart, and everyone has unique preferences in music. Along with making music for everyone, contemporary artists are willing to experiment, and the internet has made it possible for unusual music genres to become popular and thrive.
In this article, we take a look at some unique musical genres that you can explore with MuzicSwipe.
1. lowercase
In 2001, Steven Roden, an American visual and sound artist, inadvertently created an extreme and minimal form of ambient music genre that he named “lowercase.” His album “Forms of Paper” featured various paper sounds that Roden recorded and manipulated through stretching, looping, amplifying, and other effects to create a unique kind of ambient electronic music.
Despite claiming to have been creating lowercase music since the mid-1980s, it was not until the release of the compilation album “Lowercase-Sound” in 2002 that the genre gained attention from the press and introduced listeners to other lowercase artists.
2. Shoegaze
Shoegaze is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the late 1980s in the UK. The name “shoegaze” was coined by music journalists who noticed that the bands playing this music style tended to look at their shoes while performing.
The shoegaze genre is characterized by distorted guitar sounds, ethereal vocals, and heavy use of effects such as reverb and delay. Bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Ride are some of the pioneers of this genre.
3. Math Pop
Math rock is a particular style of indie rock. The name emerges from the fact that it used unusual meters and complex time signatures. Math rock first came about in the 1980s before reaching its peak in the mid-1990s.
Similar uses of variable meters and nonstandard time signatures have been adapted to pop music, leading to the birth of the genre ‘math pop.’
4. Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a music genre that originated in Nigeria in the 1960s. The music is characterized by its fusion of traditional African rhythms and western jazz and funk influences. The genre was popularized by Fela Kuti, also known as the “father of Afrobeat.” The music is known for its infectious grooves and politically charged lyrics.
5. Vaporwave
Vaporwave is a relatively new genre of music that emerged in the early 2010s. It is characterized by its heavy use of samples from the 80s and 90s pop culture, including commercials, elevator music, and smooth jazz.
The music is slowed down and manipulated to create a dreamy, nostalgic sound. The genre has its roots in internet culture and is often associated with aesthetics such as glitch art and cyberpunk.
6. Chiptune
Chiptune, also known as 8-bit music, is a genre of electronic music that uses sounds from old video game consoles, such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the Game Boy.
The music is created using sound chips that were built into these consoles. Chiptune music has a distinct retro sound that is often upbeat and energetic. The genre has gained popularity in recent years, with artists like Anamanaguchi and Danimal Cannon leading the way.
7. Gypsy Jazz
Gypsy Jazz is a style of jazz that originated in the 1930s in France. This genre is characterized by its use of acoustic guitars, violins, and double bass and is heavily influenced by the Romani music tradition.
Gypsy Jazz was popularized by the guitarist Django Reinhardt, who fused traditional jazz with Romani music. It has a distinct sound that is both upbeat and melodic.
8. Horror Country
While country music is often dismissed as being solely about lamenting failed relationships, lukewarm beer, and slow tractors, horror country takes the genre to a whole new level by incorporating country instrumentation to explore darker topics. These themes can include ghosts, demons, or even corpses.
9. German Reggae
At the core of Germany’s music scene lies a diverse array of musical styles, including an unexpected history with reggae dating back to the late 1970s. The genre was initially embraced by white, middle-class youths who sought to establish a counterculture of their own.
In the mid-90s, German reggae gained popularity with the release of multiple albums by the artist Gentleman. Despite the passage of time and the emergence of various other music genres, German reggae continues to flourish. The country regularly hosts open-air reggae festivals that attract music enthusiasts from all over Europe.
10. Cute Pop
Cute Metal is a musical genre that blends heavy metal with anime and horror themes. It emerged in the early 2010s and combines the melodic style and idol personas of J-Pop (Japanese pop) with the darker imagery of metal.
The pioneers of Cute Metal are often credited as the Japanese trio Babymetal, who incorporate electronic dance music (EDM) elements into their music that skitter, build, and ultimately culminate in a drop.
11. Black MIDI
Originated by Shirasagi Yukki, Black MIDI is a musical genre characterized by excessive notes that would be impossible for any musician to play by hand. In 2009, he uploaded the first black MIDI track to Nico Nico Douga, a Japanese video site. The song was a rendition of “U.N. Owen Was Her?”
Black MIDI music is sometimes referred to as impossible music because it exceeds the limits of human playability. To create Black MIDI tracks, the Music Instrument Digital Interface is used to input as many notes as possible, adhering to a “more is more” philosophy.
The most intense Black MIDI compositions can contain up to 93 trillion notes, which is the maximum allowed by most digital synthesizers. However, these compositions cannot be saved, played, or recorded due to the massive file size.
The name “Black MIDI” is derived from the fact that if these compositions were written in standard music notation, they would appear entirely black.
12. Skweee
Skweee is a music genre that predominantly features instrumental tracks and has its origins in Finland and Sweden. It merges synthesizer leads and basslines with rhythms inspired by funk and soul music.
The name Skweee was inspired by the concept of extracting the grooviest sound possible from the music. Additionally, the genre had a significant influence on the development of dubstep from 2008 to 2009.
13. Glitch
Glitch is a music genre that emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s, characterized by the use of digital and analog glitches or sonic artifacts resulting from errors in digital processing or circuitry. This genre takes these glitches and manipulates them into rhythmic patterns, adding them as a core element in the music.
One of the defining features of glitch music is its use of distortion and other effects to create sounds that might be considered abrasive or unconventional. Some artists also use specific software and programming techniques to create these sounds and patterns, such as granular synthesis and circuit bending.
Wrapping Up
There are several other unique musical genres that include mumble rap, bossa nova, and pirate metal. While musical genres such as hip-hop, pop, jazz, and rap all have a faithful following, there are different kinds of music you can explore on MuzicSwipe.
Eric Dalius is The Executive Chairman of MuzicSwipe, a music and content discovery platform designed to maximize artist discovery and optimize fan relationships. In addition, he hosts the weekly podcast “FULLSPEED,” where he interviews innovative entrepreneurs across multiple industries. Eric also established the “Eric Dalius Foundation” to provide four scholarships for US-based students. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Entrepreneur.com.
