How do weird music genres emerge?

Genres are music styles. They can be used to understand and categorize differences between songs based on common characteristics like rhythm, melody, instrumentation, and lyrical theme. While mainstream popular music is well-known, sometimes strange music genres emerge.

Many obscure music genres have developed from their influences. In the age of the Internet, genres are evolving and adapting to changing trends. This has led to the creation of niche music genres that often fuse different styles and influences into new sounds. You can find a variety of new music styles on TikTok or Soundcloud. This has created a new generation of music lovers with an evolving taste.

An Overview of Some Weird Musical Genres Today!

Shoegaze

Platforms like TikTok have helped to popularise the new wave of Shoegaze. Shoegaze artists like Wisp are able to use trending sounds in various meme formats and have high numbers on streaming platforms. This subgenre is characterized by its heavily reverberated electric guitars and distant-sounding vocals. Shoegaze was a subgenre of rock that originated in the 1990s. It was characterized by its heavily reverberant electric guitar and distant-sounding vocals.

Shoegaze has slowly become a sound that defines rock among Gen Z. TikTok is a major catalyst in the recent rise of new wave shoegaze breakout artists. Some of these breakout stars are teenagers who create music in their rooms, using their DAWs or midi instruments. They redefine what Shoegaze means. Wiisp and Flyingfish are notable artists who have achieved high streaming numbers over the last year.

Math Rock

Math rock originated from the influences of avant-garde and prog rock, incorporating jazz elements. Its complex time signatures, which can change multiple times in a single song, are a key feature. Math rock is a genre that requires a lot of attention when counting beats. Frequent stops characterize the sound of math rock and start. It also includes harsh, dissonant notes, rapid speed changes, and distinct guitar riffing like finger tapping. American Football and Covet are two notable math rock artists.

Math rock is more jazz-influenced, but there are some similarities in the techniques of both genres. Take Flawed Mangos. He is a TikTok breakout artist who has had significant streaming success with his guitar videos. The Internet defines midwestern ambient music as “hope core” by producing midwestern emo and math rock.

Breakcore

Breakcore is a drum and bass genre that emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It is a mix of hardcore techno, Metal, and industrial. The genre re-emerged in the 2020s with an influx of new streams. New artists were often heavily influenced by video game sounds and anime with drum breaks. They also used anime visuals for cover art.

Breakcore is characterized by hyper-fast drums that are based on a six-second drum sample from The Winstons’ track “Amen Brother”. This drum sample was the foundation for many subgenres, and it influenced early hip-hop samples and DnB. Breakcore can also use samples taken from existing media, such as videogames, pop culture clips or strange audio recordings. TOKYOPILL, Machine Girl and other artists in this genre are well-known for their fast-paced industrial sounds.

Hyperpop

Hyperpop, a subgenre of electronic music and pop music, emerged in the 2010s. Its exaggerated production creates high-energy sounds. Hyperpop is often characterized by distorted bass, high-pitched voices, electronic beats, and synthesizers.

The culture of remixing is a key element in hyperpop. The bedroom hyperpop producers remix mainstream music to create hyperpop hits. You can find almost any popular song remixed as hyperpop. You can find a list of Taylor Swift’s top hits on YouTube by searching for “Taylor Swift Hyperpop”. The songs are reworked to be sped-up, bassy electro-pop songs with pitched vocals. Turning well-known songs into obscure music.

The influence of hyperpop is not limited to pop music. It has begun to meld with other styles to create interesting hybrids, such as folk music and Hyperpop. CowGirl Clee’s hyperpop country song is a notable example of fusion. Other artists who are part of this strange music genre include CharliXCX, 100 Gecs, and Jane Remover.

Witch House

Witch House is a genre of obscure electronic music with a dark, eerie sound. It was born in the late 2000s and early 2010, heavily inspired by horror media such as The Blair Witch Project and Twin Peaks.

Despite its name, Witch House is not house music. Its sound is a mixture of industrial, noise, and dream pop music, with influences from experimental bands in the 1980s. It combines occult aesthetics with electronic music features such as synthesizers, drum machines, atmospheric sound, heavily distorted sampled vocals, and droning. CRIM3S and White Ring are notable witch house artists.

Kawaii Metal

Kawaii Metal, also known as idol-metal, is a hybrid of heavy Metal and J-pop. In the 2010s, it was created by combining the cuteness of idol music with the intensity of heavy Metal to create unheard sounds. This genre combines sweet idol-style vocals with metal screams to create a dynamic contrast between the two genres.

Heavy Metal heavily influences Kawaii. It features powerful guitar riffs, complex solos, and fast-paced drummers. Kawaii metal is characterized by catchy melodies and pop-oriented lyrics. Kawaii bands often incorporate elements of idol culture into their music and include choreographed dancing. Babymetal were the first to introduce this sub-genre of music and has brought it international attention.

8-bit music

Chiptune is an 8-bit genre derived from retro video games. The genre is characterized by simple synthesized sounds produced by sound chips from vintage gaming consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System and Commodore 64. The lo-fi sound of these sound chips defined 1980s music. They were only capable of producing a limited number of tones. 8-bit music is characterized by repetitive melodies with arpeggios and a rhythmic beat created by rapid-fire beeps from the sound chip. Retro gaming is a popular style that evokes memories of old video games.

In recent years, 8-bit has seen a surge in popularity. Its origins as video game music have been transcended to become its genre. Artists and producers today use software to create new compositions that combine the nostalgic appeal of 8-bit video game music with contemporary influences. The genre is popular in many subcultures, from indie game developers who want to emulate the retro aesthetic to electronic music producers who use elements of the minimalist pixelated sound.