Question of the Week - Your favourite obscure music genres/styles?

[Joan]

It’s Friday, you know what that means! It’s been a while but it’s time for another Question of the Week.

You know, one of the most wonderful things about music is that it’s so varied and diverse. You can find almost anything out there. And while mainstream music is alright and all that, I find that more often there are exciting things to find in the corners of the obscure. So here’s my question to you this week – what are some more obscure and less known musical styles that we should know about? Tell us what it is and send us your jams!

I would like to start with one that is near and dear to my heart – Balkan folk punk. This style is fairly well known and is quite popular in its native Eastern Europe, but not much outside of it. The biggest band has to be Dubioza Kolektiv with others like Kultur Shock and Russkaja being some that have achieved more significant international success. The genre is generally fast punk/metal music with typical Balkan instruments like violins, accordions, trumpets, trombones and bagpipes thrown in. It definitely also takes influence from the likes of ska, reggae and celtic punk acts like the Dropkick Murphys. Lyrics are either satirically political, channeling the frustrations of the post-Iron curtain nations or comedic about drinking, lovemaking and partying. Also, Balkan folk punk bands have the best concerts, fact.

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Next up, I would like to talk about the recent emergence known as dungeon synth. Now, despite the name, this isn’t some dark or evil sounding genre. It’s an almost entirely instrumental electronic style that aims to create a medieval fantasy sound. The names of the tracks, album covers and general artistry are all heavily inspired by 80s pulp fantasy literature and 90s fantasy adventure RPG video games. The albums definitely sound like the soundtracks to games that sadly don’t exist. Artists use stereotypically medieval instruments – fiddles, flutes, lutes, mandolins, pan pipes, etc. - albeit they are all synthesized rather than played for real and complimented with programmed drums and 80s style keyboards for that computer game sound. They also often feature ambient sounds such as rustling leaves, flowing rivers, birds, frogs, galloping horses, clashing swords and more to elevate the atmosphere. This style is one of my favourite recent discoveries and I highly recommend it. Jam these jams during your next Dungeons & Dragons session for a truly magical experience.

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And finally, a very close and dear friend of mine recently introduced me to maidcore. This is a weird stylistic movement, one of those obscure things that originate among internet culture. All the artists follow a typical maid aesthetic with the dresses, aprons, feather dusters and all that, as influenced by anime and Japanese maid cafes. You’ll notice a lot of them use “[blank] the Maid” as their name. The movement is very clearly an offspring of the anime fandom and is heavily influenced by that subculture. The genre is quite diverse and difficult to pinpoint it’s sound as it varies greatly from artist to artist. In general it’s some amalgamation of alternative rock, electronica, downtempo, trip-hop, synthpop, chiptune, nu metal, etc. and it also sounds very similar to a lot of early 2000s anime openings. It’s often compared to glitchbreak (which is another subgenre rabbit hole to go down, feel free to explore some on your own 😉). The connecting theme is of course the anime maid aesthetic and that all the music has a very distinct “vibe” to it, I don’t know what else to call it. The songs are mostly instrumental, tend to be slow and are very melancholic and quietly emotional. You’d expect a genre called maidcore to be some bubbly Japanese pop that would befit a maid cafe but no, it’s more like the music the maids vibe to while trying to deal with the stress of everyday life. Imagine if the lo-fi girl listened to a lot of My Chemical Romance and Deftones when growing up. Whatever it is though, the style is very engaging to listen to and offers a great mood and atmosphere.

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[AdamDamon]

Great question, @Joan!

One genre of music that I listen to sometimes, and which I’d consider to be somewhat obscure, is the Palm Desert Scene.

The Palm Desert Scene is perhaps best known for pioneering the genre of music known as “stoner rock,” and it began to take form with "generator parties" during the late 1980s and early 1990s in Palm Desert, southern California (which is why the term "desert rock" is sometimes used to refer to stoner rock music).

Bands from the Palm Desert Scene were rooted in such disparate styles as punk, psychedelic rock, hard rock, and heavy metal. From reading a “Rock History” article on the Monster Riff website, I also gather that one motivation for these bands to play out in the desert was to avoid cops breaking up house parties where the bands could alternatively play. 

Soon, Palm Desert Scene artists such as Yawning Man and Kyuss were bringing their instruments and equipment—along with gasoline-powered generators for electricity—into the desert, where they drew crowds of fans and could play without needing to worry as much about their music being shut down. 

Although most of the original Palm Desert Scene bands aren’t currently active, this term is still used to refer to projects with original members from the scene, such as Brant Bjork and Josh Homme.

Here are some examples of songs that I think sound great, representing the Palm Desert Scene:

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Cheers!

[ghostlyk]

Great question!

An amazing genre of music I sometimes listen to is 'dream pop'. It is characterised by dreamy, distorted and reverbed melodies, breathy vocals and oftentimes, depressing/existentialist lyrics. A relatively popular dream pop song is 'Space Song' by beach house.

[Xenia]

Not sure if it’s a genre or a combination of multiple genres with a similar theme, but lately I’ve been listening a lot to Alt Z:

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It has elements of alternative-, indie-, and punk rock. Usually the lyrics are kinda dark or even sad while the music is very powerful and can feel aggressive sometimes. Don’t know if the genre originated in the gaming scene, but it’s well represented there and I’ve discovered some of my favorite tracks through video games.

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Another obscure genre (in fact it’s so obscure it most likely doesn’t exist at all 😅) that I sometimes listen to is what I’d like to call Theme Park Waiting in Line Music 🎠 (but in general it's probably Trance or some other genre that goes well with the theme of the ride...)

While mostly it’s just about the worst experience you have to suffer through when standing in line for up to an hour or more to get on a ride, there are some exceptions:

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I love this track so much, I can just listen to it with my eyes closed imagining I’m sitting in the coaster car. The ride itself isn't particularly thrilling and there are newer, more exciting ones but the music arrangement for the Euro Mir is just perfect, especially the part starting at 1:22 which is playing while you slowly spiral upwards inside the dark towers towards the drop off at the top 🎢

[ghostlyk]

Alt z it one of my favourite kinds of music!

[ThinkingofLeaving]

Previously I would have an answer to this question as Spotifys Home Screen was easily navigable. It’s been changed now so I don’t see my Discover Weekly’s or any new music for that matter. Bring back the old Home Screen and quit asking lame questions like this and address the other thread. 

We are all about to leave.

[easymovers]

Great question! I’m always excited to explore new musical styles and genres. Here are a few more obscure and less-known styles that you might want to check out:

1. Nujazz – Nujazz is a subgenre of jazz that emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It incorporates elements of electronic music, funk, soul, and hip-hop into traditional jazz music. The genre is characterized by its use of digital samples and beats, and its focus on creating a relaxed, laid-back vibe. Some popular nujazz artists include St. Germain, Jazzanova, and Koop.

2. Vaporwave – Vaporwave is a genre of electronic music that emerged in the early 2010s. It is characterized by its heavy use of sampling and its nostalgic, retro-futuristic aesthetic. Vaporwave often samples 80s and 90s pop music and slows it down, creating a dreamy, surreal sound. Some popular vaporwave artists include Macintosh Plus, Saint Pepsi, and Blank Banshee.

3. Chiptune – Chiptune, also known as 8-bit music, is a genre of electronic music that uses sound chips from vintage computers and gaming consoles to create music. The genre emerged in the 1980s and is characterized by its simple, minimalist sound. Chiptune has gained a cult following in recent years, with artists like Anamanaguchi and Sabrepulse gaining popularity.

4. Math rock – Math rock is a subgenre of rock that emerged in the 1990s. It is characterized by its use of complex time signatures and unconventional song structures. Math rock often features intricate guitar riffs and melodic basslines. Some popular math rock bands include Don Caballero, Battles, and Hella.

5. Gypsy jazz – Gypsy jazz, also known as jazz manouche, is a genre of jazz that originated in France in the 1930s. It is characterized by its use of acoustic guitars, violins, and upright basses. Gypsy jazz often features fast tempos and complex solos. Some popular gypsy jazz artists include Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli, and Biréli Lagrène.

I hope these recommendations inspire you to explore some new musical styles and find some new favorite artists!

[Midnite2189_]

within alt z, Mothica is one of my top artists of all time

[raphol]

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[user-removed]

Joan,

This is a great question. Thanks for asking it.

This might not be a genre as much of an offshoot or movement, by the way, but I love “Northern Soul” music of the 60’s.

Northern Soul was created when Motown music in Detroit traveled overseas to Britain, and the Mods took a liking to the faster-paced songs, which were tightly associated with dancing.

The music is great, in my opinion. It’s readily available all over Spotify, so have a listen! I hope you enjoy it.

Fav track: https://open.spotify.com/track/3bpkfg2YhxfN2h5CY46jqs?si=Kz4-pyHvR4WFSvMlCY7NtA&dd=1

Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWUB4Jn6piqKS?si=FkJ79OrnSNC-KxDKFu3NVg&dd=1