Some of the current mainstream music genres that’s alive in the Philippines, such as K-Pop, Electronic Dance Music (EDM), and Rhythm and blues (R&B), among others, may be too flashy, inorganic, or just plain uninteresting for some listeners. Yes, including listeners belonging to the Gen Z and Millennials group.
If you are one of those “old souls,” you are probably aware that having this kind of taste unique from your peers has its pros. However, you may also find it hard sometimes as you have no one to share or gather new songs and fun music facts with.
Say no more because here are beginner’s guides to 5 relatively obscure music genres from Instagram user @earfeeder that will introduce you to music that may suit your taste.
This transient avant-garde music and visual art scene emerged during the 1970s in New York City.
Perhaps fitting to those listeners who do not like following the trend that might be overrated sometimes, the musicians of this genre experimented with noise, dissonance, and atonality to do away with pop rock’s inclination to rock and roll clichés. Interestingly, the worldviews it reflects in its music are often abrasive, confrontational, and nihilistic.
To start your journey into appreciating this genre, @earfeeder suggested listening first to the No New York (1978) album by various artists like James Chance and the Contortions and Mars & DNA. It embodied this genre’s very essence, which might be a good start before proceeding with the albums that sprang from it.
Following the Punk Rock emergence during the 1970s, this genre combined elements from what came first, such as Hardcore Punk and Experimental Rock, along with other cousin genres like Noise Rock and Emo.
If you love the idea of going out of the usual or continuous innovation while saving the part of what matters most, this genre might be perfect for you. As it upholds that music is an effective tool of expression and not just loud and brutal sound, this genre retained the aggression and intensity of the punk formula but provided more emphasis on creative expression.
As a good start, @earfeeder suggested listening first to the Relationship of Command (2000) album by the American post-hardcore band At the Dive-In. Prepare to feel various emotions as you listen to this album that combines aggressive edge with rather calm elements of melodic drive, passionate vocals, and surreal lyrics.
This 1980s sub-genre of indie and alternative rock from the United Kingdom has been known for its exquisite combination of concealed vocals, guitar effects and distortion, and loud volume.
Good news, though, because this may be a relatively old genre, but there is an ongoing debate about which band had the most influential record among its “holy trinity”, such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, and Ride.
Wanna dive in? @earfeeder suggested you should begin by listening to Loveless (1991) by the Irish-English band My Bloody Valentine. This suggestion might sound questionable concerning the debate, though, but it can be seen as the first challenge for joining it.
As the name says, this genre is a combination of industrial music and hip hop, which began in the late 1980s.
Some fusions may indeed result in a beautiful outcome, and this music can be considered one. Inspired by the many attempts to combine Industrial music (under the Industrial Records label) with Hardcore Hip Hop and Dub, this fusion of rap and industrial music’s transgressive and provocative qualities arose.
A recent album has been suggested by @earfeeder titled The Money Store (2012) by Death Grips as the first album to begin knowing this genre.
As a subgenre of alternative and indie rock, this music that combines dissonant noise or feedback and songcraft common to pop music was developed in the mid-1980s in the United Kingdom and the United States.
If you are conscious about the beginning of the music you listen to, this is definitely for you. First off, The Velvet Underground and its experiment with feedback and distortion were traced to have a significant influence on it. However, the underground band Membranes coined the term “noise pop” to refer to a noisier version of the latter.
Perhaps leading to a path just as clear as its beginning, @earfeeder suggests going first to the debut studio album of Jesus and Mary Chain titled Psychocandy (1985) to begin knowing this genre.
There are more music genres to discover so go check out @earfeeder on IG, and remember: Real musicophiles don’t gatekeep, nor judge other people’s music taste.
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