Lofi

This is a relatively new genre: Lofi or also called Lofi beats. Matthias Reinelt came across this type of music in early 2023. How can this music be described. On the one hand there is the aesthetic side, i.e. which sounds are used, how does the music actually sound. The music sounds deliberately lofi, as opposed to hifi. The highs and lows are significantly reduced. Sometimes the music sounds „wobbly“ as if played in an old lofi cassette deck with wow and flutter. Sometimes you hear vinyl noise. However, it can happen that this effect is overused. Furthermore, sounds from field recording are used: street noise, people in a cafe, children in a playground, wind and water of all kinds, be it rain, the sound of the sea or a small stream.

The musical side of Lofi is very relaxed and repetitive. Often the same chord progression of 8 bars, for example, is repeated over and over again. Attention should deliberately not be drawn too much to the music. The rhythm has elements of hip hop but in a much slower version. there is usually no singing. The melody is mostly a phrasing of the chords.

There is certainly more to say about Lofi (Lo-Fi), but the best thing to do is just listen to a few tracks: