Wonky (genre)
Wonky (also known as purple sound, aquacrunk, or lazer hip hop[1][2]) is a subgenre of electronic music known primarily for its off-kilter or “unstable” beats, as well as its eclectic blend of genres including hip hop, electro-funk, chiptune, jazz fusion, glitch, and crunk.[2][3] It initially emerged in 2008 in the wake of the UK's dubstep and grime scenes, exchanging their austere sound for a more colorful or exuberant style featuring garish synthesizer tones, melodies, and effects.[1] Other influences included American hip hop producers J Dilla and Madlib. Artists associated with the style include Rustie, Joker, Hudson Mohawke, Jai Paul, Zomby, Mimosa, MartyParty and Flying Lotus.[2][3]
Wonky | |
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Stylistic origins | |
Cultural origins | Mid 2000s–early 2010s, United Kingdom, Los Angeles |
Regional scenes | |
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Regional characteristics
The "wet and unstable" sound of wonky is often achieved by producing unquantized beats and mid-range basses using pitch bending, mid-range synths, LFOs on lowpassing and highpassing, phasing, and delaying.
Purple sound emerged in Bristol in late 2008 out of the splintering dubstep scene and took inspiration from wonky, which it is sometimes considered a part of. It incorporates synth funk from the 1980s and G-funk production from the ’90s into dubstep, while also introducing many aspects of grime and chiptune (several prominent purple sound artists cite video game music as a large influence).[4]
References
- Thomas de Chroustchoff, Gwyn. "The Dummy guide to purple". Dummy Mag. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
- Martin Clark (2008-04-30). "Grime / Dubstep". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2016-07-18.
- Reynolds, Simon (2011). Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past. Farrah, Straus & Giroux. p. 76. ISBN 9781429968584.
- "Maintenance Mode". The Stool Pigeon. Archived from the original on 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2016-07-18.