Ever wonder what else is out there beyond Rock or Pop? I’m here to part the curtain on your favorite genres and take us all on a journey through the world of niche subgenres. You may imagine the boat scene from Willy Wonka if that helps.
Swedish Tropical House
Swedish Tropical House is a subgenre of EDM broken down and named after its essential parts. Basically, house beats, tropical feel-good vibes, and a Swedish producer. This is a subgenre for fans of Avicii who want something so earnestly positive that it borders on delusion. Swedish Tropical House is about feeling good all the time, which is great when you’re absolutely rolling at EDC, or wherever that kind of stuff happens. This is an easy subgenre to jump right into, as with a lot of EDM, it doesn’t tend to involve thematic elements or overly complicated production. A good starting point, however, would be Swedish DJ Mike Perry’s 2016 breakthrough “The Ocean”.
Lovecraftian Metal
Lovecraftian Metal is similar to Swedish Tropical House in that it’s a subgenre that does exactly what it says on the tin. This is heavy metal based almost solely on themes created by H.P. Lovecraft. We’re talking ancient old gods, cosmic horror, the great and terrible unknown, perhaps a little divine madness to spice things up. Without a crash course in Lovecraftian themes, this one might be a bit harder to get into if you want the full experience. But even without that, the instrumentals are pretty sick. A decent start here could be The Great Old Ones’ “The Omniscient”. It’s on the more melodic side of heavy metal, so if you’re looking for something classic, there’s Corpsessed’s “Succumb To Rot”.
Wonky
Wonky is typically classed as a subgenre of EDM, but there’s also an offshoot of Wonky Pop that encompasses twee acts like Mika and Alphabeat. Wonky, in itself, has led to several regional microgenres, such as purple sound in Bristol and aquacrunk in Glasgow. It originated in the mid-2000s, splintered from dubstep, and grew in the U.K. club scene. In contrast to dubstep and grime, wonky is notable for its often off-kilter beats and garish, unstable melodies and effects. Heavy on glitchy synth, wonky is the dictionary definition of eclectic style. Joker’s “Midnight” featuring Bassnectar is a good start for the U.K. style. Flying Lotus’ “Crust” is a good example of an American sound.
Russian Witch House
Witch house, as a subgenre, started as a joke in a 2009 Pitchfork article. Coined by Travis Egedy, aka Pictureplane, to describe the occult-based house music he was making, he included it in a best-of article. 2010 became “the year of witch house,” he recalled. The phrase was picked up by major music publications, including a mention in the New York Times. Then, witch house became something else entirely.
It’s categorized by creepy samples from horror movies, atmospheric elements, chopped and screwed remixes, and occult themes. It also developed a significant following in Russia, where its themes center on nihilism and dark humor. It’s similar to something called Russian Doomer Wave, which encapsulates mostly Soviet darkwave and post-punk. Witch house, however, tends to lean more experimentally glitchy and occult. It’s also mostly contained to the internet, where it should probably stay. “Hey Jessica, I Rolled A Joint” by Summer of Haze is a good start, as is “Plague” by Beneath My Shade.
Photo by Frank Hoensch/Redferns
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