Music has many different sounds to offer. Chances are, you haven’t heard of these weird, wild genres before. Here are five music genres to show your friends.
5: Wizard Rock
Do you love rocking out? Do you love the Harry Potter series? Look no further than Wizard Rock, or Wrock. Wizard Rock is a genre that emerged in the early 2000s, and is inspired by the Harry Potter series. It often incorporates lyrics that reference characters, settings, and events from the series. It incorporates elements of punk rock, indie rock, and folk music.
Some notable albums are “The Enchanted Ceiling” by Harry and the Potters, “Goodbye Privet Drive” by Ministry of Magic, and “Toilet Humor” by The Moaning Myrtles.
4: Drone Metal
Drone Metal is a subgenre of metal that incorporates long, sustained notes (often called drones) and repetitive rhythms. The sound is very dark, hypnotic, but can be both meditative and intense. The genre came about in the early 1990s, and is inspired by various genres, such as ambient and experimental music, as well as doom metal and sludge metal. Notable albums include “Earth 2” by Earth, “Black One” by sunn O))), and “Eternal Kingdom” by Cult of Luna.
3: Stenchcore
Stenchcore is a subgenre of punk rock and hardcore punk that emerged in the mid-1980s in the UK. It is characterized by its aggressive, raw sound and lyrics that often focus on social and political issues. “Stench” refers to the dirty sound of the music, which comes from distorted guitars and rough production techniques. Stenchcore bands often incorporate elements of other subgenres of punk rock and hardcore, such as crust punk, grindcore, and death metal, into their music. Some notable albums include “Rise Of The Serpent Men” by Axegrinder, “Arise !” by Amebix, and “Unrest” by disrupt.
2: Plunderphonics
Plunderphonics is a genre of music that involves sampling and editing of different audio clips and recordings to create new musical compositions. “Plunderphonics” is a term that was coined by Canadian composer John Oswald in the 1980s. Plunderphonics is a form of sound collage. Plunderphonics artists use various techniques such as cutting and pasting, looping, pitch-shifting, and time-stretching. The resulting compositions can range from abstract soundscapes to more traditional musical forms, such as pop songs. Some albums include “Plexure” by John Oswald, “Escape From Noise” by Negativland, and “Feed the Animals” by Girl Talk.
1: Nintendocore
What are the two best things on Earth? If you said Nintendo games and metal music, you’re sure to love Nintendocore. Nintendocore is a subgenre of music that blends chiptune music and punk rock and heavy metal. The genre emerged in the early 2000s and is characterized by its usage of 8 bit and 16 bit video game sounds, along with distorted guitars, aggressive drumming and classic metal vocals. Some notable albums include “Desperate Living” by Horse The Band, “Metal Kombat for the Mortal Man” by Powerglove, and “The Secret Mirror” by Rainbowdragoneyes.
Music has much to explore, and these genres are just a few that you might be unfamiliar with. Some honorable mentions include Viking Metal, Brostep, Future Garage, Moog, and Highlife. Thank you for reading and I hope you’ve found a new genre to learn about, share, and listen to.
Written by Jesus Robles
Host
Hello, my name is Jesus. I am a computer science major, and I love listening to music. I play piano and guitar, and also play trombone in the jazz ensemble here at Harper. In my free time I like to play games like Rocket League and Overwatch, and I also make my own music occasionally. My show is called The Genre Sampler and I hope you’ll join me Wednesdays at 12pm to explore new music and learn a thing or two!
Harper Radio 