this post was submitted on 15 Nov 2023
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For those unfamiliar with the genre "easy listening" here's a link to a Wikipedia article about it

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[–] Fleshtrap@lemmy.world 36 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Basically trip hop for people who missed out on or are too young for trip hop.

Nujabes, Massive Attack, Portishead, Unkle, Little Dragon, and many more great artists/bands that all have produced albums and songs that could be described as lofi, often find their work in lofi mixes.

[–] azertyfun@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

"Lofi" as it is understood nowadays is more about background music that aims not to be distracting when working/studying. Basically lofi == "lofi (to study to)".

Trip-hop like Portishead does it, while it is "low fidelity" (as in it uses warm tones, crackling, record scratching, etc), it is not lofi, in the same way that Sabaton is Rock but not Rock&Roll.

[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Wow, I never thought I was so old as to be out of touch. To me, “lo-fi” without the “lo-fi hip hop” specification is really, like, rock/indie rock, but literally with lo-fidelity recording. It’s like a punk practice that was put into use for rock or indie rock, sometime in the early-to-late 2000s.

Think early white stripes, the growlers (their first album or so anyway), king khan & the BBQ show, maybe The Babies could fit into this category.

But “lofi beats”/“lofi hip hop” is a separate designation. But it needs the “hip hop” modifier because “lo-fi” existed before the YouTube playlist of simple, relaxing beats to study to thing.

So, I guess what I’m saying is, “these damn kids don’t know what lofi even is anymore. With their YouTubes and their handheld nintendos—dress them up all you want! I know a game boy when I see one!”

[–] can@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago

I'm a young millennial and I'm with you.

[–] andrew_bidlaw@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I imagine doing homework undistracted while Unkle's Warstories or Portishead's Dummy are playing. Or how DJ Shadow would fit on the same shelf as this one tired anime girl with her studying hip-hop beats. It's a bit of a stretch to put them together, if not for a dozen of neutral songs in their discographies.

[–] can@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

I used to study to DJ Shadow all the time.

[–] Azuth@lemmy.today 5 points 1 year ago

It's basically the same genre, but "Trip Hop Beats to Relax/Study To" just doesn't have the same ring to it

[–] JeffKerman1999@sopuli.xyz 22 points 1 year ago

Uh I listen to Skyrim ambience when I work

[–] irmoz@reddthat.com 17 points 1 year ago

It's listed as a derivative form on the wiki page lol

[–] MrJameGumb@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The fact that you felt it was necessary to include a Wikipedia link to explain what Easy Listening is makes me feel as old as Morla the Ancient One

[–] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Straight up I felt the need to because when I brought it up with one of my coworkers yesterday, they didn't know what Easy Listening was

Made me feel hella old that's for sure

[–] MrJameGumb@lemmy.world 7 points 1 year ago

If it makes you feel any better, I was telling someone about an album I found that came out in the 70s and I had to say it was "proto vaporwave" before they understood what I meant lol

[–] germanatlas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What is [F4M]Mommy Works the Stress Out Of Her Good Boy[Gentle Fdom][Msub][Mommy][BDSM][Established Relationship][Kissing][Body Admiration][“Good Boy”][Wet Sounds][Pre-Cum][Blindfold][JOE][Praise][Edging][Cock Kisses][Teasing][Encouragement][Hand Job][Consent][L-Bomb][Listener Orgasm][Script Fill] of the past?

[–] jballs@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 year ago

Easy. That's what 1-900 numbers were for.

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Cop Shoot Cop?

No, I got it: "Great Gig In The Sky."

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[–] LEONHART@slrpnk.net 8 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, my wife and I have long referred to lofi as "Old People Music for Millennials."

I listen to it nearly exclusively these days.

[–] Gormadt@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 year ago

It's so peaceful to listen to

It makes a great prep to unwind before work and before bed

I've been listening to a lot of it lately

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 year ago

Easy listening in my experience is production music for lobbies and non-spaces (places we go through but don't exist in, like luggage claim areas). It's part of the social science of keeping people calm when they have the stressor of not being where they want to be or are supposed to be.

LoFi in more recent experiences are similar -- music you can study to, or research to, or otherwise focus on other tasks -- but are usually qualified by being also part of another genre (say metal, or classical or blues or retrocore or cyberpunk).

[–] LoamImprovement@beehaw.org 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I too have had several "Oh my god, is this my generation's Muzak?" moments.

[–] feebl@feddit.nl 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

These lofi mixes on YouTube are essentially trip-hop. Lofi (also called DIY music) is low fidelity music made by indie artists in their bedroom, also sometimes called bedroom pop.

This playlist I made gives a good idea.

[–] Resonanz@slrpnk.net 4 points 1 year ago
[–] PunnyName@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I just listen to ASMR

[–] NeutralFlame@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is delightful. Something new to listen to while I do some work

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Might also try whatever Bohren & Der Club Of Gore is.

[–] ichmagrum@feddit.de 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It's sometimes called "dark jazz" or "noir jazz".

But IDK about studying with it. They definitely have some pieces that work (e.g. most of Sunset Mission), but a lot of their stuff combines being extremely slow with kinda loud drum hits, which can be kind of distracting IMO. Like, you're listening to some sweet chord ring out, and after a couple of seconds the snare goes TCHACK.

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

Fair enough. Dark ambient stuff like Lustmord may work better.