What is Lofi?

by Eason

Yo.

I’ve received a request from a good friend to help explain different pop music concepts, trends or genres in my words (as someone who has their head buried in these things 24/7). Today’s topic is simple…

~Lofi~

You know those “lofi” image filters that make your pics look old and grainy on purpose? Whether it be to reenact a certain time period or to simply capture a desired aesthetic, the same idea (and descriptors) can be applied with music.

Copying and pasting from Wikipedia:

Lo-fi (from low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections of a recording or performance are audible, sometimes as a deliberate aesthetic choice.

Imperfections in music were originally, unintentionally created by low(er)-level technology that music producers and consumers had access to in the older time periods they lived in. Nowadays, it’s hip to incorporate this “vintage” sound into one’s music as many superstars as well as popular up-and-coming artists are riding this trend. Some examples of artists that incorporate lofi elements into their music:

  • Clairo
  • BROCKHAMPTON
  • Anderson .Paak
  • Tyler, The Creator
  • Sasha Sloan
  • Steve Lacy
  • Surfaces

I should mention that lofi doesn’t apply to any single genre but can be incorporated into pretty much any style. In fact, many people recognize lofi subgenres such as lofi hip hop, which is mostly responsible for the style’s recent surge in popularity. The crackly-smooth, gentle swing of these beats allow for easy listening as instrumentals which make them popular as study music. For example, if you are a student or was one in the past few years, you almost certainly have come across the following study playlist:

 

 

I’m sure you recognize the commonalities between the songs on this playlist, mellow grooves with chill beats. But what exactly does that mean in terms of musical characteristics one can point out? Luckily, I came across an Instagram post by one of my favorite music production content creators, Cymatics.fm. The following post provides a video that demonstrates 5 characteristics (as tips for producers making lofi beats) and provides more detail on each point in the caption:

 

View this post on Instagram

I haven’t done any Lofi Hip Hop tips in a while, so here’s 5 quick ones that will instantly level up your Lofi beats 🔥 ⠀ 🔹 TIP 1: Use plugins like RC-20 to make your sounds more vintage ⠀ A huge part of lofi hip hop is vintage sounds, and this is usually achieved by intentionally adding imperfections to your sounds. You can use RC-20 to add a slight wobble, noise, distortion, and more effects to emulate that classic “vinyl record” sound”. A free alternative plugin is iZotope Vinyl ⠀ 🔹 TIP 2: Use swing on your drums to make them more human ⠀ Adding swing or groove to your drums is KEY to lofi hip hop. You can achieve this by dragging your drums slightly off the grid and changing the velocities of some of the notes. Try referencing some classic 90s hip hop like Mobb Deep. ⠀ 🔹 TIP 3: Layer in real life ambience recordings and vinyl crackles ⠀ Adding some real life sounds can set the tone of your song. For example, you can add rain and your song will instantly sound a bit sadder and moody. We have a free pack called “Cymatics – LIFE” with hundreds of recordings like this (search for it on google to download) ⠀ 🔹 TIP 4: Use Reaktor FX to lower the sample rate ⠀ Lowering the same rate of some of the sounds or even the entire track can give it a much more Lofi sound because you’re literally making it sound worse on purpose. However in this case, worse can be better. ⠀ I put full instructions on how to do this trick on my story! ⠀ 🔹 TIP 5 – Use vocals from old tv shows, movies, animes, and poetry ⠀ Try adding vintage or emotional recordings of people talking to the intros of your tracks. It instantly creates a good vibe. I use an old poetry recording for this beat. ⠀ 🔹 If these tips helped you, follow me -> @drewcymatics ⠀ #lofi #hiphop #lofihiphop #lofibeat #lofibeats #hiphopproducer #makingbeats #beatmaker #beatmaking #ableton #abletonlive #ableton10 #hiphop #musicproducer #musicproduction #90shiphop #chillbeat #producer #musician

A post shared by Cymatics.fm (@cymaticsfm) on

 

If you found any of these tips confusing feel free to comment down below and I’d be happy to clarify.

Hopefully, when you hear the word “lofi” in relation to music now, you’ll be able to identify why that is! Feel free to share some of your favorite lofi-sounding music with me as I’m always looking. Thanks for looking at my words, as always.

✌️‘n Carrots,

eace