What is Lo Fi?
Lo fi is a subgenre of popular music which is sometimes classified as alternative or indie. It first evolved in the 1980s and 90s, and was initially a way of describing the sound recording quality of an album. Somehow, this evolved into a style in its own right, with a music maker purposefully creating work that would sound as if it was recorded at home, even if it was made in an expensive studio. In a way, this was a rebellion against the slick, overblown sounds of ‘manufactured’ pop and rock at that time, when alternative music and even the role of dj were becoming more and more corporate. Pavement, Beck, and Daniel Johnston are good examples of lo fi. Lo fi still exists, however, although that fuzzy quality is harder to capture, because even apps, e.g. Drum Pad Machine (download here), are much higher in quality these days.
|