Lo-fi music

Lo-fi music embraces or imitates low-fidelity recording qualities, including tape hiss, distortion, muffled sound, and audible imperfections.

Audio fidelity: The degree to which an audio recording reproduces the sound of its source. Lo-fi music deliberately departs from accurate reproduction.
Home recording: The recording of music outside professional studios, often with limited equipment. Accessible home setups made imperfect recordings both practical and distinctive.
Lo-fi hip-hop: A hip-hop style built around mellow beats, sampled sounds, and deliberately softened production. It is the best-known contemporary branch of the lo-fi aesthetic.
High fidelity: Accurate reproduction of recorded sound with minimal unwanted noise or distortion. It names the clean reproduction that lo-fi music intentionally departs from.
Tape hiss: Broadband noise produced by magnetic tape recording and playback. It is one of lo-fi music’s most recognizable background textures.
Cassette culture: A music-making and distribution network built around home-recorded and exchanged cassette tapes. Cassette circulation helped low-budget recordings reach listeners directly.
Chill-out music: Music designed for relaxed, low-intensity listening. Lo-fi textures often reinforce chill-out music’s subdued atmosphere.
Studio recording: Music recording made in a dedicated facility with controlled acoustics and professional equipment. Studio polish offers a contrasting ideal to lo-fi’s audible roughness.
Audio distortion: A change to an audio signal that alters its waveform or frequency content. Lo-fi production often uses distortion as an audible texture.
DIY ethic: An approach that favors self-production and independent control over professional systems. Lo-fi recordings often turn limited means into an intentional aesthetic.

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