ALT POP

Ok, so, I know there is a thread for PC Music, but I am really wanting to explore the broader genre of alt/weird pop. It seems like it has so much potential.

 

I have been obsessed with the Charli XCX song "tears", which is from an album all produced by A.G. cook. Stuff from the Sad Boys/Drain crews is pretty promising too. And I legit love the recent James Blake track.

 

 

Any recommendations welcome. Y'all on this trip at all? PLS GO BACK TO THE "REAL" IDM THREADS IF YOURE GONNA HATE.

lol @ telling people to go to real idm threads on watmm

 

*HATES*

 

na jk butt t'was funny imma check those tracks out tomorrow.. I'm entirely out of the loop on pop nowadays

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF_KiOpgvwU

sounds like they all share the same reverb preset, close_reflections.fxp

Alt pop is a contradiction in terms: alternative / popular. Lol

  On 5/12/2018 at 5:28 PM, Rubin Farr said:

Alt pop is a contradiction in terms: alternative / popular. Lol

It's a term I borrowed from A.G. Cook's twitter, which he used to describe the "Pop 2" album. I hear what you're saying, but at the same time, the pop music structure and tropes mean something other than just "popular", so how else would you define a genre that split off of that?

Slightly less Pop

I generally dig some of this kinda stuff, of course if my mood calls for it. But I don't know, aside that Thaiboy one which I think is pretty cool, I'm sort of over the "let's make weird pop music" angle. It feels almost insincere and suuuper constructed and too serious at this point. Like I'd almost rather hear actual self-admitted pop cuz at least it admits it's catering to something. I love experimenting with and the use of extreme fx but I think when a whole sound relies on say autotune squigglys or a certain reverb patch like someone said or a glitchy vocal thing, I just find it boring cuz it feels gimmicky. Subtely would be appreciated here. I love a lotta AG Cook's stuff when it's as musical and groovy as it is heady/weird. But then I also love me some Panasonic or Also Noto or Ventian Snares. I just don't always think that marrying contemporary pop with experimental is valuable just because they're being married if that makes sense. The song / music / groove / atmosphere has to stand on its own first.

Edited May 13, 2018 by Lane Visitor

  On 5/13/2018 at 2:33 AM, Lane Visitor said:

I generally dig some of this kinda stuff, of course if my mood calls for it. But I don't know, aside that Thaiboy one which I think is pretty cool, I'm sort of over the "let's make weird pop music" angle. It feels almost insincere and suuuper constructed and too serious at this point. Like I'd almost rather hear actual self-admitted pop cuz at least it admits it's catering to something. I love experimenting with and the use of extreme fx but I think when a whole sound relies on say autotune squigglys or a certain reverb patch like someone said or a glitchy vocal thing, I just find it boring cuz it feels gimmicky. Subtely would be appreciated here. I love a lotta AG Cook's stuff when it's as musical and groovy as it is heady/weird. But then I also love me some Panasonic or Also Noto or Ventian Snares. I just don't always think that marrying contemporary pop with experimental is valuable just because they're being married if that makes sense. The song / music / groove / atmosphere has to stand on its own first.

 

Couldn't you literally level all of these criticisms at vaporwave?

  On 5/13/2018 at 11:35 AM, hello spiral said:

 

  On 5/13/2018 at 2:33 AM, Lane Visitor said:

I generally dig some of this kinda stuff, of course if my mood calls for it. But I don't know, aside that Thaiboy one which I think is pretty cool, I'm sort of over the "let's make weird pop music" angle. It feels almost insincere and suuuper constructed and too serious at this point. Like I'd almost rather hear actual self-admitted pop cuz at least it admits it's catering to something. I love experimenting with and the use of extreme fx but I think when a whole sound relies on say autotune squigglys or a certain reverb patch like someone said or a glitchy vocal thing, I just find it boring cuz it feels gimmicky. Subtely would be appreciated here. I love a lotta AG Cook's stuff when it's as musical and groovy as it is heady/weird. But then I also love me some Panasonic or Also Noto or Ventian Snares. I just don't always think that marrying contemporary pop with experimental is valuable just because they're being married if that makes sense. The song / music / groove / atmosphere has to stand on its own first.

Couldn't you literally level all of these criticisms at vaporwave?

Haha I knew someone would go there. I guess sure, fair enough. But like 75% of vaporwave releases that come out are not interesting to me, so I think it's more of me being like an old man music snob thing than anything lol. For the record Charli xcx is great, just wasn't really feeling that one posted or some of those others. I think I'm much more critical of vocal pop with melodies than I am of other things.. maybe a higher standard for some reason.

Edited May 13, 2018 by Lane Visitor

these are pop in intention but weird as fuck, dunno if this is the stuff you mean

 

 

 

 

I like FKA Twigs and Kelela

  On 5/30/2018 at 4:26 PM, joshuatx said:

 

Love this, thank you. I'm a big fan of outsider weirdo pop rock.

 

 

  On 5/30/2018 at 4:26 PM, joshuatx said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmLk2vSXXtk

Haven't heard the others yet, but oh man this is magical! I've heard of this artist but never had a listen until now. So much great stuff that came out of the 80s new wave / post-punk / new romantic / goth etc scene.

  On 5/30/2018 at 10:31 PM, paranerd said:

Love this, thank you. I'm a big fan of outsider weirdo pop rock.

 

 

 

YES Been looking for this for awhile!

 

That MU album is a gem, like really, really out there extension of electroclash's heydey. I first heard this song on KVRX and it was fucking jarring.

 

 

Maurice Fulton produced it, one of those albums people geeked out over but doesn't seem as well remembered because it was back in the days of blogspot mp3s and such.