Nerdcore: Star Wars on the wheels of steel
2 minutes estimated reading time
BeefygenreHip HopMC FrontalotNerdcoreNerdcore Nownet musicpop music
One of these music subjects again, after being on my to write list for quite some time: Nerdcore, a sub genre of Hip Hop with strong influences of nerd culture. So, here we go.
Nercore: Zwischen Hornbrillen und Turntables
German neticens probably know the name Nerdcore from the blog of René Walter. However, it is also the name of a sub genre of Hip Hop which could be defined (somewhat carelessly) as the “Hip Hop of nerds”. Carelessly because while there is a certain fondness of topics from nerd culture like science fiction, fantasy, computers, video games and science, the music cannot be reduced to these. A somewhat vague definition would be to consider Nerdcore the music of people who could be more or less regarded as nerds—mostly because they think as nerds of themselves. Stylistically, the non-commercial background is typical: Being published independently and free of charge, samples are often not legally cleared. I also have the impression that the sounds are unusual compared to traditional Hip Hop—more drawing on the own childhood using consoles and video games.
Robot parties, gaming consoles and more on “Nerdcore Now”
In case you are curious, there is the free compilation “Nerdcore Now“ (B sites are also available) which has been published a couple of weeks ago. The Pacman ghosts and the annoying corner blocks of Tetris on the 8 bit cover remind me of my own nerdy childhood. 21 songs are included, covering a good range of the genre.
PovertyMan has included "Rap Cliche", a Hip Hop song with a wink (“I've been around the block but I still get lost“ or “My ass hangs out like my pants don't fit“) and scratching, while Supercommuter has seemingly recorded a block party of Hip Hop robots fallen in love with vocoders. “Give A Little Love” by Illnotz is a real highlight: deeply moving, cheerful rhymes with a nice raw beat (and nice references to “Gangsta's Paradize“). XoC’s “A Seed Grows In Brooklyn“ is moving the voice to the very front in the mix (use earphones so the listening impression becomes more intense!) so that it took me a couple of time to realize there is also an interesting Latin beat driven by percussions. And obviously, songs like Bizarro X-Men’s “Character Select” and Torrentz’s “Nerdcore International” should not be missed. The mere names alone speak to the nerd inside me.
Beefy explains in the opening song: “It's a movement, it's a genre.“ The young music is surely a movement, and it will be interesting to see in which direction the artists will be moving in order to stylistically influence the genre.