Perfect for telework and staying at home! Recommended popular Lo-Fi hip hop tracks

magic spellBROCKBEATS

magic spell

Naturally, Japanese artists are also active in the world of lo-fi hip-hop! Among the most famous is BROCKBEATS, who consistently delivers high-quality beats from a uniquely nuanced position that goes beyond lo-fi hip-hop alone.

His track-making sensibility evokes a distinctly Japanese sense of nostalgia, making his work truly distinctive.

Though his background remains shrouded in mystery, he’s also known as a prolific artist who releases new material frequently.

The track featured here, “Magic Spell,” was released in 2017 and appears on the album Calm Life.

It samples the jazz number “I LOVE THE WAY YOU’RE BREAKING MY HEART,” sung by the renowned jazz singer and actress Peggy Lee, and the vibe—like it’s flowing from an old record—perfectly embodies the classic lo-fi hip-hop aesthetic.

The vocals are quoted in a processed form, including pitched-up elements, and the airy, floating beat feels great.

It’s a song that showcases BROCKBEATS’s talent, setting it apart from tracks that simply sample a jazz record and lay a beat underneath.

crush on uBSD.U

bsd.u – crush on u

It’s an ambitious track that boldly samples two very different songs: a 1986 release by soul singer-songwriter Phyllis Hyman, and the smash hit “Crush on You” that the so-called queen of hip-hop, Lil’ Kim, dropped in 1996.

Created by a Vancouver-based beatmaker and released in 2014, it’s a piece born in the very early days of lo-fi hip-hop, as the timing suggests.

He’s sometimes regarded as a figure just behind the most important artists in the lo-fi hip-hop scene—like J Dilla and Nujabes—and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him an indispensable beatmaker in the history of the genre.

Listening again, you can really hear how, while using the fundamental methods of lo-fi hip-hop, the texture of the sound and the approach to sampling set this apart from the artists who followed.

MindfulnessC Y G N

C Y G N – Mindfulness

Basically, the lo-fi hip-hop genre that emerged from music platforms like YouTube and SoundCloud includes many people who make music as a hobby rather than as a full-time profession.

The artist featured in this article, C Y G N, is a beatmaker and producer from France who is active in many areas, including running the label MelodySoul.

His works have seen physical releases and have been put out by Chillhop Music, the most important label in the lo-fi hip-hop world, making him one of the scene’s defining figures.

C Y G N’s classic track “Mindfulness,” which has garnered over 1.

3 million views on YouTube, is a superb piece of lo-fi hip-hop with a chill beat, playful sound design, and beautifully floating melodies.

Be sure to also check out his 2019 album “BODY N SOUL.”

LuvnYouIan Ewing

Ian Ewing – LuvnYou

If you just want to give lo-fi hip hop a listen to start with, you can’t go wrong checking out artists from the scene’s most important label, Chillhop Music.

Ian Ewing, a beatmaker from Wisconsin in the U.

S.

, is one of them.

As you can tell from the fact that he’s toured in the U.

S.

with fellow popular beatmaker Joey Pecoraro, his music reaches beyond the lo-fi hip hop niche to appeal to fans of electronica and ambient as well.

Released in 2018, LuvnYou leans more toward lo-fi hip hop, with romantic piano melodies, hip hop-style beats, and airy embellishments sprinkled throughout for a pleasantly floating feel.

A key point is that, unlike many tracks in this vein that prioritize atmosphere, it clearly conveys the individuality of the beatmaker.

Serenity (Original Mix)Kupla

Serenity

At the forefront of the YouTube music channels that drove the lo-fi hip-hop movement is the France-based “ChilledCow.” It gained a huge following with a looping clip from Studio Ghibli’s film Whisper of the Heart, cementing the association between lo-fi hip-hop and Japanese animation.

Since March 2021, ChilledCow has been active under the name “Lofi Girl,” but let me introduce “Serenity,” a track released in 2020 by Kupla—ChilledCow’s founder and a beatmaker.

With sound design that’s nostalgic and delicate—like a Ghibli film, evoking cherished memories from childhood—it embodies the very essence of classic lo-fi hip-hop.

It’s gently jazzy, and the occasional children’s voices are highly effective.

Perfect for a relaxed evening.

ExactlyPandrezz, j’san.

Pandrezz x j’san. – Exactly

This track, “Exactly,” is also featured on the compilation album Chillhop Radio: Beats to Relax To, which is perfect for newcomers to lo-fi hip hop and chillhop.

Created by a duo of beatmakers from France, it was originally released in 2018.

With its charming keyboard tones, an eye-catching riff that sounds like a live guitar, a bassline that builds the overall groove, and that quintessentially lo-fi, gritty texture, it’s an ideal piece of lounge music.

Put it on repeat as background music on a plan-free weekend morning while you sip a coffee, and you’ll probably feel set for a happy day.

falling down (ft. shiloh)nohidea

nohidea – falling down (ft. shiloh)

Many tracks categorized as lo-fi hip-hop are very short, and that’s exactly why it feels important to see how much individuality can be expressed in just one or two minutes.

The track discussed here, “falling down,” packs a memorable melody into roughly a minute and a half, giving it a charm that makes you want to replay it.

Released in 2017 by nohidea, a mysterious beatmaker from Canada now based in Los Angeles, the piece features a beautifully crafted melody with vocalist Shiloh rather than samples from old records, and what is likely the sound of a live guitar used to great effect.

Even without lo-fi hip-hop style production, it seems like it could hold up as a conventional acoustic singer-songwriter track!