Wonky (genre)
{{Short description|Fusion subgenre of electronic music}}
{{distinguish|Wonky pop}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name = Wonky
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|Dubstep|hip hop|glitch hop|synth-funk|jazz fusion|crunk|grime|8-bit|G-funk|broken beat|techno|instrumental hip hop}}
| cultural_origins = Late 2000s–early 2010s, United Kingdom
| instruments =
| derivatives =
| subgenrelist =
| subgenres =
| fusiongenres =
| regional_scenes = {{hlist|Aquacrunk|Purple sound}}
| other_topics =
}}
Wonky is a subgenre of electronic dance music known primarily for its off-kilter or "unstable" beats, as well as its eclectic, colorful blend of genres including hip-hop, electro-funk, 8-bit, jazz fusion, glitch, and crunk.{{cite book|last1=Reynolds|first1=Simon|title=Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction to Its Own Past|date=2011|publisher=Farrah, Straus & Giroux|page=76|isbn=9781429968584|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8FI3dVT9t34C&dq=flying+lotus+wonky&pg=PA76}} Artists associated with the style include Joker, Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, Zomby, and Flying Lotus. The genre includes the microgenre aquacrunk and is related to purple sound.{{cite web |author=Martin Clark |url=http://pitchfork.com/features/grime-dubstep/6840-grime-dubstep/ |title=Grime / Dubstep |publisher=Pitchfork |date=2008-04-30 |access-date=2016-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612163218/https://pitchfork.com/features/grime-dubstep/6840-grime-dubstep/ |archive-date=2018-06-12 |url-status=live }}
History
Wonky initially emerged in 2006 as a colorful, exuberant style drawing on hip hop, synth-funk, glitchy electronica, and more eclectic influences, in contrast with the austere sound of the UK's ongoing dubstep and grime scenes.{{cite web |last1=Reynolds |first1=Simon |title=Feeling wonKy: is it ketamine's turn to drive club culture? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/mar/05/wonky-ketamine-dubstep-zomby |website=The Guardian |date=5 March 2009 |access-date=3 September 2022}} Other influences included American hip hop producers J Dilla and Madlib, with some artists drawing more explicitly on an instrumental hip-hop sound rather than dubstep. The term "wonky" has been rejected by various artists associated with the style.
Characteristics
Wonky is known for its off-kilter rhythms and typically features garish synthesizer tones, melodies, and effects.{{cite web|last1=Thomas de Chroustchoff|first1=Gwyn|title=The Dummy guide to purple|url=http://www.dummymag.com/features/the-dummy-guide-to-purple|website=Dummy Mag|access-date=30 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171011035007/http://www.dummymag.com/features/the-dummy-guide-to-purple|archive-date=11 October 2017|url-status=live}} The "unstable" sound of wonky is often achieved by producing unquantised beats, abandoning the metronomic precision of much electronic music. Artists also use heavy sub-bass, which has been attributed to synergistic effects of bass with the drug ketamine, which became popular in UK clubs during the dubstep era. BBC Music called it a style of "slightly out-of-phase beats and synthesisers that wobble woozily, like they've warped after being left out in the sun."{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/qp3n|title=Hudson Mohawke - Butter - Review|work=BBC Music|first=Louis|last=Pattison|date=2009|accessdate=April 28, 2015}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Electronica}}
{{Hip hop}}
Category:Electronic dance music genres
Category:English styles of music