All my life, I have enjoyed the words and the beats of songs. The harmony of choruses and the brilliance of metaphors in my favorite tunes. But let me tell you something, as I have gotten older I prefer a good instrumental. Give me a solid track with genius musicians doing their thing. Somehow, in space, I discovered lofi. Instrumental lofi to exact. It has become a portal to effectively zone out and be productive in my work-from-home life. It has made my apartment a place of rest and solitude.
Lofi is a short term for “low fidelity,” and is defined as “a low-quality recording with audible imperfections, such as background noise or performance mistakes, recorded with inexpensive equipment—the opposite of high fidelity or hi-fi production.” I love the imperfections. One of my highlights is hearing birds singing or cups of coffee being poured to introduce the song. The texture of the music in a lofi track reminds me of the sound quality of a cassette tape, so of course, the nostalgia kicks in with each listen. Heck, I still have a WHOLE collection of cassette tapes from my younger years (I was indeed a teen of the 90s). For this reason alone I have come to prefer lofi as one of my consistent, daily soundtracks.
So let’s talk about the health benefits of lofi, because they are an added bonus to the smooth, easy beats. This genre of music “helps the front lobe in our brain to focus – those flaws or low hums can also put the brain in the mindset to focus.” In this article referenced, it makes the point that lofi has been a hit with students for awhile now specifically during studying. The fact that mosts lofi tracks do not have words, means there are no distractions. This makes so much sense to me, as I routinely I am able to focus during my own work time.
“Lo-fi study music also helps increase brain activity, essentially because of the Attention Drainage Effect Theory which affirms that lo-fi sounds drain distractions by allowing the brain to subconsciously and selectively focus on a task while music is playing in the background.” - JapanNamkama.co.uk
Lofi also helps me relax. I immediately feel calmer mentally and physically when I pull out my playlists. The music’s “soft chill beats actually lull your brain to slow down and tune out stress.” (JapanNamkama.co.uk) The orchestrations of sound make my home a happy place. I mean, all music does that, but there is something about that lofi feel when I want music with no distractions.
A couple lofi tracks I really enjoy are “No Good Thing-Instrumental” by Darla Baltazar. She is born and based in the Phillipines and continually adds to her melodic catalogue of tunes. This track was originally done with words, so imagine my joy when I found the instrumental.
Another artist I extremely enjoy is Rottendam native Glimlip. I think I learned of him early on in my lofi journey. Talk about ease, his work finds me where I am. Green Heart is one my favorites.
Sarah, the illstrumentalist’s music has become one of my recent quality findings. Born in Raleigh, NC and now based in Los Angeles, Sarah is a producer and content creator who I was happy to stumble upon in my Spotify searches. Monarch Butterflies has the perfect lofi vibes for with a solid of a two-step beat.
I’ve curated a playlist of lofi music for your enjoyment. You can listen to it here. I hope it adds a bit of joy and calm to your day and helps you to focus. I hope it makes the to-do lists a little sunnier. The benefits of lofi music runs deep, but it’s my hope that you experience it for yourself and add it to your day-to-day routine.
Kendolyn Walker is a creative based in Harlem who serves as producer and founder of The City Love Collective: City Love on the Radio, City Love NYC and the City Love Picnic.
