Weirdcore Music: Voicing the Feelings of Alienation, Disoriendation & Nostalgia

What is Weirdcore? It is an online art, and aesthetic movement, and everything associated with it imparts a sense of nostalgia, disorientation, and alienation. Besides, the Weirdcore genre has something surreal about it. Weirdcore music wants to resonate the same feelings with the use of distorted or amateurish sounds.

Music made in adherence to the Weirdcore subculture may be a little disturbing, child-like, or confusing to many. However, true to its essence, Weirdcore music does not conform to conventional ideas or practices. So, Weirdcore music has become very popular among people who prefer uniqueness and who have inquisitive minds.

Many celebrated musicians around the world are producing Weirdcore-based songs. Besides, song streaming platforms like Spotify have dedicated a separate section for the Weirdcore playlist. You will find tracks like Beast Mode Run by Antoje, Chandelier by Will Paquin, Mumma Mia by Austin Weber, etc. Further, there are many music bands that have made Weirdcore music popular globally.

Weirdcore Music: An Extension of Weirdcore Imageries:

Weirdcore imageries are known for using amateur or low-quality photos or graphics reminiscent of the early internet days. Besides, these unnerve people sometimes with a sense of horror or alienation. However, for us, the sense of horror comes from a feeling of discomfort. You will never see what we usually find “normal” in Weirdcore imageries. Many may identify certain elements that help the idea of disassociation to come through. However, for us, the elements used in Weirdcore imageries are not constant, and the main essence lies in evoking the right feelings.

You will make a mistake if you do not approach Weirdcore music as an extension of Weirdcore imageries.  Weirdcore music also does not have any particular style or practice. However, you can identify a track belonging to the Weirdcore genre once you listen to it. One of the most prominent artists in this aesthetic is Aphex Twin. Officially, his music belongs to the IDM or Intelligent Dance Music genre. So, we can say that Weirdcore music usually has an electronic sound with elements like alienation, nostalgia, and bizarreness.  

Along with Spotify, you will also get to see endless Weirdcore music videos on YouTube. Usually, these music videos are recreations or compilations of previous semi-popular songs. Some artists also take up numbers sung by niche obscure singers/musicians and give them a Weirdcore twist.

However, one thing that bugs us is when we see the YouTube Weirdcore music search results. Many numbers on the search result like “Nothing Feels Real,” “I Wanna Go Home,” etc., come with a tagline of Weirdcore/Dreamcore. Please make a note that these two aesthetics may be similar but not exactly the same. Dreamcore also has some elements of Traumacore, where unpleasant events are highlighted with darker and more direct comments.

Some Popular Weirdcore Music Groups/Bands:

Weirdcore music has become so popular that almost every leading music streaming site has a separate section for this kind of music. However, we came across some bands or groups taking this genre of music to a different level. Some of those are:

1. Sikth
2. Tear of a Doll
3. Osasto 11
4. Can Can Heads
5. Kumikameli
6. Duchess Says
7. God Is My Co-Pilot

Let us give you a brief overview of these bands and their most popular numbers.

1. Sikth:

Sikth is a six-member band from Watford, England. They have elements like technical metal, death metal, groove metal, metalcore, and hardcore in their music. Some of the most popular numbers by this brand are Vivid, Bland Street Bloom, Scent of the Obscene, etc.

• Tear of a Doll:

This band from France is known for infusing progressive rock, jazzcore, Japan noise, world music, and instruments like the Sitar or Sarod in their music. They produce music in German, Japanese, French, English, and Hungarian languages. Their most popular tracks are Les Villes, Spiders Night, My Cat, etc.

• Osasto 11:

It is a Finnish punk band. Their songs come in the Finnish language. The most prominent track composed by this band is Karpo.

• Can Can Heads:

The music of this band will take you back on time travel as it is heavily influenced by the 80s’ hardcore, Captain Beefheart, Ornate Coleman, and No Wave. The signature elements of this band’s music are fierce guitar plays, saxophone noises, and loud rhythms mixed with an old melody. Last Tongues in Ass Pick, The Formation of the Oxen With Fire are some of their most popular albums.

• Kumikameli

This Finnish punk band portrays the darkest and strangest matters with humorous lyrics. Besides, their music is inspired by many forms, including pop and hardcore. This 35-year old band has churned out popular numbers like Tuomittu Juntiksi, Peikko, Pahaisopaha, etc.

• Dutchess Says:

It is a Canadian dance-punk band. They are known for their “Moog Rock” songs with high imageries and the most intense performances. They also use artistic dialogues in their music to make it more effective. Further, they incorporate Programmation, guitar bass, feedbacks, drums, and doubtful noises into their music. Tennen Non Neu, Black Flag, Gainsbourg, A Century Old, etc., are some of the most popular tracks from this band.

• God is My Co-Pilot:

This Queercore band is also a favorite among Weirdcore lovers. They are into experimental, noise rock, hardcore punk, and Avant jazz. However, true to the main essence of Weirdcore music, this band does not want to be categorized into a particular genre. They rather call their own sound “New Punk.” This band from New York has quite a few chartbusters to their credit. Some of them are Behave, Down Down Baby, QDA (Anthem), Angels in The Air, Kiss & Tell, etc.

To be honest, I would love to collab with some of these artists and make merch designs for them. Hopefully one day. If you interested, you may check my weirdcore aesthetic t-shirts and stickers collection by clicking here: weirdcore aesthetic shirts and stickers.