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Wonky is an experimental subgenre of electronic music that emerged in the mid-2000s in the UK and the USA. It is characterized by unconventional rhythms, "drunken" synthesizers, and an eclectic fusion of styles including hip-hop, glitch, IDM, dubstep, chiptune, and jazz fusion.

Main Characteristics

• Unstable rhythms: the beat often sounds "crooked" or "off-grid," with deliberately uneven accents and a lack of strict synchronization.

• Pitch-bent synthesizers: simple waveforms (sine, saw) are used, producing "sliding" or "wavy" sounds.

• Mid-frequency riffs: unlike dubstep’s focus on bass, chaotic synth melodies are at the forefront.

• Rhythmic experimentation: use of triplets, duplets, and polyrhythms, often without quantization.

• Chiptune and 8-bit influence: sounds reminiscent of arcade games and early game consoles.

History and Geography

The term "wonky" was introduced by music journalist Martin Clark in 2008 in the context of dubstep and grime. The genre quickly evolved in two directions:

• Aquacrunk: the Scottish scene (Glasgow), represented by artists like Rustie and Hudson Mohawke.

• Street Bass: the American scene, associated with Flying Lotus and Starkey, influenced by hip-hop, jazz, and electro.

Labels such as Hyperdub played a key role in popularizing the genre, releasing works from Ikonika, Zomby, and Darkstar.

Notable Artists

• Flying Lotus
• Hudson Mohawke
• Rustie
• Zomby
• Ikonika
• Joker
• Slugabed
• Pixelord