Draft:New Jazz (music)

New Jazz (also referred to as New Jazz trap, Experimental trap-jazz, or New Jazz beats) is a genre of electronic music that blends elements of jazz, trap, rage, and experimental electronic music. Emerging in the early 2020s in the United States, the genre combines avant-garde jazz harmonies, experimental electronic textures, and the rhythmic intensity of trap and rage, resulting in a distinct and eclectic sound.

New Jazz (sometimes known as nu jazz or jazztronica) is characterized by its fusion of intricate jazz harmonies with contemporary elements from trap, rage music, funk, electronic dance music, and free improvisation. The genre evolved from its predecessor, acid jazz, but diverges by incorporating more electronic experimentation and synthetic textures. Unlike acid jazz, which maintains connections to blues and soul, New Jazz emphasizes avant-garde sonic landscapes and remix culture.

New Jazz
Other names	New Jazz trap New Jazz beats Experimental trap-jazz
Stylistic origins	Trap Rage Jazz Experimental electronic music Pluggnb Jazz rap Lofi hip hop
Cultural origins	Early 2020s, United States
Typical instruments	Digital audio workstation Electric piano (Rhodes, Wurli) Electric guitar Vocal (Rapping Singing with Autotune) 808s Synthesizers (analog FM digital software)
Subgenres
None
Other topics
Trap Rage Jazz Experimental electronic music Pluggnb

Evolution and Development

New Jazz evolved out of a fascination with remix culture and mashups popularized on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Artists began blending jazz's sophisticated harmonic progressions with more aggressive electronic beats, creating a fusion that incorporated trap drums, rage music energy, and experimental electronic influences.

For instance, artists like **Newmagick** produced remixes like "Supernatural," which reimagines popular songs such as Katy Perry's "E.T." with layers of high-pitched flute melodies, deep basslines, and electronic distortion. This approach epitomizes New Jazz's ethos of blending genres and eras while adding a unique twist.

New Jazz also draws on influences from Pluggnb, an offshoot of trap music, known for its nostalgic, melodic synth leads, and chiptune aesthetics that evoke early video game music. These elements provide a sense of youthful energy and digital nostalgia within the genre.

Rise to Popularity

New Jazz's popularity grew organically through social media platforms and online streaming, where its catchy and experimental beats found an audience among Gen Z listeners. Viral moments on TikTok and YouTube helped elevate tracks like "Love Game" by Bread Beats, which garnered attention for its smooth fusion of jazz chords and trap beats. The genre's unique combination of avant-garde jazz, electronic music, and rap resonated with listeners seeking new and hybrid sounds that pushed traditional genre boundaries.

Stylistic Features

New Jazz incorporates a wide range of musical influences and styles. Broadly speaking, it manifests in two primary stylistic directions:

Cheerful and Chill

This style is characterized by its upbeat and relaxed sound, drawing inspiration from G-funk, Mobb Music, and Hyphy music. The music often includes smooth melodies, groove-oriented basslines, and a relaxed yet energetic vibe, creating a lively but chill atmosphere. Tracks in this style are often melodic, laid-back, and groove-heavy, ideal for both casual listening and background ambience.

Darker and Jazzy Rap Boom Bap

This style of New Jazz contrasts with its more upbeat counterpart by focusing on darker, moodier, and more introspective themes. Drawing from the influence of Jazz rap and the raw, minimal beats of Boom Bap, this sub-style of New Jazz employs jazzy rhythms, melancholic harmonies, and a slower, more reflective tone. The beats may feature complex jazz chord progressions intertwined with brooding synths and deep basslines, creating a soundscape that's moody yet hypnotic.

Musical Characteristics

New Jazz is defined by several core musical elements that distinguish it from other genres:

Bass sounds

New Jazz utilizes two distinct styles of bass, each contributing to the genre's unique sound:

• 808s / Amisok Bass and Wonky 808s: Heavily distorted, off-kilter 808 basslines that contribute to the genre's unique sound.This bassline style draws from the deep, resonant 808 kick drum, a signature sound in trap and New Jazz production. The 808s are often heavily processed and manipulated to create punchy, sub-bass-heavy grooves. In some cases, the bassline is further enhanced with Amisok-style production, known for its distorted, glitchy low-end textures that add an aggressive, futuristic feel.
• Analog Synthesizer: Analog synthesizers, such as the Sequential, the Moog and Roland , are used to create warm and textured basslines. These basslines typically feature rich harmonics and are often processed with filters to shape the sound. Square waves sawtooth and these are combined to automate filters and cuts are common. The signature acid sound basslines from the Roland TB-303, with their squelchy, resonant qualities, are commonly employed to create a unique contrast with the few harmonics(sine or triangle wave) and glitchy 808 sounds.

Melodies and Harmonies

New Jazz melodies often use synthesizers and instruments with a wide harmonic range, blending both soft tones (featuring few harmonics) and aggressive, harmonically rich tones. Arpeggios and plucks are frequently utilized, as are chiptune samples to evoke a sense of nostalgia and whimsy. Harmonically, the genre borrows from simple yet evocative jazz chords, including extended harmonies and progressions. Traditional brass and woodwind instruments are sometimes replaced by synthetic counterparts, lending the music a futuristic edge.

Jazz Instrumentation

Unlike traditional jazz, which typically centers around live acoustic instruments, New Jazz relies heavily on electric instruments and synthesizers. The electric piano (such as the Rhodes or Wurlitzer) plays a key role in creating the genre’s signature sound. Additionally, electric guitars may be used to provide melodic hooks or atmospheric textures. Acoustic instruments, while rare, may appear in sampled or processed form, contributing to the genre’s hybrid nature.

Synthesizers and Effects

New Jazz utilizes a mix of analog, FM, digital, and software synthesizers to create a diverse sound palette. The balance between soft and aggressive synths is a hallmark of the genre, allowing for progressive, evolving textures within tracks. Effects like clean digital reverbs, analog distortion, pitch shifting, and glitch effects are commonly used to manipulate and shape the sound, giving the genre its characteristic blend of organic and synthetic elements. They like to use tube-based or tube-sounding distortion, reverb etc. effects, it can also be observed in the case of mixing equalizers and compressors. The other type of effect sounds are vinyl, VHS and other tape effects sound make more dirty and glue together.

Drums

New Jazz features drum patterns built around the classic sounds of the TR-808, TR-909, and CR-78 drum machines. The genre’s wide BPM range (120 to 180 BPM) allows for diverse rhythmic patterns, from slow, head-nodding grooves to frenetic, uptempo beats. Syncopation and off-beat rhythms are common, adding a dynamic, unpredictable feel to the music. The use of subtle percussion elements, including shakers, snares, and claps, helps create depth and texture within the drum patterns.

Very innovatively mixes old analog digital sounds within the genre. Back in the 80s and 90s, it was a big obstacle for someone to use a lot of analog devices (electrical instruments) because everything was analog: mixing consoles, tape recorders, instruments like synthesizers, electric guitars, so there was a lot of coloration in the music, which already ruined the musical value. But within this genre, they very well mix the purity of digital recordings with the dirty, full sound of analog instruments.

Notable Artists and Producers

The rise of New Jazz has been spearheaded by a group of innovative artists and producers who have helped define and popularize the genre:

• Amir Pr0d: A key figure in the New Jazz movement, blending jazz elements with trap and rage influences.
• Lunchbox: Known for both rapping and producing within the genre, Lunchbox played a pivotal role in bringing New Jazz to a wider audience.
• Zodiak: An experimental artist who integrates New Jazz with trap and avant-garde sounds.
• 800pts: Noted for his innovative productions that push the boundaries of New Jazz.
• Luvnk3v, x$ept, and Zahn: Artists known for incorporating New Jazz into their eclectic music styles.
• Bread Beats: A Toronto-based producer who gained attention for his New Jazz remixes of mainstream pop songs.
• Newmagick: Known for blending New Jazz with rock, pop, and trap influences, Newmagick’s music showcases the genre’s diverse potential.
• unmxliedy: An emerging producer with a unique approach to New Jazz, incorporating experimental electronic elements into their productions.

Influence and Popularity

New Jazz has found success in digital spaces, particularly through platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where its hybrid, experimental nature appeals to younger audiences looking for fresh and innovative music. The genre has been bolstered by viral moments and remixes of popular songs, contributing to its increasing popularity. The genre's wide-ranging sonic palette and openness to experimentation have made it a natural fit for the internet-driven music culture of the 2020s.

Notable tracks like Bread Beats "Love Game" have gained significant traction, helping to spread the sound of New Jazz beyond niche audiences and into the broader music scene. Its influence is beginning to seep into mainstream pop, trap, and hip-hop productions, further cementing its place in contemporary music culture.

See Also

• Trap music
• Rage (music genre)
• Jazz-rap
• Experimental hip hop
• Lo-fi hip hop
• Alternative hip hop

Categories

• Electronic music genres
• Experimental music genres
• Jazz genres
• Trap music
• Music of the 2020s
• American electronic music
• Music fusion genres