Music has always been how I switch off, and lofi is what I reach for most.
Why I Like Lofi
What draws me to lofi is the texture: the hiss of an old record, the small crackles, the warmth of it. It is also easy to get into. You need neither expensive gear nor any real musicianship.
Playing Around in GarageBand
I started with GarageBand on my MacBook. If you have used almost any app it is easy to find your way around, and the library of sounds is vast.
Tinkering in GarageBand.
I had not expected it, but making my own beats turned out to be a genuine break for my head. It is nothing like my day job and creative in a different way. Best of all, a mistake will sometimes improve the track.
Hiccups Along the Way
I hit a couple of snags. At first I wanted to pack in every sound I found, but lofi rewards restraint. I also had to switch off the problem-solving mindset I bring to work. The genre cares about feel more than rules.
None of it needs to be complicated. What matters is how the music makes you, and with luck other people, feel, and GarageBand makes that easy to turn into a track.
Putting My Music Out There
Eventually I worked up the nerve to put the tracks online. I was equal parts excited and nervous, and to my surprise people in different places and walks of life took to them.
Taking up lofi has opened something up. It lets me use a side of myself that my technical day to day rarely calls on. The results are neither perfect nor polished, and that is the appeal.
If you’re curious, you can find my tracks on Apple Music.