![[Column] Hyperpop / Digicore](/../assets/images/column-hyperpop-digicore.webp)
#Hyperpop/Digicore: The complete picture of the next generation of Internet music
Text: mmr｜Theme: Comprehensive analysis of sound, production, and culture originating from the next generation of the Internet
Hyperpop and Digicore are Internet-based music trends that melted the boundaries between pop and club music, growing around the TikTok, SoundCloud, and Discord communities from the late 2010s to the 2020s. In this article, we will comprehensively organize the characteristics of the sound, production methods, equipment used, and cultural background, centering on the genealogy that extends to 100 gecs / Charli XCX / glaive / ericdoa / underscores.
1. Overview: What is Hyperpop/Digicore?
Hyperpop:
- Extreme fusion of pop x club x noise
- Excessive pitch processing, collapsing drops, and glittering high-frequency synths
- Large influence of PC Music (A. G. Cook, SOPHIE)
Digicore:
- DIY pop by young people originating from SoundCloud/Discord
- Lo-fi guitars, emo singing, simple beats, and artificial processing of vocal chains
- “internet-core” aesthetics represented by glaive and ericdoa
Although the two overlap, there is a difference in direction: Hyperpop=excessiveness, Digicore=simple but internet-like.
2. Main artists and roles
2010s"] --> CX["Charli XCX"] PC --> AG["A. G. Cook"] SOPHIE["SOPHIE"] --> CX CX --> HG["100 gecs
(Laura Les / Dylan Brady)"] SC["SoundCloud
Discord"] --> GL["glaive"] SC --> ED["ericdoa"] GL --> DC["Entire Digicore"] ED --> DC HG --> HP["Hyperpop extension"]
3. Timeline: Development of Hyperpop / Digicore
4. Acoustic characteristics: Hyperpop side sound structure
4-1. Excessive pitch processing and formant manipulation
- Apply Auto-Tune strongly (Retune Speed fastest)
- Create “anime voice” and “synthetic voice” effects by raising and lowering formants
(Retune Fast)"] B --> C["Formant Shift
±3〜7"] C --> D["Layered Harmonies"]
4-2. Glitch/collapse type drop
*bitcrush
- time-stretch extreme *harsh noise, FM base
(Granular, Stutter)"] GL --> TS["Extreme Time-Stretch"] TS --> MX["MIX / Drop"]
4-3. 100 gecs structure (overcrowded genre)
- Mix of ska, metal, trap, and EDM in one song
- BPM changes, rapid developments
5. Acoustic characteristics: Sound structure on Digicore side
5-1. Lo-fi guitar x emo singing
- Lightly distorts a clean guitar connected via DI
- “Twisted lo-fi feeling” with Saturation + Chorus
5-2. Internet-era Vocal Chain
*Auto-Tune
- Raise formant (light) *Doubler/Slapback *OTT (light)
5-3. Minimal Trap / DnB impact
- 808 base is modest
- Kick is short
- Hi-hat is a fine roll of 1/8 to 1/32
6. Production method and DAW
DAW used
- FL Studio (Most common, especially Digicore)
- Ableton Live (strong in Hyperpop sound design)
- GarageBand / Logic is also used in some cases.
Production example on Hyperpop side
-
- Strongly transform the top line with Auto-Tune
-
- Create a synth with FM + Wavetable
-
- Glitch processing (Stutter / Granular)
-
- Excessive distortion and OTT on Drop
Production example on Digicore side
-
- DI the guitar → Saturation
-
- Light drum (Trap keynote)
-
- Auto-Tune + Doubler
-
- Overlap crying top lines
7. Equipment/Plug-ins (especially common for Digicore)
Software
- Auto-Tune / Pitch Correction
- Little AlterBoy (formant) *OTT
- Serum/Vital (lightweight and free to low price) *FabFilter Pro-Q / Pro-L (basic processing)
Hardware
- Low cost DI BOX (guitar recording)
- Audio interface (Scarlett 2i2 etc.)
- Condenser microphone (popular models such as AT2020)
8. Mix characteristics
##Hyperpop
- Emphasize high frequencies (10-16kHz)
- OTT deep
- Frequent use of Saturation *Strong limiter
Digicore
- Lightly boost guitar band 2-4kHz
- Vocals should be centered (not too spread out)
- 808 base is modest
9. Visual and cultural characteristics
- Collaborative culture based on Discord servers
- Viral structure originating from TikTok
- Avatar/Digital Embodiment
- Fusion with anime and game culture
10. Summary
Hyperpop and Digicore are trends that were born out of the democratization of music production tools and the maturation of Internet culture. The ease of production, remix culture, social media spread, and the experimental spirit of young creators combined to dismantle the traditional genre structure and present a new form of pop.
In the future, it is likely to be further segmented and expanded due to advances in AI vocals, generated sound sources, real-time collaboration, etc.
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