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anime drill

Anime Drill

United Kingdom · 2020s
IntenseDarkDancingEpicSentimental

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Description

Anime drill is a micro‑scene of drill and trap that layers the genre’s dark, sliding 808s and rattling hi‑hats with samples, motifs, and lyrical references drawn from anime culture. Producers often chop cues from anime soundtracks, J‑pop hooks, or dialogue stabs and resample them into menacing drill frameworks.

Vocally, artists deliver drill flows packed with otaku references, power‑scaling metaphors, and character shout‑outs, while maintaining the aggressive cadence, ad‑libs, and rhyme density typical of drill. The result balances the cinematic tension of drill with a distinctly nerdcore/otaku aesthetic—both gritty and nostalgic, both streetwise and fandom‑driven.


Sources: Spotify, Wikipedia, Discogs, Rate Your Music, MusicBrainz, and other online sources

History

Origins (late 2010s–early 2020s)

Anime drill emerges at the intersection of UK/US drill and online otaku/nerdcore rap communities. As drill’s sonic palette globalized, producers began sampling anime OSTs and J‑pop hooks, a practice foreshadowed by earlier “anime rap” ciphers and YouTube fandom music. Social platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Discord) catalyzed rapid cross‑pollination, making it easy to share type beats and splice anime cues into drill frameworks.

Codification and Aesthetic

By the early 2020s, the style’s signatures were clear: ominous drill drum programming (triplet hi‑hats, sliding 808s), minor‑key or modal melodies often lifted from anime or inspired by Japanese pop harmony, and bars crammed with references to shōnen arcs, techniques, and characters. Cover art and videos mirrored AMV aesthetics—glitch edits, scene loops, and fan art—tying the sound to a recognizable visual language.

Community and Distribution

Most releases circulated digitally: singles, ciphers, and cyphers on YouTube, SoundCloud, and streaming platforms. Beatmakers pushed “anime drill type beats,” while vocalists from hip‑hop and nerdcore circles adopted drill flows. The scene remained decentralized and international, with creators from the UK, US, and beyond trading stems and collaborating remotely.

Ongoing Evolution

Anime drill continues to absorb ideas from adjacent micro‑scenes—phonk, hyperpop‑leaning rap, and Japanese underground rap—while influencing newer anime‑sampled club styles. Its hybrid identity—half fandom, half street form—keeps it flexible and meme‑aware, evolving quickly with online culture.

How to make a track in this genre

Beat Foundations
•   Use a drill tempo (typically 130–150 BPM, often around 140). Program triplet/rolled hi‑hats, snare/perc stutters, and off‑grid kicks that leave space for sliding 808 lines. •   Design 808s with long glides/portamento. Aim for menacing, sub‑heavy bass that outlines the tonic and fifth, occasionally bending into leading notes for tension.
Harmony & Melody
•   Write in minor keys (Aeolian, Phrygian) or borrow anime‑style modal colors (Dorian/Lydian flourishes). Keep motifs short and loopable. •   Source melodic material from anime cues: re‑harmonize, time‑stretch, or low‑pass for a nostalgic haze. When not sampling, emulate anime OST traits—string pads, celesta/mallets, bell synths, and delicate piano voicings.
Sampling & Sound Design
•   Chop anime soundtrack phrases or dialogue one‑shots; pitch and formant‑shift to sit in key. Layer noise, vinyl crackle, or chorus to glue samples to the drill bed. •   Contrast cute/nostalgic timbres (toy pianos, choir ahs) with gritty drums to heighten the otaku‑meets‑street aesthetic.
Vocals & Writing
•   Deliver assertive drill flows (tight pockets, internal rhymes, ad‑libs). Alternate low‑register menace with rapid bursts for emphasis. •   Pack lyrics with anime terminology, character arcs, technique names, and power‑scaling metaphors. Balance flex bars with clever fandom references that reward listeners in the know.
Arrangement & Mix
•   Structure around 8–16‑bar loops; add subtractive drops and risers. Use mute‑switches for dialogue hits or scene stabs. •   Sidechain 808/kick carefully; carve midrange for vocals. Saturate 808s, transient‑shape hats, and glue with light bus compression. Keep high‑end crisp for AMV‑style brightness.

Best playlists

The Sound of Anime Drill
The Sound of Anime Drill
Every Noise at Once
Anime Drill
Anime Drill
Chosic
Anime Drill Mix
Anime Drill Mix
Spotify
Best of Anime Drill
Best of Anime Drill
volt.fm
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Influenced by
Drill
Drill is a subgenre of hip hop that emerged on Chicago’s South Side in the early 2010s. It is defined by stark, menacing production; booming 808 sub‑bass with frequent pitch slides; skittering hi‑hats; and sparse, minor‑key melodies built from pianos, synth pads, strings, bells, or eerie soundscapes. Vocals are typically deadpan or urgent, with ad‑libs punctuating lines. Lyrically, drill foregrounds raw street reportage—survival, trauma, crews, and contested territory—often delivered with bleak realism. Tempos in original Chicago drill tend to sit around 60–75 BPM (often felt in double‑time), while later UK and New York scenes adopt 130–145 BPM grids with off‑kilter snare placement and distinctive sliding 808 patterns. The overall aesthetic prioritizes weighty low end, rhythmic tension, and an uncompromising mood.
Uk Drill
UK drill is a dark, hard-edged offshoot of hip hop that emerged in London in the mid‑2010s. It is characterized by sliding 808 basslines, sparse minor‑key melodies, skittering hi‑hat rolls, and heavy, punchy drums programmed in a cold, half‑time groove around 138–144 BPM. Vocals are delivered in deadpan, menacing flows that draw on London road slang and, at times, Jamaican patois cadences. Lyrical themes often depict street realities, territoriality, and social pressure, set against an austere, cinematic soundscape. The genre’s sound design emphasizes tension—detuned pianos, eerie pads, choral stabs, and dissonant textures—while maintaining a head‑nodding bounce that makes it club‑potent despite its bleak tone. Developed by crews across South and East London, UK drill translated the template of Chicago drill through the lens of grime and UK road rap, becoming a globally influential style that reshaped drill scenes from New York to Sydney.
Trap
Trap is a subgenre of hip hop that emerged from the Southern United States, defined by half-time grooves, ominous minor-key melodies, and the heavy use of 808 sub-bass. The style is characterized by rapid, syncopated hi-hat rolls, crisp rimshot/clap on the backbeat, and cinematic textures that convey tension and grit. Lyrically, it centers on street economies, survival, ambition, and introspection, with ad-libs used as percussive punctuation. Production is typically minimal but hard-hitting: layered 808s, sparse piano or bell motifs, dark pads, and occasional orchestral or choir samples. Vocals range from gravelly, staccato deliveries to melodic, Auto-Tuned flows, often using triplet cadences.
Anime Rap
Anime rap is a hip hop microgenre that fuses contemporary rap flows and production with lyrical themes, imagery, and aesthetics drawn from Japanese anime and manga. Typical tracks reference specific characters, arcs, and tropes—especially from shōnen series—while using modern trap or boom-bap frameworks, energetic hooks, and cinematic, "anime opening"-style melodies. Producers often incorporate timbres reminiscent of anime soundtracks and J-pop, such as bright synth leads, string swells, choir stabs, and occasional quotations or re-compositions of anime motifs. The scene grew natively on YouTube and streaming platforms through cyphers, character-themed singles, and AMV-style visuals, creating a global, internet-first community that overlaps with nerdcore but focuses specifically on anime narratives and fandom.
Anime
Anime (often called "anisong" for vocal themes) is the umbrella term for songs and scores created for Japanese animation, including opening/ending themes and background music. It blends contemporary J‑pop/J‑rock songwriting with dramatic orchestral scoring and modern electronic production, aiming for instantly memorable hooks and emotionally charged climaxes tailored to a show's narrative and characters. Stylistic hallmarks include high-register, expressive vocals; tight, hook-forward structures (especially 90-second “TV size” versions); bright, polished production; and frequent late-song key changes. Arrangements often hybridize rock bands, strings, brass, and EDM textures to deliver cinematic impact, while lyrics favor aspirational, metaphor-rich imagery that mirrors the series’ themes.
Anime Score
Anime score is the original instrumental music written to underscore Japanese animation (anime), distinct from theme songs (anison) and pop tie‑ins. It includes background cues, character leitmotifs, action set‑pieces, and end‑title suites designed to track emotion and narrative beat‑by‑beat. Stylistically it blends European symphonic language with Japanese melodic sensibilities and a wide palette of hybrids: jazz rhythm sections, rock/prog instrumentation, analog and digital synthesis, percussion from East Asia (e.g., taiko) alongside Western orchestral percussion, and occasional use of traditional Japanese timbres (shakuhachi, koto, shamisen). Themes are often memorable and cyclic, supporting character arcs and world‑building. Production practices range from small studio ensembles and synth mockups to large orchestra sessions (in Japan and sometimes overseas), with modern mixes favoring cinematic low end, clear leitmotif presentation, and hybrid textures that can pivot quickly between intimacy and grand spectacle.
Nerdcore Techno
Nerdcore techno is an internet-born strain of high‑energy electronic dance music that obsessively samples and remixes pieces of 1980s and 1990s Japanese pop culture—anime dialogue and openings, TV commercials, arcade jingles, game consoles, and idol songs—often without prior clearance. Producers chop, timestretch, and bit‑crush these fragments into manic, hooky loops, then drive them with four‑on‑the‑floor kicks or breakbeats at hardcore tempos. Musically, it sits between J‑core, happy hardcore, gabber, and breakcore: bright supersaw riffs, chip‑style leads, and cartoonish FX ride over 160–190 BPM drums, sudden drop‑cuts, and meme‑worthy vocal stabs. Culturally, it embraces otaku aesthetics—cover art, track titles, and visual branding reference retro Japanese media—making nostalgia as central as speed and impact.
Otacore
Otacore is a fan-driven, internet-native umbrella for music centered on anime, manga, gaming, and broader otaku culture. Rather than a single strict musical style, it describes a cluster of scenes where pop, electronic, rock, and rap intersect with anime aesthetics, story tropes, and character/fandom references. Typical otacore repertoires include Vocaloid productions, anisong-style pop/rock, high-energy EDM with kawaii sound design, nightcore-style edits, game-inspired chiptune flourishes, and cover cultures (English/Japanese) tied to anime and game franchises. Distribution and discovery are powered by platforms such as Nico Nico Douga, YouTube, SoundCloud, streaming playlists, and later TikTok, where memeability, fan videos (AMVs), and vtuber performances help songs spread globally.
J-Pop
J-pop (Japanese pop) is a broad umbrella for mainstream Japanese popular music that blends Western pop/rock, dance, and R&B with distinctly Japanese songwriting, vocal delivery, and industry practices. It is characterized by strong hooks, polished production, bright synths and guitars, frequent key changes and modulatory bridges, and chorus-first or chorus-centric structures. J-pop spans idol groups, singer-songwriters, band-oriented pop-rock, electronic dance-pop, and R&B ballads, while remaining closely tied to television, advertising, video games, and anime tie-ins (anisong).
Ecchi
Ecchi (エッチ) is a Japanese pop-culture music tag that foregrounds playful erotic fantasy, cheeky wordplay, and suggestive innuendo rather than explicit content. The tone is flirtatious and comedic, often leaning on “fanservice” tropes familiar from anime and visual novels. Musically, it overlaps heavily with otaku-leaning J‑pop and denpa: hyper-bright synths, bubbly hooks, cute (moe) vocals, call-and-response chants, and cartoonish sound effects. Lyrics frequently pun on double meanings, reference character archetypes, and dramatize blushing, teasing, and comedic embarrassment. Ecchi tracks appear as anime OP/EDs, character songs, and eroge/visual novel themes, as well as doujin and Vocaloid works made for conventions and video platforms. The result is a tongue‑in‑cheek, high‑energy pop aesthetic that is knowingly “pervy” in a light, mischievous way.
Seinen
In music taxonomy, "seinen" refers to songs and scores associated with anime and manga aimed at young adult men (seinen). In practice, it is not a single musical idiom but a programming tag that gathers opening/ending themes, character songs, and background scores from series serialized in seinen magazines or targeted to older teens/adults. Stylistically, seinen music spans two prominent poles: - Mature, moody soundtracks and themes for psychological thrillers, cyberpunk, crime, historical, or military dramas. These often blend alternative/indie rock, post-rock, electronic (IDM/synth/industrial), and cinematic orchestration. - Light, character‑driven pop for slice‑of‑life or "moe" titles aimed at adults, featuring seiyū (voice actors) singing bright J‑pop or idol‑style songs with tight hooks and glossy production. Because of this breadth, "seinen" is best understood as an application context for anisong and Japanese popular styles, rather than a narrowly defined genre with fixed musical rules.
Rap Geek
Rap geek is a fandom-driven subgenre of hip hop that centers its lyrics on “geek” culture: video games, anime and manga, comics, sci‑fi/fantasy, and technology. Artists often write from a character’s point of view or condense entire story arcs into tightly structured verses, mixing punchlines and lore callouts. Production ranges from boom‑bap and pop‑trap to beats built from chiptune timbres, 16‑bit/8‑bit synths, and samples or homages to video‑game and anime soundtracks. The scene thrives on the internet—especially YouTube—where AMV‑style visuals, cyphers, and collaborative “verse per character” formats are common. While rooted in U.S. nerdcore of the early 2000s, rap geek globalized in the 2010s, with especially vibrant Portuguese‑ and Spanish‑speaking communities that foreground anime and game narratives.
Josei Rap
Josei rap is a contemporary Japanese hip‑hop micro‑scene centered on women MCs and female‑led rap units. It blends core hip‑hop technique (flow, bars, cypher culture) with J‑pop songcraft, internet‑native aesthetics, and touches of kawaii style, producing a spectrum that runs from gritty boom‑bap and trap to brightly melodic, idol‑adjacent pop‑rap. The sound often pairs 808 low‑end and crisp hi‑hats with candy‑colored synths, glockenspiels, chiptune fragments, or future‑bass pads. Lyrically it foregrounds self‑expression, agency, identity, friendship, humor, and day‑to‑day urban life, frequently using bilingual Japanese–English code‑switching. Hooks tend to be highly singable, while verses showcase agile flows that can swing from cute and playful to sharp and confrontational.
Anime Latino
Anime latino refers to Spanish‑language (and broadly Latin American) interpretations of Japanese anime songs—especially opening and ending themes—recorded by Latin American vocalists and released for TV dubs, live events and, more recently, streaming platforms. Musically it keeps the melodic hooks and modulatory drama of Japanese anison, but frames them in a neutral Latin Spanish delivery and pop/rock arrangements familiar to Latin pop and rock en español audiences. The genre coalesced as anime boomed on Latin American television in the 1990s, with Mexico’s dubbing/singing talent becoming particularly influential; iconic examples include Ricardo Silva’s Latin American Spanish versions for Dragon Ball Z and other series. Later waves expanded via dedicated anime TV channels and the internet, and today independent singers issue “anime en latino” albums and singles on DSPs.
Anime Piano
Anime piano is a style of solo and small-ensemble piano performance dedicated to themes from Japanese animation and related media. It centers on lyrical, melody-forward arrangements of anime openings, endings, insert songs, and scores, reframed through classical and contemporary piano idioms. The genre thrives online via arrangement culture: creators produce faithful transcriptions, cinematic reimaginings, virtuosic medleys, and lo-fi/ambient treatments, often publishing scores, MIDI files, and performance videos. Hallmarks include cantabile right‑hand melody, expressive rubato, rich reharmonization borrowed from J‑pop/J‑rock harmony, and left‑hand textures that range from arpeggios and ostinati to stride‑like accompaniments. The result pairs anime’s emotive storytelling with the intimacy and dynamic breadth of the piano.
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