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dungeon rap

Dungeon Rap

United Kingdom · 2020s

Dark Sad Dreamy Epic Sentimental Intense

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Description

Dungeon rap is a dark, internet-born microgenre that fuses the gloomy, medieval-fantasy atmospheres of dungeon synth with the rhythms, vocal cadences, and low‑end of underground trap and Memphis-influenced rap.

Its sound is defined by lo-fi, reverb-soaked synth pads, organ or choir timbres, modal or minor-key melodies reminiscent of dungeon synth, and skeletal 808-driven drum patterns. Vocals (when present) are typically pitched-down, whispered, or deadpan, often dealing with occult, fantasy, and horror imagery. Producers frequently sample retro RPG soundtracks, black metal-adjacent ambient passages, or cassette-era dungeon synth, then anchor them with trunk-rattling subs and crispy hi-hat rolls.

The genre coalesced online at the turn of the 2020s through Bandcamp/YouTube scenes and boutique labels, crystallizing a distinct aesthetic that feels equal parts crypt-ambient and street-level rap.

History

How to make a track in this genre

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Dungeon synth is a dark, fantasy-focused branch of ambient music that grew out of the early 1990s black metal underground. It typically uses inexpensive or vintage-sounding synthesizers to evoke medieval, folkloric, and high-fantasy worlds—dungeons, castles, forests, and forgotten realms—through simple modal melodies, drones, and processional harmonies. The style is intentionally lo‑fi and atmospheric: orchestral pads, choirs, pipe organs, harps, flutes, and bell tones are layered with tape-like hiss, room reverb, and steady pedal notes. Percussion is sparse or absent; when used, it tends toward martial snare patterns or timpani rolls rather than driving drum kits. Albums often function as worldbuilding artifacts with narrative track sequences, thematic leitmotifs, and evocative artwork.

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.

Memphis rap is a dark, lo‑fi branch of Southern hip hop that emerged in Memphis, Tennessee, built on ominous minor‑key melodies, 808 sub‑bass, and relentlessly simple but heavy drum programming. It is known for horrorcore-leaning imagery, chant-like hooks, and a raw cassette-mixtape aesthetic: hiss, distortion, and minimal mixing are part of the sound rather than flaws. The style emphasizes eerie synths (organs, choirs, strings, bells), pitched or layered vocals, and sticky, repetitive patterns that create a hypnotic, menacing groove.

Dark ambient is a subgenre of ambient music that emphasizes ominous, brooding atmospheres, sub-bass rumbles, and textural noise over melody and rhythm. It often evokes feelings of isolation, cosmic dread, sanctified ritual, or post-industrial decay, prioritizing mood and immersion above traditional song structure. Typical sound design includes layered drones, heavily processed field recordings, metallic resonances, dissonant tone clusters, and cavernous reverbs. The music tends to evolve slowly over long durations, with subtle timbral shifts and spectral motion substituting for harmonic progression or beat-driven momentum.

Phonk is a dark, sample-heavy microgenre of hip hop and trap that resurrects the gritty aesthetics of 1990s Memphis rap. It blends chopped-and-screwed vocals, ominous minor-key loops, lo‑fi textures, and overdriven 808s to create a woozy, menacing atmosphere. While early phonk leaned on slowed vocal samples and cassette‑era grit, a later offshoot known as drift phonk foregrounded hard‑clipping 808 bass and bright cowbell patterns at faster tempos, becoming synonymous with car/drift videos and social media virality. Across its variants, phonk is united by retro Southern rap DNA, tape‑worn sonics, and an underground, DIY producer culture.

Horrorcore is a subgenre of hip hop defined by its fixation on dark, violent, and occult imagery, delivered through menacing flows, brooding production, and cinematic sound design. It often blurs the line between pulp-horror storytelling and social or psychological commentary, adopting personas that heighten shock value while exploring fear, trauma, or taboo themes. Musically, horrorcore favors minor keys, dissonant intervals, and eerie samples—think detuned pianos, church organs, creaking doors, screams, and snippets from horror films—over hard, bass-heavy drums. The result is an atmosphere that feels claustrophobic and threatening, yet theatrically stylized, evoking the mood of slasher movies and cult horror soundtracks.

Witch house is a dark, internet-born microgenre that blends chopped-and-screwed hip-hop rhythms with industrial, darkwave, and ambient textures. It favors slow, heavy, half-time beats; foggy pads; detuned synths; and down-pitched, reverb-drenched vocals. Aesthetically, it leans into occult and horror imagery—distorted crosses, triangles, Unicode glyphs, VHS haze—and a lo-fi, haunted atmosphere. Despite the name, it has little to do with house music; the term was partly tongue-in-cheek, pointing to its witchy, ritualistic vibe and the blog-era tendency to label micro-scenes. The sound is hypnotic and murky: burial-bell chimes, smeared choirs, granular artifacts, and blown-out 808s moving at a crawl (often 60–75 BPM). It sits between dark electronic traditions and slowed Southern rap, prioritizing mood and texture over virtuosity.

Cloud rap is a hip hop microgenre defined by ethereal, reverb‑drenched textures, soft pads, and minimal drum programming that creates a floating, dreamlike atmosphere. Beats tend to be sparse and space-conscious, with airy synths, distant vocal samples, and gentle 808s supporting raps that are often introspective, deadpan, or emotionally detached. The sound crystallized online in the early 2010s through platforms like DatPiff, Tumblr, and SoundCloud, pairing Southern rap rhythms with ambient and chillwave aesthetics. Rather than virtuosic density, cloud rap prizes mood, negative space, and a sense of weightlessness, translating internet-era solitude and nostalgia into hazy, pastel-toned hip hop.

Sigilkore is an internet-born microgenre that merges the ominous atmospheres of witch house with the bounce and drum programming of trap, the tape-warped grit of Memphis rap, and the granular, reverb-heavy haze of dark ambient. Defined as much by its occult visual language as its sound, the style favors heavy 808 subs, skittering hi-hats, detuned pads, bell and choir timbres, pitched-down or formant-shifted vocals, and lo‑fi processing reminiscent of chopped-and-screwed techniques. Tracks often feel ritualistic and hypnotic, with minor-mode motifs, phrygian inflections, and long reverb tails that blur bar lines. Emerging across SoundCloud, Discord communities, and small collectives, sigilkore thrives on DIY anonymity, esoteric cover art (sigils, runes, glyphs), and a mood that’s simultaneously bleak, ethereal, and aggressive.

Dungeon sound is an underground, lo‑fi strain of trap/phonk that cultivates a claustrophobic, “subterranean” atmosphere through tape‑worn samples, heavy sub‑bass, and ominous melodics. It typically borrows chopped and screwed vocal snippets from 1990s Memphis rap, horror film cues, and eerie ambient/drone textures to build a bleak mood. Production emphasizes dusty loops, minimal drum programming, and wide, cavernous reverb—evoking the feeling of beats echoing inside a dungeon. Tempos usually sit in the 90–110 BPM range (or presented in half‑time at higher grids), with punchy 808s, sparse hats, and saturated mixes that privilege vibe over polish.

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