The Lofi Trap Genre - is This a Thing or Simply a Blend of Trap with Lofi Beats

While I had been a fan of lofi music for some time and trap was something I was occasionally listening to, I didn't know the term lofi trap is actually a thing. That being said, discovering the genre (thanks to Ryan Celsius) wasn't much of a shocker. Let's be honest - there's plenty of obscure genres out there, so a combination like this one is a rather match made in heaven.

What is Lofi Trap

To my surprise, I couldn't find any decent Google searches on what actually lofi trap is and the subeddit community is barely passing 200 members at the time of this writing.

Not sure whether it's so obvious no one even bothered to define and write about the genre, or it's rather obscure and I am simply ahead of the game. Upon closer inspection, however, the data shows I am actually late to the party. The term seems to be emerging around 2016 with a visible peak at the beginning of 2020 (thanks, Google Trends).

I'm well aware that I haven't answered the question of what exactly lofi trap is. I don't want to be a buzzkill, but it's instrumental music that features elements of lofi and trap music. Synthesized drums, rather flat snare sounds, and complex hi-hat patterns, wrapped around a layer of lofi sound aesthetic. For me, it's the hi-hat pattern that sets lofi trap apart from lofi hip hop where the beat is rather stale and very predictable. That, and the dark ambiance these beats come with.

After listening to a number of mixes and playlists, I would say the trap part is the more dominant here, by far. I often found selections, where it felt like artists, are piggybacking on the term popularity and the beats were anything BUT lofi. I found this comment under a YouTube lofi trap mix and it felt like it belongs in here.

I tried to make a lofi beat and it ended up in a trap beat with a spinz 808 and birds (not finished tho). Then I found your video by typing in trapfi. Never thought this existed lol, but there are no rules in music. This is motivating bro. Keep up the good work!

In a nutshell, lofi trap is a synonym of chill trap. The texture and vibe of lofi with trap hi-hats and drum paddings… 808 and stuff.

Lofi Trap Artists

I wouldn't say there are tons of artists who dwell predominantly in the lofi trap genre, but a few of the people I enjoy listening to are Slomow (who utilizes a lot of future bass in his music), RUDE, Khi Rho and ZOD1AC.

If you're looking for a great place to start, Khi Rho's Lofi Trap 1 is amazing. I think this is a good place to mention RUDE's "Ethernal Youth" - an Asian-themed lofi trap / chillhop track which to this day is one of our most popular features.

Best lofi trap mixes

The release I just mentioned is actually also a mix on YouTube - that's how I discovered the work of Khi Rho. Compared to a lot of other things out there, even Ryan Celsius' upload, this is lighter.

Another mix I enjoy quite a lot is this Naruto | Chill Trap, Lofi Hip Hop Mix. Very cinematic vibe.

Japanese / Samurai Lofi Trap

That's a thing that I often encountered during my research on lofi trap. Incorporating Japanese motifs, samples, and instruments in their beat, a number of artists and curators have coined their own sub-genre / niche within the lofi trap.

Most of the mixes are characterized by a very intense and wobbly bass, which borders intensely with chillstep. Wrapping with a selection from the guys at GRILLABEATS who are at the forefront of this sound.