/mu/

Music discussion board on 4chan /mu/ 4chan logo.svg Yes 4chan imageboard English Optional Hiroyuki Nishimura Christopher "moot" PooleLagorio-Chafkin Christine We Are the Nerds: The Birth and Tumultuous Life of REDDIT, the Internet's Culture Laboratory 2 October 2018 Little, Brown Book Group 323 978-0-349-41635-9 https://books.google.com/books?id=UwpUDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT323 15 July 2024 2006 04 08 Online /mu/ is the music board on 4chan, an English-language imageboard. Created in 2006, the board is dedicated to the discussion of music artists, albums, genres, and instruments. Described as "4chan's best kept secret" and a "surprisingly artistic and esoteric side of 4chan", /mu/ is used by users to share their music interests with similar minds and discover "great music they would never have found otherwise" with many moments of insightful candor that can affirm or challenge their own musical tastes.Flanagan Ian /mu/: 4chan's best kept secret https://pittnews.com/article/109829/arts-and-entertainment/music/mu-4chans-best-kept-secret/ 20 August 2016 The Pitt News December 21, 2021 December 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012711/https://pittnews.com/article/109829/arts-and-entertainment/music/mu-4chans-best-kept-secret/ liveLaPine John 28 Years of Daft Punk: A Retrospective https://www.drunkmonkeys.us/2017-posts/2021/4/5/music-28-years-of-daft-punk-a-retrospective-john-lapine 5 April 2017 Drunk Monkeys December 21, 2021 December 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012713/https://www.drunkmonkeys.us/2017-posts/2021/4/5/music-28-years-of-daft-punk-a-retrospective-john-lapine live The board has been noted for promoting and raising popularity for various music artists, uncovering rare and lost albums, hosting Q&A sessions, and contributing to online memes and discourse related to music. History and culture The board has gained notoriety for earnestly focusing upon and promoting alternative, challenging, and otherwise obscure music. Some common genres discussed on /mu/ include shoegaze,Fishman Hunter Shoegaze: A Complex History of a Powerful Sound 1963-2021 https://newsweed.com/shoegaze-a-complex-history-of-a-powerful-sound-1963-2021/culture/ 17 June 2021 Newsweed December 21, 2021 December 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012711/https://newsweed.com/shoegaze-a-complex-history-of-a-powerful-sound-1963-2021/culture/ live experimental hip hop, witch house, IDM,Nicholls Parker 2021 Braindancing Through the Mainstream: Intelligent Dance Music as Popular Music Carleton University 86 https://curve.carleton.ca/75d18bcb-c533-4d39-ab7e-970f2fd5a080 June 10, 2022 June 10, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220610003554/https://curve.carleton.ca/75d18bcb-c533-4d39-ab7e-970f2fd5a080 live midwest emo,De Sá Mateus The Summer Ends: The Story of Midwest Emo https://thenewcollection.blog/2021/01/14/the-summer-ends-the-story-of-midwest-emo/ 14 January 2021 The New Collection https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012720/https://thenewcollection.blog/2021/01/14/the-summer-ends-the-story-of-midwest-emo/ 21 December 2021 vaporwave,Glitsos Laura https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321689541 Vaporwave, or music optimised for abandoned malls June 2018 Popular Music 37 1 100–118 10.1017/S0261143017000599 165274914 free June 10, 2022 June 14, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220614235459/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321689541_Vaporwave_or_music_optimised_for_abandoned_malls live 0261-1430 and K-pop. Other discussed genres include soft rock, folk rock, bubblegum pop, baroque pop, jazz, and cumbia. A big part of the board's culture is posting album charts, i.e., collages featuring cover art of albums that users have recently been listening to. The most discussed and essential albums on the board are referred to as "/mu/core", with common arguments being on what constitutes that list.Bowe, Miles. "The Year In Death Grips", Stereogum, 26 December 2013. The /mu/core list is often seen as an entry point to /mu/'s culture and music taste. Individuals with a refined music taste are referred to as "patrician"."Plebeian vs. Patrician, or Fuck /mu/", 9 December 2012. "Sharethreads" are common on the board, where users request and post links to albums on file sharing platforms, often including rare recordings or underground albums. The board's culture has inspired many online music communities and meme pages on social media that emulate /mu/'s posting style.Murray Owen Patrician Music Chartposting: Toxic Pretension in the Internet Age http://www.wecb.fm/milkcrate/patricianmusicchartposting February 15, 2019 WECB.fm Emerson College July 28, 2022 December 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012711/http://www.wecb.fm/milkcrate/patricianmusicchartposting live Artists including deadmau5, Anamanaguchi, and Andrew WK have held Q&As on the board.DaSilva Eden 2026-04-15 The Evolution of Internet Music Nerds https://www.pigeonsandplanes.com/read/mu-core-fantano-needle-drop-music-discovery 2026-04-26 Pigeons and Planes en There is a significant overlap between user bases of /mu/ and music site Rate Your Music.Press-Reynolds Kieran How Dismiss Yourself Became a Hub for Internet Weirdness https://daily.bandcamp.com/label-profile/dismiss-yourself-label-profile 8 July 2021 Bandcamp Daily December 21, 2021 December 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012710/https://daily.bandcamp.com/label-profile/dismiss-yourself-label-profile live According to music journalist Eden DaSilva, the board declined in popularity around 2016, following the rise of streaming services and increase in far right users on 4chan. Impact The board has played a significant role in popularizing various music artists, as acknowledged by music publications such as Pitchfork and Entertainment Weekly, including Death Grips, Neutral Milk Hotel, Animal Collective, Car Seat Headrest, and Have a Nice Life.Winkie Luke https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/hipster-indie-rock-meme-neutral-milk-hotel-in-the-aeroplane-over-the-sea/ There will never be a more hipster meme than Neutral Milk Hotel's 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea' The Daily Dot April 12, 2016 10 June 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20200218174625/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/hipster-indie-rock-meme-neutral-milk-hotel-in-the-aeroplane-over-the-sea/ February 18, 2020 liveCohen Ian Death Grips — Year of the Snitch https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/death-grips-year-of-the-snitch/ 28 June 2018 Pitchfork December 21, 2021 18 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211218145356/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/death-grips-year-of-the-snitch/ liveRenner Brown Eric Car Seat Headrest's Will Toledo talks 4chan, Green Day, and why drugs suck https://ew.com/article/2016/05/20/car-seat-headrest-teens-of-denial/ 20 May 2016 Entertainment Weekly December 21, 2021 December 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012710/https://ew.com/article/2016/05/20/car-seat-headrest-teens-of-denial/ liveGordon Arielle Have a Nice Life — Sea of Worry https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/have-a-nice-life-sea-of-worry/ 12 November 2019 Pitchfork December 21, 2021 November 12, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20191112083652/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/have-a-nice-life-sea-of-worry/ live Prominent music critic Anthony Fantano, described as the world's most important music critic by New York Times, began his career on /mu/ and developed a significant following there.Coscarelli Joe The Only Music Critic Who Matters (if You're Under 25) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/arts/music/anthony-fantano-the-needle-drop.html 30 September 2020 New York Times December 21, 2021 24 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210224112355/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/arts/music/anthony-fantano-the-needle-drop.html live Fantano describes /mu/ as an "original sin that all humor traces its roots to".Coscarelli, Joe. "The Only Music Critic Who Matters (if You’re Under 25)", The New York Times, 30 September 2020. Several musicians have acknowledged using the board to receive feedback and find inspiration. Zeal & Ardor developed their distinctive sound, which combines black metal with spirituals, based on suggestions from two /mu/ users.Kelly Kim The Real Story Behind the Spiritual Black Metal Blues of Zeal and Ardor's 'Devil Is Fine' https://www.vice.com/en/article/zeal-and-ardor-interview/ 7 July 2016 Noisey Vice Media December 21, 2021 29 April 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170429000841/https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/zeal-and-ardor-interview live Classical pianist Conrad Tao has posted his music anonymously on the board for feedbackBarone Joshua Conrad Tao Was Never Just Another Prodigy https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/arts/music/conrad-tao-carnegie-hall.html 15 November 2019 New York Times December 21, 2021 21 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012711/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/arts/music/conrad-tao-carnegie-hall.html live and rapper JPEGMafia promoted his music on the board. Death Grips seeded various clues on /mu/ in 2012 about their then-upcoming albums The Money Store and No Love Deep Web.Zadeh Joe Musician rebels embrace darknet to explore uncensored internet frontiers https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/23/musicians-embrace-darknet-uncensored-internet-web-surveillance 23 September 2014 The Guardian December 21, 2021 December 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012711/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/23/musicians-embrace-darknet-uncensored-internet-web-surveillance live A rendition of the chart-topping song "Royals" by Lorde appeared on /mu/ in 2012 before its official release, although she denied ever writing on the board in 2014.Hopewell Luke Lorde Posted 'Royals' To 4chan Before It Hit #1 https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/02/lorde-posted-royals-to-4chan-before-it-hit-1/ 4 February 2014 Gizmodo December 21, 2021 May 6, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210506221455/https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/02/lorde-posted-royals-to-4chan-before-it-hit-1/ live An alleged unreleased Radiohead song, titled "Putting Ketchup in the Fridge" and "How Do You Sit Still", was initially reported as genuine by NME and Spin until CNN revealed it was a hoax promoted by the board's users.Abramovitch Seth Long Lost Radiohead Song 'Putting Ketchup in the Fridge' is Probably Fake https://www.gawker.com/5870677/long-lost-radiohead-song-putting-ketchup-in-the-fridge-is-probably-fake December 22, 2011 July 28, 2022 Gawker August 2, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210802122700/https://www.gawker.com/5870677/long-lost-radiohead-song-putting-ketchup-in-the-fridge-is-probably-fake deadGoodwyn Tom Lost Radiohead track 'How Do You Sit Still' revealed as a hoax – audio https://www.nme.com/news/music/radiohead-212-1280823 December 30, 2011 August 1, 2022 NME August 11, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220811155222/https://www.nme.com/news/music/radiohead-212-1280823 live Andrew W.K. did a Q&A with the board's users in 2011, causing the servers to crash from the increased traffic.Read Max Andrew W.K. Apparently Crashed 4chan by Partying Too Hard https://www.gawker.com/5759418/andrew-wk-apparently-crashed-4chan-by-partying-too-hard February 13, 2011 June 24, 2022 Gawker February 26, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180226112714/http://gawker.com/5759418%2Fandrew-wk-apparently-crashed-4chan-by-partying-too-hard dead In 2011, deadmau5 also held a Q&A session. "deadmau5 Q&A", 11 September 2011. In 2013, electronic musician Oneohtrix Point Never debuted on /mu/ the music video for his Still Life (Betamale), created by the visual artist Jon Rafman.Rafman, Jon. "Jon Rafman + Oneohtrix Point Never", 25 September 2013.Soderberg, Brandon. "Oneohtrix Point Never Discovers the End of the Internet in “Still Life (Betamale)”", Noisey, 05 October 2013. In 2013, Anamanaguchi posted a Q&A thread shortly after a music video cameo appearance by 4chan founder Christopher Poole.Rubio,Justin. "Chiptune meets 4chan: Anamanaguchi vomits the 90s in its new 'Meow' video", The Verge, 09 January 2013. "/mu/&A", 14 May 2013. In 2014, bassist Devin Ruben Perez of indie rock band DIIV posted in a series of Q&A threads on the board, running into controversy when the contents of his posts became public outside of /mu/.https://pitchfork.com/news/57837-diivs-devin-ruben-perez-under-fire-for-sexist-racist-homophobic-remarks-on-4chan/ DIIV's Devin Ruben Perez Under Fire for Sexist, Racist, Homophobic Remarks on 4chan Pitchfork 14 December 2014 In 2015, singer Lauren Mayberry shared on Twitter a link to a thread on /mu/ about her band Chvrches' song "Leave a Trace".Wyat Daisy Chvrches singer Lauren Mayberry responds to misogynistic 4chan abuse over new music video 'Leave a Trace' https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/chvrches-singer-lauren-mayberry-responds-to-misogynistic-online-abuse-over-new-music-video-leave-a-trace-a6064656.html 19 August 2015 The Independent December 21, 2021 December 21, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211221012710/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/chvrches-singer-lauren-mayberry-responds-to-misogynistic-online-abuse-over-new-music-video-leave-a-trace-a6064656.html live In 2019, Anamanaguchi had another Q&A thread. "anamana q&a thread", 25 November 2019. The board has been acknowledged for sharing rare music recordings and uncovering lost albums. Notable example includes sharing the works of Duster throughout 2010s, which was a factor in their later popularity and reunion, and uncovering D>E>A>T>H>M>E>T>A>L by Panchiko (from 2000, uncovered in 2016) and All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling by Godspeed You! Black Emperor (from 1994, uncovered in 2022).Wilson Robyn Panchiko: How a Mysterious Shoegaze Album Sparked an Global InterSearch https://www.vice.com/en/article/panchiko-band-death-metal-cd/ 9 June 2022 2 February 2022 Vice February 19, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220219063447/https://www.vice.com/en/article/akvjmb/panchiko-band-death-metal-cd liveHelmen Peter Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Lost Debut Album Appears To Surface Online After 27 Years https://www.stereogum.com/2175137/godspeed-you-black-emperors-lost-debut-album-appears-to-surface-online-after-27-years/news/ 9 June 2022 5 February 2022 Stereogum August 1, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220801223716/https://www.stereogum.com/2175137/godspeed-you-black-emperors-lost-debut-album-appears-to-surface-online-after-27-years/news/ live NPR described this aspect of the board as resembling "a secret club of preservationists obsessed with the articulation of a near-dead language".Lorusso Marissa The Old Disappearing-Reappearing Band Trick https://www.npr.org/2019/03/22/705591894/the-old-disappearing-reappearing-band-trick July 28, 2022 March 22, 2019 NPR July 27, 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230727094444/https://www.npr.org/2019/03/22/705591894/the-old-disappearing-reappearing-band-trick live "Sharethreads" are common on the board, where users request and post links to albums on file sharing platforms. The board has attracted further attention for various projects done by its users. Users on the board sometimes recreate popular albums or create new ones collaboratively."/mu/ + 4chan ALBUMS", Discogs. A group called The Pablo Collective posted a 4-track remix album of Kanye West's The Life of Pablo titled The Death of Pablo to /mu/, claiming it was based on a recurring dream from one of the board's users.Darville Jordan 4Chan Remixed The Life Of Pablo Into A Four-Track Experiment Based On A Recurring Dream https://www.thefader.com/2017/02/02/the-death-of-pablo-kanye-west-4chan-remix 9 June 2022 2 February 2017 Fader June 9, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220609015348/https://www.thefader.com/2017/02/02/the-death-of-pablo-kanye-west-4chan-remix live A role-playing game based on Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, designed with help from the board's users, received coverage from PolygonGarrett Martin Hitler, a potato and a flaming piano: How a '90s rock band inspired a fan-made JRPG https://www.polygon.com/2013/1/16/3876874/neutral-milk-hotel-game 10 June 2022 16 January 2013 Polygon November 19, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201119121200/https://www.polygon.com/2013/1/16/3876874/neutral-milk-hotel-game live and Pitchfork.Stosuy Brandon Listen: Jeff Mangum Covers Roky Erickson Live; Plus Neutral Milk Hotel: The Video Game https://pitchfork.com/news/43588-listen-jeff-mangum-covers-roky-erickson-live-plus-neutral-milk-hotel-the-video-game/ 10 June 2022 19 August 2011 Pitchfork January 4, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220104065223/https://pitchfork.com/news/43588-listen-jeff-mangum-covers-roky-erickson-live-plus-neutral-milk-hotel-the-video-game/ live See also Rate Your Music /b/ /pol/ /mlp/ References Category:4chan Category:Music websites Category:Internet properties established in 2006