As part of our Music Made Us campaign, Bethany Goodchild from BIMM Institute Bristol explains why Bristol is the best place to make music. She also explores her love for all things lo-fi and creating exciting soundscapes.
My influences include Tame Impala, alt-J, Dan Mayo and App. I’ve found the imagery these artists create with their sounds has considerably influenced how I produce my music. I consider carefully where I can take the listener using specific effects and textures.
A large part of lo-fi hip-hop is also aesthetic. Anime and lo-fi hip-hop radio Lofi Girl (originally Chilled Cow) have been the sole influence in creating my original aesthetic. However, I am in the midst of a transition period into the new, true-to-life ‘sadflower,’ heavily influenced by Dan Mayo’s solo performance aesthetic.
I am studying at BIMM Institute Bristol, a city full of bright colours and diverse creativity. Bristol constantly fosters my passion for music, whether it’s seeing a gig in one of the many unique venues or just walking the streets for some inspiration. As it happens, I’m actually writing the next album based on Bristol culture and city-goers’ identities.
Royalty-free lo-fi hip-hop
“Creators helping creators – isn’t that something to be proud of?”
A fantastic concept that I’m proud of within this industry is creators using their initiative to produce royalty-free lo-fi hip-hop. As game streaming has become more popular, streamers have faced copyright battles, resulting in muted or banned videos. Lo-fi’s answer to this has been to create playlists and albums of royalty-free music for streamers to use. Creators helping creators – isn’t that something to be proud of?
I’d love to see more live performances within the lo-fi scene going forward. There are specific niche communities in Bristol that meet every now and then, but my personal dream would be to have lo-fi played live in cafes and bars.
Our Music Made Us campaign is told through the students, graduates, journalists, experts and passionate people who have been shaped by music. Discover their stories here.
