Lepidopterists by Lepidopterists

It’s hard to pin down a real definition of “internet music”. Is this a discrete movement, or more of an umbrella term to encompass hyperpop, chillwave, cloud rap, and other genres that seem to originate from online culture? With their self-titled experimental hip-hop record, absurdist collective Lepidopterists threatens to solidify internet music as a legitimate genre in and of itself. 

This short release from fringe label Next Year's Snow is a collaboration between producers Paper Kite (aka nobodyis), and Gossamer (aka Octa Möbius Sheffner), both of whom are prolific within the underground online music scene. And with lead vocals from Red Admiral (aka audiointerface, aka Lil-ugly-jazz-bandana-mies), along with a Vocaloid feature from MEIKA Hime herself, this record is a quagmire of plunderphonics. A chaotic, choppy production style cuts and scratches together non-stop samples of DJ announcers, political speeches, and commercial jingles. And with awkward, clunky bars chock full of references to Shinzo Abe, the Twilight saga, and Sonic the Hedgehog, this internet rap mixtape comes across as a self-aware caricature of dead-horse meme culture. There is also an aggressively prevalent butterfly theme throughout each track, which doesn’t seem to go anywhere but ultimately adds another layer of strangeness to this off-kilter release. 

Although Lepidopterists is firmly rooted in the realm of post-irony, the record still succeeds in presenting itself as an authentic output. Basing an entire post-rap album on internet humor may seem like low hanging fruit, but in its unflinching rejection of traditional production and song structure, Lepidopterists shows that it can be done with finesse.

- Kalen