Ariel Marcus Rosenberg, professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi aesthetic and home-recorded albums proved influential to many indie musicians starting in the late 2000s. He is frequently cited as "godfather" of the hypnagogic pop and chillwave movements, and he is credited with galvanizing a larger trend involving the evocation of the media, sounds, and outmoded technologies of prior decades, as well as an equal appreciation between high and low art in independent music.
Ariel Pink performing in 2010
R. Stevie Moore (pictured 2011) is cited by Pink as a "mentor"
Pink on keyboards, 2010
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti performing in 2007
Lo-fi is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The standards of sound quality (fidelity) and music production have evolved over the decades, meaning that some older examples of lo-fi may not have been originally recognized as such. Lo-fi began to be recognized as a style of popular music in the 1990s, when it became alternately referred to as DIY music. Some subsets of lo-fi music have become popular for their perceived nostalgic and/or relaxing qualities, which originate from the imperfections that define the genre.
A minimal bedroom studio set-up with 1980s–1990s equipment
The Beach Boys (pictured in 1967) recorded albums at Brian Wilson's home studio from 1967 to 1972.
R. Stevie Moore (pictured in 2011) is frequently referred to as the "godfather" of home recording.
Calvin Johnson (pictured c. 2000s), founder of K Records and co-founder of Beat Happening