Microsound · Genres
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What is microsound?

Microsound includes all sounds on the time scale shorter than musical notes, the sound object time scale, and longer than the sample time scale. Specifically this is shorter than one tenth of a second and longer than 10 milliseconds, including the audio frequency range (20 Hz to 20 kHz) and the infrasonic frequency range (below 20 Hz, rhythm).

Artists to start with

  1. Asher
  2. Richard Chartier
  3. Noto
  4. Porya Hatami
  5. Mensa
  6. Pita
  7. i8u
  8. Bernhard Günter
  9. Taylor Deupree
  10. Frank Bretschneider & Taylor Deupree

Albums to hear first

  • Unieqav by Alva NotoUnieqavAlva Noto
  • 1000 Fragments by Ryoji Ikeda1000 FragmentsRyoji Ikeda
  • Bird And Person Dyning by Alvin LucierBird And Person DyningAlvin Lucier
  • Electric by 7038634357Electric7038634357
  • Electronic Sounds Live by The Cherry Blues ProjectElectronic Sounds LiveThe Cherry Blues Project
  • El hombre de la Caverna, Disco 4The Ocioso Blues Project
  • El hombre de la Caverna, Disco 1 by The Ocioso Blues ProjectEl hombre de la Caverna, Disco 1The Ocioso Blues Project
  • Hidden Name by Stephan Mathieu & Janek SchaeferHidden NameStephan Mathieu & Janek Schaefer

Microsound songs

  1. Data.Microhelix by Ryoji Ikeda
  2. Data.Multiplex by Ryoji Ikeda
  3. Data.Googolplex by Ryoji Ikeda
  4. Vibrations (Pt. 1) by The Cherry Blues Project
  5. PA PA PA by The Ocioso Blues Project
  6. Playing Robots Into Heaven by James Blake
  7. Loop_end; by ezFeger
  8. El hombre de la Caverna, parte 2 by The Ocioso Blues Project
  9. Particle 2 by Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto
  10. El hombre de la Caverna, parte 5 by The Ocioso Blues Project

Neighbouring genres

In the other family. All genres

darkwavecoldwavechoralbig beatchiptunedigicorechansoncrunkdembowdarksynthcontemporary christiandjent

Questions

What is microsound?
Microsound includes all sounds on the time scale shorter than musical notes, the sound object time scale, and longer than the sample time scale. Specifically this is shorter than one tenth of a second and longer than 10 milliseconds, including the audio frequency range (20 Hz to 20 kHz) and the infrasonic frequency range (below 20 Hz, rhythm).
Who are the best-known microsound artists?
By Last.fm listening: Asher, Richard Chartier, Noto, Porya Hatami, Mensa and Pita.
What genres are similar to microsound?
On Risocast it sits with darkwave, coldwave, choral, big beat, chiptune and digicore.

Risocast is free. Install it once and it logs everything you play.

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm

Updated 6 October 2026

Risocast Help

A music log that fills itself in. It records the songs you play on your computer and your phone, turns them into your top songs, stats and a public profile, and finds people whose taste overlaps with yours.

Yes. The app and the website are free.

A song counts once half of it has played, or four minutes — whichever comes first. Songs of 30 seconds or less, and videos or podcasts over 20 minutes, never count.

On Windows, anything that shows up in Windows' media controls: Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, browsers, foobar2000, Windows Media Player and more (VLC, iTunes and MusicBee through their free media-controls plugin). On Android, any music app — it reads the same now-playing info your lock screen shows. You can also connect Spotify or import from Last.fm.

Yes. Plays are counted on your device and sent when you're back online, and the phone app opens without a connection.

It does the same core job — scrobbling, automatically — without plugins per player, and adds taste matching: see who listens like you and how much your taste overlaps.

Your profile and listening are public so people with similar taste can find you, unless you make your profile private (then only your buddies see it); your email never is. Nothing is sold and there are no ads; anonymous usage analytics (Microsoft Clarity, Google Analytics) show what to improve. See the privacy policy for the details.

More in Help, the guides and the privacy policy.

Welcome to Risocast
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A small player that sits in your tray, writes down every song you play, and shows you who listens like you.

243 songs logged today

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm

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How logging works

On Windows, Risocast reads the system media controls, so any player counts: Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, browsers, foobar2000. No plugins.

On Android the app reads what any music app is playing (it's coming to Google Play). Anywhere else, connect Spotify or a Last.fm username.

When a song countsAfter half its length, or four minutes, whichever comes first.Tracks under 30 seconds are ignored.Offline plays are counted on the device and sent later.

More on automatic logging · Risocast vs Last.fm

Taste twins

See how much your taste overlaps with anyone's, and find the people who listen most like you. The match comes from what you both actually play, not a list of favourites.

Open People

How the match works

Weekly Disc and Taste Map

Every week becomes a disc of your top songs. Every record you play goes on a map, grouped by genre.

Weekly DiscTaste Map

Real ones, from the maker's own listening.

Download Risocast

Risocast is free for Windows 10 and 11. Android is coming to Google Play; on any other device, use the web app with Spotify or Last.fm.

Download for WindowsFree · v4.0.9Open RisocastRight here · Spotify or Last.fm
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Features
Automatic loggingWeekly DiscTaste MapTaste matchProfiles and statsMusic windowsBPM, key and soundSong stripLikes that syncPlay in your appFindPeople and buddiesCompare tasteAnthemsGenre labelsAndroid appImport and connectWindows 98 look
18 object(s)Open as a list
Guides
Track music on WindowsLog YouTube MusicApple Music statsFind people like youPlayers that workLog VLCLog foobar2000Log MusicBeeiTunes on WindowsLog DeezerLog TidalLog SoundCloudAmazon MusicWindows Media PlayerSpotify historyTop songs of all timeWhat genre is it?Describe your tasteExport your dataComing from Last.fm
20 object(s)Open as a list
Compare
Risocast vs Last.fmLast.fm alternativesRisocast vs stats.fmWrapped any time
4 object(s)Open as a list
243 logged today