Wonky is a subgenre of electronic dance music known primarily for its off-kilter or “unstable” beats, as well as its eclectic, colorful blend of genres including hip-hop, electro-funk, 8-bit, jazz fusion, glitch, and crunk.^[1][2] Artists associated with the style include Joker, Rustie, Hudson Mohawke, Zomby, and Flying Lotus.^[1][2] The genre includes the related styles of purple sound and aquacrunk.^[3][1]

Wonky initially emerged in 2008 as a colorful, exuberant style drawing on hip hop, synth-funk, glitchy electronica, and more eclectic influences, in contrast with the austere sound of the UK's ongoing dubstep and grime scenes.^[4] Other influences included American hip hop producers J Dilla and Madlib, with some artists drawing more explicitly on an instrumental hip-hop sound rather than dubstep.^[4] The term "wonky" has been rejected by various artists associated with the style.^[2]

Wonky is known for its off-kilter rhythms and typically features garish synthesizer tones, melodies, and effects.^[3] The "unstable" sound of wonky is often achieved by producing unquantised beats, abandoning the metronomic precision of much electronic music.^[4] Artists also use heavy sub-bass, which has been attributed to synergistic effects of bass with the drug ketamine, which became popular in UK clubs during the dubstep era.^[4] BBC Music called it a style of "slightly out-of-phase beats and synthesisers that wobble woozily, like they've warped after being left out in the sun."^[5]

Purple sound emerged in Bristol in late 2008 out of the splintering dubstep scene and took inspiration from wonky, which it is sometimes considered a part of. It incorporates synth-funk from the 1980s and G-funk production from the '90s into dubstep, while also introducing many aspects of grime and 8-bit music (several prominent purple sound artists cite video game music as a large influence).^[6]

• Dubstep
• Future bass