Songs with lyrics tend to be specific and topical, says Ramble Jon Krohn, who records and performs under the moniker RJD2. Purely instrumental music, though, is different for him. Without a vocalist telling the listener what to imagine and how to feel, everything is up for interpretation. “The beauty of…

Music has played such a big role in Joseph Mount’s life that it’s easy for him to think of instruments as people with personalities. The drums, for instance, are like an easygoing, affable drinking buddy. He considers the bass guitar more serious and thoughtful — maybe someone who abstains from…

A detuned warble that sounds like it’s coming from an old-time gramophone provides an unsettling backdrop as Wifisfuneral mumbles a couple of bars. Then the kick drum drops, and his enunciation becomes razor-sharp, his flow furious. “Steady relapse into my old ways,” he raps. “In the third grade, I got punished for sour play.”