Mundeenian Crunch

Mundeenian Crunch is a genre of Muxteran music, originating from modern life in the Muxteran capitol city Mundeen. It is strongly influenced by much older Muxteran marching songs, including Cheeks, but takes a more abstract slant punctuated by a truly impressive amount of percussion, synthesized and otherwise.

Characteristics

Crunch is chiefly characterized by a rapid beat from a bass line that is often felt more than it is heard, even by any Stenza who happen to hear a song in the genre. On top of the bass line are a lot of other percussive instruments from pipes and chunks of concrete (for that "rubble" aesthetic which can be easily attained given the current state of the galaxy) to electronic devices mimicking any instrument or combination thereof. Lyrics are completely optional and scattered lightly throughout most Crunch songs; most lyrics trace their origins to older marches and work songs.
Crunch has become emblematic of local resistance movements, up to and including the Muxteran Freedom Force, because of this.

Notable Influences

Crunch as a genre has been heavily influenced by marches, as well as other more contemporary "urban" genres such as club dance, pipecore, and subsound. There are some slight influences from (or similarities to) Stenza percussion music, but these are considered more of a historical point by people who have the time and desire to study Crunch. That being said, some Crunch songs make their "resistance" vibe overt by parodying Stenza war chants (a manifestation of the "Yankee Doodle" phenomenon).

Notable Artists

Certain Crunch artists have rocketed in popularity across the empire, including the duet Running Twins, comprised of Vess and Ifah, who are both affiliated with the Muxteran Freedom Force and place an overt political focus on their music that speaks to swaths of people across The Nine Systems. Other noteworthy artists include Mecho (who strives toward apolitical music and is viewed as "complicit"), Tybae (a notoriously pro-Althusian musician and noted in some circles for her gender), and Amemea (whose controversial pro-Stenza stance has caused a serious schism in the Crunch subculture).
A lower-profile artist, Chelf, is known among the Stenza Clan of the Lost because Ta'zhen discovered a collection of their work during her service and has phases of blasting it at top volume, such that "when [she] listens to Chelf, so does the rest of the ship."

Culture

The Crunch subculture is primarily founded on beliefs such as anti-authoritarianism, anti-imperialism, anti-mass media and a do-it-yourself ethic. However, the revelation of Amemea's political leanings has caused a deep schism within the community and sparked a conversation about the validity of certain positions and a broader conversation about thinking for oneself and what it means to be politically involved and Muxteran. Many fans and artists have reiterated their stances against the Stenza encroachment on Muxter broadly and Mundeen specifically, but some fear that taking a single stance as a collective entity compromises their core values.
In fact, it seems that all anyone can agree on anymore is that no matter how cool the hair looks, attempting to touch it is a good way to lose a hand.