Different Electronic Music Genres and What They Mean

This article is a collaborative effort, crafted and edited by a team of dedicated professionals.

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

Different electronic music genres can be hard to keep track of. Here’s a quick guide to some of the most popular genres and what they mean.

Electronic Dance Music

Electronic dance music (EDM), also known as dance music, club music, or simply dance, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres made largely for nightclubs, raves, and festivals.EDM is generally produced for playback by DJs who create seamless selections of tracks, called a mix, by segueing from one recording to another.

What is Electronic Dance Music?

Electronic Dance Music, or EDM for short, is a genre of music that originated in the early 1980s. This type of music is typically made with electronic instruments and is often played in nightclubs, festivals, and concerts. The first electronic dance music was created by DJs who played electronic music for people to dance to.

There are many different genres of EDM, and they often overlap or include elements of each other. The four most popular genres of EDM are house, techno, trance, and drum and bass.

House music is a genre of EDM that originated in the 1980s in Chicago. This type of music is typically characterized by a 4/4 time signature, a moderate tempo, and simple drum patterns. House music often includes samples of soul or disco music.

Techno is a genre of EDM that originated in Detroit in the late 1980s. This type of music is characterized by a 4/4 time signature, a fast tempo, and complex drum patterns. Techno often includes synthesizers and other electronic instruments.

Trance is a genre of EDM that originated in the early 1990s in Germany. This type of music is characterized by a 4/4 time signature, a moderate to fast tempo, and layered melodies. Trance sometimes includes samples of classical or religious music.

Drum and bass is a genre of EDM that originated in the mid-1990s in England. This type of music is characterized by a 4/4 time signature, a fast tempo, and breaks between the drums and bassline. Drum and bass often includes samples of hip hop or jungle music.

The Different Types of Electronic Dance Music

There are many different genres of electronic dance music (EDM), and the music can be broadly divided into four main categories:

-Trance: This is a style of EDM that is characterized by long, hypnotic melodies and a driving, pulsating beat. Trance music is often used in nightclubs and festivals, and it can be very upbeat or slow and atmospheric.

-House: House music is a popular style of EDM that originated in the 1980s. It is characterized by a 4/4 beat and often has a “groovy” feeling. House music can be very sexually suggestive, and it is often played in nightclubs around the world.

-Techno: Techno is a type of EDM that is characterized by its use of synthesizers and drum machines. It originated in the 1980s, and it often has a dark, industrial sound. Techno music is often played in underground clubs and parties.

-Drum & Bass: Drum & bass (or “D&B”) is a type of EDM that originated in the United Kingdom in the early 1990s. It is characterized by its fast tempo (usually 160-180 beats per minute) and its use of breakbeats. Drum & bass music often has a dark, futuristic sound, and it is often played in underground clubs and parties.

House Music

House music is a genre of electronic music that was created in the 1980s. It is characterized by a four-on-the-floor drum beat and is often played in clubs. House music is often produced using synthesizers, drum machines, and computer programs.

What is House Music?

There isn’t just one answer to this question because house music can mean different things to different people, just like any other genre of music. In general, though, house music is a type of electronic dance music that originated in the 1980s. It was created by DJs and producers who were influenced by other genres of music, such as disco, soul, and funk.

The style of house music varies depending on the region where it is produced. For example, Chicago house is a subgenre that was developed in the Midwestern city of Chicago in the 1980s. This style is characterized by a heavy use of synthesizers and drum machines. In contrast, acid house is a subgenre that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. This style is characterized by its focus on the tempo and rhythm of the music, as well as its use of synthesizers to create unique sound effects.

No matter what style of house music you’re interested in, there are certain elements that are common to all types of this genre. These elements include a steady bassline, syncopated drums, and repetitive keyboard or synth melodies. If you’re looking for a specific type of house music to listen to or dance to, there are many different subgenres from which to choose.

The Different Types of House Music

The first thing you need to know about house music is that it is not just one genre. House music actually encompasses a wide range of genres, all of which share a commonality in their four-on-the-floor beats. From the early days of Chicago house to the more recent rise of deep house, there is a lot of ground to cover when it comes to this ever-evolving genre of electronic dance music.

Here is a quick rundown of some of the most popular types of house music:

· Chicago house: One of the earliest and most influential subgenres of house music, Chicago house is characterized by its minimalist approach and use of stripped-down samples.

· Deep house: A more soulful and mellow take on house music, deep house features longer tracks with hypnotic grooves and often includes jazz or gospel-inspired elements.

· Acid house: Named for its use of the distinctive squelchy sound produced by the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer, acid house was a key player in the birth of rave culture in the late 1980s.

· Tech house: A fusion of techno and house, tech house is known for its techno-influenced beats and often incorporates elements from other genres like hip hop or disco.

· Tribal house: As its name suggests, tribal house takes inspiration from world music, specifically Latin American and African rhythms. This subgenre often features percussion-heavy tracks with a distinctly tribal feel.

Techno Music

Techno music is a type of electronic dance music that originated in Detroit, Michigan in the United States in the 1980s. The first techno tracks were produced by artists like Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, who were influenced by the electro-funk sound of Kraftwerk and Afrika Bambaataa. Techno is typically characterized by a repetitive four on the floor beat, a synthesizer-driven sound, and a feeling of spaciousness and hypnotic atmosphere.

What is Techno Music?

Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by a repetitive 4/4 beat, often with syncopated bass lines, synthesizers, and occasional vocals.

The Different Types of Techno Music

Techno is a type of electronic music that emerged in the late 1980s. It is characterized by a repetitive 4/4 beat and often contains elements of other genres, such as house, industrial, and post-punk. There are many different types of techno, each with its own distinct style and sound.

The following is a list of some of the most popular types of techno:

Hard techno: This type of techno is known for its hard-hitting beats and often features distorted and aggressive vocals. It is popular in nightclubs and festivals.

Minimal techno: This type of techno is characterized by its minimalistic sound, which often includes repetition and minimal melodies. It is popular in small clubs and underground venues.

Tech-house: This type of techno combines elements of house music with techno. It often has a more progressive sound than other types of techno.

Trance: This type of techno heavily emphasizes on atmosphere and rhythm, often with long breakdowns and builds. It is popular in clubs and festivals.

Drum and Bass

Drum and bass is a type of electronic music that emerged in the early 1990s. It is characterized by fast breakbeats, often with heavy basslines. Drum and bass can be divided into different subgenres, such as jump-up, darkstep, and liquid funk.

What is Drum and Bass?

Drum and bass (also written as “drum ‘n’ bass” or “d&b”) is a type of electronic music which emerged in the mid-1990s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats (typically between 150 and 180 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines. Drum and bass often incorporates elements of other genres, such as ragga, hip hop, jungle and techno.

The earliest drum and bass recordings were made in the early 1990s by artists such as Goldie, Lennie Diegosh, Alex Reece and collaborate includinggithubRufige Kru, Photek and record labels like Metalheadz and Reinforced Records. Drum and bass events take place all over the world including Lithuania, Germany, Czech Republic, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands.

The Different Types of Drum and Bass

Breakbeat hardcore, or rave, is the original drum and bass sound, typified by the bleepy rave anthems of the early 1990s. It remains the preserve of a small but dedicated underground following today. breakbeat hardcore was also sometimes referred to – confusingly – as old skool hardcore in its early days, before being supplanted by jungle and then drum and bass.

Jungle is the name given to drum and bass when it began to be influenced by ragga and hip-hop in the early to mid-1990s. The result was a more urban sound typified by MCs on the mic and hard-edged, Amen break-heavy beats. This was also sometimes referred to as ragga jungle or jungle techno.

Drumfunk is a dark and atmospheric subgenre which developed out of jungle in the late 1990s. Drumfunk tracks are often minimalistic, with complex drums patterns and dark, mysterious themes.

Hardstep is a branch of techstep that takes a harder, more aggressive approach; tracks typically feature amen breaks, distorted basslines and Sawtooth waves. Hardstep first emerged in 1999–2000 but soon fell out of favour; however, it has made something of a comeback in recent years as part of neurofunk’s revival

Dubstep

Dubstep is a type of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the late 1990s. It is characterized by a sparse, syncopated rhythm with heavy bass and sub-bass lines.

What is Dubstep?

Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the late 1990s. It is generally characterized by sparse, syncopated rhythmic patterns with bass lines that contain prominent sub-bass frequencies. Dubstep tempo range is usually between 70 and 75 beats per minute (bpm) with occasional tracks ranging from 67 to 180 bpm. The genre features a distinctive foregrounded squeeze-box-like dub bass line that is often resisting the rhythm. Other distinguishing features often found in dubstep include fairly minimalistic percussion, occasionally half time or double time rhythms, layered synthesizers, and low frequency effects such asreverb and delay.

The Different Types of Dubstep

There are many different types of dubstep, each with its own unique sound and vibe. Here is a brief overview of some of the most popular types of dubstep:

1. Grime: This type of dubstep is characterized by dark, aggressive beats and often features MCs (rappers) on top of the music.

2. Neurofunk: This type of dubstep is characterized by complex, syncopated rhythms and often has a very dark and industrial sound.

3. halftime: This type of dubstep is characterized by half-time beats (i.e., the tempo is half as fast as traditional dubstep) and often has a more relaxed and chilled out vibe.

4. wonky: This type of dubstep is characterized by wobbly, distorted basslines and often has a playful and fun sound.

5. post-dubstep: This type of dubstep is characterized by atmospheric, cinematic sounds and often features less emphasis on the bassline than traditional dubstep.

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