What You Need to Know About Electronic Music Terms

If you’re new to the world of electronic music, there are a lot of terms that you may not be familiar with. In this blog post, we’ll give you a crash course in some of the most important electronic music terms.

Introduction

Electronic music is a genre of music that is made using electronic devices and circuits, and is often produced using computers. It emerged in the mid-20th century and has since become one of the most popular genres of music.

The term “electronic music” can be used to refer to a wide variety of genres, including dance music, techno, house, trance, Drum & Bass, dubstep, and many more. It can also be used to describe the use of electronic devices in making music, such as synthesizers or sequencers.

There are many different terms that are associated with electronic music, and this guide will explain some of the most common ones. It’s important to keep in mind that there is no one correct way to define these terms, and that they may mean different things to different people.

BPM:
BPM stands for “beats per minute.” This is a measure of the tempo of a piece of music, or how fast it feels. The average human heart rate is about 70 BPM, so a piece of electronic music with a tempo of 140 BPM would feel twice as fast as a normal heart rate.

DJ:
A DJ is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. DJs usually play music from multiple genres, and often mix together different tracks to create new sounds. They may also add effects to their tracks using DJ software.

Drum machine:
A drum machine is an electronic device that generates percussion sounds. drum machines are often used by producers to create drum beats for their tracks.

EQ:
EQ stands for “equalization.” This refers to the process of adjusting the levels of different frequencies in a piece of audio. EQ can be used to make a track sound brighter or heavier, depending on how it’s adjusted.

Filter:
A filter is an effect that alters the frequency response of an audio signal. Filters can be used to make a track sound brighter or darker, depending on how they are adjusted.

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The Different Types of Electronic Music

There are four main types of electronic music: house, techno, trance, and drum and bass. Each type has its own sub-genres, and within those sub-genres, there are even more sub-genres. electronic music is constantly evolving, with new sub-genres being created all the time. It can be hard to keep up with all the different types and sub-genres, but that’s what we’re here for. In this article, we’ll give you a rundown of the different types of electronic music, as well as some of the most popular sub-genres.

Techno

Techno is a type of electronic dance music that originally arose in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid-to-late 1980s. Techno is generally characterized by a repetitive four on the floor beat, a common time signature that provides a skeletal framework over which synthesizers and other electronic percussion and effects are layered to produce a full sound.

House

House is a style of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago in the early 1980s. It was initially defined by a mix of disco, electronic and pop music. House music is usually characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat, synthesizer melodies, andoul vocals, and a solid bassline.

Drum and Bass

Drum and bass (also written as “drum ‘n’ bass” or “d&b”) is a type of electronic music that originated in the UK in the early 1990s. It is characterized by fast breakbeats (typically between 160 and 180 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines. Drum and bass often features samples from other genres of music, including hip-hop, soul, and reggae.

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. The style emerged as an offshoot of UK garage, drawing on a lineage of related styles such as 2-step and dub reggae.

The earliest dubstep releases date back to 1998, and the genre rose to prominence in the early 2000s thanks to a wave of prolific producers and record labels such as Hyperdub, Tempa, and Scan 7. In the 2010s, dubstep underwent a commercial resurgence in Europe and North America, led by artists such as Skrillex and Rusko.

While dubstep is often described as a dark or menacing style of music, it also incorporates elements of other genres such as hip hop, grime, garage, and even pop. As a result, dubstep has been used in a wide variety of settings, from nightclubs to car commercials.

The Origins of Electronic Music

Electronic music has been around for almost as long as people have been making music. In the early 20th century, composers like Edgar Varèse and Luigi Russolo were experimenting with new ways to create sound. These early electronic music pioneers used mechanical and electrical devices to create their music.

Detroit

In the 1970s, a group of pioneering electronic music producers in Detroit, Michigan, began experimenting with synthesizers and other electronic equipment to create a new, distinctly American form of music. These producers, including Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, would come to be known as the “The Belleville Three,” after the Detroit suburb where they first met.

Today, their work is widely considered to be among the most important and influential in the history of electronic music. In particular, their use of synthesizers to create melodic patterns—a technique known as “sequencing”—would come to define the sound of electronic dance music (EDM).

Chicago

Chicago is widely regarded as the birthplace of electronic music. In the early 1930s, two men named Les Paul and Leo Fender developed the first electric guitars and amplifiers. Soon after, in 1937, musician and inventor Bob Moog created the first electronic synthesizer. With these three inventions, electronic music was born.

During the 1970s and 1980s, electronic music became increasingly popular. In fact, it was during this time that some of the most iconic electronic music tracks were created, including Kraftwerk’s “Trans-Europe Express” and New Order’s “Blue Monday.” As electronic music continued to evolve, new genres began to emerge, such as house and techno.

Today, electronic music is more popular than ever before. Thanks to the internet, anyone can make their own electronic music and share it with the world. And with so many different genres to choose from, there’s something for everyone.

The Future of Electronic Music

In order to understand the future of electronic music, it is important to understand the language that producers and DJs use to describe it. In this article, we will define some of the most important electronic music terms. By understanding these terms, you will be able to have a better grasp on the music industry as a whole.

The Growth of the Industry

The future of electronic music is looking very bright. In recent years, we’ve seen a massive growth in the popularity of EDM, with more and more people flocking to festivals and clubs to experience the highs that this genre has to offer. This growth is only set to continue, with the industry expected to be worth a staggering $6.9 billion by 2020.

However, as the industry grows, so too does the need for education around electronic music terms. With so many new artists and producers emerging onto the scene, it can be tough to keep up with all the latest jargon. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide, which covers some of the most commonly used terms in electronic music.

BPM:

BPM stands for beats per minute, and is used to describe the tempo of a track. When DJs are mixing tracks together, they need to ensure that they are matched in BPM in order to create a seamless transition between them. The average BPM for most dance music tracks is between 120-140.

Beatmatching:

Beatmatching is the process of matching two tracks together in terms of BPM. This ensures that when one track fades out and another fades in, there is no sudden change in tempo, creating a much smoother transition between tracks.

Breakbeat:
A breakbeat is a type of drum beat that usually has a fast tempo and features heavily syncopated rhythms. Breakbeats are often used in Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and hip-hop tracks. Some well-known examples of songs that feature breakbeats include The Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up” and Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You.”

The Mainstreaming of Electronic Music

The last few years have seen a huge surge in the popularity of electronic music. Once confined to underground clubs and festivals, the genre has now broken into the mainstream with some of the biggest names in pop and hip-hop incorporating elements of EDM into their music. This has led to a new wave of fans discovering the joys of dance music, but it has also resulted in a lot of confusion about some of the terms used to describe it.

Here are some of the most common electronic music terms you need to know:

EDM: This is short for “electronic dance music” and is used as a catch-all term to describe any type of music that is made using electronic instruments and is designed to be danced to.

DJ: A DJ is someone who plays pre-recorded music for an audience, often mixing different tracks together to create a continuous flow of sound. They may also add their own effects or samples to the mix.

Producer: A producer is someone who creates original musical compositions or recordings, often with the help of computer software. They may also use hardware synthesisers, drum machines and other analogue or digital instruments.

House: House is a style of EDM that originated in Chicago in the 1980s. It typically features a 4/4 beat with sequenced basslines and chords played on a synthesiser or piano. House tracks often have samples of soul or disco records woven into them.

Techno: Techno is a style of EDM that emerged from Detroit in the late 1980s/early 1990s. It tends to be more experimental than house, with heavier use of synthesizers and drum machines. Techno tracks often have an hypnotic quality, with simple, repeating melodies and rhythms.