What Are the Different Genres of Electronic Music?
Most people are familiar with the mainstream genres of electronic music, but there are many subgenres that are worth exploring. In this blog post, we take a look at some of the different genres of electronic music and what sets them apart.
Introduction to Electronic Music
What is Electronic Music?
Electronic music is a genre of music that is made with the help of electronic musical instruments or electronic music technology. It has been a major part of Western pop music for more than half a century. In the 1940s and 1950s, electronic music was mostly produced by using analog technology. Later, in the 1970s and 1980s, electronic music was produced using digital technology.
The term “electronic music” can refer to different genres of music that are created with the help of electronic musical instruments or electronic music technology. Some common genres of electronic music include techno, trance, house, and dubstep.
The Different Genres of Electronic Music
There are many different genres of electronic music, each with its own unique sound and history. Here are some of the most popular genres:
House: House music is a style of electronic dance music that originated in the 1980s in Chicago. It is characterized by a 4/4 time signature, a steady bassline, and syncopated drums. House music is often accompanied by MCs who rap or sing over the beats.
Techno: Techno is a type of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit in the late 1980s. Its defining characteristic is a repetitive, driving beat that often uses synthesizers and drum machines. Techno has been influential on other genres of music, such as house and trance.
Trance: Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s. It is characterized by soaring melodies, repetitive beats, and a hypnotic feeling. Trance music is often designed to induce a state of euphoria or altered consciousness.
Bass: Bass music refers to any type of electronic music that places emphasis on the bassline. This can include genres like dubstep, grime, trap, and Drum & Bass. Bass music often has a dark or aggressive tone and can be quite loud when played on a club PA system.
House Music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the 1980s in Chicago. It is characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat and often utilizes a piano or other synthesizer. House music often has adeep bassline and uses a kick drum on every quarter note. The genre was originally created by DJs who were playing extended disco tracks in clubs.
What is House Music?
Most people associate the origins of House Music with the city of Chicago in the mid 80’s. In reality, House music was a combination of sounds that were coming out of New York, Chicago and Detroit at that time. So it’s really more accurate to say that House music is a product of those three great cities.
The sound of House music is hard to define because it has been so heavily influenced by other genres of music, but in general, you can expect a steady 4/4 beat with synthesized bass lines and drum machines. The tempo is usually between 120 and 130 beats per minute (bpm) and the tracks are often 8 to 16 bars long.
One of the defining features of House music is the use of samples, which can be anything from snippets of dialogue to sounds from other pieces of music. These samples are often looped or repeated throughout the track to create a hypnotic effect.
If you’re new to House music, a good place to start is with some of the classic tracks that have been sampled or referenced by other artists over the years. These tracks are considered to be “foundation records” within the genre and will give you a good understanding of what House music is all about.
The Origins of House Music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the Chicago club scene in the early 1980s. The first house tracks were produced by DJs who were influenced by the disco sound that was popular at the time. These DJs created new tracks by mixing different disco songs together, and they eventually began to produce their own original music. House music became popular in European clubs in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and it soon spread to the rest of the world.
The sound of house music is generally characterized by a 4/4 beat, synthesizer melodies, and soulful vocals. House tracks often samples elements from other genres of music, such as disco, funk, and soul. The genre has spawned many subgenres, including deep house, acid house, tech house, and minimal house.
The Different Sub-Genres of House Music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in clubs throughout the Chicago area before eventually becoming popular worldwide. House music is characterized by a repetitive, four-on-the-floor beat and often features synth-based melodies and basslines.
While there is no one definitive sound of house music, there are several sub-genres that have emerged over the years. These sub-genres include deep house, acid house, tribal house, tech house, and others.
Deep house is perhaps the most popular sub-genre of house music and is characterized by its use of hypnotic grooves, soulful vocals, and atmospheric pads. Acid house is another popular sub-genre of house music and is characterized by its use of acid basslines and 303 sequences. Tribal house is a sub-genre of house music that combines elements of tribal percussion with deep basslines and pads. Tech house is a sub-genre of house music that combines elements of techno and deep house.
Techno Music
Techno music is a genre of electronic music that emerged in the late 1980s. It is characterized by a repetitive four on the floor beat and often contains elements of trance, acid house, and electro.
What is Techno Music?
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the 1980s. It is characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat, often accompanied by synthesizers, drum machines, and distorted vocals. Techno is often used as a catch-all term for various styles of electronic music, such as house and trance.
The Origins of Techno Music
techno music is a type of electronic dance music that developed in the 1980s. It is characterized by a repetitive 4/4 beat and often features synthesizers, drum machines, and processed vocals. Techno is often associated with the rave culture and is sometimes referred to as “hard techno” or “acid techno.”
The origins of techno music can be traced back to the city of Detroit, Michigan in the United States. Detroit was home to a large number of European immigrants in the early 20th century, and it was also a major center for the automobile industry. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Detroit became a hotbed for experimental electronic music. This new style of music was heavily influenced by European styles such as Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder, as well as Jamaican dub and disco.
A number of important figures emerged from the Detroit techno scene, including Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson. These artists were responsible for creating some of the earliest examples of techno music. In 1988, Atkinsreleased his debut album Cybotron, which featured the track “Alleys Of Your Mind.” This song is often credited as being one of the first ever examples of techno music.
In the 1990s, techno music spread to other parts of North America and Europe. It also began to splinter off into different subgenres, such as trance, jungle, and drum & bass. Today, techno music remains popular all over the world and continues to evolve new sounds and styles.
The Different Sub-Genres of Techno Music
Techno music is a type of electronic dance music that emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat, typically between 120 and 150 beats per minute, and often features synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines.
While techno is often thought of as a single genre, there are actually many different sub-genres of techno music. These sub-genres include acid techno, Detroit techno, hard techno, minimal techno, and tech house.
Acid techno is a style of techno that was influenced by the acid house movement of the late 1980s. This sub-genre is characterized by the use of the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer to create acidic or “squelchy” sounds.
Detroit techno is a style of techno that was developed in Detroit, Michigan in the 1980s. This sub-genre is characterized by its use of synth pads and drum machines to create a “futuristic” sound.
Hard techno is a style of techno that was developed in Germany in the early 1990s. This sub-genre is characterized by its hard-hitting beats and dark atmosphere.
Minimal techno is a style of techno that was developed in the early 1990s. This sub-genre is characterized by its use of minimalistic composition and repetition.
Tech house is a style of electronic dance music that combines elements of house music and techno music. This sub-genre typically features four-on-the-floor beats, percussive grooves, and syncopated basslines.
Drum and Bass
Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to “D&B”, “DnB” or simply “D’n’B”) is a genre of electronic music characterised by fast breakbeats (typically between 150 and 180 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, layered with additional percussion and occasionally sampled sources.
What is Drum and Bass?
Drum and Bass, also known as D&B, DnB, or simply Drum and Bass, is a type of electronic music that emerged in the early 1990s. It is characterized by fast breakbeats (typically between 150 and 180 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines. The style began as a fusion of breakbeat hardcore and rave music, and developed into a more complex genre with the addition of elements from Jungle and Techno.
The Origins of Drum and Bass
The origins of Drum and Bass can be traced back to the early 1990s, when a group of Jamaican immigrants living in London started experimenting with mixing Jamaican dub and reggae music with British hardcore techno. This new style of music quickly caught on in the underground rave scene, and by the mid-1990s, Drum and Bass had become one of the most popular genres of electronic music.
Today, Drum and Bass is still one of the most popular genres of electronic music, and its popularity has only continued to grow in recent years. There are now dozens of subgenres within Drum and Bass, each with its own unique sound and vibe. Whether you’re into the hard-hitting sounds of neurofunk or the smooth grooves of liquid D&B, there’s a subgenre out there for you.
The Different Sub-Genres of Drum and Bass
There are many different sub-genres of drum and bass, each with their own distinct sound and style. Some of the more popular sub-genres include:
-Jungle: Jungle is a fast-paced, energetic style of drum and bass that often includes samples from other genres of music, such as reggae and hip-hop.
-D&BGA: D&BGA (or Drum & Bass with Guitar Amplifiers) is a sub-genre that combines elements of Drum & Bass with hardcore punk and metal to create a unique sound.
-Techstep: Techstep is a dark, clinical style of Drum & Bass that often features complex, detailed production and cybernetic themes.
-Neurofunk: Neurofunk is a dark, futuristic style of Drum & Bass that emphasizes complex sound design and intricate basslines.
-Jump Up: Jump up is a high energy, uptempo style of Drum & Bass that often features samples from other genres of music, such as hip-hop and jungle.
Dubstep
electronic music has come to be associated with a wide range of styles, primarily because of the versatility of electronic instruments and the availability of affordable music production technology. This section will explore the different genres of electronic music, including dubstep, techno, house, and more.
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 prominent sub-bass frequencies. The style emerged as an offshoot of garage, dub and 2-step, and shares many commonalities with those genres.
The Origins of 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, techno, and drum and bass. This genre has been described as “a development within electronic music which places the emphasis on drums and bass, where the bass line is often a syncopated variation of the amen break”.
In the early 2000s, dubstep began to be increasingly used in UK underground clubs and pirate radio stations. By the mid-2000s, dubstep artists such as Skream, Benga, and Burial had begun to achieve commercial success outside of London. In 2007, dubstep reached critical mass in the UK when it was featured in an advertisement for HTC Android phones. The commercial helped to increase awareness and appreciation of dubstep among non-dancers and casual observers.
In recent years, dubstep has spawned numerous subgenres and fusion genres, such as wonky, post-dubstep, future garage, and dark garage. Wonky music is a subgenre of dubstep that developed in the late 2000s and early 2010s. It is characterized by complex rhythmical patterns,, off-kilter melodies,, and occasional vocals. Post-dubstep is a style of dubstep that emerged in the 2010s after 2010’s mainstream popularity. It is marked by a return to more traditional song structures,, as well as organic instrumentation,, andoften incorporates elements of other genres such as grime,, hip hop,, R&B,, or house music.
The Different Sub-Genres of Dubstep
Since dubstep first rose to popularity in the early 2000s, the genre has undergone a number of changes and evolving sub-genres. What began as a dark, gritty sound has now expanded to include a wide range of styles, tempos, and feels. Here is a brief overview of some of the different sub-genres of dubstep:
Dark dubstep: This sub-genre is characterized by its dark, brooding atmosphere and deep bass lines. This style was pioneered by artists like Burial and intended to evoke an emotional response in the listener.
Hard dubstep: As the name suggests, this style is harder and more aggressive than other types of dubstep. It often features distorted basslines and sped-up tempos. Hard dubstep is sometimes also referred to as “rip step.”
Jump up dubstep: This style is distinguished by its high energy and fast tempo. It often includes drum ‘n’ bass influences and is intended to be danced to. Jump up dubstep tracks typically have very little (if any) vocals.
Melodic dubstep: As opposed to some of the darker, more minimal styles of dubstep, melodic dubstep incorporates more melodies and often features pretty, emotive vocal samples. This style is sometimes also referred to as “emotive” or “euphoric” dubstep.
Conclusion
Today, we’ve looked at Electronic Music and its different sub-genres. We started with a general introduction to the genre, then took a look at some of the most popular sub-genres including Trance, techno, Drum & Bass and Dubstep.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this quick guide and that you now have a better understanding of the different styles of Electronic Music. Remember, there are no rules when it comes to music – so go out there and experiment!
