Which Style of Music Commonly Uses Electronic Instruments and Drums?

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

Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

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If you’re a fan of electronic music, you might be wondering which style of music commonly uses electronic instruments and drums. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most popular genres that make use of electronic music production.

Electronic Dance Music

Electronic dance music, also known as EDM, is a genre of music that typically uses electronic instruments and drum machines. It originated in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and has since become one of the most popular styles of music in the world.

What is Electronic Dance Music?

Electronic dance music (EDM), also known as dance music, club music, or simply dance, is a broad range of percussive electronic genres made largely for nightclubs, raves and festivals. It is generally produced for playback by DJs who create seamless selections of tracks, called a mix by segueing from one recording to another. EDM producers also perform their music live in a concert or festival setting in what is sometimes called a live PA. In Europe, EDM is more commonly called ‘dance music’, or simply ‘dance’.

EDM originated in the early 1980s when disco tracks were remixed to create an energetic sound for the then-new genre of house music. These earliest examples of EDM were characterized by a heavy reliance on repetitive beats and easy-to-understand melodies, which are still hallmarks of the genre. As house music became more popular in the 1980s and early 1990s, A&R executives/promoters began to look for ways to capitalise on its popularity by signing EDM artists and releasing compilations of dance tracks. This led to the formation of dance labels such as Warp Records and R&S Records and the development of new subgenres including techno and hard trance.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a new wave of American DJs including David Guetta, Tïesto and Paul Oakenfold began to achieve mainstream success with their brand of melodic yet pounding techno/trance sound. This sound was typified by huge breakdowns and stadium-sized buildups followed by a drop into thumping basslines and four-on-the-floor beats. These DJs were often championed by UK underground rave magazine Muzikand their style of music became known as ‘big room’.

The 2010s have seen the rise of ‘bass music’, a catch-all term for any style of electronic dance music that places an emphasis on heavy basslines. This includes subgenres such as dubstep, trap, future bass and drum & bass. In Europe, EDM has been increasingly influenced by elements of pop music leading to the formation of subgenres such as FuturePop and synthwave.

What are the Different Styles of Electronic Dance Music?

There are many different styles of electronic dance music, each with its own unique sound and feel. Here are some of the most popular:

1. House: House music is characterized by a steady 4/4 beat and often features synthesizers, drum machines, and samples of other songs. It originated in the Chicago club scene in the 1980s.

2. techno: Techno is a faster-paced form of house music that often features repetitive percussion and basslines. It originated in Detroit in the 1980s and has since become one of the most popular genres of electronic dance music.

3. trance: Trance music is characterized by hypnotic rhythms and melodies, often with a tempo of around 128 beats per minute. It originated in the early 1990s in Germany and has become one of the most popular genres of electronic dance music.

4. dubstep: Dubstep is a form of electronic dance music characterized by heavy basslines and syncopated rhythms. It originated in London in the early 2000s and has since become one of the most popular genres of electronic dance music.

Techno

Techno is a type of electronic dance music that originated in Detroit, Michigan in the United States in the late 1980s. The first techno tracks were created by DJs and producers who were influenced by the sounds of Chicago house music, as well as electronic music from Europe.

What is Techno?

Techno is a style of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, in the United States during the mid-to-late 1980s. The first techno producers were pioneers who experimented with electronic music devices and helped to develop the sounds and styles that would later be known as techno.

What are the Different Styles of Techno?

Techno is a genre of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid-to-late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a type of music, was in 1988. Many styles of techno now exist, but they all share a certain basic similarity: techno is typified by a four-on-the-floor drum beat, an emphasis on repetitive melodic phrases, and a lack of dynamics.

The Different Styles of Techno
Techno has spawned many subgenres and offshoots over the years, each with its own distinct identity and sonic signature. Some of the most popular and well-known styles of techno include:

Acid techno: This style emerged in the early 1990s and is typified by its use of the Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer to create squelching, acidic sounds.

Hardcore techno: This style developed out of acid house and is characterized by its hard-hitting, often violent sound.

Ambient techno: As the name suggests, ambient techno is a slower, more atmospheric type of techno that often features field recordings and other found sounds.

Minimal techno: This style focuses on stripped-down arrangements with few tracks and minimalistic melodies.

House

House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago in the early 1980s. It is characterized by a repeating 4/4 beat and synthesizers. The style was developed by DJs and music producers from Chicago’s underground club scene.

What is House?

House is a style of electronic dance music that originated in the 1980s in Chicago. The term has been used to describe various styles of electronic music produced by DJs and producers in the US, UK, and Europe. These styles include deep house, tech house, acid house, tribal house, and progressive house.

What are the Different Styles of House?

There are many different styles of house, but the three most common are Chicago house, soulful house, and deep house.

Chicago house is a style of house that was developed in the 1980s in the city of Chicago. It is characterized by a heavy use of electronic instruments and drums, and often has a repetitive, soulful vocal style. Soulful house is a style of house that developed in the 1990s and is characterized by its use of organic instruments, such as keyboards and horns, and its focus on soulful vocals. Deep house is a style of house that developed in the 1980s and is characterized by its use of dub-influenced basslines and synthesizers.

Drum and Bass

Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to D&B, DnB or D’n’B) is a genre of electronic music characterised by fast breakbeats (typically 160–180 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, sampled sources, and synthesizers. The popularity of drum and bass at its commercial peak ran parallel to several other homegrown dance styles in the UK including big beat and hard house.

What is Drum and Bass?

Drum and bass (sometimes written as “D&B”, “Drum n Bass” or “D’n’B”) is a type of electronic dance music that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. It is frequently characterized by fast breakbeats (typically between 150 and 180 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines. Drum and bass began as a fusion of breakbeat hardcore and jungle, and developed into a more complex style with further influences from techno, electro, dubstep, rap, grime, house, and drum house.

What are the Different Styles of Drum and Bass?

Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to D&B, DnB or simply Drum Bass) is a genre of electronic music characterised by fast breakbeats (typically between 150–180 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, sampled sources, and synthesizers. The popularity of drum and bass at its commercial peak ran parallel to several other homegrown dance styles in the United Kingdom including big beat and hard house. Drum and bass incorporates a number of styles including techno, jungle, dubstep,breakcore, booty bass, electro (and on occasion acid techno), funk and SpaceAge Bachelor Pad Music.

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