Electronic

Techno - Trance -  House - Dubstep

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Kraftwerk

Electronic music as a form of pop

music emerged in the 1970s through 

the 1980s. As a sound it relied almost

totally on electronic music instruments 

and electronic music technology, 

including computers in its production.

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Electronic music was once associated almost exclusively with Western art music but 

from the late 1960s on the availability of affordable music technology meant that music

produced using electronic means became increasingly common in the popular domain. 

Today electronic music includes many varieties and ranges from experimental art music

to popular forms such as electronic dance music.

Kraftwerk - Autobahn

In the late 1960s, Pop musicians, including The Beach Boys and The Beatles, began to

use electronic instruments, like the Mellotron and Theremin and Mellotron, to help 

supplement and further define their sound. By the end of the 1960s, the Moog 

synthesizer became a major sound generating apparatus in the emergence of such 

progressive rock bands as Pink Floyd, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Genesis 

making them part of their sound. Instrumental prog rock also became particularly 

significant in Europe, with bands such as Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Can, and Faust 

thus able to get around the language barrier. Their synthesiser-heavy "Kraut rock", 

along with the work of Brian Eno (for a time the keyboard player with Roxy Music), 

became a major influence on subsequent 'synth rock'.

Vangelis - I'll Find My Way Home

 
In the mid-1970s electronic art 

musicians such as Jean Michel 

Jarre, Vangelis, and Tomita, along

with Brian Eno also significantly 

influenced the development of 

so-called 'New Age Music'.

The Electronic Music Tools
 

The tools for electronic music include synthesizers, drum machines (rhythm machines), 

and computers.

MIDI

In 1980, a group of musicians and music merchants got together and standardized a

interface that new instruments could use to communicate control instructions with other

instruments and computers. This standard was dubbed Musical Instrument Digital 

Interface (MIDI) and resulted from a collaboration between leading manufacturers 

initially Sequential Circuits, Oberheim, Roland—and later, other participants that 

included Yamaha, Korg, and Kawai. 


MIDI technology allows a single keystroke, control wheel motion, pedal movement, or

command from a microcomputer to activate every device in a studio remotely and in 

synchrony, with each device responding according to conditions predetermined by the 

composer. This tool and software thus made powerful control of sophisticated 

instruments easily affordable by many studios and individuals. 

There was extensive use of drum machines in Marvin Gaye's, Sexual Healing, which contributed to this machines increased popularity and use.

After Punk Rock arrived, a form of basic 

'synth rock' emerged. This music 

increasingly used new digital technology 

to replace other instruments. Pioneering 

bands included Ultravox with their 1977

single "Hiroshima Mon Amour",  Gary 

Numan, Depeche Mode, The Human 

League, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the 

Dark and Tubeway Army from the UK,

and Devo from the US.

Ultravox - Hiroshima Mon Amour

Synthpop

The development of MIDI and digital audio made the production of purely electronic 

sounds much easier. As a consequence, a style called 'synthpop' emerged, which after 

being adopted by the New Romantic movement, saw synthesizers dominate the pop

and rock music of the early 80s. Key acts included Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, A 

Flock of Seagulls, Culture Club, Talk Talk, Japan and the Eurythmics. Synthpop 

sometimes used synthesizers to replace all other instruments, until the style began to fall

from popularity in the mid-1980s.

Spandau Ballet - Gold

Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf

Phuture - Acid Tracks

Electronic Music Documentaries

Discovering Electronic Music Part 1

Discovering Electronic Music Part 2

Electronic Dance Music


In the late 1980s, as a consequence of the developments in electronic music, dance 

music records made using only electronic instruments became increasingly popular.

This trend still continues to the present day with modern nightclubs worldwide regularly

playing electronic dance music. Nowadays, electronic/dance music is so popular, that 

dedicated genre radio stations and TV channels exist.

Cybtron - Clear

Techno


Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the mid to late 1980s in 

Detroit, Michigan in the United States before engulfing the rest of the country, then the

world. The first recorded use of the word techno in reference to a specific genre of 

music was in 1988. Many styles of techno now exist, but Detroit techno is seen as the 

foundation from which a number of subgenres emerged.


The initial take on techno arose from the melding of electronic music with African 

American music styles, including funk, electro, Chicago house and electric jazz. 

Located in notions of the future and spirituality this unique blend of influences aligns 

techno with the aesthetic referred to as 'Afrofuturism'. To producers such as Derrick 

May, the transference of spirit from the body to the machine is often a central 

preoccupation; essentially an expression of technological spirituality. In this manner: 

"techno dance music defeats what Adorno saw as the alienating effect of mechanisation

 on the modern consciousness". (Sources)

Techno 2013 Hands Up

Stylistically, techno is generally repetitive 

instrumental music, often produced for 

use in a continuous DJ set. The creative 

use of music production technology, such

as drum machines, synthesizers, and 

digital audio workstations, is viewed as an

important aspect of the music's aesthetic.

Style

In general, techno is very DJ-friendly, being mainly instrumental and is produced with 

the intention of its being heard in the context of a continuous DJ set, wherein the DJ 

progresses from one record to the next via a synchronized segue or 'mix.' Much of the 

instrumentation in techno emphasizes the role of rhythm over other music.

Kraftwerk - Computer World

In exploring techno's 

origins, writer Kodwo 

Eshun maintains that 

'Kraftwerk are to Techno

what Muddy Waters is to

the Rolling Stones: the 

authentic, the origin, the 

real.' 

Model 500 - No UFO's

During the late 1970s/early 1980s many high school clubs and others created the 

incubator in which techno was grown. These young promoters developed and nurtured 

the local dance music scene by both catering to the tastes of the local audience of

young people and by marketing parties with new DJs and their music. As these local 

clubs grew in popularity, groups of DJs began to band together to market their mixing

skills and sound systems to the clubs in order to cater to the growing audiences of 

listeners. Locations like local church activity centers, vacant warehouses, offices, and 

YMCA auditoriums were the early locations where underage crowds gathered and 

Techno as a musical form was nurtured and defined.

Inner City - Big Fun

Techno Rave

Derrick May - Strings Of Life

The explosion of interest in underground dance music during the late 1980s in the Rave

era of mass underground dance parties provided a context for the development of 

techno as an identifiable genre and then becoming more adventurous and distinct.

After time a wide spectrum of stylistically distinct music was being referred to as 

techno. This ranged from relatively pop oriented acts such as Moby to the distinctly 

anti-commercial sentiments of Underground Resistance. By the late 1980s and early 

1990s, the original techno sound had garnered a large underground following in the 

United Kingdom, and parts of Europe including Germany, the Netherlands and 

Belgium. The growth of techno's popularity in Europe between 1988 and 1992 was 

largely due to the emergence of the rave scene and a thriving club culture.

Techno musicians, treat the electronic 

music studio as one large instrument. The

collection of devices found in a typical 

studio will include units capable of 

producing unique timbres and effects but 

technical proficiency is required for the 

technology to be exploited creatively.

Studio production equipment is generally

synchronized using a hardware- or 

computer-based MIDI sequencer, 

enabling the producer to combine the 

sequenced output of many devices in one 

arrangement. 

Manager of Pre-Press, creates Techno Music

Dubstep

Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music originating in London, England. It 

emerged in the late 1990s as a development within a lineage of related dance styles. In

Britian its can be traced back to the growth of the Jamaican sound system party scene 

in the early 1980s. The music generally features syncopated drum and percussion 

patterns with bass lines that contain prominent sub bass frequencies. The earliest 

dubstep releases date back to 1998, and were usually featured as B-sides of 2-step

garage single releases. These tracks were darker, more experimental remixes with less 

emphasis on vocals, and attempted to incorporate elements of breakbeat and drum and

bass into 2-step. In 2001, this and other strains of dark garage music began to be 

showcased and promoted at London night clubs which were considerably influential to 

the development of what is known as dubstep. 

Dubstep 

Top Best Dubstep August 2012

Dubstep spread beyond small local scenes in late 2005 and early 2006; many websites

devoted to the genre appeared on the internet and aided the growth of the scene.

The genre also received extensive coverage in music magazines and online publications.

Interest in dubstep grew significantly after BBC Radio started championing the genre in

January 2006. Towards the end of the decade the genre started to become more

commercially successful in the UK, with more singles and remixes entering the music 

charts. Music journalists and critics also noticed a dubstep influence in several pop 

artists' work. Around this time, producers also began to fuse elements of the original 

dubstep sound with other influences. The overall sound of Dubstep has been decribed 

as'tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum 

patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals."

Missy Elliot - Lose Control

Aphex Twin - Window Licker

  Dubstep  

Origins

The early roots of Dubstep is in the more experimental releases of UK electronic music

garage producers, seeking to incorporate elements of drum and bass into the 'South 

London-based 2-step garage sound'. These experiments often ended up on the B-side of

a white label or commercial garage release. Dubstep is generally instrumental. Similar

to a vocal garage hybrid – 'grime' – the genre's feel is commonly dark.


As the genre has now become more international, it has seen more women making

headway into the scene. The influence of dubstep on more  popular genres can be

traced as far back as 2007, with artists such as Britney Spears among others using

dubstep sounds. 2009 also saw the dubstep sound gaining further worldwide 

recognition, often through the assimilation of elements of the sound into other genres, in

a manner similar to drum and bass before it. In a move foreshadowed by endorsements

of the sound from many top artists have become involved in collaborating with the 

sound. As a consequence, throughout 2010, the presence of dubstep in the pop charts

was notable. In early 2011 the term "post-dubstep" was used to describe urban music 

influenced by certain aspects of dubstep, a sure sign of the genre's gaining popularity.

Brittany Spears - Hold It Against Me

Trance

Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s in Germany. It

is characterized by a tempo of between 110 and 150 beats per minute, repeating 

melodic phrases, and a musical form that builds up and down throughout a track. 

Trance is its own genre, but includes other styles of electronic music such as techno,

house, pop, chill-out, classical music,: and film music.

Trance is more melodic and harmonic 

than any other dance music. It refers to 

an induced emotional feeling, high, 

euphoria, chills, and uplifting rush 

listeners experience. Trance employs 

aural dynamics to a great degree, a 

characteristic of virtually all trance songs

is the soft mid-song breakdown, beginning

with and occurring after the orchestration

is broken down and the rhythm tracks 

fade out rapidly, leaving the melody, 

atmospherics, or both to stand alone for 

anywhere from a few seconds to a few 

minutes. 

Melodic Trance Music

Another characteristic is vocals often sung

by a female who ranges from mezzo-

soprano to soprano. Also vocals can be 

grand, soaring, or operatic style in style. 

Origins

Germany is regarded as the birthplace of trance music, with the original melodic trance

sound first appearing around 1993 in Frankfurt. The origin of the term is uncertain; 

some suggest it goes back to Klaus Schulze, a German experimental electronic music 

artist who concentrated on blending minimalist music with repetitive rhythms and 

agreggated sounds. They point to the Klaus Schulze album Trancefer (1981) or the 

early trance act Dance 2 Trance. Others argue the name may refer to an induced 

emotional feeling, high, euphoria, chills, or uplifting rush listeners claim to experience. 

Others even trace the name to the actual trance-like states the earliest forms of the 

music attempted to emulate in the 1990s before the genre's focus changed. Examples of

early Trance releases include but are not limited to German duo Jam & Spoon's 1992

12" Single remix of the 1990 song The Age Of Love, German duo Dance 2 Trance's 

1990 track 'We Came in Peace'.

Jam & Spoon - Age Of Love

TRANCE

Dance 2 Trance - We Came In Peace

The roots of contemporary Trance, can be traced to Paul van Dyk's 1993 remix of 

Humate's 'Love Stimulation'. In later years, one subgenre, 'Vocal Trance', grew out of 

the combination of progressive elements and pop music, and the development of 

another subgenre, 'Epic Trance', had some of its origins in classical music. Film music 

has also been influential.

Love Stimulation

Trance was arguably at its commercial peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Many

music festivals around the world now showcase Trance dance music further promoting 

its popularity.

House

House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago in the early

1980s. Initially popular around 1984 during 1985 it became popular in many other 

major US cities and then in Europe and elsewhere. In particular it influence popular 

music in Europe, with songs such as 'House Nation' by House Master Boyz and the

Rude Boy of House (1987) and "Doctorin' The House" by Coldcut (1988) in the pop

charts. Since the early to mid-1990s, house music has been infused in mainstream pop 

and dance music worldwide.

Housemaster Boyz - House Nation

Coldcut - Doctorin The House

Early house music was generally dance-based music characterized by repetitive beats, 

rhythms mainly provided by drum machines, off-beat hi-hat cymbals, and synthesized 

basslines. While house displayed similar characteristics to disco music, it was more 

electronic and minimalistic, and the repetitive rhythm of house was more important than

the song itself. House music today, while retaining  several of these core elements, 

varies in style and influence, ranging from the soulful and atmospheric deep house to 

the more minimalistic microhouse. House music has also fused with several other 

genres creating fusion subgenres, such as Euro house, tech house, and electro house.

After significant underground and club-

based success in Chicago from the early 

1980s onwards, House music emerged 

in the UK mainstream pop market in the 

mid-to-late 80s. It then quickly spread 

to the rest of Europe, and then by the mid

1990s - a global phenomenon. Artists and

groups such as Madonna, Janet Jackson,

Björk, Kanye West, and others have 

also embraced this form of music. House 

continues in its popularity now. Today,

house music remains popular in both 

clubs and in the mainstream pop scene 

while retaining a strong foothold on

underground scenes across the globe.

Bjork - House

Janet Jackson - Make Me

Origins


The term 'house music' is widely considered as originating from a reference to a 

Chicago nightclub called 'The Warehouse' which existed from 1977 to 1983, and was 

was patronized primarily by black and Latino men.


Lyrical themes

House was influential in relaying political messages to those considered to be outcasts 

of society. It appealed to many who didn't fit into the US mainstream. It was especially 

celebrated by many black males. One good comparison of house stated it was like 

'church for people who have fallen from grace'. Another compared it to 'old-time 

religion in the way that people just get happy and screamin'. Deep house was similar to

many other messages of freedom for the black community.


With house music so popular in the 80s dance-scene it wasn't long before it became 

big in the UK pop charts. The first house hit in the UK was Farley "Jackmaster" Funk's

"Love Can't Turn Around" in 1986. In 1987, Chicago artist Steve Hurley's 'Jack Your

Body" reached number one in the UK. The second best-selling British single of 1988

was an acid house record, the Coldcut - produced "The Only Way Is Up" by Yazz.

Yazz - The Only Way Is Up

Best House Music 2010-2012

Chicago Mayor Richard

Daley proclaimed August

10, 2005 to be 'House 

Unity Day' in Chicago, in 

celebration of the '21st 

anniversary of house

music'. The proclamation 

recognized Chicago as

the original home of 

house music. 

The original creators 

'were inspired by the 

love of their city. They

dreamed their music 

would send peace and

unity to the world'. 

Numerous live performance events dedicated to house music were founded during the 

course of the decade, including Shambhala Music Festival and major industry 

sponsored events like Miami's Winter Music Conference. The genre even gained 

popularity in the Middle East in cities such as Dubai & Abu Dhabi and at events like 

Creamfields. In the late 2000s,House music experienced renewed chart success due 

to acts such as Daft Punk, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Fedde Le Grand, Armand Van 

Helden, and Dada Life.

Rave Parties


By 1988, house music had exploded in the UK, and a sub genre known as 'Acid House'

was increasingly popular at what was known as underground 'Rave Parties'. There was

a long established warehouse party subculture based around the sound system scene. In

1988, the music played at warehouse parties was predominantly House.

'Acid house' party fever became huge in

London and Manchester, and quickly

became a cultural phenomenon. Club 

goers facing 2am closing hours, flocked 

to the all night 'warehouse party scene'.

To escape the attention of the press and 

the authorities, this after-hours activity 

soon went underground. Within a short 

time up to 10,000 people at a time were

attending the first commercially organized

mass parties, called raves, ensuring the 

onset of a related media storm.

Rave Party 1997

In the early 1990s a post-rave, DIY, free party scene established itself in the UK. It was

largely based around an alliance between warehouse party goers from various urban 

squat scenes and politically inspired New Age travellers. The New Agers offered a 

readymade network of countryside festivals that were hastily adopted by squatters and 

ravers alike further popularising Electronic Dance Music as a major ingredient in 

modern Pop music.

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