Electronic dance music and its genres

People have been dancing for millennia. The urge to move our bodies, gracefully or not, to any beat that we can thrash out is as old as humanity. Good dancers have always been admired for their elegance, suppleness and smooth movements. They seem to have an innate ability to feel the music within their bodies, within their blood and to move naturally to any rhythm played. Most are not blessed with this ability. Its not that they are bad dancers, its just that their movements are not as fluid as the good dancers. There are a few who are genuinely bad dancers, some stay off the dance floor, and some have so much fun that they dance without a care in the world. That is the best kind of dancing.

Electronic dance music very seldom utilises any physical instruments in its tracks. Instead, the sounds are replicated through the use of computers, synthesisers, drum machines and sequencers. The tempo of electronic dance music depends on the genre and ranges from 120 bpm to 200 bpm.

It incorporates a broad range of percussive music genres, which stem mainly from 70’s disco music. Dance music relies on playtime in nightclubs to bring it to the attention of the public at large. The 80s were especially important in the popularisation of dance music, as discotheques and nightclubs were also increasing in popularity. Research shows that from 2006, the most predominant type of music played in nightclubs and discos is electronic music. The rave scene, which epitomises the electric dance music scene, also reached a peak in popularity.

Music journalists refer to it as an ever evolving category of music made up of various named genres, styles and sub-styles. Genres include: techno, house, trance and drum and base. While it took a while to gain mainstream success, there are now several artists who have cornered the techno market and made it their own: Fatboy Slim, Faithless, The Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, and Eminem’s nemesis, Moby. Some DJs have also made their names, as well as their fortunes in the dance music industry. Paul Oakenfold, John Digweed, Sasha and Paul van Dyk are just some who can command five-figure salaries for a single performance. They also release their own music, which they have mixed themselves.

Techno first started out in the late 70s in Western Europe and then developed and established itself as a genre in Detroit during the 80s. As Detroit techno succeeded, it grew and expanded into a related sub-set of genres until it hit the global music scene in the 90s. Its popularity increased until it peaked in Europe this decade. It’s still extremely successful today, especially in Eastern Europe. Techno has its roots in funk and soul music, from which it creates its intense grooves and percussion bass lines. In the early days of techno the beat centric styles of Motown were blended with the most modern technology of the time, which resulted in the Detroit techno sound that forms the core of techno today. Techno ranges from 135 bpm to 155 bpm.

House music is influenced by late 70s soul and funk style disco and was developed by dance club DJs in Chicago in the early to mid 80s. The sound mixes the bass drum on every beat in disco with a heavy electronic synthesiser bass line, electronic drums, electronic effects, funk and pop samples and reverb. A 4/4 beat, also known as four to the floor, is an important element of house music and is generated by a drum machine. It is an upbeat style of music and is well suited for dancing. House music developed in the “underground” club scenes of Chicago and Detroit. The music was of a more conceptual nature than commercial music and humanised the electronic music by adding live instruments and vocals to the synthesised sound. House music ranges from 120 bpm to 135 bpm.

It is unclear where Trance music got its name from, although it is suggested that it came from Klaus Schultze’s album Trancefer. Another suggestion is that it originated from the trance act Dance 2 Trance. It is has also been said that it comes from the perception that a drumbeat can change your state of consciousness. It developed in the 90’s in the UK as an offshoot from the acid house movement. It is characterised by crescendos and breakdowns and the occasional use of vocals. Progressive trance moves away from the hypnotic and repetitive synthesised patterns and focuses more on lead melodies and anthemic bass lines. Trance music ranges from 130 bpm to 180 bpm.

Drum and bass, also known as jungle, first began in the early 90s as a sub-set to UK break beat hardcore and rave. It incorporated elements from all kinds of music including raga, funk, hip-hop, house, rock, techno, jazz and trance. In ’91 “jungle” broke away and became a separate genre using only broken beats, bass lines and raga vocal tracks. Drum and bass remained characterised by fast tempo, broken beat drums and heavy, intricate bass lines. There is also a deep sub-bass pattern that is felt in your bones, as well as heard. Some differences between drum and bass and jungle include: D & B has an integrated percussion and bass structure, jungle has a distinct line separated from the percussion; modern D & B uses relatively simple drum break beats while jungle uses complex “chopped” Amen break beats; D & B doesn’t use ragga vocals while jungle does; Jungle appeared in the early 90s while D & B came along later. Drum and bass/jungle range from 155 bpm to 180 bpm.

Many people dismiss electronic dance music as a modern fad, born in the 90s and on its way out, any second now. At least many people hope that it’s on its way out. Judging by its relatively long history, however, it seems that electric dance music has settled in and is here to stay. It has spawned many cultures and sub-cultures, fashion trends and philosophies on life. It has influenced a variety of artists not immediately connected with the techno/house/trance world including Incubus, Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, Timbaland, Slipknot and Missy Elliott. It has a reach and an impact that is incredible when you consider the humble underground roots from which it started. Love it or hate it, this beat will rock your body.

Recommended site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_dance_music

Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Dance Music News dance music news get the latest news and trends from the dance music industry on the Internet