New data from Beatport indicates that Tech House has overtaken Techno as the most popular genre on their platform, which features electronic dance music with more melodic elements.
Trance music captivates listeners through dreamlike atmospheres and epic breakdowns, captivating audiences with dreamlike ambiences and captivating tracks from New Age, synthesizer pop and funk genres alike.
Electro House
Electro House, an EDM subgenre popular since the early 2000s, is defined by its bass lines and synth sounds that create an electric bass sound, making for an infectious dance music style with fast tempo beats and heavy bass lines – characteristics which often leave audiences dancing till dawn! Electro House music often draws influences from house and electro music (which originated in the 80s). Electro House can make any dance floor go wild!
Tempo is typically 120-135 beats per minute (BPM), making it ideal for club use. Furthermore, its more complex sound makes it unique from traditional house music with large bass drums featuring longer beats than other styles.
Porter Robinson coined the term Complextro to describe his music in 2010. He credits video game sounds (chiptunes) and 1980s analog synth music as influences for this form of electronica. Other producers that have produced songs in this style include Adventure Club, Afrojack, Feed Me, Knife Party Lazy Rich Mord Fustang Savant
Hardcore
Hardcore was the first style of electronic music to truly break out from underground scene. This genre blends elements of New York boogie, early hip-hop, funk with punk rock energy – often using heavy distortion effects on kick drums for its signature sound.
Fast-paced house is one of the hardest styles out there, typically between 160 to 200 beats per minute – one of its hallmarks as one of the hardest styles ever seen in music! Additionally, its influence has spread into other subgenres like bouncy techno, happy hardcore and gabber music genres.
Punk rock music infused with hardcore has always had an irreverent edge that draws from pop culture references, social issues and DIY production techniques. Bands such as Husker Du, Naked Raygun and the Minutemen were considered post-hardcore while remaining true to its aesthetic; more recently however, rappers Playboi Carti and Denzel Curry have both integrated hardcore into their work.
Big Room
Big room is one of the more recent genres on this list, first debuting in early 2010 and rising to prominence thanks to artists such as Swedish House Mafia and Martin Garrix. Its bombastic character and minimal melodies are popular at peak-time events where crowds gather. Big room draws inspiration from early electro house tracks as well as American progressive trance (deadmau5 and Kaskade).
These tracks tend to feature bass lines with throbbing basslines that are upbeat and uplifting; minimalist yet effective percussion; with added depth provided by layered kicks and electronic synths for extra dimension; as well as distorted breakdowns and upbeat choruses to produce high-energy sounds that excite audiences of any size.
Progressive House
Progressive House emerged from the underground club scene during the 1980s and 90s, and its trademark characteristics include complex melodies with perfectly produced layers of sound, and songs using the break > build up > climax structure which builds tension and anticipation.
Progressive house music typically falls within the late 120s tempo range; however, its tempo can go higher or lower depending on the track. Progressive house often incorporates elements from other genres like trance and pop. Progressive house’s bass lines tend to be deep without standing out; instead they usually support melodies while creating chord progressions; plucky sounds from pianos and guitars may also be present.
Progressive House’s appeal among younger dance music fans continues to increase, with its mesmerizing melodies and emotive rhythm-and-melody journey captivating listeners. Progressive House is an eclectic genre that is ever-evolving; pioneers such as BT, Kaskade, Avicii and Deadmau5 have helped popularize it over time.
Disco
Disco music is a genre of dance music characterized by a strong beat designed for dancing. Its signature sounds include four-on-the-floor rhythm – which repeats four beats – and thick basslines with syncopations; as well as horns and strings. Furthermore, Disco often utilizes vocal samples with echo and reverb effects for an added unique sound to its music.
Disco is defined by its catchy hooks that people remember, be they melodic or lyrical; this should convey the main theme of each song and encourage danceable rhythms. Furthermore, fast drum beats help encourage dancing!
Disco was immensely popular during its heyday in the 1970s, thanks to artists like Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer. Disco songs often combined soaring vocals with electric pianos, guitars, string synths and acoustic keyboards such as Fender Rhodes piano or Hohner Clavinet keyboards for accompaniment.
Techno
Techno is a music genre characterized by repetitive beats and sequences, usually using minimal instruments or sounds for maximum hypnotic effects. Beats usually follow common time (4/4), which has four quarter-note pulses in every bar; its tempo can range between 120bpm to 150bpm; melody in techno accents its rhythmic motif, while bass lines often employ Roland TB-303 machines to produce trippy sounds that resonate through headphones or speakers.
Techno artists Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Carl Cox have significantly shaped the wider EDM scene through their innovative production practices and experimentations techniques. This has cemented their place as industry leaders.
Techno is one of several EDM subgenres with more industrial sounds and aesthetics, such as acid techno (developed during the ’90s). Acid techno features acidic basslines and drumbeats as well as metallic distortion. Acid techno’s dark sound sets it apart from other styles.
Drum & Bass
Drum and bass is an expansive genre with numerous subgenres, yet one common hallmark is fast tempo syncopated breakbeats and deep basslines that create an enjoyable soundscape that moves dance floors.
Music from this genre is also notable for incorporating diverse vocal elements, from soulful melodic vocals to gritty rap verses and samples of pop culture art – its lyrics range from social commentary to personal introspection.
UK rave scene in the late eighties and early nineties gave birth to rave music, later known as rave culture. This movement gained national exposure when BBC Radio 1 began hosting weekly shows featuring DJ Hype, Grooverider and Goldie amongst others.
An important development was the advent of jungle. This genre combined elements from reggae, reggaeton, breakbeats and rave melody; Doc Scott, Goldie and 4hero quickly rose to become prominent advocates for it. Later a smoother style that combined house with disco produced by producers such as Fabio, High Contrast Calibre LTJ Bukem as a trademark became known as liquid drum and bass.
Dubstep
Dubstep blends dark, low-key vibes with powerful basslines for an intoxicatingly deep and moody sound. One distinguishing feature of dubstep is its heavy use of sub-bass frequencies, creating a shuffling rhythm which may cause your body to vibrate with each beat. Wobble Bass (an LFO modulation style used to produce pulsating basslines) also plays a prominent role.
Some of the most renowned artists in this genre include Skream, Benga & Coki and Rusko – best-known tracks by these three include Midnight Request Line by Skream and Cockney Thug by Rusko respectively. Both tracks showcase each artist’s ability to combine haunting melodies with brain-rattling basslines while “Cockney Thug” captures Rusko’s distinct blend of hard-hitting beats and playful vocal samples.
Within just 10 years, dubstep has gone from an obscure B-side on obscure drum and bass records to becoming one of the most widely enjoyed genres of stateside electronic music. A vibrant community has emerged around dubstep music with festivals like Lost Lands selling out thousands of tickets at once; making this an exciting time to be an enthusiast of bass music.
Hardstyle
Techno is an electronic dance music genre with roots in the Netherlands that features an energetic four-on-the-floor beat and synthesized basslines. Often associated with rave culture, techno has quickly become one of the world’s most widely practiced forms of dance music.
Hardstyle music stands out from other electronic genres with its distinct drum sound created through distortion, equalization and layering techniques. Furthermore, Hardstyle features an unmistakable bassline made by pitching the kick drum through various techniques.
Hardstyle encompasses many subgenres of EDM music that cater to differing musical preferences in the EDM scene, from melodic hardstyle and extra raw hardstyle (with their upbeat melodies and raw, distorted sounds) to hardstyle with bass bass basslines (also known as extra raw hardstyle). Due to its increasing popularity around the world, events like Defqon.1 have taken place worldwide to further foster it’s growth.