Dance music has quickly become a mainstay in the music industry thanks to its upbeat tempo and catchy hooks, as well as streaming platforms that connect artists directly with their audiences.
There are various subgenres of dance music, including disco, funk, techno, house, trance and drum and bass. Many of these subgenres share similarities and may overlap closely.
Disco
Disco was an extremely popular genre during the mid-1970s with a broad-based following, featuring performers like Donna Summer, the Bee Gees, Gloria Gaynor, ABBA, Earth Wind & Fire and Brothers Johnson who all produced danceable tunes that appealed to dancers. Over time though, disco shifted and became more of a club style music, emphasizing beat and melody while including electronic instruments for an upbeat sound.
Disco was an essential cultural force in both the United States and internationally, opening doors for minorities and women into entertainment industries worldwide. Gay men and African Americans could make major breakthroughs into music via groups like KC and the Sunshine Band, Thelma Houston, Sister Sledge, Sylvester, The Trammps etc. Additionally, small record companies such as Les Disques Parapluies, TK Records and Direction and Rio Records flourished thriving during this era.
Even though many rock artists were critical of disco, some artists like Bob Seger and The Who successfully released singles with disco-inspired sounds. Furthermore, post-punk movement of late 1970s allowed artists to freely experiment with disco as well as other styles; lead singer of Sex Pistols John Lydon even credits disco for inspiring his group’s musical style.
At the close of the decade, most major U.S. cities had vibrant disco club scenes centered on New York City; others such as Philadelphia, San Francisco and Miami also hosted lively disco scenes with clubs that hosted DJs who mixed dance records such as Francis Grasso at Sanctuary; Frank Brodis at Hippopotamus; Larry Levan from Studio 54 to create music that mesmerized dancers.
Disco music gave rise to several influential producers and labels such as Salsoul Records (Ken, Stanley, and Joseph Cayre), West End Records (Mel Cheren), Casablanca Records (Neil Bogart), and Prelude Records (Marvin Schlachter). For the first time ever in recording history, disco enabled artists to craft intricate arrangements using up to 64 tracks of instruments and vocals at once; using such technology required a team of experienced arrangers, copyists, and mixing engineers working in concert – creating its unique sound signature.
Punk
Punk music combines rapid chord changes and breakneck tempos with catchy melodies and often dark lyrics to form its distinctive sound. Punk has inspired other genres like alternative rock and grunge. Furthermore, its DIY culture has given rise to independent record labels and fanzines while its emphasis on self-expression has inspired many modern rock musicians.
The punk movement began in Britain around 1975-80 and rapidly spread worldwide. It was both political and aesthetic in nature, emphasizing youth rebellion and alienation from society. Punk became closely associated with working-class culture due to its bands featuring short hair, tight trousers, and an aggressive aesthetic.
Punk music comes in several subgenres. Punk rock fuses elements of pop with punk, often featuring fast and loud guitars; its lyrics may cover themes like relationships, adolescence, and boredom. There’s also ska punk which blends instruments from both ska and reggae styles with punk rock musicality; other subgenres of punk include post-punk which has been heavily influenced by experimental artists like Syd Barrett and Captain Beefheart’s experimental sounds.
In the late 1970s, two tone music emerged through a unique amalgam of punk rock, ska, rocksteady and reggae influences; as well as blues and funk influences. Popular in England at that time and considered an early precursor of third wave ska. Dance punk is another subgenre of punk that incorporates disco beats with punk rock lyrics into one genre of music that typically features female lead vocalists in bands performing it.
Chicano punk is a musical genre that blends punk music with Mexican American folk music. Often called raw punk or Mexicano punk, its sound features raw, angsty guitar riffs as well as Spanish lyrics protesting police brutality, religion, and government policies. Chicano punk bands tend to remain relatively unknown compared to other punk genres; its style differs drastically from others and remains very underground; other subgenres of punk music include glam punk which blends punk sounds with rock guitar guitar riffs while hip hop/rapcore incorporates hip hop/rap music elements in an attempt at merging punk with hip hop/rap music for some interesting results.
House
House music has long been one of the oldest and most widespread dance music genres. Originating in Chicago during the 1980s from an amalgam of disco, funk, and electronica music styles; house is considered to be an early form of electronic dance music subgenres such as techno and trance. House’s main characteristic is four-to-the-floor beat that typically ranges between 118 bpm (beats per minute). Synthesizers or non-electronic instruments such as percussion or vocal samples may also be employed within house’s four walls.
Notable elements include open hi-hats on the offbeat and claps or snares every second and fourth beat, deep basslines, soulful or funk-inspired vocals, atmospheric keyboard sounds and drum machine rhythms; some producers may add more complex arrangements such as chord progressions or intricate melodies for extra effect.
Sampling and remixing are key components of house music production, enabling producers to incorporate elements from other records into their tracks while creating sounds and styles otherwise impossible to produce. As a result, house has become an incredibly versatile genre with many well-known artists sampling its sounds to craft hits of their own.
House music encompasses many subgenres, from deep to progressive. Progressive house is similar to trance in terms of repetitiveness and hypnotic quality; deep house on the other hand is more relaxed with introspective sounds such as piano melodies that often add an inward focus.
Tropical house is another distinctive subgenre of house music that blends the upbeat melodies of dance music with reggae and ska influences from Caribbean music to create an energetic dance style. Finally, Amapiano house is an emerging subgenre that blends deep house with jazz and lounge elements into an energetic form of house music.
Other styles of house include electro house, acid house and afro tech – each differing in style but all originating in Chicago house music.
Techno
Techno music draws its inspiration from dance music while also drawing elements from various other genres to craft its unique sound. It employs repetitive beats and pulsating basslines to produce an intoxicating experience for its listeners; synthesizers and electronic instruments may also feature. Techno often has minimalist sounds designed to create an hypnotic ambience with futuristic aesthetics inspired by science fiction literature.
Techno originated in Detroit, Michigan during the 1980s and was heavily influenced by disco, funk and soul music. Techno’s early pioneers, Juan Atkins and Derrick May, created an innovative sound by fusing these elements together into futuristic dance music that was both danceable and experimental. Techno was popular during rave culture’s rise across Europe and North America: rave parties hosted in abandoned warehouses provided an outlet to escape everyday life with music providing an outlet.
As techno became more and more popular, its influence spread into other genres of music like house and trance. DJs such as Carl Cox, Richie Hawtin, and Jeff Mills helped popularize it by touring worldwide to share their music. Techno also created its own subculture with its own fashion, language and values; parties often known as techno parties can provide an enjoyable musical experience to all attendees regardless of age or background.
Techno is often used as an umbrella term to refer to all forms of electronic dance music; however, it’s essential for fans of the genre to distinguish among various subgenres of techno such as acid, minimal and industrial techno. Each track’s primary instrumentation and general feel will ultimately define its subgenre classification.
Techno is a dance music genre that blends elements of classical, jazz, and rock music with electronic sounds of synthesizers and drum machines to produce a rhythmically rhythmic experience that induces trance-like states within listeners, which in turn lead them deeper into their innermost thoughts. Techno’s melodies create a state-of-mind which takes listeners on an adventure through their subconscious.