As dance music increasingly falls under scrutiny for being too “gentrified or whitewashed”, it is crucial that we acknowledge its rich history of black artists.
Drum ‘N’Bass saw unprecedented levels of success during the 2000s, with artists like Pendulum, Shy FX and Chase & Status all reaching iconic landmarks in their careers.
Synthesizers and drum machines also became cheaper during this period, enabling bedroom producers to emerge and lead to the formation of house, techno and trance music styles.
Disco
Disco dance music began to gain prominence in the United States during the early 1970s as an innovative response to social issues such as gang violence, poverty and high unemployment rates. Disco dancing not only promoted physical fitness but was a safe space where people could forget their worries and enjoy themselves in an atmosphere that welcomed all races and backgrounds together for socialization purposes.
At this time, technological advancement enabled clubs to have large speakers and amplifiers that delivered loud, clear sound, allowing discotheques to become popular in New York City. Their nonstop disco music allowed dancers to move without interruption – especially after John Travolta made history by staring in 1977 film Saturday Night Fever with its soundtrack featuring hits by artists such as Bee Gees, Yvonne Elliman and Kool & the Gang.
Disco has its roots in R&B, funk and urban gay culture of the 1970s, yet remains immensely popular with black audiences due to its ability to socialize, reduce stress and celebrate identity and heritage. Disco became particularly favored within black communities.
Though disco’s origins may vary, its hallmark is defined by a distinct rhythm and instrumental sound cultivated by Philadelphia International Records – often referred to as “the Philly sound.” Most disco songs feature four-on-the-floor beats that are subdivided with beats on a hi-hat cymbal; sometimes this beat can even be syncopated for added rhythmic effect similar to Latin polyrhythms.
Disco continued its rise throughout the 1970s due to its commercial success on film and radio, inspiring fashion trends and other cultural phenomena as well as serving as a catalyst for hip hop dance styles and more contemporary forms such as house and techno dance styles that continue to thrive today. Disco has even evolved further by transitioning into forms like house and techno today – further cementing its place as an influential genre today.
Trance
Trance music first gained popularity during the 1990s. It is characterized by a tempo between 125 and 150 beats per minute (bpm) with melodic synthesizer phrases that build and then break down throughout each song, drawing inspiration from techno, house, new age music, ambient, classical music, film scores and film music influences. Trance has often been described as both euphoric and transcendent and has become the musical backdrop to numerous dance festivals worldwide including Electric Daisy Carnival in North America and Tomorrowland in Belgium.
At the turn of the millennium, trance experienced tremendous commercial success. Artists increasingly began including vocals in their compositions to form vocal trance music. Trance also witnessed the rise of superstar DJs like Armin van Buuren, Tiesto and Paul Van Dyk – all mastering mixing trance with other styles to produce original soundscapes that propelled them into global superstardom.
Progressive trance was another popular style during this era, combining elements of deep house and breakbeat to produce a more complex and emotionally charged sound. Furthermore, progressive trance’s hallmark characteristic is creative use of synthesizer features like reverb; for instance, one may play repeated snare sounds with various settings adjusted so as to produce unique results each time around.
Tech trance emerged during this period as well. Drawing elements from progressive trance and hard house, tech trance created its own distinct sound that was highly energetic and upbeat. The genre was distinguished by introducing electronic instrumentation such as Access Virus virtual analogue synthesizer which featured a “supersaw” oscillator.
Trance reached its height of popularity during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Unfortunately, however, its appeal eventually declined due to commercialisation and an offshoot from younger audiences who preferred dubstep and other genres over trance. Furthermore, mainstream radio became saturated with pop-oriented dance tracks; nevertheless trance remains popular as an artistic form, playing an essential part at dance festivals worldwide and through subgenres like hard trance and psy trance.
Dubstep
Dubstep, or Dub and Bass as it was once known, emerged in the early 2000s as an electronic dance music subgenre of drum and bass. It first gained recognition among London’s underground dance music scene through DJs such as MRK1 and Oris Jay, before eventually reaching mainstream popularity thanks to the internet and online music forums that enabled its spread from small clubs with heavy sound systems into wider audiences quickly.
Dubstep music’s exact roots remain unknown, but most experts agree it arose from 2-step and dark garage. Artwork and Horsepower Productions used the sound of dark garage to develop more electronic-oriented sounds with deeper basslines and heavier beat patterns than previous styles of dubstep which often focused on melodic synths or lighter percussion patterns. These changes made it more aggressive and dancefloor friendly than earlier styles which usually focused on melodic synths or lighter percussion patterns.
Dubstep was propelled into mainstream popularity thanks to the internet and online music forums, which allowed it to quickly spread from local scenes in cities like Bristol and Manchester to global audiences. Furthermore, DJs like Tempa and Neil Joliffe helped push its growth by promoting it through their labels or at large festivals.
Dubstep stands out from other electronic genres by featuring frequent bass drops – short pauses in a track that reduce the overall intensity and buildup before an intense, distorted bassline explodes back in. Most dubstep tracks feature three beats per bar with the snare hitting on every third beat and hi-hats falling on every second beat; this arrangement gives each measure its own distinctive beat pattern and creates a signature drum and bass sound unlike anything found elsewhere.
Dubstep began to lose steam in mainstream culture by the early 2010s and its artists began exploring other genres of music. Artists such as Skrillex and Rusko shifted towards soulful electronica while producers like Mount Kimbie and James Blake kept to its roots while expanding it further with more complex, organic sounds. Some argue this suggests dubstep has peaked and is now declining while others believe its sound will continue its evolution closer towards other styles of music.
Jungle
Jungle music first emerged in UK clubs during the late ’80s. Influenced by hip hop, Jamaican ragga, and R&B music genres – like dub and garage – it quickly gained traction as one of the most beloved forms of black urban dance music, quickly becoming one of its most enduring forms – leading producers and DJs were known as Junglists.
Jungle music was an amalgam of styles and tempos, united by one thing – its use of samples. Influences included reggae and ragga, creating its signature sound through percussion-driven drum patterns that produced its distinctive bouncing rhythm that gave jungle its signature sound. Tempos typically ranged between 160-170 beats per minute; basslines from reggae were borrowed to add depth and tension.
The early ’90s witnessed several significant breakthroughs for jungle music, with producers like Shy FX creating some of its most notable tracks like “Original Nuttah.” Their 1994 hit demonstrated its gritty and unapologetic side while UK Apachi made his mark by delivering rhymes over speeded-up hip hop beats.
At the same time, producers like LTJ Bukem and Goldie blended jungle music with jazz and ambient to create new sounds that appealed to more affluent listeners. Furthermore, these producers would utilize horror/science-fiction movie samples in order to capture an atmosphere with dark elements.
However, by the second half of the 1990s jungle had become so mainstream that its distinct appeal had begun to wane. Dance drugs had moved from ecstasy to cocaine use, and its scene had become less underground.
Though jungle music may have suffered in its decline, its fan base remains loyal and active. Original jungle producers have even returned to its origins and its influence can still be heard today; from OG luxury labels selling monogram repeat looks associated with jungle and UK garage to skate brands featuring rave-inspired graphics; its sound can be heard everywhere!
Jungle music stands apart from other genres in that it has long had issues pertaining to gender and sex equality, though progress has been made toward that end. Although much progress has been made since then, many challenges still need to be met head on in the industry.