EDM refers to an umbrella term covering various styles of electronic dance music designed specifically for dancing, typically featuring synth-heavy compositions with more aggressive and harder beats than regular house music.
Originating from Techno and Hip-Hop, breakcore music consists of 4-by-4 electronic house beats with hip-hop overtones and turntablism sounds.
Disco
Disco is an infectious, celebratory style of dance music that blends elements of funk, soul and salsa. First popular in the mid to late 70s and since then resurgent, disco’s signature features are its funky basslines, orchestrations and soulful vocals; its infectious energy makes it an engaging genre suitable for dancing clubs worldwide.
Though one of the shorter-lived dance crazes, disco has left an indelible mark that endures to this day. It paved the way for house music, techno, and EDM by being the first genre of dance music to make use of electronic instruments along with elements from synthpop and R&B music as well as sampling and segueing concepts in its production process.
Disco’s roots can be found deep within African American music culture, with Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer being two influential performers of this genre who had deep-seated roots within this community. Disco music provided them a platform to express themselves freely on dance floors while uniting marginalized groups together through its dance. Furthermore, disco was frequently performed by interracial ensembles or genre-blending ensembles.
As a genre, R&B was among the first to incorporate dance routines and choreography. One group that popularly utilized these elements for their songs was The Village People; other acts like KC & the Sunshine Band, Pointer Sisters, Commodores all produced hit songs promoting dancing moves for dance floors.
Disco was an influential dance music style which helped queer and minority groups feel welcome in nightclubs and clubs. The culture of disco clubs encouraged all dancers to feel equal with no single person dominating over another, including DJs – no DJ was more important than any crowd. Today, its legacy can still be felt at contemporary dance parties and clubs; its vocal styles, fashion trends, and instrumentals still feature heavily among today’s most popular artists.
House
House music emerged as an electronic dance genre during the early 1980s. Its primary characteristic is drum machines creating syncopated rhythms. Although typically instrumental, house music may occasionally employ rap music with vocals processed using vocoders that alter timbre and pitch of vocals to produce robotic lyrics; additional electronic instruments including synthesizers may also be present as well as distortion of drum beats to give house its aggressive sound.
House music encompasses elements of disco, punk rock and pop. Many house producers have produced songs that cross over into pop such as Zedd’s Clarity or Avicii’s Wake Me Up; two such examples can be found by searching. House is widely considered one of the most beloved forms of electronic music worldwide. As more musicians join its ranks it continues to adapt and change as musicians enter and evolve with it.
Techno is another term for electro, and is also a style of dance music featuring heavy bass lines and drum machine beats. Many modern DJs incorporate elements from both house and techno into their work – leading to the birth of big room house as a hybrid genre with heavier sounds that feature radio-friendly vocals; commonly heard at dance clubs across the nation and with widespread appeal.
Techno can be traced back to German synth pioneers Kraftwerk and produced by producers like Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider who experimented with synthesizers to create new sounds. Later, the style gained momentum in America when Missy Elliott and X-Press 2 began developing fan bases.
Techno is widely considered to be an unusual form of dance music; many critics claim it lacks traditional instrumentation and thus doesn’t constitute true dance music. Others maintain it is essential part of musical culture as an inspiration to other genres while maintaining core elements within itself.
Techno
Techno is a form of dance music developed in the 1970s and 80s. Characterized by fast tempos, four-on-the-floor beats, and an emphasis on rhythm over melody or chords, its hallmark characteristics include fast tempos, four-on-the-floor beats, synthesizers and drum machines are used by techno musicians when crafting tracks, often used at DJ sets with segues between tracks via syncronized segueing between songs. Techno also utilizes rhythms from Latin music as well as traditional Asian influences – thus creating an international soundscape which mirroring modern global society.
Techno originated in Detroit, Michigan where a group of African-American youths exploring drum machines and synthesizers collectively known as Belleville Three began experimenting with these instruments to form what would eventually become known as techno music. By using some of the same instruments employed by European synth pop composers combined with African house music genre, techno eventually emerged and is now widespread worldwide.
Electro is known for creating intense feelings of tension and release. Typically heard at nightclubs and raves, electro is frequently played at loud volumes – many may dislike its darker tone; others view it as art that speaks directly to our senses.
Techno has also had an effect on other genres, such as hip hop and EDM. Artists have taken to using techno music to support causes related to politics and cultural upheaval; techno has long been seen as a movement born out of political turmoil; in the future of techno there will likely be even greater integration of music and activism as both artists and fans demand meaningful music that truly represents who they are and their experiences.
Techno artists such as LFO, Regis and Adam X have become some of the most well-known acts in recent years. Each has garnered large followings on social media with many videos being seen millions of times each. Furthermore, these artists perform live shows where fans can experience all the energy and excitement of real musical performance; some albums featuring live show recordings may be sold while other performances can be streamed free online.
EDM
Though the distinctions among dance music genres may be debated, most agree that EDM (Electronic Dance Music) encompasses most electronic subgenres including drum and bass, trance, techno and electro house as well as ambient, dubstep and hardstyle styles.
No matter its classification as a genre, electronic music has had an immense influence on modern pop culture and production techniques. One key reason is how it has expanded underground scenes into mainstream awareness; digital streaming also makes this easier; more people than ever before have access to this form of art and discover new producers and artists through it.
Not surprisingly, fans often conflate “EDM” and “dance music”. Although these two forms share some similarities, there are distinct distinctions between them that need to be explored further if one wants to understand EDM and dance music better. One way of doing that would be looking into each style more closely.
EDM can be traced back to disco music of the 1970s. This genre used drum machines and synthesized sounds to get dance floors moving; eventually leading to electro and techno genres such as Donna Summer’s 1977 hit, “I Feel Love”, as well as Gary Numan’s 1979 track, “Car”.
Techno was inspired by disco, but with more rapid tempo changes. Techno also introduced more electronic sounds while opting for repetitive looping atmospheres instead of arrangements. Although initially an underground genre, techno eventually made its way mainstream thanks to acts such as Daft Punk.
Drum and bass music is another subgenre influenced heavily by the underground scene in the 90s. It takes the beats from rave music while adding more synthesized melodies for an easier listening experience, creating something that still appeals to mainstream audiences today.
Trance music is an immersive electronic genre derived from Greek for “heat”. Trance uses slow buildups and breaks to elicit an intense emotion while emphasizing harmonically rich waveforms and distortion, unlike more conventional sounds like house.