Come with us as we traverse three decades of electronic music history! From ambient experiments to modern pop classics, come explore with us an incredible musical journey!
Scottish duo Boards of Canada is an exemplar of organic melodic downtempo electronica. By employing old school analogue equipment to loop, distort, and decay their sounds into an atmospheric sound world, they craft an unforgettable atmosphere for their music fans to experience.
Disco
Disco music emerged in the United States during the 1970s urban nightlife scene. Its hallmark features are four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated bass lines, string sections and electric pianos/synthesizers; its lyrics typically consist of simple stories with repetitive choruses; although usually associated with funk music it draws influence from many styles of popular music; common disco styles feature lush string arrangements over an unwavering beat while some also incorporate some combination of both styles (such as Chic’s 1978 hit “Le Freak”).
Disco’s widespread appeal enabled many minorities, including African Americans, Latinos and gays, to become successful musicians. It had an effectful presence in fashion, club culture and film, too. Disco’s creation was in response to racism, gang violence and poverty at that time; its advent allowed marginalized groups a way of freely expressing themselves without restrictions such as violence from gangs or poverty; this freedom allowed for drug use, promiscuity and wild fashion choices among others.
Disco music first found its roots in dance clubs and rented spaces throughout cities, where audiences would dress in outrageous clothing while dancing to its beat. At these early events, male artists would usually perform, yet female singers could still find success within this genre.
One of the most renowned performers was LaDonna Adrian Gaines, more popularly known by her stage name Donna Summer. Her vocal talent, seductive moans and coos and strong body image made her a fan favorite with disco audiences; during her 32 year-long career – which ended before her death – she produced 32 hits that made their way onto record charts.
An important breakthrough in disco history was the advent of 12″ vinyl phonograph records. DJs could now play two records at once for seamless mixing between songs compared with earlier formats where one record would follow another with periods of silence in between each track. This development significantly advanced disco culture.
Synthpop
Synthpop is an electronic genre with diverse characteristics, most prominent of which being its icy atmosphere, minimalist delivery and android-like vocals. Synthpop often incorporates elements from various genres – funk and disco among them – while offering its own modern take on synthesizer-based music with danceable beats that set it apart from its peers.
Synth pop traces its roots back to the post-punk period of the late ’70s, when artists emerging from punk rock’s wreckage adopted synthesizers and created short, catchy pop songs using them that could become commercially successful – bands such as Tears for Fears, Human League, and Depeche Mode were pioneering examples of synth pop at that time.
These artists employed various sounds, with synthesizers being their go-to choice. However, due to its status as a not yet mainstream musical instrument and many musicians adopting it being considered outsiders; therefore, its use became synonymous with counterculture and industrial music.
Gary Numan’s 1979 song, “Cars”, epitomizes many of the characteristics that define synthpop music – its cold atmosphere and robotic vocals stand out as perfect examples. Numan used a Minimoog synthesizer in order to use his Minipop movement more widely.
Roxy Music, Jean-Michel Jarre and Brian Eno were the early pioneers of synthpop. These artists’ work not only foreshadowed EDM but also included classical albums featuring synthesizers. Jean-Michel Jarre’s Oxygene album stands as an outstanding example of synthpop that inspired an entire generation of EDM producers.
Today, synth pop has an ever-increasing presence both underground and mainstream music scenes, serving as a cornerstone for progressive and alternative projects as well as giving birth to pop music acts such as Calvin Harris, La Roux and Tesla Boy. Furthermore, its appearance within mainstream music may lead to further confusion over its genre name, as many newer songs bear more similarity with commercial genres than with its source music from the ’80s.
Techno
Techno is one of the more difficult electronic music genres to pin down. Due to its ever-evolving nature, there are now various sub genres derived from it; yet, techno remains as the parent genre responsible for modern trance, eurodance, and tech house styles. Techno also has a rich history behind it and remains popular at dance clubs today while it frequently appears as soundtrack music in sci-fi films and TV series.
Techno is typically composed of repetitive 4/4 instrumental music with heavy percussion that typically has an uptempo tempo ranging from 120 to 150 beats per minute, often including bass drum beats on each quarter note pulse and backbeat from snare drum or equivalent instruments – this combination often being complexly and heavily distorted; keyboard synthesizer is another staple component. Vocals rarely appear within this genre; when present they tend to be chopped up digitally before digital processing to sound robotic or distorted.
House music tends to lean more towards disco-inspired songs, whereas techno has more futuristic undertones that often reflect its roots in Detroit – “The Motor City”. Detroit is home to industrialization and manufacturing which helped influence this form of music.
Techno is known for being both intense and danceable music genres; yet also soothing and relaxing, often used to help people focus, relax and meditate. While not as widely popular in America, techno has an engaged fan base both there and worldwide.
Techno is such a beloved genre because its music can be both relaxing and energetic at the same time, which makes it ideal for dance floors. Additionally, its pulsing rhythms mimic how bands mix instruments to produce non-electronic tunes – an appeal which appeals to fans worldwide.