ELECTRONIC MUSIC FACT SHEET: DIFFERENT GENRES OF ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC

Electronic music has proliferated in the music industry since the late 1970s, when the disco era reached its peak. There are multiple subgenres that fall into this overriding genre, including house, trance, techno, jungle, hardcore and downtempo.

HOUSE MUSIC: • Considered by many to be the best party music • It is the simplest, oldest, warmest and most human-sounding music, making it the most popular subgenre in the electronic dance music genre • It is easily mixed with hip hop and pop music • Characterized by the catchy 4/4 bass drum beat • Afrojack, Kaskade, Bingo Players, and Calvin Harris fall into this subgenre

TRANCE MUSIC: • Considered by many to be the most emotional subgenre • This music can evoke many different emotions, including happiness, sadness, excitement and euphoria • Typically sounds very pretty and melodic • Extremely repetitive, hypnotic and captivating • Armin van Buuren, Dash Berlin and ATB fall into this subgenre

TECHNO MUSIC: • Considered by many to be the depressing, gritty dystopian genre • Emerged in the late 1980s • This genre personifies the industrial, recession-plagued automotive industries of the United States’ east coast • Best known for its purity of sound and romantic interpretation • Includes “dubstep” – a better known subgenre today with the same characteristics • Skrillex falls into this subgenre

JUNGLE MUSIC: • Considered by many to be the rough, abrasive, dirty and raw type of the subgenres • It personifies primitive militarism and the harsh realities of life • Opposite from the pretty, melodic sounds heard in trance music • Knife Party falls into this subgenre

HARDCORE MUSIC: • Considered by many to be the harsh, unpalatable subgenre in electronic music • Personifies rage, anger and pessimism • Emerged in the early 1980s

DOWNTEMPO MUSIC: • Considered by many to be “listening music,” not dance music • Explores new audio textures and the use of unusual instruments • Strives for innovation and is used in many of the other subgenres • The only subgenre that emerged in the 1950s

For more information, please contact Olivia Steinberg at 702-506-7781 or [email protected].