Electronic dance music is a broad set of percussive music genres that largely inherit from 1970s disco music and, to some extent, the experimental pop music of Kraftwerk.^[1] Such music was originally borne of and popularized via regional nightclub scenes in the 1980s. By the early 1990s, the presence of electronic dance music in contemporary culture was noted widely and its role in society began to be explored in published historical, cultural and social science academic studies.^[1] It is constructed by means of electronic instruments such as synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers, and generally emphasizes the unique sounds of those instruments, even when mimicking traditional acoustic instrumentation. It sometimes encompasses music not primarily meant for dancing, but derived from the dance-oriented styles. This article is about breakbeat, the electronic dance music genre. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the music genre. ... Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to d&b, DnB, dnb, dnb, drum n bass and drum & bass) is a type of electronic dance music also known as jungle. ... Downtempo (or Downbeat) is a laid-back electronic music style similar to Ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike the beatless forms of Ambient music. ... Electronic music has existed, in various forms, for more than a century. ... Electronic body music (mainly known by its acronym EBM) is a music genre that combines elements of industrial music and electronic punk music. ... Electro, short for electro funk (also known as robot hip hop and Electro hop) is an electronic style of hip hop directly influenced by Kraftwerk and funk records (unlike earlier rap records which were closer to disco). ... Hardcore (sometimes ardcore) is a term that has been used to describe a variety of related electronic dance music styles over almost two decades. ... House music is a style of electronic dance music that was developed by dance club DJs in Chicago in the early to mid-1980s. ... Intelligent dance music (commonly IDM) is a genre of electronic music derived from dance music of the 1980s and early 1990s which puts an emphasis on novel processing and sequencing. ... Synth rock is a descriptive phrase applied to the work of a variety of musical artists. ... Synth pop is a style of popular music in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. ... For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see Fixer (comics). ... Trance is a style of electronic music that developed in the 1990s. ... Trip hop (also known as the Bristol sound) is a term coined by United Kingdom dance magazine Mixmag, to describe a musical trend in the mid-1990s; trip hop is downtempo electronic music that grew out of Englands hip hop and house scenes. ... UK garage (also known as UKG or just garage) refers to several different varieties of modern electronic dance music generally connected to the evolution of house in the United Kingdom in the mid 1990s. ... This is a list of electronic music genres and sub-genres, though for the latter, not all possess their own article (in which case, see the main genre article). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, also called The Seventies. ... Discothèque redirects here. ... Experimental rock or Avant rock is a type of art music based on rock and roll which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, and/or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique. ... Kraftwerk (pronounced , German for power station) is a Grammy award nominated, electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. ... Laser lights illuminate the dance floor at a Gatecrasher dance music event in Sheffield, England A nightclub (or night club or club) is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... An electronic musical instrument is a musical instrument that produces its sounds using electronics. ... Synth redirects here. ... A Boss DR-202 Drum Machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums and/or other percussion instruments. ... In the field of electronic music, a sequencer was traditionally a device or piece of software that allows the user to record, play back and edit musical patterns. ... An instrument is a concrete or abstract tool intended for a purpose other than mechanical work, in particular a refined one. ...

Electronic dance music experienced a boom after the proliferation of personal computers in the 1980s, many music genres that made use of electronic instruments developed into contemporary styles mainly thanks to the MIDI protocol, which enabled computers, synthesizers, sound cards, samplers and drum machines to control one another and achieve the full synchronization of sounds. Electronic dance music is typically composed using computers and synthesizers, and rarely has any physical instruments played live for the track, instead this is replaced by sampled percussive beats or phrases, the latter often being cut up beyond their original rhythms, or digital/electronic sounds. Dance music typically ranges from 120bpm up to 200bpm. The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI, is a system designed to transmit information between electronic musical instruments. ... A sound card (also known as an audio card) is a computer expansion card that can input and output sound under control of computer programs. ... The tower of a personal computer. ... The term synthesiser is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... For other uses, see Digital (disambiguation). ... Telharmonium, created by Thaddeus Cahill 1897 Luigi Russolo and his assistant Ugo Piatti with their Intonarumori, 1913 Léon Theremin and his Theremin, 1919 Trautonium, 1928 An electronic musical instrument is a musical instrument that produces its sounds using electronics. ...

Synonyms

Since around the mid-1980s, electronic dance music has enjoyed popularity in many nightclubs, and, as of 2006, is the predominant type of music played in discothèques as well as the rave scene. As such, the related term club music, while broadly referring to whatever music genres are currently in vogue and associated with nightclubs, has, for some, become synonymous with all electronic dance music, or just those genres — or some subset thereof — that are typically played at mainstream discothèques. It is sometimes used more broadly to encompass non-electronic music played at such venues, or electronic music that is not normally played at clubs but that shares attributes with music that is. What is widely considered to be club music changes over time, includes different genres depending on the region and who's making the reference, and may not always encompass electronic dance music. For example, as of 2006, hip hop music, being widely played in clubs, is one form of "club music" to many, but a smaller percentage would describe it as being a form of electronic dance music. Similarly, electronic dance music sometimes means different things to different people. Both terms vaguely encompass multiple genres, and sometimes are used as if they were genres themselves. The distinction is that club music is ultimately based on what's popular, whereas electronic dance music is based on attributes of the music itself. Laser lights illuminate the dance floor at a Gatecrasher dance music event in Sheffield, England A nightclub (or night club or club) is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Young Love song, see Discotech (song). ... For other uses, see Rave (disambiguation). ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ...

Club DJ Paul Oakenfold cues up a track

Image File history File linksMetadata Oakenfold@Nation. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Oakenfold@Nation. ... Paul Oakenfold (born August 30, 1963 in Greenhithe, Kent[1] England) is a record producer and one of the best-known Trance DJs worldwide. ...

Genres

Main article: List of electronic music genres

Electronic dance music is categorized by music journalists and fans alike as an ever-evolving plethora of named genres, styles and sub-styles. Some genres, such as techno, house, trance, electro, breakbeat, drum and bass are primarily intended to promote dancing. Others, such as IDM, glitch and trip-hop, are more experimental and tend to be associated more with listening than dancing. This is a list of electronic music genres and sub-genres, though for the latter, not all possess their own article (in which case, see the main genre article). ... For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see Fixer (comics). ... House music is a style of electronic dance music that was developed by dance club DJs in Chicago in the early to mid-1980s. ... Trance is a style of electronic music that developed in the 1990s. ... Electro, short for electro funk (also known as robot hip hop and Electro hop) is an electronic style of hip hop directly influenced by Kraftwerk and funk records (unlike earlier rap records which were closer to disco). ... This article is about breakbeat, the electronic dance music genre. ... Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to d&b, DnB, dnb, dnb, drum n bass and drum & bass) is a type of electronic dance music also known as jungle. ... Intelligent dance music (commonly IDM) is a genre of electronic music derived from dance music of the 1980s and early 1990s which puts an emphasis on novel processing and sequencing. ... Glitch (also known as Clicks and Cuts from a representative compilation series by the German record label Mille Plateaux) is a genre of electronic music that became popular in the late 1990s with the increasing use of digital signal processing, particularly on computers. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy set out a categorization of electronic dance music genres based on beats per minute (bpm)^[2]: Steve Hillage is a English musician, associated with the Canterbury scene, who has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s. ... System 7 is a band working in the dance/ambient scene. ... Beats per minute (bpm) is a unit typically used as either a measure of tempo in music, or a measure of ones heart rate. ...

• 60–90 bpm — Hip hop and Dub
• 90–120 bpm — Faster Hip Hop and Big Beats/"Trip Hop"
• 120–135 bpm — House
• 135–155 bpm — Techno
• 155–180 bpm — Drum'n'bass / Jungle
• 180+ bpm — Hardcore, Gabber and beyond

Hip hop is a cultural movement that began amongst urban African American youth in New York and has since spread around the world. ... For other uses, see Dub. ... Big beat (sometimes called chemical breaks) is a term deployed in the mid 1990s by the British music press to describe the work of artists such as The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim and The Prodigy. ... Trip hop (also known as the Bristol sound) is a term coined by United Kingdom dance magazine Mixmag, to describe a musical trend in the mid-1990s; trip hop is downtempo electronic music that grew out of Englands hip hop and house scenes. ... House music is a style of electronic dance music that was developed by dance club DJs in Chicago in the early to mid-1980s. ... For the comic book character previously known as Techno, see Fixer (comics). ... Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to d&b, DnB, dnb, dnb, drum n bass and drum & bass) is a type of electronic dance music also known as jungle. ... Problems playing the files? See media help. ... Gabber (IPA pronunciation: ), gabba, or hardcore, is a style of electronic music and a subgenre of hardcore techno. ...

Notable artists and DJs

With the explosive growth of computers music technology and consequent reduction in the cost of equipment in the late 1990s, the number of artists and DJs working within electronic music is overwhelming. With the advent of hard disk recording systems, it is possible for any home computer user to become a musician, and hence the rise in the number of "bedroom bands", often consisting of a single person. Nevertheless notable artists can still be identified. Influential musicians in industrial, synth pop and later electronic dance styles include New Order, Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle (both now defunct), the Human League and Kraftwerk. In house, techno and drum and bass pioneers such as Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Goldie, A Guy Called Gerald, LTJ Bukem and Frankie Bones are still active as of 2007. Commercially successful artists working under the "electronica" rubric such as Fatboy Slim, Faithless, The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, The Crystal Method, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Orbital, Propellerheads, Underworld and Moby continue to release albums and perform regularly (sometimes in stadium-sized arenas, such has the popularity of electronic dance music grown). Some DJs such as Paul Oakenfold, John Digweed, Sasha, Paul van Dyk, Armin van Buuren, and Tijs Verwest (aka Tiësto) have reached true superstar status and can command five-figure salaries for a single performance. They perform for hours on end. Some DJs have world wide radio, and internet, broadcasted shows that air weekly, such as A State of Trance, a show mixed by Armin van Buuren. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... Typical hard drives of the mid-1990s. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... Cabaret Voltaire was a British music group from Sheffield, England. ... Throbbing Gristle (formed on September 3, 1975, in London) are a British Avant-Garde group that evolved from the performance art group COUM Transmissions. ... The Human League are an English synthpop band formed in 1977, who, after several changes in line up, achieved great popularity in the 1980s and a limited comeback in the mid-1990s. ... Kraftwerk (pronounced , German for power station) is a Grammy award nominated, electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. ... Juan Atkins (born December 9, 1962 in Detroit) is an American musician. ... Derrick May, also known as Mayday and Rhythim is Rhythim, is an electronic musician from Detroit, Michigan U.S.. He was born in Detroit in 1963 and began to explore electronic music early in his life. ... For other uses, see Goldie (disambiguation). ... A Guy Called Gerald is the stage name for musician, record producer and DJ Gerald Simpson from Moss Side in Manchester, United Kingdom. ... LTJ Bukem is the stage name used by the drum and bass musician, producer and DJ Danny Williamson (born 1967, London). ... Frankie Bones Frankie Bones (born Frank Mitchell) is an American techno and house music disc jockey from New York City. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... FatBoy Slim (born Quentin Leo Cook on July 31, 1963,[1] also known as Norman Cook) is a British big beat musician. ... Faithless are a British band whose music is described by the band as a cross between hip-hop and dance. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Daft Punk is a duo consisting of Paris musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (born February 8, 1974)[1] and Thomas Bangalter (born January 3, 1975). ... The Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo consisting of Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland. ... Massive Attack are an English trip hop band. ... This article is about the English band. ... Orbital was an English techno duo from 1989 until 2004, consisting of brothers Paul and Phil Hartnoll. ... Propellerheads is a British big beat music band made up of electronic producers Will White and Alex Gifford. ... Underworld is the principal name under which British electronic music duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have recorded since the late 1980s. ... Moby (born Richard Melville Hall, September 11, 1965) is an American songwriter, musician and singer. ... Paul Oakenfold (born August 30, 1963 in Greenhithe, Kent[1] England) is a record producer and one of the best-known Trance DJs worldwide. ... John Digweed John Digweed (born January 1, 1967 in Hastings, England) is a British DJ and record producer. ... Sasha (born Alexander Coe[1] on 4 September 1969), is a Welsh DJ and record producer. ... This article is about the DJ. For the American historian, see Paul Van Dyke. ... Armin van Buuren (born December 25, 1976) is a trance music DJ and producer from Leiden, the Netherlands. ... Tiësto (born Tijs Verwest on January 17, 1969 in Breda, Netherlands) is one of the worlds most famous trance DJ figures in the electronic dance music scene. ... Tiësto (IPA: ; born Tijs Verwest (IPA: ) on January 17, 1969 in Breda, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands)[1] is one of the worlds most famous trance DJs in the electronic dance music scene. ... A State of Trance (often abbreviated as ASoT or ASOT) is the title of a weekly radio show hosted by popular trance DJ Armin van Buuren. ... Armin van Buuren (born December 25, 1976) is a trance music DJ and producer from Leiden, the Netherlands. ...

Notable record labels

Until the 1980s, there were virtually no record labels that exclusively promoted electronic dance music. Because of this dearth of outlets, many of the early techno pioneers started their own. For example, techno pioneer Juan Atkins started Metroplex Records, and Richie Hawtin started his hugely influential Plus 8 imprint. In the United Kingdom, Warp Records emerged in the 1990s as one of the pre-eminent sources of home-listening and experimental music. Later arrivals include Astralwerks, Ninja Tune, and Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto record label. The 1980s refers to the years from 1980 to 1989. ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Metroplex is a techno record label in Detroit, founded in 1985 by techno pioneer Juan Atkins. ... Richie Hawtin (born Richard Hawtin, June 4, 1970, Banbury, Oxfordshire, England) is a Canadian electronic musician and internationally-touring DJ who was an influential part of Detroit technos second wave of artists in the early 1990s. ... Canadian Techno record label, based in Windsor, Ontario and founded in 1990 by DJs Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva. ... Warp Records is a pioneering independent UK record label, founded in Sheffield in 1989, notable for discovering some of the most enduring artists in electronic music. ... For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Astralwerks is an New York based record label which releases primarily electronic music. ... Ninja Tune is a London-based independent record label started in 1991 by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More, better known as Coldcut, with a strong leaning towards Electronic, abstract hip-hop, instrumental hip hop, Nu-Jazz, drum and bass, and chillout music. ... Perfecto was a Christian saint and martyr who died in 850. ...

See also

• Electronica
• List of electronic music genres

Electronica refers to a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; but unlike electronic dance music, is not specifically focused on the dance floor. ... This is a list of electronic music genres and sub-genres, though for the latter, not all possess their own article (in which case, see the main genre article). ...

References

Further Reading

• dancecult.net - an online collaborative bibliography of scholarly work on electronic dance music
• UKCD - an online portal for electronic dance music. Listings, mixes, photos..
• Interactive guide to all dance genres