lir

Electronic dance music (EDM), 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. Such music was originally borne of and popularized via regional nightclub scenes in the 1980s. 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.

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.

Steve Hillage and Miquette Giraudy set out a categorization of electronic dance music genres based on beats per minute (bpm)[1]:

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 and bass / jungle
180 + bpm — hardcore gabber and beyond


Influential musicians in industrial, synth pop and later electronic dance styles include 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 2003. Commercially successful artists working under the "electronica" rubric such as Fatboy Slim, Faithless, Fluke, The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, The Crystal Method, Chloe Day, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Orbital, Propellerheads, Scooter, Underworld, Überzone, Björk 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


Electronic Dance

I think the other user had a good idea with using Wiki as a reference, this way we can jot down some of the most interesting things we find, and link to the rest so you can read the entire article. I am surprised by the things I learn.

MollyJane

TFS!

Very intereting on the bpm break down. I would only disagree with the classification of drum & bass/jungle as you can do it at almost any bpm, but i'm guessing that most of those fall in that bpm range and thats why its listed as that.

The AFX

Very nice article. Thank you for sharing lir

I don't entirely agree with certain things mentioned, but I can't complain too much either.