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Can someone explain the difference between different "club" music?

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teiresias

Member
Like what characterizes something as "Trance" or "Dance" or "House" or "Techno" or any of the other designations. I just don't have alot of experience with that kind of music and don't know what the differences are.

Hey, I'm gay, I listen to musicals and movie soundtracks for crying out loud! (Though I guess technically I should be versed in the club music or give up my gay card.)

Dammit, I thought I was in the OT forum, can a mod move this please?
 

shibbs

Member
Its kinda hard to explain but id say you can basicly split them with BPM (beats per minut).
Dance is a overall name i think or you can put "dance" songs in the charts in that category. About the rest..

Trance: can be quite fast (BPM wise) but mostly isnt, relaxing sounds (floating), some vocals.

House: more funky, groovy sounds. More vocals. Not that "fast"

Techno: a lot of people will say its repetitive but you have respect i guess. Techno is quite fast, although you have many sorts of techno (funky, groovy, hard, spacy). LEts say its quite uptempo. Not that many vocals too.

Techno is what i listen too all the time and i just started mixing it too.
 

aoi tsuki

Member
http://www.di.fm/edmguide/edmguide.html

A pretty comprehensive guide to the various styles of electronic music. A bit dated, a bit pretentious, but worth checking out.

There's also a thread on this in the OT.

Personally, i've gotten behind in electronic music. i can't stand most trance and techno; most of the former is overproduced and stale, and most of the latter i simply can't into anymore unless i'm really in the mood. Most of what i listen to electronic music-wise is deep house. Not to say it's any better than any other genre, but it's always nice to relax to, and it makes a good soundtrack to get laid to too. :)
 

Unison

Member
I am a Downbeat sorta guy myself, specifically Trip Hop. :D

Actually, I like the new Microbeats genre, but that's not listed on the site.
 

djtiesto

is beloved, despite what anyone might say
Unison said:
I am a Downbeat sorta guy myself, specifically Trip Hop. :D

Actually, I like the new Microbeats genre, but that's not listed on the site.

Microbeats as in Matthew Dear* type music? If that's what you mean, it's on as "Microhouse"...

*-Has an album called "Leave Luck To Heaven"... thread is suddenly back on topic
 

Unison

Member
djtiesto said:
Microbeats as in Matthew Dear* type music? If that's what you mean, it's on as "Microhouse"...

*-Has an album called "Leave Luck To Heaven"... thread is suddenly back on topic

Yeah, that's a great album... Everyone should buy it, etc... :D

Good to see it and its ilk are represented, because that is some awesome music.
 
Go on iTunes and go to their electronica section for their webcast radio stations. Browse through the channels there and you'll learn differences real quick.
 

Dilbert

Member
Most labels for "electronic" music are crap -- they aren't helpful, and there are no concrete definitions. Even the name "electronic" music is misleading since many of the songs are made with live instrumentation which is rearranged in some way...but so is half of what you hear on the radio, so what's the point?

There are some basic divisions between styles of "dance" music, but the finer details are hopelessly complicated:

"Techno" music is based on a 4/4 pattern, meaning that every beat in the bar is accented. In a club, you will find yourself wanting to naturally tap your foot on every beat: BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM... Good starting artist: Underworld, especially Dubnobasswithmyheadman.

"House" music is based on a 2/4 pattern, meaning that every other beat is accented. In a club, you will find yourself wanting to naturally tap your foot with "pauses" in between...and often, you will hear either a lighter drum or a cymbal on the unaccented beat: BOOM swish BOOM swish... Good starting artist: Blue Six, Beautiful Tomorrow.

"Drum and bass" is based on a syncopated rhythm: the "bass" part (synth or a bass drum) is usually at a slower BPM than the snares and/or cymbals. I personally have no idea how you'd dance to that stuff without twitching, but your mileage may vary. Good starting artist: I don't stay current on that stuff, but Goldie's Timeless is a classic, and you may enjoy Photek as well. I've also heard good things about High Contrast.

Maybe someone who is more awake can explain "breakbeat" is lucid terms.

As for how to find music that you like...I would recommend listening to the webcasts of "Metropolis" (weeknights 7:30-10:00 PM PST) and "Nocturna" (weeknights 10:00 PM - 12:00 AM PST) on the KCRW feed -- they broadcast on iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp (Shoutcast), and Real. If you hear something you like, make a note about when you heard it...then go to their website to see the artist and album. (They post complete playlists, and also announce the tracks periodically during the show.) You won't hear as much of the "hard stuff," but it will give you a starting point.
 

fart

Savant
well there's like boom boom boom and then there's like boom boom tiss boom

i gave up on electronic years ago. only thing interesting is chip music (+ hardcore bip boop electro sometimes - see kraftwerk, legowelt, bogdan razinskndsyni), afx and the emotronic (dntel, styrofoam, morr music type) movement.
 

Ill Saint

Member
fart said:
well there's like boom boom boom and then there's like boom boom tiss boom

i gave up on electronic years ago. only thing interesting is chip music (+ hardcore bip boop electro sometimes - see kraftwerk, legowelt, bogdan razinskndsyni), afx and the emotronic (dntel, styrofoam, morr music type) movement.
Legowelt? Massive respect... never thought I'd see that name here.

There are still a lot of very interesting electronic sounds coming out. Lots to discover. Plenty of nice tunes coming out on Clone, Djax Up Bitch (DUB), Delsin, Stilleben, Bunker, Viewlexx, Rephlex etc.
 

fart

Savant
dunno, about when i realized that people really liked garbage like boc and chris clark i just gave up on it. the only interesting electronic i've been hearing recently is really just noise.

if you have some specific suggestions though i'm all ears (lolz)
 

Ill Saint

Member
'Strike' by 154 on Delsin Records is an incredible album. 'Biometry' by Der Zyklus on Clone/DUB Records is something different.

http://delsin.org/ (Check out Shed and $tinkworx too)
http://www.clone.nl/ (Lots of samples... new Bunker releases, D.I.E, Alden Tyrell, Dynarec etc.)

If electronic stuff has burned you out, all these may not do a whole lot for you, but who knows...
 

Ill Saint

Member
Of course there's also the mighty Submerge, Detroit. The hub of Detroit Techno, home to Underground Resistance.

Tons of samples and records from all over the spectrum.
 

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
Been wanting to know stuff like this, a few of my friends are huge electronic fans, seemingly into trance.. but they are very hush hush towards it, i.e. very picky to what is good and what isn't, and most of the mainstream garbage that pollutes trance makes them pretty sick.

I think I'll try each genre and see how it goes.
 
Damn jinx, it never occurred to me that that's how house works (every other beat being accentuated)! I'd always classed house as being the same as techno, on the basis that: 1) it is speedy, synthesised music, and 2) the beats still follow one another at a steady pace. I felt the main difference was that it is clearly for girls (or, as far as men are concerned, their courtship). I like it, and appreciate there is more to it than this, but don't take it seriously.

Trance, contrary to early reports, is not just bizarre ambient tonal stuff, as the genre also covers flavours of techno. To me trance is really best categorised by the Goa variety, which is difficult to describe: fast, seductive techno, that is the aural equivalent of the fractal art found hung on student bedroom walls the world over. This to mean that it is trippy and meaningful when on drugs, and immature and headache-inducing at any other time. I like it :D

Drum and bass is indeed where it's at, being-able-to-dance-properly-wise, but I think all the drum and bass has been made now? I don't know, I'm not 'on the scene' as much as I should be, but I listen to more and more of the oldskool variety ...

So this is the dance music world as a self-educated amateur raver sees it ... To explain everything better, Ishkur is your friend :)


Edit: Ishkur is my friend too, as I now know what you guys mean by microhouse. This is sort of Domu, Maurice Fulton or Matthew Herbert territory. Oh shit, also check out Ishkurs definition of Death Trance!

XD

\m/
 

Azih

Member
Hahah, that site is pretty cool, So far I've found out that I like synthpop, Hip House and I don't mind Stupid House.

Great time killer and it's crazy learning a completely different language.
 
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