When you think of electronic music, what comes to mind? Perhaps the uniformity of future house music? The booming bass of dubstep? Or the fast-paced melodies of happy hardcore? Chances are, it’s different for everybody.
The traditional definition of electronic dance music (EDM), according to the Oxford Dictionary, is “popular music intended for dancing to in clubs, typically having a repetitive beat and a synthesized backing track.”
There are over 120 different subgenres that comprise EDM, each with its own unique culture and sound. Some, of course, are more popular than others, but they are all equally important when it comes to the development of music–many times, subgenres build off of one another.
Though I cannot possibly talk about every single EDM subgenre in history, here are some subgenres that I personally enjoy and feel have contributed to the evolution of modern electronic music.
Eurodisco
Considered to be one of the precursors and beginning forms of EDM, eurodisco began to rise to popularity in the mid-1970s, with groups such as Modern Talking and artists like C.C. Catch climbing the charts in Europe. Eurodisco’s roots can be traced back to Europop, which became popular around the 1960s. Although not what many would “stereotypically” consider electronic music, Eurodisco served as the precursor for the heavier EDM subgenres and the stereotypical genres of Eurodance (which will be discussed later in this article) and Techno (a completely separate subgenre) that we know today. Eurodisco can be characterized by its use of heavily reverbed synths, a medium tempo of 120-145 beats per minute (BPM), and the common “four-to-the-floor” disco rhythm of European disco music.
Brother Louie – Modern Talking
Strangers by Night – C.C. Catch
Eurodance
Not to be confused with Eurodisco and Eurobeat (which will be discussed later), Eurodance stemmed out of Eurodisco in the 80s, but with an unorthodox twist. Whereas Eurodisco had been more or less equivalent to the electronisation of disco music, Eurodance was characterised by punchy synths and a shedding of disco rhythms, as well as a slightly higher BPM ranging from 135-150. Artists and groups like A Touch of Class, Eiffel 65, and Alice Deejay are notable figures in the original Eurodance scene.
Around the World (La La La La La) – A Touch of Class
Blue (Da Ba Dee) – Eiffel 65
Better Off Alone – Alice Deejay
Italo Disco
Though sometimes grouped in with Eurodance, Italo Disco is a separate subgenre of EDM that developed at a similar time as Eurodance. Pioneered by groups and artists such as Kano in the late 70s with more of the disco feeling, and later Gigi D’Agostino in the 80s and 90s, Italian music artists and DJs began to experiment with synthesizers and drums when they became more accessible to producers. Contrary to Eurodance, Italo Disco shares many similarities with Progressive EDM (another umbrella term). “Progressive,” in the sense of electronic music, means that the music builds onto itself; the song usually starts with a melody or a drum, and “layers” are added on and changed over time to create a song. Compared to Eurodance, Italo Disco seems to have a much slower start with this “buildup,” as well as a slower feel with the BPM of many tracks ranging on the lower end, from 100 to 130. Italo Disco gave way to the creation of other slower-paced EDM subgenres, such as Lento Violento and Mediterranean Progressive Dance.
70s ITALO DISCO:
Another Life – Kano
80s-90s ITALO DISCO:
L’amour Toujours -Gigi D’Agostino)
Bla Bla Bla – Gigi D’Agostino
Eurobeat
Although originating in Europe, Eurobeat was by no means concentrated in Western Europe as many of these previous genres were. Originally, Eurobeat introduced complex melodies and higher BPM (140 to 180) while also maintaining the “progressive” nature of Italo Disco and the danceability of Eurodance. Even though it was quite popular in Europe, Eurobeat found its way to Japanese audiences. There, it mixed with the “Para Para” style of music, forming what today is known as the conventional upbeat Eurobeat. The subgenre has garnered a larger place in pop culture through its use in popular anime, such as Initial D, its use in some video games by large companies such as SEGA, and in memes (in part due to its glamorization of Western Europeans attempting to sing in English and creating vocals that sounded funny or made little sense).
Running in the 90s – Max Coveri
Spitfire – Go2
Deja Vu – Dave Rodgers
Gabber/Old Skool Hardcore
Hailing from the Netherlands in the late 80s and early 90s, “Gabber,” or traditional hardcore, was the first major heavy EDM subgenre. Originally, it served as a form of rebellion against Europop and Eurodance music. “Gabber” is a play on the Hebrew word “chaverim” or “chaver” that loosely translates to “friend.” The original Dutch Gabber scene was not just a musical culture, but one that manifested itself in fashion and ideology, mainly stemming from a rivalry between Rotterdam and Amsterdam. Stereotypically, gabbers would sport tracksuits, Nikes, and shave their heads. These fashion statements were taboo in Dutch society at the time. Gabber music is characterized by its extremely quick tempo (160 to above 200 BPM) and heavily distorted bass. It is not to be confused with jumpstyle, a slower, less-distorted subgenre which originated in Belgium as a response to Gabber. Many times, the lyrics of songs were also extremely provocative, leading to the general public disliking and/or criticising gabber culture. Many artists and pioneering DJs would take melodies from pre-existing songs and top hits, speed them up, and add heavier bass to create a “hardcore” remix. Gabber led to offshoot genres, like happy hardcore, which overshadowed gabber and traditional hardcore on a global scale.
Although one might think that gabbers are quite akin to neo-Nazi “skinheads” (they are better categorised as “boneheads”) due to their appearances and the aggressive nature of their music, the reality was actually quite the opposite–the majority of gabbers and gabber-associated record labels were outwardly anti-fascist and anti-nazi. In fact, artists refused to collaborate with suspected Nazis and shunned them from the scene; it would be a common sight at a festival to see someone with antisemitic or racist ideologies getting beaten up. People of colour and women were welcomed into the DJ-ing scene of this subgenre, with some examples being DJ (Lady) Dana, Gizmo, Darkraver, and one of the pioneers of the genre itself, DJ Paul Elstak.
(If I am being quite frank, the Gabber subgenre deserves its own separate article because of how interesting its history is.)
In the Name of Love – 3 Steps Ahead
The Future – Nosferatu
Mellow Moenie Mauwe – Neophyte/Bodylotion
Happy Hardcore + modern offshoots
While the early 1990s Dutch hardcore scene did have a great impact on the development of Happy Hardcore, the Belgian, German, and especially the UK electronic music scenes also played a crucial role in the development of what many people consider to be the first truly mainstream version of “hardcore” EDM that reached the rave scenes overseas. Some of the first Happy Hardcore music began to be produced by UK artists like Slipmatt and DJ Vibes, with more emphasis on the melody rather than the kick of the bass. Former gabber DJs experimented with Happy Hardcore, with earlier tracks showing hints at roots in older Dutch hardcore with distorted kicks (see below). Later, tracks replaced the distortion with just a simple, undistorted bass. Over time, Happy Hardcore evolved to be a more melodic form of hardcore, but still faster than traditional techno and eurodance at 160-180 BPM.
Happy Hardcore climbed in popularity in the late 90s and early 2000s with its introduction to the radio as a “socially acceptable” form of hardcore EDM, as well as its introduction to raves. At this time, house music groups (such as Daft Punk) and trance artists (ie, Tiësto) were predominantly popular because of their more mellow sound that appealed to the public. The “lightness” of Happy Hardcore, in comparison to traditional hardcore, also appealed to a broader group of individuals. Though Happy Hardcore has become less popular lately, with the rise of house, dubstep, and DnB (drum and bass) music, there are still many thriving Happy Hardcore scenes today.
EARLY HAPPY HARDCORE:
Used and Abused (Amnesia Mix) – Party Animals
Have You Ever Been Mellow – Party Animals
Blown Away – Impact & Nemesis
NEW AGE HAPPY HARDCORE:
Press Play Walk Away – S3RL + Synthwulf
Hands Up
Not to be confused with TikTok’s “scenecore” and hyperpop genres that use the term “Hands Up” to describe their music, Hands Up originally was a genre that originated in Germany during the early 2000s after the introduction of Happy Hardcore onto the mainstream stage. When people typically think of “techno*” or “EDM”, this is probably what most people will think of. A bit slower than hardcore genres, Hands Up lies at a more mellow tempo of around 140-145 BPM and a focus on lyrics in combination with a melody. It is less progressive than Happy Hardcore and traditional hardcore, and song durations are also significantly shorter. However, even though it is its own separate genre, it takes significant inspiration from Italo Disco, trance, and Happy Hardcore in its progression and synth textures. Some famous producers from this genre are the ItaloBrothers, Basshunter, and Manian.
Raver’s Fantasy – Manian
Moonlight Shadow – Italobrothers
DotA – Basshunter
*“techno” is its own completely separate subgenre of EDM, but I will not be discussing it in this article.
Dubstep and Brostep
Taking a venture back into the “harder” styles of EDM, dubstep is commonly regarded as one of the more popular styles in the modern-day musical scene. Though it rose to popularity in the early 2000s, it has existed since the late 1990s in the UK. Dubstep is characterised by its unique hard bass (or the “wub-wub” bass) paired with low-range frequency synths. Dubstep’s BPM is usually concentrated around 140 BPM, but sometimes an artist will “cut” that time in half (called “cut-time”), and it will seem as if the songs are around 70 BPM. Originally, the genre was pioneered by UK radio DJs like DJ John Peel. However, artists specialising in the genre, like Skream and Benga, began to gain notoriety in the EDM scene. Later dubstep artists broke off from the low-range synths and formed a new subgenre of dubstep called “brostep.” Popularised by Skrillex and Rusko, this genre had the same “wub-wub” bass and edginess, but rather than have deeper-toned melodies or none at all, their songs featured screechy synths and mid-range melodies. Some other notable brostep artists (or at least, at the beginning of their careers) include Knife Party and Zomboy.
EARLY DUBSTEP:
I Will Never Change – Benga
Brostep:
Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites – Skrillex
Fire Hive – Knife Party
Russian Hardbass/2020s “Jumpstyle”
Hardbass originated in St. Petersburg, Russia in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It drew great inspiration from Western hardcore, but rejected the presence of lighter melodies. Though not as fast as original hardcore, Hardbass still possesses a fast BPM (around 150–175). Russian DJs like DJ Snat and XS Project pioneered this genre with an emphasis on extremely loud, undistorted bass and rapped or spoken lyrics. It has seen a great resurgence recently, in part due to TikTok using many songs from this subgenre as edit audios. Because of this and the advancement of music production, even heavier bass can now be produced, leading modern hardbass to sound different from that of the 90s.
Though TikTok categorises this music as “jumpstyle,” that is incorrect. Jumpstyle is a genre inspired by gabber that originated in Belgium, but rather than specifically focusing on the presence of quick and heavy bass, it instead puts great emphasis on high-register melodies and overall the presence of a “dancey” feeling into the music. Hardbass does not possess that overtly melodic quality–it is focused on lower frequencies and the overall presence of the bass.
Hard Bass Star – XS Project
ЗАВОД – ZAPRAVKA
Nash Gimn – Hard Bass School
Actual Jumpstyle:
The Last Time – Binum
So, next time you catch someone vibing to something electronic, don’t ask them if they like EDM. Instead, ask what kind of EDM they like. Though that one abbreviation can be used to describe all of these subgenres and even more, don’t do it. It’s like saying that you like food when, in reality, you like a specific brand of deep-fried bass. (get it?)
