Electronica includes 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, it is not specifically made for dancing. For the early "drum machine" computers that used a rotating cylinder as their main memory see Drum memory A drum machine is an A music sequencer (also MIDI sequencer or just sequencer) is software or hardware designed to create and manage computer-generated music A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a Musical keyboard. A sampler is an electronic musical instrument closely related to a Synthesizer. The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass, or simply bass; ˈbeɪs as in "base" is a Stringed instrument played primarily with the The drum is a member of the percussion group technically classified as a Membranophone. This is a list of Electronic music genres sub-genres and styles though for the latter not all possess their own article (in which case see the main genre article Big beat (sometimes called chemical breaks) is a term deployed in the mid 1990s by the British music press to describe the music of The Chemical Brothers, Bitpop is a type of Electronic music, where at least part of the music is made using old 8-bit Computers game consoles and little toy instruments A chiptune, or chip music, is music written in sound formats where all the sounds are synthesized in realtime by a computer or Video game console Sound chip Downtempo (or Downbeat) is a laid-back Electronic music style similar to Ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike Glitch is a term used to describe a genre of experimental Electronic music that emerged in the mid to late 1990s Intelligent dance music (commonly IDM) is a genre name invented in the early 1990s by the creators of an American online mailing list Nu jazz is an Umbrella term coined in the late 1990s to refer to music that blends Jazz elements with other musical styles such as Funk, Soul Trip hop is a music Genre also known as the Bristol sound or Bristol acid rap. Post-rock is a genre of Alternative rock characterized by the use of Musical instruments commonly associated with Rock music, but using Rhythms An electronic musical instrument is a Musical instrument that produces its sounds using Electronics. Computer music is a term that was originally used within academia to describe a field of study relating to the applications of Computing technology in music composition This is a list of notable Electronic music Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production 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 ^[1][2][3][4] The term was first used in the United States in the early 1990s with regards to post-rave global-influenced electronic dance music. A rave (or rave party) is a term in use since the 1980s to describe Dance Parties (often all-night events Genres such as techno, drum and bass, downtempo, and ambient are among those encompassed by the umbrella term, entering the American mainstream from "alternative" or "underground" venues during the late 1990s. Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Downtempo (or Downbeat) is a laid-back Electronic music style similar to Ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike Ambient music is a Musical genre in which sound is more important than notes Underground music refers to a variety of post-1960s rock pop or dance subgenres that developed a Cult following despite their lack of Mainstream appeal visibility ^[2][5] Prior to the adoption of electronica for this purpose, terms such as electronic listening music, trance and intelligent dance music (IDM) were used. Trance is a style of Electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s Intelligent dance music (commonly IDM) is a genre name invented in the early 1990s by the creators of an American online mailing list ^[6][7][8]

The All Music Guide categorizes electronica as a top-level genre on their main page, where they state that electronica includes "dozens of stylistic fusions" ranging from danceable grooves to music for headphones and chillout areas. ^[3]

After beginning as an underground genre in the early 1990s, electronica has grown to influence even mainstream crossover recordings. Crossover is a term applied to Musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the Record charts which track differing musical tastes or genres Elements of electronica are used today by many popular artists in mainstream music. ^[4][9]

Background

Electronica was made possible by advancements in music technology, especially electronic musical instruments, synthesizers, music sequencers, drum machines and digital audio workstations. Music Technology is a term that refers to all forms of Technology involved with the Musical arts particularly the use of electronic devices and computer software to An electronic musical instrument is a Musical instrument that produces its sounds using Electronics. A music sequencer (also MIDI sequencer or just sequencer) is software or hardware designed to create and manage computer-generated music For the early "drum machine" computers that used a rotating cylinder as their main memory see Drum memory A drum machine is an A digital audio workstation (DAW is an electronic system designed to record, edit and play back digital audio Early forms of electronic music required large amounts of complex equipment and multiple operators for live performances, and multiple engineers to record the music at high quality. Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production As the technology developed, it became possible for individuals or smaller groups to produce electronic songs and recordings in smaller studios, even in project studios. A recording studio is a facility for sound recording. Ideally the space is specially designed by an acoustician to achieve the desired acoustic properties (sound At the same time, computers facilitated the use of music "samples" and "loops" as construction kits for sonic compositions. In Music, sampling is the act of taking a portion or sample, of one Sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or element of a new recording In Electronic music, a loop is a sample which is repeated Loops may be repeated through the use of Tape loops delay effects cutting between ^[10] This led to a period of creative experimentation and the development of new forms, some of which became known as electronica. ^[11][4]

In the mid-1990s, electronica began to be used by MTV and major record labels to describe mainstream electronic dance music made by such artists as Orbital (who had previously been described as ambient) and The Prodigy. MTV ( Music Television) is an American Cable television network based in New York City. Orbital were an English electronic duo consisting of brothers Phil Hartnoll and Paul Hartnoll whose career lasted from 1989 until 2004 Ambient music is a Musical genre in which sound is more important than notes The Prodigy are an Electronic music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree Essex, England. It is currently used to describe a wide variety of musical acts and styles, linked by a penchant for overtly electronic production; ^[12] a range which includes more popular acts such as Björk, Goldfrapp and Braindance artists such as Autechre, Aphex Twin, and Boards of Canada^[5] to dub-oriented downtempo, downbeat, and trip-hop. Björk Guðmundsdóttir (born 21 November 1965 is an Icelandic Singer-songwriter, Composer, actress and music producer. Goldfrapp are a British Electronic music group known for their visual theatrics and contribution to the popularization of Electronic dance music. Intelligent dance music (commonly IDM) is a genre name invented in the early 1990s by the creators of an American online mailing list Autechre are an English Electronic music group consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth both natives of Rochdale, England. Boards of Canada (BoC are a Scottish Electronic music duo consisting of brothers Michael Sandison (born June 1, 1970) and Marcus Eoin Sandison Dub is a form of music which evolved from Reggae in the late 1960s Downtempo (or Downbeat) is a laid-back Electronic music style similar to Ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike In Music performance and Music theory, the downbeat is the first beat of a measure in Music, the impulse that occurs at the Trip hop is a music Genre also known as the Bristol sound or Bristol acid rap. Madonna and Björk are said to be responsible for electronica's thrust into mainstream culture, with their albums Ray of Light (Madonna),^[9] Post and Homogenic (Björk). Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Björk Guðmundsdóttir (born 21 November 1965 is an Icelandic Singer-songwriter, Composer, actress and music producer. Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3 1998 by Maverick Records. Post is the third studio album by Icelandic Singer-songwriter / Musician Björk. Homogenic is the fourth album by Icelandic Singer-songwriter and Musician Björk, released on 23 September 1997 Electronica artists that would later become commercially successful began to record in this early 1990s period, before the term had come into common usage, including for example Fatboy Slim, Fœtus, Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, Moby, and Underworld. Fatboy Slim, also known as Norman Cook, (born Quentin Leo Cook on 31 July 1963 is a British DJ and Big beat musician Foetus is the primary musical outlet of Industrial music pioneer J Daft Punk The Chemical Brothers are an English Grammy Award winning Electronic music duo of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons (occasionally referred to as Chemical The Crystal Method is an American Electronic music duo consisting of Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland Richard Melville Hall, also known as Moby (born September 11, 1965 in Harlem, New York) is an American DJ Underworld is an English electronic group and principal name under which duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have recorded together since 1980 ^[13] Underworld, with its 1994 album dubnobasswithmyheadman, released arguably one of the defining records of the early electronica period with a blend of club beats, wedded to song writing and subtle vocals and guitar work. dubnobasswithmyheadman is a 1993 album by Underworld. Track listing All songs by Karl Hyde and Rick Smith unless noted A focus on "songs", a fusion of styles and a combination of traditional and electronic instruments often sets apart musicians working in electronic-styles over more straight-ahead styles of house, techno and trance. House music is a style of Electronic dance music initially popularized in mid-1980s Discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Trance is a style of Electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s

The more abstract Autechre and Aphex Twin around this time were releasing early records in the "intelligent techno" or so-called intelligent dance music (IDM) style, while other Bristol-based musicians such as Tricky, Leftfield, Massive Attack and Portishead were experimenting with the fusion of electronic textures with hip-hop, R&B rhythms to form what became known as trip-hop. Autechre are an English Electronic music group consisting of Rob Brown and Sean Booth both natives of Rochdale, England. Intelligent dance music (commonly IDM) is a genre name invented in the early 1990s by the creators of an American online mailing list Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Tricky (born Adrian Thaws 27 January, 1968) is an English musician Leftfield were a duo of Electronica artists and Record producers Paul Daley (formerly of The Rivals, A Man Called Adam and the Massive Attack are an English Trip hop group founded in 1988 by Robert Del Naja, Grantley Marshall, and Andrew Vowles in Bristol Portishead (pɔːtɪsˈhɛd IS an English musical group from Bristol. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Trip hop is a music Genre also known as the Bristol sound or Bristol acid rap. Later extensions to the trip hop aesthetic around 1997 came from the highly influential Vienna-based duo of Kruder & Dorfmeister, whose blunted, dubbed-out, slowed beats became the blueprint for the new style of downtempo. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Kruder & Dorfmeister, named after members Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister is an Austrian duo most known for their Downtempo - dub remixes of pop Downtempo (or Downbeat) is a laid-back Electronic music style similar to Ambient music, but usually with a beat or groove unlike Roni Size, Goldie and Omni Trio commanded attention in the UK as exemplars of the drum and bass genre. Roni Size (born Ryan Williams, October 29, 1969 in Bristol) is a British music producer and DJ who came to prominence Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie (born 19 September 1965 in Walsall, England) is an English Electronic music artist Rob Haigh, also known as Omni Trio, is a British electronic ambient and experimental musician The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located

Global influences

By the late 1990s, artists like Moby had become internationally famous, releasing albums and performing regularly in major venues. Richard Melville Hall, also known as Moby (born September 11, 1965 in Harlem, New York) is an American DJ In the United States and other countries like Australia, electronica (and the other attendant dance music genres) remained popular, although largely underground, while in Europe it had become one of the most dominant forms of popular music. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Underground music refers to a variety of post-1960s rock pop or dance subgenres that developed a Cult following despite their lack of Mainstream appeal visibility Popular music is Music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Electronica's maturing sound embraced multi-cultural influences both through the increasing commercial availability of audio sample libraries of musical instruments from around the globe, as well as cross-pollination with DJs, performers and recording artists from many nations. New York City became one center of experimentation and growth for the electronica sound, with DJs and music producers from areas as diverse as Southeast Asia and Brazil brought their creative work to the nightclubs of that city. The City of New York ^{[14] [15]}

The Norwegian dance duo Röyksopp reached unexpected stardom in 2001 when its debut album Melody AM became an international bestseller. Röyksopp ('ɾœʏkˌsop is an electronic music duo based in Tromsø, Norway composed of Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge Melody AM is the debut Album of Norwegian duo Röyksopp. Songs from this album have been used in television adverts and computer games By 2002 the style had a harder edge and in the UK tracks like “Loneliness” by Tomcraft hit number One and the following year an electro dance scene emerged in the UK. Tomcraft (real name Thomas Brückner) is a German DJ and producer. The release of albums like “New Wave Electro” on Orange Sync Records and Electrotech Ministry of Sound introduced this style to the clubs with post punk beats, mono Synth breaks which became the formula for the current electro dance scene in the UK. Ministry of Sound ( MoS) is a global dance music brand and a Nightclub in Elephant and Castle, Southwark, South London, officially Electro ( electro-boogie, electro-funk) is a Genre of Electronic music directly influenced by the use of TR-808 and Funk

Effect on mainstream popular music

Around the mid-1990s, with the success of the big beat-sound exemplified by The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy in the UK, and spurred by the attention from mainstream artists, including Madonna in her collaboration with william Orbit on Ray of Light,^[9]. Big beat (sometimes called chemical breaks) is a term deployed in the mid 1990s by the British music press to describe the music of The Chemical Brothers, The Chemical Brothers are an English Grammy Award winning Electronic music duo of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons (occasionally referred to as Chemical The Prodigy are an Electronic music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree Essex, England. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American William Orbit (born on 15 December 1956 as William Mark Wainwright in Shoreditch, Hackney) is an English Musician Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3 1998 by Maverick Records.

According to a 1997 Billboard article, "[t]he union of the club community and independent labels" provided the experimental and trend-setting environment in which electronica acts developed and eventually reached the mainstream. See Billboard (Turkish magazine Billboard is a weekly American Magazine devoted to the Music industry A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark An independent record label (or indie record label) is a Record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the Major record labels It cites American labels such as Astralwerks (The Future Sound of London, Fluke), Moonshine (DJ Keoki), and City of Angels (The Crystal Method) for playing a significant role in discovering and marketing artists who became popularized in the electronica scene. Astralwerks is a New York based Record label that releases primarily Electronic music. The Future Sound of London (often abbreviated to FSOL) are a prolific British Electronic music band comprised of Garry Cobain and Brian Fluke are an English Electronic music group formed in the late 1980s by Mike Bryant, Jon Fugler and Mike Tournier with Julian Nugent as Moonshine Music was a Los Angeles -based Electronic music Record label during the 1990s Superstar DJ Keoki (born October 22, 1966, Keoki Franconi is a Electronic music DJ who was born in El Salvador, but raised in The Crystal Method is an American Electronic music duo consisting of Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland ^[2]

The adoption of elements of electronica by several of the world's most popular rock bands was also seen beginning in the mid 1990s, for example U2's Zooropa (1993) and Pop (1997) albums, Radiohead's OK Computer (1997), R.E.M.'s Up (1998), The Smashing Pumpkins' Adore (1998), Blur's 13 (1999) and Oasis's Standing on the Shoulder of Giants (2000) albums. Zooropa is the eighth studio album by the Irish rock band U2. Pop is the ninth studio Album by Irish rock band U2, released in March 1997 Radiohead OK Computer is the third album by English Alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 16 June 1997 REM is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe ( lead vocals) Peter Buck ( Guitar Up is the eleventh album by the American band REM It was their first album without their original drummer Bill Berry, who amicably left The Smashing Pumpkins are an American Alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988 Adore is the fourth studio Album by American Alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Blur are an English Alternative rock band that formed in London in 1989 Oasis are an English rock band that formed in Manchester in 1991 Standing on the Shoulder of Giants is the fourth studio Album by the English rock band Oasis, released on February 28 Several of these albums were produced with electronic dance producers, such as William Orbit who produced Madonna's Ray of Light. William Orbit (born on 15 December 1956 as William Mark Wainwright in Shoreditch, Hackney) is an English Musician Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16 1958 known as Madonna, is an American Ray of Light is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on March 3 1998 by Maverick Records. The word "electronica" was commonly applied to such releases despite large differences in style. Indeed, by the late 1990s, the word was mostly used by rock fans to describe rock and pop artists' adoption of electronic music textures (such as samples, synthesizers and drum machines) with which they were otherwise unfamiliar, as well as to label a few dance-oriented acts that achieved popularity. This was particularly true in the US where the electronic dance subculture was much less prominent.

In the early 2000s, electronica-inspired post punk experienced a revival, with rock bands such as Interpol and The Killers specifically drawing on the 1980s sound of New Order and The Cure. Post-punk was a popular musical movement in the mid to late 1970s following on the heels of the initial Punk rock explosion of the early 1970s The post-punk revival is a movement in Alternative rock of the 2000s where bands draw from of the original sounds and aesthetics of the Post-punk sound of the late Interpol is an American Alternative rock band formed in 1997 in New York City. The Killers are an American rock band from Las Vegas Nevada. Formed in 2002 the group consists of Brandon Flowers ( vocals, keyboards New Order are an English rock group formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner ( vocals, Guitars Synthesizers, Peter Hook The Cure are an English rock band that formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976 Russian duet t.A.T.u. use electronica styles extensively, and fuse it with rock styles to form an edgy electronica style which is used by many pop artists. tATu (Тату)( IPA:) (translated "This there" in feminine grammatical gender form is a Russian duo formed in Moscow, Russia

With newly prominent pop music styles such as reggaeton, electroclash, and favela funk, electronic music styles in the current decade are seen to permeate nearly all genres of the mainstream and indie landscape such that a distinct "electronica" genre of pop music is rarely noted. Reggaeton (also spelled reggaetón, and known as reguetón and reggaetón in Spanish) is a form of urban music which became popular Electroclash is a style of Music that fuses Funk carioca (Funk from Rio favela funk and elsewhere in the world baile funk, is a type of dance music from Rio de Janeiro, derived from In Popular music, independent music, often abbreviated as indie, is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels and an autonomous However, the word continues to be more common in the U. S. music industry for synthesized, techno-inspired pop music, as specific genres such as drum and bass and IDM never achieved mainstream attention. Intelligent dance music (commonly IDM) is a genre name invented in the early 1990s by the creators of an American online mailing list

TV Influence

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, electronica music was increasingly used as background scores for television advertisements, initially for automobiles,^[16] and later for other technological and business products such as computers and financial services. A television advertisement or television commercial (often just commercial or advert (US or ad (UK is a span of television programming produced

See also

• List of electronic music genres
• Music genre

References