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Definition of sounds



Techno

"Techno" is a generalized term often used to describe the many subgenres of Electronic Dance music, which include Ambient Techno, Breakbeat Techno, Hardcore Techno, Trance, and Drum 'N Bass / Jungle. More recently, it has also been used to describe a more specific, purist style of Electronic Dance Music which features electronic sounds, textures, and varying rhythmic motifs and melodies over a 4/4 bass drum beat.

Some Techno Sub-Genres:

•   Acid Techno - Techno music with the squelchy modulating "acid" sound of a Roland 303 Bass Line as the predominant element of the track.
•   Bangin' Techno - Bangin' Techno is a more recent term which describes hard driving Techno with lots of harsh clanging sounds.
•   Belgian Techno - A straight, harder 4/4 style Techno which originated in Belgium and was a precursor to Hard Trance and Bangin' Techno.
•   Classic Techno / Old School Techno / Rave - These terms usually describe early Techno played in underground raves in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Many elements of Old School Techno continue today in what is now called Happy Hardcore.
•   Detroit Techno - Originally describing early Techno music produced in Detroit, the term is now used more generally to describe harder, beat-based Minimal Techno.
•   Hard Acid - Hard Acid uses the Roland 303 as a predominant sound, but over a harder and faster beat with sometimes harsh sound elements.
•   UK Breakbeat Techno - Early U.K.-based Techno music featuring fast breakbeat drum patterns. Often coined as "hardcore" in the early Techno days, it was actually a precursor to the Drum 'N Bass / Jungle movement of the mid to late 1990's.

House

House music, like Techno, is created with electronic instruments, but it is usually warmer and more soulful in sound than Techno music. House is also a more groove-oriented style of dance music - with a steady 4/4 beat and repetitive musical themes, sounds, and vocals that feature subtle changes throughout the tracks.

Some House Sub-Genres:

•   Acid House - House offshoot that featured the Roland 303 as a predominant element in the track.
•   Deep House - A minimal, more repetitive form of House with darker and moodier overtones.
•   Garage - House Music with more Disco and Soul Music elements.
•   Hard House - A more aggressive style of House music, it features a harder rhythm.
•   Progressive House - A more dynamic sounding style of House music with more variations in sound and structure.
•   Speed Garage - An offshoot of Garage, it features a faster beat with some Drum 'N Bass and Dub elements.
•   Tech House - House music with Techno elements.
•   Tribal House - House music with African and Latin-based tribal percussion elements.

Trance

Trance music, with its pounding 4/4 beat and psychedelic-sounding track structures, is designed to hypnotize the listener into a trance-like state. Closely related to Techno music, Trance music's signature sound is the constant interplay of its complex polyrhythmic synthesizer lines and carefully constructed arpegiatted crescendos.

Some Trance Sub-Genres:

•   Acid Trance - Trance music with the squelchy, modulating sound of a Roland 303 dominating the mix.
•   Goa Trance - Exotic-sounding psychedelic Trance music with Middle Eastern and East Asian motifs.
•   Hard Trance - A harder, faster style of Trance music coming primarily from Germany.
•   Progressive Trance - Trance with more dynamics in the sound and song structure.

Breakbeat

Breakbeat music features variations on the basic 4/4 Techno beat by using syncopated, funky sounding drum patterns.
Melodic synthesizer lines, string washes, housey vocals, horn samples, and bass lines come in and out of the mix,
but the complex drum patterns are the predominant element of the track.

Some Breakbest Sub-Genres:

•   Big Beat - Breakbeat music from the U.K. with more distinctive rock and Pop elements.
•   Drum 'N Bass / Jungle - A complex form of breakbeat techno which has developed into its own genre.
•   Electro - Early electronic-based hip-hop with bleepy sounds and a spare breakbeat style.
•   Funky Breaks - A strong funky breakbeat style with techno and house elements.
•   New School Electro - A more recent variant of early electro, with more Techno sounding elements and little or no vocals.
•   Nu-Skool Breakz - A spare, hip-hop offshoot of funky breaks.
•   Trip-Hop - An early 90's term commonly used to describe all things Breakbeat - now describes a more specific, slower breakbeat style which is encompassed within the Downtempo genre.

Drum 'N Bass

Drum 'N Bass (also often referred to by an earlier commonly used term, "Jungle") combines a collage of complex breakbeat drum patterns, sound effects, samples, and a deep, rolling dub-influenced bass line. An "MC" or "toaster" - a vocalist who improvises lyrics and rhythmic Caribbean-sounding scats over the tracks - is sometimes added to the mix and in live performance situations.

Some Drum 'N Bass Sub-Genres:

•   Broken Beats - Drum 'N Bass with a choppy, noisy, experimental sound.
•   DarkStep - Drum 'N Bass with a darker, more ominous, menacing sound.
•   HardStep - Drum 'N Bass with a mid-tempo, but harder-driving consistent beat.
•   Intelligent Jungle - Drum 'N Bass with more Ambient Techno style elements.
•   TechStep - Drum 'N Bass combined with more distinctive Techno elements.

Hardcore

Hardcore Techno, describes the fastest and most extreme style of Techno music. Hardcore tracks often feature harsh,
abrasive sounds and quick changes in tempo - all skittering over a pounding bass drum beat which can reach speeds of 150 BPM and higher.

Some Hardcore Sub-Genres:

•   Gabber - Hardcore Techno originally from Holland, with a blown-out bass drum sound, harsher noise elements, and a darker feel.
•   Happy Hardcore - Bouncier, more uplifting Hardcore Techno with a "boingy" bass drum sound, buzzy synth sounds, and sing-along choruses.
•   Noisecore - An offshoot of Gabber featuring heavy noise and distortion elements.
•   Terrorcore/Doom - An offshoot of Gabber emphasizing Horror and Occult themes.

Downtempo

Downtempo music encompasses and crosses over into many other kinds of genres and subgenres,
but the term generally describes a slower, loungier, moodier, atmospheric style of music.

Some Downtempo Sub-Genres:

•   Dub/Ragga - Slower, spare, bass-heavy styles of music originating from the Caribbean. DFML's Dub selections will usually have some Techno elements.
•   Trip Hop - A melancholic, languid style of music, often with very slow breakbeats and occasional Techno elements.

Ambient

Ambient Techno artists create atmospheric sound textures with the emphasis on creating a sense of environment and mood, with a beat-based rhythm sometimes becoming an element in the tracks. Dub, Jazz, and World Music influences; along with found sounds, and voice samples can occasionally creep into the mix and add an exotic or otherworldly feel to the music.

Some Ambient Sub-Genres:

•   Ambient Dub - Ambient Techno with Dub elements.
•   Ambient House - Ambient Techno with House elements.
•   Experimental/Minimal Techno - Ambient Techno with an experimental and/or minimalist approach.
•   Intelligent Dance Music (IDM) - Alternative term for Ambient Techno which was in reference to Warp Records'"Artificial Intelligence" compilations which introduced several important artists in this genre.