The low-down on up-beats

It may be forgotten, but it is definitely not lost. When asked about electronica music, most people respond by asking what electronica is. A lot of people know it by another name: techno. Although not officially the term for the music created by synthesizers and many other electronic devices, “techno” is a good way of describing this genre of music. Known for its heady beats and effect on dance floors around the world, electronica music is appreciated by many, but understood by few.

At the latter end of the twentieth century, man was creating machines and devices as had never been seen in the world before. These technological wonders were run by electricity, and many were driven by a computer of some sort. Man also discovered that he could alter sounds in many different ways using computers. As a result, when Chicago House, Detroit Techno, and New York Garage music met, Electronica/Dance was born. As electronic devices became household items in the late eighties and nineties, so did the electronic sounds coming from them. Someone somewhere was exalted to learn that, through stringing notes together, one could produce music, even with electronic sounds.

With a wide variety of subgenres and an almost infinite amount of possibilities for sound evolution, DJs and composers alike are constantly producing something new. Electronica is more versatile and varied than all the other modern day genres added together. It contains many subgenres, including, but not limited to house, trance, ambient and hardcore. What is played and at what time depends entirely on the mood and the event. Some electronica is best heard when relaxing, some while busting moves on the dance floor. Hardcore Electronica is sometimes great to listen to while working out or at the “forbidden” party, the rave.

Artists emerge out of almost anywhere, and their tastes in music just add a new spin to an old genre. Leading artists have been around for a while, but the list of leaders is always being added to. Bjork, Paul Van Dyk, Moby, The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, LCD Soundsystem, and Prodigy are just some of the artists in the electronica roster that boast much acclaim and prestige. Mixes involving many artists are being produced consistently.

Electronica/dance, whether on a dance floor, at a party, or on an iPod, will continue to provide the biggest beats and the chillest sounds, period.