Jean-Michel Serres, Composer-pianist (Apfel Café Music): Website

31 December 20147 October 2021

Genres of Club Music

■Ambient

The origin of ambient as environmental music is advocated by Brian Eno. This concept was succeeded in club music, and generally the sounds of the Orb and the KLF are called ambient.

■Drum ‘n Bass

Drum ’n Bass is a successor of Jungle. It added Jungle to serious feelings, complicate programmed breakbeats, boosted bass lines and Jazz elements. LTJ Bukem and Good Looking Records developed Jungle to art music. He mentioned his music as ‘Artcore Jungle’.

■Dub (Dubwise)

Dub is a mixing technique and a musical genres derived by Reggae. Its origin is making another version of songs by realtime editing of effecters (delay, echo, flanger and phaser) and a mixing console after usual mixing. Dub is a one of roots of present remix methods.

■Electronica

The word ‘Electronica’ means listening-oriented experimental electronic music and its songs. Electronica spread underground and club scene to art scene.

■Hip Hop

Hip Hop is a musical genre and a street culture originated by young blacks grew up in the ghetto on Bronx, New York City in mid 1970s. It contains not only music but also DJ style, scratching, breaking (dance style), graffiti art and fashion, and it crazed worldwide and had major impact to the 80’s music scene.

■House

The origins of House music are Philly Soul (Philadelphia), Sal Soul, Synth Pops and experimental German Rock. They fused in DJ play of Frankie Knuckles and his followers made House music by cheap drum machines and synthesizers.
Characteristics of House are electronic sound, danceable 4 beats and feeling succeeded by Soul music and its tempo is 115 to 130. Nowadays, House music is divided by various subgenres.

■Jungle

Jungle is the genre focuses breakbeats, and the tracks are mainly constructed by reconstructing of breakbeats. Its root is UK rave scene, and fused many and various musical styles such as Reggae, Dub, Hardcore Techno, Breakbeat Hardcore, Ragga Techno, Hip-Hop and Dancehall. Then it is a specific UK original dance music. Worldwide notable artists are Goldie, 4hero and A Guy Called Gerald.

■Lounge Music

Lounge Music is a musical genre played on lounges of hotels and clubs, café. And derived by it, Nowadays, Lunge music means comfortable slow tempo music in club scenes. Such as Electronica, Downtempo, Bossa Nova, Jazz and Post Classical.

■R&B

The word R&B means popular black music in late 1940s to 1950s. It succeeded and developed excitement of powerful beats and shouts of blues vocal of jump blues. R&B possessed various styles such as solo singers to vocal groups. This genre became one of element of Rock n’ Roll, and in 60’s evolved a more sophisticated music soul.

■Reggae

Reggae is a dance music originated in in Jamaica in the 1960s. The early era of reggae was influenced by the rastafari movement (rastafarism), the original religion or faith advocates African wisdom, and promoted those messages. The success of Bon Marley popularized reggae in worldwide.

■Techno

Techno is the brother genre of House music and born in deeply influenced by Chicago House, Techno Pop and Electro Hip Hop. The differences to Chicago House are seriousness, lyricism, cybernetic feeling, minimalism and higher BPM 125 to 140. Techno yielded and spread various subgenres. But Techno comparatively has no barriers of subgenres. Subgenres of Techno are connected by the universality of Minimal Techno and Detroit Techno.

■Trance

Trance is a main musical genre of rave culture. It developed in the 1990s in Germany. Characteristics of it are repetitions of melodic arpeggios by synthesizers, atmospheric effects express large space and its tempo between 130 to 160.

■Trip Hop

Trip Hop is composed by constructions of breakbeats similar to Hip Hop. But it contains sound of House and many genres of club music, experimental and instrumental elements and so on, was the Hip Hop of own interpretation by UK. Notable artists are DJ Shadow, Massive Attack, Coldcut and Tricky.

Genres of Dance Music

■Ballet

Ballet is a theatrical dance originated in the Italian Renaissance. It mixed literature, physical perdormance, visual art and music.

■Bolero

Bolero is Spanish triple time and middle tempo dance and song that originated in late 18th century. It is composed by three parts, generally its dance performed by pairs of a man and a woman. It was greatly popular in the Spanish Court, and spread for european countries especially France. Also bolero in Latin America is duple time popular song and loved by people.

■Calypso

Calypso is a genre of casual popular song in two-two or two-four time originated in Trinidad Island in early 20th century. The characteristic of it is ‘picon’, contains social satires, and ‘calypsonians’ compete their singings. Calypso became famous by ‘Banana Boat Song’ sang by Harry Belafonte in 1957.

■Chachachá (Cha Cha Cha, Cha-cha)

Chachachá is a casual dance music created by Cuban composer Enrique Jorrin in 1951. He added vocal to a musical genre danzón, and chachachá became extremely in Cuba.

■Club Music

Club music is music played on ‘club’ (night club). Many musical genres are defined as club music, for example House, Techno, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Trance, Drum n’ Base, R&B and Club Jazz. Origins of club music and its DJ and dance style are House, Hip-Hop and Reggae. Roots of Hip-Hop are Funk, Disco and DJ and MC style of Reggae. Its of House are Disco, Soul, Synth Pop and experimental German Rock.

■Disco

■Electronic Music

Electronic music is the music entirely made by electronic instruments and computers.

Electronic music overlaps club music and dance music. But, all of genres of electronic music aren’t club music or dance music. there are some listening oriented not danceable musical genres (subgenres) such as Electronica, Click and Ambient.

■Fandango

Fandango is a style of representative Spanish folk song and dance. Nowadays it is handed down by various styles in each regions, is main selection of flamenco. The songs are triple time and consist of repetition of copla, four octosyllabic verses of eight syllables.

■Flamenco

■Funk

Funk is the genre of black music created by James Brown in the middle of 1960s. Horns, brasses and strings are used percussive, emphasizing syncopation, Brown made the special polyrhythmic sound.
For example, successors of funk are P-Funk and Prince.

■Jive

■Mambo

Mambo is a Latin dance and music style developed by playing repetition parts of danzón and son in double tempo. In 1950s Peréz Prado adopted Jazz element and his success popularized mambo.

■Meringue

■Polka

Polka is the couple dance style and music with high tempo in two-four time. It originated in about 1830 in Bohemia, and it spread over entire europa soon. It seems to be derived from the Polish folk song krakowiak.

■Reggae

■Reggaeton

■R&B (Rhythm and Blues)

■Rumba

■Salsa

Salsa is a dance music developed by Puerto Ricans in New York during 1960s to 70s. It was born by the basis of Cuban music and influences of the Puerto Rican musical style, Jazz and Rock.

■Soul

Soul music is the genre lump together various styles of popular black music evolved from R&B in 1960s. The word ‘Soul’ contained the growing ethnic consciousness of African Americans, its background was the rise of Civil Rights Movement.

■Swing Jazz

■Tango

Tango is a dance style and music originated in La Boca as the center, port city of Buenos Aires, Argentina on around 1870s. It’s considered to born by the fusion of Cuban music habanera, european dance music polka and local folk songs. In the begging this music known as gangster’s music in the city. It came to the first peak in 1920s, and the singing tango ‘tango cancion’ appeared. Recently tango attract people’s attention by big dance shows, the revaluation of the modern tango giant Ástor Piazzolla.

■Waltz

Waltz is dance of triple time, and become the most popularized music in european balls in the 19th century, and its origin is the word ‘walzen’ (turn, pivot). Waltz used as song titles from 1790s, And in middle of 19th century Josef Lanner, Johann Strauß and Johann Strauß composed Viennese Waltzes, waltz was in its golden age.

Subgenres of House Music

■Acid Jazz mid 80’s – 1995

One of roots of Acid Jazz is House Music. And some artists produced works features House sound and beats especially The Band New Heavies, Incognito, The James Taylor Quartet.

Also the name ‘Acid Jazz’ is named by Gilles Peterson and its a pun of Acid House or Acid Rock. But Acid Jazz has no acid sound like Acid House and Acid Rock.

artists adopt House sound: Incognito, The Band New Heavies, Jazzanova

■Acid House 1985 – early 90’s
Acid House is one of successor of Chicago House. It’s invented by DJ Pierre accidentally. At a production he realized the increased resonance filter strange bizarre sound of Roland TB-303. (It have been regarded as ‘Techno’ sound typically.) ’Acid’ is named by the sound and his track ‘Acid Tracks’ (by the alias of Phuture) is the origin of Acid House.

Acid House was made by few and cheap electronic instruments one or two TB-303, TR-606, TR-626, TR-808 and some effecters. Characteristic of it is repetition of minimal phrases of dope sound of TB-303 make a intoxication and druggy monotonous rhythm of TR series, its BPM 110 to 120.

artists: DJ Pierre (DJ Pierre), Fast Eddie, A Guy Called Gerald

■Ambient House late 80’s – ?

Combines beats like Chicago House and atmospheric synth pads and vocal samples.

artists: KLF, The Orb

■Balearic Beats (Balearic House)

Balearic Beats is created by Paul Oakenfold, Danny Rampling and so on influenced by DJ Alfred from Balearic Island.

artists: Paul Oakenfold, Danny Rampling

■Bassline House

artists: Agent X, DJ Q

■Beat Down House

■Bleep House (Northern Techno)

Bleep House or Northern Techno was born in Sheffield and Leeds by deeply influence of Detroit Techno and basis of British Synth Pop such as Cabaret Voltaire, Human League and Heaven 17.

Many Bleep House records are released by early Warp label.

artists: 808 State, LFO

■Chicago House 1983 –

Chicago House is the (one of) origin of House music. And House Music was named by ‘Warehouse’ the gay club opened in Chicago, 1977.

Frankie Knuckles is the creator of House Music. He was invited as Opening DJ from New York by a Night Club named the Warehouse at Chicago. His DJ play mixes multiple genre music. 1. Conservative hard-line Soul Music (Philly Soul, Motown, Salsoul) 2. Electronic Dance Music from Europe (Technopop, Munich Disco ex. Kraftwerk, Telex, Giorgio Moroder) 3. experimental German Rock, Progressive Rock and Minimal Music to use Chill Out and after hours (ex. Manuel Göttsching ‘E2-E4’, Tangerine Dream) 4. White New Wave Rock music especially has tastes Funk or Afro (ex. Frankie Goes To Hollywood ‘Relax’, New Order ‘Thieves Like Us’ ‘Blue Monday’, Talking Heads ‘Once In A Lifetime’, Clash ‘The Magnificent Seven’) And he played existing discs with a rhythm machine and tapes recorded rhythms. Then Frankie produced own making tracks using singers and musicians in Chicago with rhythm machines and samplers. The Blacks inspired Frankie’s DJ play began to produce using cheap instruments like rhythm machines, synthesizers and samplers. That makes a new style of Dance Music ‘House Music’.

Characteristics of Chicago House are the rhythm of soul music, danceable, experimentalism and progressiveness. Chicago House has various tastes of tracks like Pop Soul or Funk music to experimental minimal music, but almost all of them have both the groove of black music and experimentalism of electronic music. And Chicago House became the roots of Deep House, Acid House, Detroit Techno, Pop House and other many dance music genres and subgenres of House music.

artists: Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, Marshall Jefferson, Lil Louis, Larry Heard, Robert Owens

labels: TRAX, DJ International, Underground

■Chillwave

■Click House

labels: Bpitch Control

■Deep House

Deep House is one of successor of Chicago House. Mershall Jefferson, Larry Heard, Mater C&J are early producers of Deep House. They brought the serious and Jazzy feelings in House music.

Around 2000, Deep House was prosperity by thriving releases of Kevin Yost, Roy Davis JR. and Ron Trent. Their tracks have improvisation like Jazz, elegance and dynamic sound progressions.

artists: Ron Trent, Chez Damier, Jerome Sydenham, Glenn Underground, Derrick Carter, Kevin Yost, Roy Davis JR., Joe Claussell, Shazz

■Deep Progressive

DJs: Chris Fortier, Anthony Pappa

■Detroit House

artists: Theo Parrish, Alton Miller, Moodyman (Kenny Dixson JR.), Omar S

■Detroit Techno 1987 –

Detroit Techno is deeply influenced by Chicago House, And Detroit Techno or Techno started a subgenre of House Music. The differences to Chicago House is the lyricism, cybernetic feeling, higher BPM and more.

artists: Juan Arkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson

■Disco Dub

The predecessor of Disco Dub is Nu House. Disco Dub artists such as Chicken Lips evolved Nu House sound. Characteristic of Disco Dub is avant garde and humorous Dub sound.

■Disco House

artists: Joey Negro

■Dream House

artists: Nylon Moon, Robert Miles

■Dub House

artists: Basic Channel

■Dub Step

■Dutch House

artists: Afrojack, Laidback Luke

■Electroclash

■Electro House

artists: Daft Punk, Steve Aoki, Zedd

■Fidget House

■Filter House

■French House late 90’s –

French House was born in France late 90’s. Influenced by 80’s Disco and Funk sounds, and its sound is take filter effects entirely tracks.

artists: Daft Punk, Bob Sinclar

■French Touch

■Funky House

■Garage House (Garage Sound)

Garage House or Garage Sound is the music played by Larry Levan in Paradise Garage, or is made by Larry Levan and his followers.

It was inspired by Philly Soul, Sal Soul and Westend.

artists & DJs: Larry Levan

■Ghetto House

artists: DJ Funk

■Glitch House

■Happy House

■Handbag House (Diva House)

■Hardbag

■Hard House

artists: Junior Vasquez, Danny Tenaglia, X-Press 2, DJ Duke, Johnny Vicious

■Hip House

labels: DJ international

artists: Soul 2 Soul, Jungle Brothers, Technotronic

■Italo House

■Jazz House

Jazz is the one of basis of club music or dance music. The vogue of Acid Jazz take in Jazz feeling to House music. Talkin’Loud label artists collaborated Masters At Work, and it was fruition in Nuyorican Soul’s releases.

In another orientation, german artists such as Dorfmeister induced fusion of Jazz and dance music.

■Juke

■Kwaito

■Latin House

■Madchester

artists: Mike Pickerling

■Micro House (Microhouse, Buftech, Minimal)

Micro House is the subgenre middle of House and Minimal Techno. Compared to Tech House, it’s defined as ‘housey Minimal Techno’.

artists: Akufen

■Minimal House

■Moombahton

■New Beat 1988 – 1990

New Beat is the music of Belgium and it is invented accidentally. In the beginning of 1988, a DJ plays a 45 rpm record in 33 rpm to adjust crowd become high in drag.

It is a thoroughly no content music. There were repetitions of mechanically sequences, porn imitation kitsch voices and shouts of ‘Aciiid!!’ only.

In the end of 1988, New Beat became a popular music in Belgium. But enter 90’s, New Beat disappeared in the market in haste as lie.

artists: The KLF, Lords of Acid

■New School Breaks

■New Wave Revival

In early 00’s music revival movement of House music transitioned from 70’s music to 80’s one. Typically tracks of the movement has a vocal like Synth Pop like the Cure, synth melodies like the Pet Shop Boys, guitar riffs like Gang of Four and House grooves.

artists: Felix Da Housecat, DJ Hell, Spektrum

■Nu-Disco

Armand Van Helden

■Nu House

Nu House is one of successor of House from UK. It combines House music with Dub and Psychedelic Flavors, was the experimental music created by DJ Harvey and Idjut Boys.

artists: DJ Harvey, Idjut Boys, Faze Action, Crispin Glover, Ashley Beedle, Basement Jaxx, Deep Dish

■Outsider House

■Pop House
In 88’ to 89’, House music got popularity and was liven up hit charts. And major artists and producers took in House music sound and the way of House music production. Around the same time underground House producers began to remix works for major Pop music songs. And some House tracks was a big hit in the worldwide overground scene. For example ‘Pump Up The Volume’ by MARRS, ‘Pump Up The Volume’ by Technotronic ‘Good Life’ and ‘Big Fun’ by Inner City ‘Back to Life’ Soul 2 Soul and ‘Everybody Dance Now’ C+C Music Factory.

artists: Madonna, Lisa Stansfield, CeCe Peniston, Pet Shop Boys, Deee-Lite

■Progressive House early 90’s –

Origins of Progressive House are Trance, Dream Trance, Balearic Beat, Deep House and Italo House. Characteristics of Progressive House are refrains like Trance, tribal rhythms, effective sound feels vast space.

artists: Sasha, John Digweed, Danny Howells, Dave Seaman, Sander Kleinnenberg, James Holden, James Zabiela

labels: Global Underground, Renaissance, EQ Recordings

■Sonic Freak House

Characteristic of Sonic Freak House is tricky sampling collage and distorted sound designing similar to Electronica. It aspires a experimental like early Chicago House.

artists: Terre Thaemlitz, Henrik Schwarz

■Speed Garage

■Swing House

■Tech House late 90’s –

Tech House is the subgenre of House music, is the fusion of House and Techno sound or is the style House tracks take in Techno elements. Typically characteristic of it has House beats and Techno riff and its BPM is around 125.

This subgenre born in UK late 90’s by influenced by Detroit Techno, Chicago House, Deep House and UK House. Tech House rise again in 2007 or 2008 the reaction to the fad of Hard Minimal (Techno) and Schlanz, and become mainstream the current club music scene.

artists: Craig Richards, John Tejada, Radio Slave, Terry Francis, Steve Bug, Akufen, Ricardo Villalobos, Terry Francis, Joris Voorn

labels: Kompakt, Rejected

■Tribal House

■UK Garage

Joey Negro was deeply influenced by Garage House.

■Uplifting Garage

■US House

Larry Levin and Frankie Knuckles were friends, and Chicago House played in Paradise Garage from the beginning, so crowd and DJs in New York are impressed by that. Then House tracks are produced in NY and New Jersey. They are sophisticated and melodious music compared to Chicago House that is simple and primitive.

artists: Ten City, Def Mix Production, David Morales, Satoshi Tomiie, Masters At Work, Roger S, Kerri Chnandler, Danny Krivit, Todd Terry

labels: Quark, Street Wise

■West Coast House

■2 Step

2 step is a derivative of Drum ’n Bass and UK Garage. In UK early 90’s, after hours DJs raised the pitch fullest and mixed A cappella tracks to it. It’s the moment created new music genre Speed Garage or 2 Step.

artists: MJ Cole, Zed Bias, Wookie

Conclusion

Once, the characteristic of House is divided subgenres. Deep House, Hard House and Electro House are completely different subgenres. For example, Hard House DJ can’t play Deep House tracks in his DJ set. On the other hand Techno comparatively has no barriers of subgenres. Subgenres of Techno are connected by the universality of Minimal Techno and Detroit Techno.

Since around middle of 2000’s, The population of Tech House and Deep Progressive reduce divisions of subgenres of House music. But also I can regard the current circumstances of club scene as a ‘confusion’.

Tag: Musical Study

Genres of Club Music

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Genres of Dance Music

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Subgenres of House Music

Conclusion

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