🎹 Electro

“It’s one of the most mysterious, controversial genre in electronic music. It’s been around for a very long time, and it’s been reborn several times. Insiders are convinced that it’s really coming up now. But, with some exaggeration, we could say that it doesn’t exist: there are hardly any “clearly” electro music producers, and publishers aren’t crowded either. ”

The interesting thing about the genre is that it clearly merges with other musical worlds, be it hip hop, breakbeat, or even drum and bass (John B - 1998). Robotics (instrumentation, vocal) appears in almost all its elements. It is based on well-defined, simple rhythm formulas with an analog world of sound, sometimes accompanied by recorded sound samples (such as metal tools).

“Electro (or electro-funk) is a genre of electronic music and early hip hop directly influenced by the use of the Roland TR-808 drum machines, and funk. Records in the genre typically feature drum machines and heavy electronic sounds, usually without vocals, although if vocals are present they are delivered in a deadpan manner, often through electronic distortion such as vocoding and talkboxing. This is the main distinction between electro and previously prominent genres such as disco, in which the electronic sound was only part of the instrumentation. It also palpably deviates from its predecessor boogie for being less vocal-oriented and more focused on electronic beats produced by drum machines.”

[TR-808 drum machine]

“The roots are to be found in Germany’s seventies, in Kraftwerk’s studio in Düsseldorf. Then came the golden age between 1982 and 1985. This is New York, the years of post-disco vacuum. The trend was called electro-funk: the second part of the combination of words is clearly a reference to the North American black music tradition. Electro Phunk was also the title of Shock 82’s hit album. The big hit was a joint by Herbie Hancock and Bill Laswell, Rock It. “

“The early 1980s were electro’s mainstream peak. By the mid 1980s, the genre moved away from its electronic and funk influences, using harder edged beats and rock samples, exemplified by Run DMC. Electro became popular again in the late 1990s with artists such as Anthony Rother and DJs such as Dave Clarke. A third wave of popularity occurred in 2007. Electro has branched out into subgenres, including electrocore and skweee.”

You can find more details about its formation and development on Ishkur’s Guide to Electronic Music, and you can listen to acid house music right away. https://music.ishkur.com/?query=Electro

Sources

• MENNYEK KAPUI - Az elektroniks zene évtizede (The decade of electronic music)

• Wikipedia

• Ishkur’s Guide to Electronic Music

About the Author

Guido F. Matis (a.k.a. widosub), a seasoned producer-composer authority with an unquenchable compassion towards the musical expression, and many years of experience in the fields of event organizing, movie post-production, and recording with professional musicians. His devotion to movie sounds shows in his art - widosub’s music is filled with landscapes of emotions, dramatic twists and melancholic moods. He’s one of the hosts of Tilos Rádió’s MustBeat show, in which he’s is focusing on drum’n’bass and chillout music. He’s also one half of the duo Empty Universe.