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Is there like, a master list somewhere, that defines all the variances between different electronic genres? There's so many it gets confusing.

I think we need a master list of everything electronic!
Alright, I'm gonna list every single term I've heard that describes a different synthy and electronic sounding genre, see if you can give a unique definition for each, name some subgenres of each, and also list any more you know:

-Electronic
-Electro
-Electronica
-Dance
-Trance
-Disco
-Rave
-Drum and Bass
-Dubstep
-ElectroPop
-ElectroHop
-SynthPop
-Progressive
-Ambient
-Industrial
-Jungle
-Hardcore
-House
-Hip-hop
-New Age
-Techno
-Fusion
-Drone
-Eurodance
-Acid
-Trip Hop
-Hi-NRG
-Dance Punk
-Synthpunk

thats 'all' I could name, lol.

so yea, any more, ill add em. ill edit in good definitions as well.

the five that always confuse me the most are
Trance vs. House vs. Rave vs. Dance vs. Industrial, although I kinda characterize something as rave if it uses hard-tune leads and trance if it uses what I like to call 'filtered violin plucking' aka closed-filter saw waves with really bad tuning.

Also, just found this: http://techno.org/electronic-music-guide/

AFAIK 'Electro' is more like pop-rock with hardcore electronic elements. Like an indie-style band with Trance, Dance, or Rave elements. Calvin Harris is a good example, I think, although verging on Pop. Goldfrapp seems 'electro' but I'm not sure I can justify that as more than an opinion.

Industrial... Well I think its pretty obvious - based mainly around mechanical noises (metal on metal and machinery for example) for rhythm and very 'dirty' synth sounds like massively distorted & FM/PM/XM/AM, high pass, etc.

Ambient is almost an entire genre to itself, and not strictly electronic. It is still a forefront of experimentation and in Ambient music it is a lot about texture rather than rhythm or melody. building up layers and big chords and swirly sounds, sparse beats, etc. This is a generalisation and there is a lot of depth and variety to ambient music, being one of my favourite Genres. At times it is synomous with Chillout, other times it isn't. Maybe I'm talking more about chillout in this than 'Ambient'. I believe Tangerine Dream are mostly Ambient but also Krautrock.

Acid... IMO at least is groovebox music. 303 basslines and such. I could be wrong?

Trip Hop was either 'invented' or 'made popular' by Massive Attack, depending on your point of view. Very definitive band of the Genre definitely.

I would like to know what other people's definitions are. Also I'm not sure about Jungle, Progressive, or Fusion genres, be interesting to see what people have to say about them.

tpantano & X-Trade, Thank you very much for your kindness and on this info.
I look forward to reading more and seeing if a lot of these sub genres can come under a heading that encompass's most of 'em. It'd be a lot easier but, I understand people would disagree.
I've heard of 'Bounce' or something.
Thanx again.

tpantano wrote:the five that always confuse me the most are
Trance vs. House vs. Rave vs. Dance vs. Industrial, although I kinda characterize something as rave if it uses hard-tune leads and trance if it uses what I like to call 'filtered violin plucking' aka closed-filter saw waves with really bad tuning.

Trance was psychadelic type melodic acid, but morphed into eurocheesey melodic hands-in-the-air type stuff with female vocals over time. Usually there was a huge breakdown in the middle where everything was muted apart from the single main melodic lead element, then bits are added back in to bring excitement until it climaxes and the beat/kick-drum comes back in. Cheesy I know. The beats are usually solid 4/4 kicks with hihats on the off-beat, and the bass is usually on the off-beat too (so it doesn't compete with the kick). Often uses detuned saws for the leads (supersaw), playing melodies four bars long (sixteen beats) or so, and slowly modulating low-pass cutoff filtering often plays a key element.

House is slower, with a heavier and maybe slightly shuffled groove. It has elements of funk, soul, and disco, often with black roots/origin and feel. The samples are perhaps slightly more electro than trance, or often real samples are used for a laid-back type sleaziness to it. The bass is a key element usually using entire riffs of their own, sometimes as the backbone of the track. Less melody, and no detuned stuff. Vocal snippets are often used, along with filtering, smokey-club DJ type effects. It's much less rigid, and more relaxed. Ideal for house parties, hence the name.

Rave, to me, is harder, melodic techno. A solid but very simple beat, with heavily repetative Juno hoover type sounds and acid elements. Quite an 80's type sound. It's like happy hardcore (180bpm) but slower (140bpm).

Industrial, quite easy to spot really, conjures up metallic/resonant drum sounds, often laid in a haphazard kind of way, and loads of little electronic blips and bleeps or mechanical type stuff.

That's my take on those genres, anyway.

If I get time I'll source a few youtube videos to highlight them.

Thanks to Tpantano who gave me this link it looks great:

http://techno.org/electronic-music-guide/

T-Dog wrote:Thanks to Tpantano who gave me this link it looks great:

http://techno.org/electronic-music-guide/

lol look up

I gave it in this post

tpantano wrote:

T-Dog wrote:Thanks to Tpantano who gave me this link it looks great:

http://techno.org/electronic-music-guide/

lol look up

I gave it in this post

Lol! I pointed out earlier that you gave me this link. I'm very grafeful and just wanted to share it with others. I think others will show their thanks to you also.
I've been looking at it again and. wondering if I could ever remember a quarter!
Thanx again tpantano.

hey just saw this thread from a different one and a new genre that I'm just getting introduced to is
Tecktonic.
Very simplistic beats heavy repetitive basses. choppy cut off leads very repetitive. break downs using vocals and climaxing to simplistic beat with bass.

also theres Reggaeton for the whole Electronic scene but...



puravida
Dj

Ultimate Dj wrote:hey just saw this thread from a different one and a new genre that I'm just getting introduced to is
Tecktonic.
Very simplistic beats heavy repetitive basses. choppy cut off leads very repetitive. break downs using vocals and climaxing to simplistic beat with bass.

also theres Reggaeton for the whole Electronic scene but...



puravida
Dj

Thanks for the inclusion of these new genres. Having looked at the link above, there are a great deal of sub styles to note.
Thanks again Ultimate DJ.
T-Dog