Electronic music

Overview

Genres

Main article: List of electronic music genres

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Electronic music, especially in the late 1990s fractured into many genres, styles and sub-styles, too many to list here, and most of which are included in the main list. Although there are no hard and fast boundaries, broadly speaking we can identify the experimental and classical styles: electronic art music, musique concrète; the industrial music and synth pop styles of the 1980s; styles that are primarily intended for dance such as techno, house, trance, electro, breakbeat, drum and bass and styles that are intended more as experimental styles or for home listening such as IDM, glitch and trip-hop.

Related Topics:
1990s - List - Experimental - Classical - Electronic art music - Musique concrète - Industrial music - Synth pop - 1980s - Techno - House - Trance - Electro - Breakbeat - Drum and bass - IDM - Glitch - Trip-hop

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The proliferation of personal computers beginning in the 1980s brought about a new genre of electronic music, known loosely as chip music or bitpop. These styles, produced initially using specialized sound chips in PCs such as the Commodore 64, grew primarily out of the demoscene.

Related Topics:
Personal computer - 1980s - Chip music - Bitpop - Commodore 64 - Demoscene

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The latter categories such as IDM, glitch and chip music share much in common with the art and musique concrète styles which predate it by several decades.

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Notable artists and DJs

Main article: List of electronic music artists and DJs

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With the explosive growth of computers music technology and consequent reduction in the cost of equipment in the late 1990s, the number of artists and DJs working within electronic music is overwhelming. With the advent of hard disk recording systems, it is possible for any home computer user to become a musician, and hence the rise in the number of "bedroom bands", often consisting of a single person. Nevertheless notable artists can still be identified. Within the experimental and classical or "art" traditions still working today are Karlheinz Stockhausen, Ariaphonics, Pierre Boulez and Steve Reich. Influential musicians in industrial and later synth pop styles include Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire (both now defunct), Tangerine Dream, the Human League and Kraftwerk who released their first album in over a decade in 2003. In house, techno and drum and bass pioneers such as Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Goldie, A Guy Called Gerald and LTJ Bukem are still active as of 2003. Commercially successful artists working under the "electronica" rubric such as Fatboy Slim, the Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Underworld and Moby continue to release albums and perform regularly (sometimes in stadium-sized arenas, such has the popularity of electronic dance music grown). Some DJs such as Paul Oakenfold and John Digweed have reached true superstar status and can command five-figure salaries for a single performance. The critically acclaimed Autechre and Aphex Twin continue to put out challenging records of (mostly) home-listening music.

Related Topics:
1990s - DJs - Hard disk - Karlheinz Stockhausen - Ariaphonics - Pierre Boulez - Steve Reich - Throbbing Gristle - Cabaret Voltaire - Tangerine Dream - Human League - Kraftwerk - 2003 - Juan Atkins - Derrick May - Goldie - A Guy Called Gerald - LTJ Bukem - Fatboy Slim - Chemical Brothers - The Crystal Method - Massive Attack - The Prodigy - Underworld - Moby - Paul Oakenfold - John Digweed - Autechre - Aphex Twin

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Notable record labels

Main article: List of electronic music record labels

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Until the 1980s, there were virtually no record labels that deal with exclusively electronic music. Because of this dearth of outlets, many of the early techno pioneers started their own. For example, Juan Atkins started Metroplex Records a Detroit-based label, and Richie Hawtin started his hugely influential Plus8 imprint. In the United Kingdom Warp Records emerged in the 1990s as one of the pre-eminent sources of home-listening and experimental music. Later arrivals include Astralwerks, Cykxincorp and Oakenfold's Perfecto Record label.

Related Topics:
1980s - Record label - Metroplex Records - Detroit - Richie Hawtin - Plus8 - United Kingdom - Warp Records - 1990s - Astralwerks - Cykxincorp - Perfecto

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