EDM Genre Classficiation -- Version 0.1.8 -- Updated 19/6/16
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This chart denotes the current state of EDM (Jan. 2019); not the history, development,
or derivations of it, but simply its current classifications. This chart was created
to help people classify what they're listening to. I am completely open to revisions
and edits of this document. If you want to send me messages telling me how wrong I am
or that I need to add another genre, message me on Soundcloud or our Discord server.
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Music Branches
/ \
/ \
Dance/Disco Electronic ---> Spiritual
/ \ / \
80's Synth Pop \ / 8-bit Chiptunes
|
Discotek/Technotronic
(Techno - Electronic Dance Music) ---> { Experimental EDM }
/ ^ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
_____/__ ___/______ __\____ __\______ --> ________
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / \
<-{ KEY }->
* Genre may fall into other main divisions, but is generally classified as listed.
** Denotes a "Dead" genre, meaning its main production has stopped (read: oldschool).
# Denotes a genre that has had so many variations that it could be classified as it's own branch.
-> These will have their own alternative classifications displayed on the side of the chart.
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{ INTRODUCTION }
"Techno" or "Technotronic" music, despite popular belief, is not a real genre by definition. "Techno"
is just an umbrella term for five large divisions of dance music that focuses on electronically
produced sounds. Techno/EDM is really many genres of music, and although they're all classified under
the development of electronically produced dance music, most techno genres are seperate and not
"sub-genres" of each other, due to their wide variety in acustic pattern creation. To clarify- Dance
and Techno genres are seperate, but people get them mixed up just because the chart shows Techno
derived from Dance. Also: "EDM" and "Techno" can be used interchangably, as they are the same thing.
There are obviously a few major genre's that aren't listed under the five headers, not to mention
it's debatable as to whether or not there's a couple more than five main EDM branches. A lot of people
think Mixing is it's own branch because the music made by it is made under a different art form, and I
agree entirely, however the actual songs created can still be clasified under the original five
branches, so it's deliniation isn't shown here. There is still a folder for its genre in the torrent
files though, so lots of mix sets and mashups are still included in there.
At the end I will also talk about other classification debates, most importantly the "Lounge/Light/
Club/Hard/Rave/Industrial" classification system and why it isn't commonly used in comparison to the one
charted out above. So enjoy the torrent, and enjoy the read, comments and questions can be directed to
my Soundcloud.
Sidenote about electronic history:
During the late 70's, with the ever evolving synthesizer hardware and sampling equipment, Electronic
was becoming it's own branch of music (kraftwerk is credited with birthing it). As the 80's came in,
Disco got more and more popular, and Electronic & Disco evolved into this weird Dance mixture. Lots
of one hit wonders pioneered Dance music. These one hit wonders made up "Synth Pop". Dance back then
isn't the same we have now; Dance back then includes bands like Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, the
Eurythmics, and others. Dance now is similar, but it has much heavier focus on the midrange, with
little focus on the high and low bands of noise. Some other things like "Spiritual" and Chiptune
music evolved out of the 70's and 80's. Spiritual music is defined as electronic due it's heavy use
of hardware technology as the ages have gone by. Chiptunes and 8-Bit techno are direct from videogame
culture. Thanks atari. =P
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{ THE ELECTRONIC DICTIONARY }
Acid: Acid Synths are mechanical and stretched sine or buzzsaw frequencies that utilize flanger and
downsampling affects as well as a multidude of heavily layered post-process techniques. A good
example of a typical Acid Synth is found here.
Breaking the Ice: Hitting the treble ceiling and beyond in a track. Usually done with acid synths as
a means to expand the listener's acoustic awareness. An example of this can be
found here and here.
Butter: Heavy distortion, usually unintentional. Butter is made when the mastering on a track commits
suicide or the gain is turned up too far. Butter can be intentional for noise tracks. An
example of intentional Butter can be found here.
Fire: An acid synth made to sound like an electric guitar or an electric guitar made to sound like an
acid synth. An example of Fire can be found here.
Hard Acid: An acid synth with little or no cutoff filter, or high distortion, making it sound
"harsh" or bitcrushed/downsampled. An example of Hard Acid can be found here.
Layering: The process or technique of stacking or arranging instruments such that they fill every
audible frequency range and often overlap multiple times. An example of heavy layering can
be found here.
Lower Division: A category of music that primarily falls into 140 beats-per-minute or below. Most
house genres are examples of Lower Division genres.
Oldschool: anything that was produced before the year 2005. There is debate on this, some say 2000.
Peppered: a "peppered" genre is one that deviates from the homogenized and cookie-cutter form of the
traditional genre that created the branch of music being discussed.
Plastic Bass: See Masq. Additional example here.
Production Value:
Pure: a pure example of something is a song that exemplifies a "true" version of a genre, it's an
example that cannot (or at least should not) be confused as any genre besides its stated genre.
A pure example is also often an older song, one that was produced when the genre was first
created; a few of the pure examples in this document were the actual songs that originally
defined the genres they represent.
Quick Gating:
Rolling Bass: The name of the type of crawling, fidgiting basslines typically found in Psytrance,
and sometimes Progressive Trance and Dark DnB (Darkstep). An example of rolling bass
can be found here.
Sub-genre: a genre of music that doesn't have enough aucustic pattern or instrument difference to be
classified as a new genre, but is slightly distinct from the genre it started from. A sub-
genre can also be a distinct genre that has seperated from a different genre, but does not
have enough content created in said sub-genre yet to be classified as its own genre.
Tesalation: Tesalation is a term used in 3D Computer Modelling to describe the level of geometry in an
object model (like high-poly vs. low-poly). In Audio Design, tesalation is also used to
describe the level of polys being used, specifically in multiple iteration layering of a
sound on top of itself, usually paired with large echo and reverb effects. An example of
moderate to high tesaltion can be found here.
Traditional: used to describe the format of a song or genre that falls in line with the originating
form of the genre that shaped the branch of music the genre belongs to.
Un-Peppered: if a genre is "un-peppered" then it is the traditional or "oldschool" form of the genre.
Upper Division: A category of music that is primarily more than 140 beats-per-minute. Psytrance,
hardstyle, and speedcore are examples of Upper Division genres.
Whizzing:
Mutant Gene by Space Tribe & Electric Universe.
The Self by Electric Universe.
The Prayer by Electric Universe.
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{ ALTERNATIVE BREAKDOWNS }
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||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| HOUSE ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Warehouse history and info (will add later).
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= Basic House (Traditional House) =
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig: 110-140 bpm; 4-4 (four on the floor) Time Signature
+ Pure House Examples:
Where Are You by Paffendorf
+ Basic House Deep Cuts:
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= Acid House =
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Deep/Tech Examples:
Actium by Aphex Twin
+ Deep/Tech Deep Cuts:
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Electro Soul/Future Funk Examples:
+ Electro Soul/Future Funk Deep Cuts:
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Minimal Examples:
Chobismanchobis by Downtown Sober
+ Minimal Deep Cuts:
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= Noise House =
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Noise House Examples:
+ Noise House Deep Cuts:
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= Progressive House =
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Prog. House Examples:
+ Prog. House Deep Cuts:
A Mix Set by UMEK
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= Tribal House =
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Tribal House Examples:
+ Tribal House Deep Cuts:
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Atmospheric Trance Examples:
+ Atmospheric Trance Deep Cuts:
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= Dark Psytrance =
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Dark Psytrance Examples:
End of the Universe by Soulbringer
+ Dark Psytrance Deep Cuts:
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Goa Examples:
+ Goa Deep Cuts:
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= Hard Trance =
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Hard Trance Examples:
Ecstasy by Darude
+ Hard Trance Deep Cuts:
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= Night Trance =
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Night Trance Examples:
+ Night Trance Deep Cuts:
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Progressive Psytrance Examples:
+ Progressive Psytrance Deep Cuts:
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Uplifting/Vocal Trance Examples:
+ Uplifting/Vocal Trance Deep Cuts:
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Sub Genres - Proglifting Trance, High-Energy, Morning, Ambient, Dark, Berlin Prog, Trancestep,
Psytechnical Prog-lem, Turbo-Trance, Melodic Goa,
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||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| CORE |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hardcore history and info (will add later).
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= Core (Traditional Hardcore) =
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Sub Genres - Hard Glitch, UK Hardcore, Dark Core, Dutch Core, Hardtek, Dubcore, Free Form, NU Energy,
Aggrotech, Lolicore,
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||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| BREAKBEAT ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Breaks history and info (will add later).
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= Breakbeat (Traditional Breaks) =
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Acid Breaks Examples:
Blair Bitch Project by Tommy Trash
+ Acid Breaks Deep Cuts:
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
Brostep has exploded in popularity in the past couple years with a focus on wobble bass (ie: wub, wub, wub),
excessive midrange, and often an increasing emphasis on dirty and robotic sounding tracks (at about 140 bpm).
"Brostep" is a derogatory name used by some because they think brostep has tainted or even killed the dubstep genre.
Many think it's no longer about the culture and musical experience, but outdoing other producers with dirty tracks.
And they're right, just go through the beatport top 100 in that genre, you'll cringe a little.
A few examples of brostep producers are:
- Skrillex
- Doctor P
- Flux Pavilion
- Nero
- Anything you hear on UKF... you know it's fucking true.
+ Pure Brostep Examples:
+ Brostep Deep Cuts:
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
Dubstep evolved out of Jamaican dub and UK 2-step garage, characterized by sub-bass (below 90Hz) and the 2-step
kick-kick-snare pattern in each successive measure (at around 70-80 bpm). Early producers predominantly created the
music to be played on huge sound systems because the sub-bass was meant to be experienced and not just listened
to. It was essentially as much a culture as it was music.
"Real Dubstep was invented around the year 2000 and died in the year 2005; Mt. Eden, Datsik, Skrillex, they are
the reason dubstep is no longer popular." - Anon
There are many producers of traditional dubstep, but here's just a few:
- Skream
- Benga
- Digital Mystikz (Mala and Coki)
- Loefah
- Kode9
- Distance
+ Pure Dubstep Examples:
+ Dubstep Deep Cuts:
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
+ Pure Liquid Breaks Examples:
Be With You by Diversa
+ Liquid Breaks Deep Cuts:
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Sub Genres - Industrial Dance, Moombahcore, Trapstep, Mudstep, GrooveStep, Post-Dubstep, Ponystep,
Hyper Dubstep, Speedstep, Trapaton, Deathstep, Doombahcore, Pornstep, Dubfunk, Tuki-Bass, Noise Trap,
Acid Crunk, PsyBreaks, Fast Trap, Space Bass, Bhangra
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||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| DRUM AND MOTHER FUCKING BASS |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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DnB history and info (will add later).
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= Drum & Bass (Traditional DnB) =
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics: A very specific kick-snare-kick-kick-snare beat pattern (without which you cannot define as DnB)
Instrumentation: Widely Various
Average BPM & Time Sig: 160-180 bpm; 4-4 or 3-4 Time Signatures
Ah, Drum & Bass, the sound of angels or demons, depending on the genre. Out of all branches of music,
DnB has the largest mood variety, the widest BPM deviance, and the widest range in instumentation. It
is truly "music for musicians". The DnB beat pattern is what ultimately defines the genre and all
other genres that stem from it. Without the beat pattern, a song cannot be DnB.
+ Pure DnB Examples:
Graphite by FlaxenWitchcraft (Netsky Remix) by Pendulum
+ DnB Deep Cuts:
|| STAT BOX ||
Defining Characteristics:
Instrumentation:
Average BPM & Time Sig:
Experimental music in EDM can almost be considered the largest branch because it's an umbrella term for
all the experimental aspects of all the other genres contained within EDM. It might even be easier to
say that all the named genres in the chart at the top have an "experimental _[u]genre name here[/u]_"
co-genre to accompany each of them. So for the purposes of this document, our experimental selections
will be limited to Experimental Electronic, or electronic music that is hard to driectly assign to a
co-genre. Enjoy!
+ Pure Experimental Examples:
Goto 10 by Amon TobinGrimm by ZesEmmision Spectrum by KraveningI by SilvertortoiseKFC by Prosthetic LegReactionary by VCF
+ Experimental Deep Cuts:
Dubstep Test by NadenBurn Your Money by LIEf
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:: Back to chart ::
Classification Methodology:
House / Trance / Core / Breaks / DnB
This is the most common genre deliniation used in the world of EDM/Techno. Each of these five genres
acts as a "branch" of music all coming from the EDM trunk. In this way you can view the deliniation as
a tree of music. EDM/Techno is the center (the main trunk) & the five branches listed above spring out
from the trunk, all other genres being leaves growing off the branches. However, it must be noted
that all the branches are genres themselves, hence the reason I clarify in this document "traditional"
genres as seperate entities from their branch name.
Other Classification Methods:
