| Electro | |
| Stylistic origins | Synth-Pop, Funk, Boogie, Hip Hop, Disco |
|---|---|
| Cultural origins | Early 1980s Tokyo (Japan) Düsseldorf (Germany) New York (US) |
| Typical instruments | TR-808, Analog synthesizer |
| Level of recognition | Major Genre |
| Derivatives | |
| House, Techno, Miami Bass, Skweee, Breakbeat, Breakbeat Hardcore, Electroclash, Electro House | |
| Subgenres | |
| Freestyle | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Electro Bass, Electro Breaks, Electro Hop, Electrostep | |
| Regional scenes | |
| US, Japan, Germany | |
| Local scenes | |
| Bronx, Detroit, Tokyo, Düsseldorf | |
Electro, also known as electro-funk, is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) that emerged in the early 1980s and has had a huge influence on many other electronic music genres that came out after it, such as techno, Miami bass, and freestyle. It is made primarily with Roland's TR-808 drum machine along with analog synthesizers.
Characteristics[]
Various patterns played by a TR-808 drum machine. Audio courtesy of Wikipedia.
A recording of the TR-808, with the accent trigger used in a musical context.
Electro is a style born from the decline of disco and is a fusion of funk, early hip hop, and synth-pop from acts like Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). The presence of the TR-808 cannot be understated. Nearly every electro song uses it or samples from it. It is an integral part of the rhythm of electro and made the drum machine incredibly popular not just with electro but with all of electronic music. The rhythm is a syncopated pattern made to emulate a hip hop or funk beat, but much more mechanical and staggered. It is debatable if the beat is a breakbeat as it is similar to many breakbeat patterns, but while breakbeat tries to sample or emulate real drumming, electro intentionally tries to sound artificial and programmed. The snare or clap can often not be on any dominant beat, and the bass drum punctuates heavily, with toms used frequently as well. Analog synthesizers create warm and pleasant melodies that emulate early synth-pop or funk. Not all tracks use vocals, but if there is any rapping in the style of early hip hop and deadpan vocals through vocoders or a talkbox to emulate a robotic sound are used. Electro's themes are seen as sci-fi and futuristic, but through an urban and grounded angle. This specific theme is called Afrofuturism by the artists who make it.
History[]
Beginnings and Rise of Rapid Popularity[]
Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Riot in Lagos" (1980). The first electro track.
The first electro track is "Riot in Lagos" by Ryuichi Sakamoto, then a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). It was released in 1980, the same year the TR-808 was released. Along with its early use of the TR-808, the track had funk elements, which were previously lacking in earlier electronic music. It was a window for what was to come. Sakamoto went on to use the 808 to produce several more electro tracks with his band YMO, such as "Music Plans" from their album BGM (1981).
"Music Plans" from Yellow Magic Orchestra's BGM (1981). An early electro song produced by Ryuichi Sakamoto.
A year after "Riot in Lagos", you get Kraftwerk's 1981 album "Computerwelt" (computer world in English), which had the track "Nummern" (numbers in English). This track is also considered one of the first electro songs. Kraftwerk was a huge influence on electro's sound and particularly influenced the robotic, deadpan vocals. The genre eventually came into its full-fledged form when American hip hop artists further defined the genre between 1982 and 1983.
"Planet Rock" (1982) by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force. A seminal electro song.
As the 1980s rolled around disco, the most popular form of American music at the time, sharply declined. After this, many artists continued to make it, but with far less capital to spend on lavish string and horn sections, having to instead use synthesizers. This became boogie, which was a huge influence on the funk portions that electro would often use. During that same time, hip hop was just beginning to also come into its own, also emerging from disco. Electro would combine many emerging techniques hip hop would use and incorporate them into itself. The true catalyst that would launch electro into popularity was Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force's song "Planet Rock" (1982), which combined 808 beats (inspired by YMO and Sakamoto) with a reworking of "Nummern" from Kraftwerk. The track was released in 1982 and was a smash hit. Electro after this was so popular that most hip hop acts moved to electro. Artists well-known in the hip hop scene today got their start in electro, such as Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Ice-T, Eazy-E, and MC Ren just to name a few. Notable electro artists during this time also include Warp 9, Newcleus, Mantronix, and many others. The New York scene, which is where many electro artists were from, was particularly lively and spread electro to nearby large cities like Detroit. Juan Atkins, known as the father of techno, even started making electro with his short-lived project with Richard Davis, Cybotron. Cybotron released mainly electro and had a big influence on the emerging techno scene in Detroit.
Decline and the Detroit Electro Scene[]
Electro did not last very long; however, by 1985, the genre began to decline, and by the late 1980s, the genre had all but fizzled out. Some refer to electro made after its mid-80s peak as neo-electro. Electro would never reach this height of popularity again. Many artists were moving on to harder and grittier forms of hip hop that were being pushed by artists like Run DMC. The more danceable and party-like atmosphere that electro gave off was seen as antiquated and immature. The genres of electro also helped to create and draw many of electro's crowds away from itself. Many artists moved to making techno, Miami bass, or acid house. During the 1990s, the genre entered a dark period where very few artists were making any electro with three notable exceptions. Aux 88, Drexciya, and Dopplereffekt, all of whom were from Detroit, continued the sound of electro and took a much more mature and nuanced take on the genre. They combined techno with electro and forgoed most hip hop elements to bring out the sci-fi and futuristic themes. Detroit during this time was an incubator of sorts, with a few smaller artists also dipping into electro during this time. Anthony Rother and Dave Clarke, as well as a few other scattered artists in Europe, also embraced the sound of electro in their projects. While Europe did not make much electro, it was somewhat popular during the 90s in countries like the UK and most prominent in the Netherlands. This gradual movement culminated in a resurgence of the genre around 1997-1998, until the genre once again declined.
Contemporary Electro[]
After the 1990s, electro has had a resurgence and decline in every decade since. The genre remains a significant influence on other electronic music genres, and many artists continue to draw inspiration from it. During the 2000s the Netherlands expanded electro production with artists like Unit Moebius, I-F, Legowelt and Orgue Electronique. All were inspired by Drexciya but took a darker, more experimental angle, taking more inspiration from dark ambient, IDM, and other more experimental sounds. Moving into the 2010s, you get entire labels in the UK, Netherlands, Finland, and America that have been releasing electro to this day. Right now, electro is in another decline, but it's probably just a matter of time before the 2020s get a resurgence once again.
Subgenres[]
Detroit Electro[]
Detroit electro, sometimes called electro techno, is the newer, more stripped-down, raw, and pure version of electro developed in the 90s. It takes more influence from techno and Miami bass, which gives it a darker and more mechanical edge.
Electro Bass[]
Electro bass is a fusion genre between electro and Miami bass. It's fairly similar to Detroit electro but with more bass influence than electro or techno.
Electro Breaks[]
Electro breaks is the combination of breakbeat pattern drums with electro-style synths. The songs are sometimes slightly faster than typical electro and incorporate influences from techno and Miami bass.
Electro Hop[]
Electro hop is the combination of hip hop with electro. Typically, this means hip hop style drums and rapping with electro-style synths. This was a popular genre in the early '80s, but it faded quickly.
Electrostep[]
Electrostep is a genre developed by John B and mostly made by him. It is drum and bass (DnB) mixed with electro, electroclash, and synthwave. While the electro influence can be rather minor, the genre is a celebration of everything 80s wrapped up in an appealing DnB package.
Freestyle[]
Freestyle is a popular but short-lived genre that gained popularity in the mid-to-late 1980s. It is a pop-centric genre with electro-derived synths and rhythms, but tends to also have a heavy influence from Latin music and R&B.
Neo-Electro[]
Neo-Electro, sometimes typed out like e.l.e.c.t.r.o., is less a genre and more a designator meant to identify electro songs that meet the criteria to be considered contemporary electro songs. Neo-Electro tracks us modern production techniques and pushes the genre forward with unique textures and sounds.
Influences and Misnomers[]
Outside of the influences already mentioned like techno and Miami bass, electro has also influenced electroclash, electro house, and electrostep. These genres, despite 'electro' in their name, are debated back and forth, with many people saying they are or are not subgenres of electro. Some consider the connection to electro extremely minor. Electro swing is considered completely house, and the electro part of the name is a misnomer. Dark electro early on was influenced by electro, but has since been a majority post-industrial genre.