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Dance v. Trance + The Rest |
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Oh goodness. Dance, Trance, Europop, Electronica, House Music - what does it all mean? I think this type of music is what you want it to be but sometimes it’s easier to explain what something is but saying what it isn’t. If we just call it all Dance music for the moment (it used to be called techno) what it isn’t is Rock music. It’s all the opposite of boring soft rock which drowns the airwaves on “the suits” dominated conservative radio stations. Dance music has a beat, often unpredictable and appealing to complex minds that like to be challenged - it lifts you from you chair - it energises you (Hi-NRG) and it makes you want to dance.
So here are my thoughts (and they are not necessarily technically right - technically right has lots to do with BPM or beats per minute):
Dance music is pop music with a solid bass beat that makes you want to move and it has vocals. Dance music often sneaks into commercial radio stations so that there is at least one powerful song an hour! Lots of pop songs end up remixed as Dance songs and become great hits in dance music world (sometimes both worlds)
Trance is Dance music with those incredible electronic music only interludes which makes you want to shut you eyes and go to another place - it often has powerful vocals (vocal trance, my favourite) contrasted to sheer electronic exhilaration. It is usually faster than Dance music.
Electronica to me is trance without vocals or real emphasis on synthesises and electronic sounds with everything else being subsidiary.
Europop is European Dance and Trance music as a category contrasted to commercial US and Australian pop which tends to have a very repetitive sound that makes you think it was produced in a music factory (probably was). It usually has beat, more bass than pop, is slick, polished and you find yourself singing the lyrics in the shower. What would we do without the UK and Europe? Europop is often a guarantee of a great sound as the market is more advanced.
Happy Hardcore - I have to confess my favourite. Fast Dance or Trance and it can be fast and furious with sweet or happy vocals - nothing can have you moving quicker!
House is more soulful and focuses more on music and rhythm than vocal. It is usually slower than Trance and Dance. Great to chill out to.
Club music depends on the club but for me it’s all of the above with extended mixes with extra bass and all the goodies that only club DJs know how to add (as opposed to a humble radio DJ like me)
Garage is often just classified as House or Electronica but it really does have its own sound. Maybe the problem is the genre was named after a New York club, Paradise Garage. As with much of Dance music, the genre has been taken to new levels by UK and some people call it UK Garage or Speed Garage. It’s a real sweat sound with lots of bass (half-temp basslines), vocals and keyboards. It’s like a fast polished disco style. I find it very uplifting and am taken by bands which I have played on WeeKenDance like Platnum (I just adore “Love Shy”), H "Two" O (“What’s It Gonna Be”), Delinquent (How good is My Destiny), Joy n Pain, and Wideboys to name a few!
I hope this helps!
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