28 September 2012
Chillwave, aka glo fi, proper noun Generally down-tempo to mid-tempo (i.e. 80-120 bpm) danceable American indie/electro-pop style; usually made by solo artists with a laptop or small outfits; predominantly influenced by Eighties analogue and electronica, late Eighties/early Nineties shoegaze (hence the ‘nu … Continue reading
15 May 2012
Cosmic (disco), adj/proper noun, aka Afro Cosmic, also Space Disco Originally an highly eclectic, down-tempo (90-105 BPM) style, which nowadays generally exhibits a lot of space, reverb and echo/delay in the production, bubbling synths, delicate keys, langurous guitars and percussion instruments more often found … Continue reading
25 April 2012
Footwork, proper noun, aka [Chicago] Juke (see also [Detroit] Jit, Shangaan electro) So-called because of the associated dance crazes – essentially a contemporary form of break dance; wildly uptempo (140 – 170 BPM), characterised by syncopated beats laced with manically looped, pitched up … Continue reading
7 March 2012
Moombahton (moom-bar-tonn), proper noun, also Moombahsoul, Moombahcore, Moombahstep Midtempo style (105 – 115 BPM), characterised by the same shuffling rhythms (or ‘riddims’) of reggaeton, cumbia and dancehall with heavy bass and beats, plus electro/rave motifs such as build-ups and break-downs, electronic stabs, horns, … Continue reading
22 February 2012
Krautrock, proper noun Eclectic style, originally German, mostly instrumental and usually combining a traditional rock band line-up (guitars, bass, drums) with electronic instruments; often characterised by a four-four time signature and stripped-back productions with the emphasis on the rhythm section employing mechanical, propulsive drum … Continue reading
9 December 2011
B-more or Bmore, adjective, aka B-more Club Uptempo (120 – 140 BPM) hip hop / breaks originally from Baltimore, with an 8/4 time signature, using short, repetitive vocal samples – often call-and-response-style raps or chants – over old school drum breaks, staccato snares/ claps … Continue reading
21 November 2011
Balearic, or Balearic beat, adjective Spanish origin but formally cultivated by British DJs, Balearic came to be identified with a certain kind of mid-tempo (i.e. 100 – 120 BPM) dance music. Origins: Pioneered in the late-Eighties by certain key DJs on … Continue reading
15 November 2011
EBM, proper noun, aka electronic body music, also industrial dance European, characterised by minimal composition, synthesised sound, metallic tones, socialist realist and sexual aesthetics and often a lot of irony, c. 1978 – 1987; heavily influenced by (and usually classified with) industrial; some cross … Continue reading
4 November 2011
UK Funky, proper noun, aka funky British, characterised by syncopated, African rhythms, R ‘n’ B-style vocalising, MCs and a four-four beat, c. 2006 – present day; influenced by (and often classified with) UK garage, grime, dubstep, jungle, rave, Afrobeat, broken beat, reggaeton/ dancehall, … Continue reading
27 October 2011
Lovers Rock, adjective Romantic style of reggae music cultivated on the London reggae scene, c.1975-1985. While contemporary strands of reggae (dub, roots, rocksteady etc) were becoming increasingly politicised and serious, Lovers Rock maintained a clearer focus on more lightweight, … Continue reading