Electronic Music: The Vast Variety

My personal favourite genre of music is Electronic Dance Music, otherwise known as EDM. What I enjoy about is the variety of sound and emotion it creates. What many people may not know is that there are numerous sub genres. These sub genres are based on the type of sounds used and the BPM's (Beats Per Minutes).

Listed below are just a few examples of genres I personally listen to and invite you to explore them.

1. Electronic House:

Electronic House also known as "dirty house"is my personal favourite genre at the moment and is generally middle of the road when it comes to intensity. Imagine the uniformity of House music but spicier. I enjoy the balance of intensity this music has. It expresses energy but still has form.

• Beats: Medium-Fast BPM's
• Voice: Sometimes uses vocals
• Best Enjoyed: Partys, Gaming and Sports
• Length: Songs are usually 3-5 minutes unless included in a mix

Recommended Artists:

1. DJ Wicked Wes
2. Dimitri Vegas
3. Tiesto
4. Wolgang Gartner

2. Progressive:

Progressive is the music I enjoy listening to when I need to "zone out" .These mixes are usually longer and as the name suggests progressively pace themselves. Unlike Electronic House where the beats will crescendo at a "drop", progressive is more about the entire experience. I recommend listening to it when you need to relax, focus you just need to chill out.

• Beats: Medium-Slow BPM's
• Voice: Usually soft female vocals
• Best Enjoyed: Relaxing, Cleaning, Homework
• Length: Songs are usually longer and range 7-15 minutes with mixes usually lasting 1-2 hours.

Recommended Artists:

1. DJ Samer
2. Vice Tone
3. Sasha
4. Ferry Corsten

3. Hard Dance/Hard Style

If you are looking for something abit more intense then I recommend Hard Dance or Hard Style. This genre can be defined by its repeating beat and loud volume. This genre pumps you up and fills you full of energy and makes you aggressive. Personally I can only appreciate this music for a small period of time before It burns me out but for those who need intensity, check it out.

• Beats: Fast BPM's
• Voice: Limited Vocals
• Best Enjoyed: Moshing, Raving ,Extreme Sports (Shark Wrestling)
• Length: Songs are usually 2-3 minutes long.

Recommended Artists:

1. Ruthless
2. DJ Generator
3. Excision
4. Specimen A

4.Drum and Base

Drum and Base or DNB is a genre that focuses mostly on the base line and drum beats. This genre can range in intensity and is generally faster than progressive house but still evenly distributes the BPM's throughout the entire song experience rather than focusing on a "drop". Although vocals are common the focus is on the rhythm. I have alot of nostalgia for this genre and reminds me of my childhood playing Starcraft. Overall its one of the older genres of EDM and I recommend giving it a listen.

• Beats: Medium/Slow BPM's
• Voice: Common
• Best Enjoyed: Studying, Focusing, Athmospheric
• Length: Songs are usually 3-10 minutes long.

Recommended Artists:

1. Pendulum
2. Dimension
3. Ella Grace
4. Noisia

5. Electroswing

This is one of the most unique genres I've recently discovered. This genre emulates the style of music found in the 20's-30's swing era but boosts it with modern day electro. It's not for everyone but there isn't anything else like it available. Who knows, maybe your grandparents could appreciate it rather then dismissing it as "new fangled music".

• Bears: Slow/Fast BPM's
• Voice: Frequent
• Best Enjoyed: Exploring, Relaxing, Swinging
• Length: Songs are usually 2-5 minutes long.

Recommended Artists:

1. Caravan Palace
2. Swing Republic
3. Stex

This is just a small overview of the dozens of genres EDM has to offer and I invite all to explore the variety and find the genre they enjoy the best. The best way to enjoy these genres is by using the following websites .

Digitally Imported:Allows you to listen to live streams of a variety of EDM genres.

http://www.di.fm/channels

Beatport: Discover new artists and top lists.

https://pro.beatport.com/