10/31/2023 0 Comments Mumble rap cultural originsElectro hip hop group Warp 9's 1983 single, Light Years Away, produced and written by Lotti Golden and Richard Scher, exemplifies the Sci-Fi, afrofuturist aspect of electro, reflected in both the lyrics and instrumentation. Heavy use of effects such as reverbs, delays, chorus or phasers along with eerie synthetic ensemble strings or pad sounds emphasized the science fiction or futuristic themes of classic (1980s) electro, represented in the lyrics and/or music. Other electro instrumentation was generally electronic, favoring analog synthesis, programmed bass lines, sequenced or arpeggiated synthetic riffs, and atonal sound effects all created with synthesizers. Through the use of samples, the Roland TR-808 remains popular in electro and other genres to the present day. A number of popular songs in the early 1980s employed the TR-808, including Marvin Gaye's “Sexual Healing,” Cybotron's “Clear,” and Afrika Bambaataa's “Planet Rock.” The Roland TR-808 has attained iconic status, eventually being used on more hits than any other drum machine. Its unique percussion sounds like handclaps, open and closed high-hat, clave and cowbell became integral to the electro sound. This aspect of the Roland TR-808 was especially appealing to producers who would test drive their tracks in nightclubs (like NYC's Funhouse), where the bass drum sound was essential for a record's success. ![]() As an inexpensive way of producing a drum sound, the TR-808 caught on quickly with the producers of early electro because of the ability of its bass drum to generate extreme low-frequencies. Staccato, percussive drumbeats tended to dominate electro, almost exclusively provided by the TR-808. The Roland TR-808 drum machine was released in 1980, defining early electro with its immediately recognizable sound. The definition however is somewhat ambiguous in nature due to the various uses of the term. ![]() The difference between electro drumbeats and breakbeats (or breaks) is that electro tends to be more mechanical, while breakbeats tend to have more of a human-like feel, like that of a live drummer. It is important to note, that although the electro of the 1980s and contemporary electro ( electronic dance music) both grew out of the dissolution of disco, they are now different genres.Ĭlassic (1980s) electro drum patterns tend to be electronic emulations of breakbeats with a syncopated kick drum, and usually a snare or clap accenting the backbeat. As the genre evolved, computers and sampling replaced drum machines in electronic music, and are now used by the majority of electro producers. Problems playing this file? See media help.įrom its inception, one of the defining characteristics of the electro sound was the use of drum machines, particularly the Roland TR-808, as the rhythmic basis of the track. Electro has branched out into subgenres, including electrocore and skweee. A third wave of popularity occurred in 2007. Electro became popular again in the late 1990s with artists such as Anthony Rother and DJs such as Dave Clarke. By the mid 1980s, the genre moved away from its electronic and funk influences, using harder edged beats and rock samples, exemplified by Run DMC. The early 1980s were electro's mainstream peak. Seminal electro tracks included " Planet Rock" (1982) and " Nunk" (1982), both featuring its characteristic TR-808 drum beats. The genre emerged with musicians Arthur Baker, Afrika Bambaataa, Warp 9, and Hashim. It palpably deviates from its predecessor boogie by being less vocal-oriented and more focused on electronic beats produced by drum machines.įollowing the decline of disco music in the United States, electro emerged as a fusion of funk and early hip-hop with principal influences from New York boogie, German and Japanese electronic pop music. Records in the genre typically feature heavy electronic sounds, usually without vocals, although if vocals are present they are delivered in a deadpan manner, often through electronic distortion such as vocoding and talkboxing. ![]() Electro (or electro-funk) is a genre of electronic music and early hip hop directly influenced by the use of the Roland TR-808 drum machines and funk.
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