Tempo Bridge: Plan a Mix From One Genre to Another

Disco & Funk

Funk

1965, United States (James Brown and his band). Tempo: 95 to 115 BPM.

Everything lands on the one. A scratchy guitar chops tight chords, the bass locks with the kick, the horns hit short sharp blasts. Every instrument plays like a drum. The groove barely changes, then the breakdown strips it to drums and the singer screams for the band to take it up.

Official track: James Brown, Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (Part 1) (1965).

Sources: Funk in the family tree · ultimateclassicrock.com/james-brown-papas-got-a-brand-new-ba · thelongandshort.org/creativity/dance-moves-funk

Disco

1974, New York City, USA. Tempo: 110 to 130 BPM.

A steady four on the floor kick with the hi hat opening on every offbeat. Octave bass, lush strings, horns and a diva vocal soaring over it. Long twelve inch mixes built for DJs, with breaks where the percussion rides alone before the strings sweep back in.

Official track: Donna Summer, I Feel Love (1977).

Sources: Disco in the family tree · timlawrence.info/articles2/2013/7/16/disco-in-encyclopedia-o · britannica.com/art/disco

Cosmic Disco

1979, Lazise, Lake Garda, Italy. Tempo: 95 to 115 BPM.

Records played slower than they were pressed, so German synth pop, African funk and Brazilian grooves melt into one long, heavy drift. Drum machines and synths come from the booth itself. The kick sits low and patient, and a whole floor sways instead of jumping.

Official track: Todd Terje, Inspector Norse (2012).

Sources: timlawrence.info/articles2/2016/11/2/daniele-baldelli-explai · daily.bandcamp.com/lists/daniele-baldellis-cosmic-disco-list · jaegeroslo.no/high-feedelity-a-qa-with-lindstrom/

Post-Disco

1979, New York City, USA. Tempo: 100 to 125 BPM.

Disco stripped back after the 1979 backlash. Drum machines and synths in place of strings, dubbed out mixes with echo on the vocal and long instrumental passages. Minimal, strange and soulful, the missing link between Studio 54 and early house.

Official track: Peech Boys, Don't Make Me Wait (1982).

Sources: Post-Disco in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-disco · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/01/underground-boogie-198

Boogie

1980, New York City, USA. Tempo: 105 to 120 BPM.

Slower and leaner than disco. Synth bass bubbling on a Prophet 5 or Minimoog, drum machine claps, slap bass and chunky keyboard chords. Soulful vocals with space around them, and long dub breaks. The kind of groove that makes a crowd bounce rather than gallop.

Official track: D Train, You're the One for Me (1981).

Sources: Boogie in the family tree · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/01/underground-boogie-198 · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-disco

Hi-NRG

1981, San Francisco and New York City, USA. Tempo: 120 to 140 BPM.

Relentless sequenced octave bass, staccato hi hats and a hard, fast kick. Cold, shiny synth stabs and a big reverb soaked vocal, often camp and euphoric. No let up, no long breaks. Pure momentum from the first bar to the fade.

Official track: Patrick Cowley and Sylvester, Do Ya Wanna Funk (1982).

Sources: Hi-NRG in the family tree · classicpopmag.com/2023/12/popscene-hi-nrg/ · internationaldiscoday.org/history-of-disco/1980-1984-hi-nrg/

Italo Disco

1983, Northern Italy. Tempo: 110 to 130 BPM.

Drum machines, arpeggiated synth bass and melodic synth leads that sound like a space movie. Vocoder hooks and romantic English lyrics sung with a thick Italian accent. Simple, sweet and a little melancholy, big chorus after big chorus. On a floor it is instant sunshine, the record that makes a serious techno crowd grin and sing along.

Official track: Ryan Paris, Dolce Vita (1983).

Sources: Italo Disco in the family tree · masterclass.com/articles/italo-disco-guide · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italo_disco

Nu-Disco

2003, Oslo, Norway. Tempo: 110 to 124 BPM.

Slow, rolling disco basslines, arpeggios and analogue synths stretched into long builds. Clean electronic drums, cowbell and handclaps, often no vocal at all. It sounds like a road trip at dusk, the tracks that turn a warm up into a party without anyone noticing.

Official track: Todd Terje, Inspector Norse (2012).

Sources: Nu-Disco in the family tree · ra.co/dj/lindstrom/biography · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Peter_Lindstr%C3%B8m · the-dowsers.com/the-dowser-posts/norweigan-nu-disco

Synthwave

2006, France. Tempo: 80 to 118 BPM.

Gated reverb drums, pulsing synth bass and bright analogue leads that sound lifted from an 80s movie soundtrack. Mostly instrumental, sometimes with a detached vocal. Nostalgic chords, big snare hits and a night drive mood rather than a peak time rush.

Official track: Kavinsky, Nightcall (2010).

Sources: Synthwave in the family tree · newretrowave.com/2021/08/18/the-origins-of-synthwave-part-1/ · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthwave

House

Chicago House

1984, Chicago, USA. Tempo: 118 to 125 BPM.

A drum machine kick on every beat, open hi hats hissing on the offbeat, claps snapping on two and four. The bassline is a short, rubbery loop that never lets go. Vocals are gospel shouts or a single spoken line repeated until it becomes a chant. Tracks run long and plain so the DJ can ride them for ten minutes.

Official track: Frankie Knuckles feat. Jamie Principle, Your Love (1987).

Sources: Chicago House in the family tree · mixmag.net/feature/house-music-40-years-jesse-saunders-chica · mixmag.net/feature/celebrating-black-history-pioneers-of-hou

Miami Bass

1985, Miami, Florida, USA. Tempo: 125 to 140 BPM.

A Roland TR-808 at full tilt: fast electro drum patterns, rattling hi hats and a sub bass kick that hums and booms for a full bar. Call and response chants, party shouts and scratched samples sit on top. Everything is built for bouncing hips and car trunks, not for sitting still.

Official track: 2 Live Crew, Move Somethin' (1988).

Sources: Miami Bass in the family tree · vice.com/en/article/tootsie-rolls-hoochie-mamas-and-cars-tha · miaminewtimes.com/music/miami-bass-an-abbreviated-history-ac

Deep House

1986, Chicago, USA. Tempo: 118 to 124 BPM.

Softer kicks, warm jazz chords that hang in the air, and a bassline that slips off the beat instead of hammering it. Pads swell slowly under soulful or whispered vocals. The mood is late night and a little melancholy, the record that turns a loud room quiet and swaying.

Official track: Mr. Fingers, Can You Feel It (1986).

Sources: Deep House in the family tree · djmag.com/features/can-you-feel-it-how-mr-fingers-ammnesia-c · mixmag.net/feature/humble-hero-house-pioneer-larry-heard-is-

Acid House

1987, Chicago, USA. Tempo: 120 to 130 BPM.

A cheap Roland TB-303 bass machine squelching and squealing as someone twists the filter and resonance knobs in real time. Under it, a raw 909 or 808 beat and very little else. No verse, no chorus, just a line that mutates for ten minutes until the room screams.

Official track: Phuture, Acid Tracks (1987).

Sources: Acid House in the family tree · djmag.com/content/game-changers-phuture-acid-tracks · insomniac.com/music/from-the-crate-phuture-acid-tracks/

Balearic Beat

1987, Ibiza, Spain. Tempo: 95 to 120 BPM.

Anything that works at dawn: Chicago house next to Spanish guitar, Italian piano tracks, funk, reggae and pop, mixed slowly. Tempos drift lower, grooves stay loose, and melodies are warm and sunlit. The sound is defined by the mix, one record flowing into another with no fixed rules.

Official track: Sueño Latino, Sueño Latino (1989).

Sources: Balearic Beat in the family tree · amnesia.es/en/news-info/dj-alfredo-the-man-who-gave-sound-to · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balearic_beat

Italo House

1988, Rimini and the Adriatic coast, Italy. Tempo: 118 to 124 BPM.

Big rolling piano chords stacked on a Chicago style drum machine groove. A diva vocal, often lifted straight from an American disco record, soars over the top. The mood is sunny and uplifting, built for the moment the piano riff drops back in and every hand goes up.

Official track: Black Box, Ride On Time (1989).

Sources: djmag.com/content/game-changer-black-box-ride-time · blog.12edit.com/italo-house/

Ambient House

1989, London, UK. Tempo: 90 to 120, often beatless BPM.

Slow or absent kicks under huge synth pads, dub bass and spoken word samples drifting in from radio, nature recordings and old records. Loops stretch for twenty minutes. It is house music with the drums pulled back so the space between sounds becomes the point.

Sources: Ambient House in the family tree · klf.de/home/record/chill-out/ · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambient_house

Progressive House

1992, UK. Tempo: 122 to 130 BPM.

Long tracks that build by adding and removing layers: rolling percussion, a heavy bass pulse, arpeggios and pads soaked in reverb. Breakdowns are patient and the drops land softly rather than explode. A DJ can blend two records for minutes and nobody notices the seam.

Official track: Leftfield feat. John Lydon, Open Up (1993).

Sources: Progressive House in the family tree · insomniac.com/magazine/how-to-talk-to-your-kids-about-progre · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasha_%26_John_Digweed

Ghetto House

1993, South and West Sides, Chicago, United States. Tempo: 135 to 150 BPM.

Raw 808 and 909 drum machines, a bassline, a clap and one filthy vocal line chanted over and over. Tracks are short, often under two minutes, so DJs slam through them fast. It is house music sped up, stripped down and made to sweat.

Sources: daily.bandcamp.com/features/ghetto-house-juke-album-guide · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/11/dj-funk-interview/

Kwaito

1993, Soweto and Johannesburg, South Africa. Tempo: 100 to 115 BPM.

House music slowed down to a heavy strut, with deep bass loops and simple keyboard hooks. Vocals are chanted or spoken in township slang rather than sung. Call and response chants invite the whole crowd in, and the groove is built for a slow, proud dance.

Official track: Arthur, Oyi Oyi (1997).

Sources: thenativemag.com/a-primer-on-south-african-electronic-and-da · masterclass.com/articles/kwaito

Tribal House

1993, New York City, USA. Tempo: 124 to 130 BPM.

Percussion first: congas, toms, shakers and rim shots stacked into rolling polyrhythms over a thick kick. The bassline is simple and deep, and the rest is sound effects and chants. Melody barely shows up. The groove fills the room by pure weight of drums.

Official track: Danny Tenaglia & Celeda, Music Is the Answer (1998).

Sources: Tribal House in the family tree · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2013/05/new-york-house/ · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_house

Big Beat

1994, London and Brighton, UK. Tempo: 100 to 130 BPM.

Hip hop breakbeats played loud and fat, acid squelches, rock guitar stabs and a vocal sample looped until it becomes a hook. Songs follow a verse, chorus and build structure with a big drop. It is dance music made for people who also liked rock gigs.

Official track: The Chemical Brothers, Block Rockin' Beats (1997).

Sources: Big Beat in the family tree · npr.org/2011/08/19/139754112/the-big-beat-revolution-11-esse · vice.com/en/article/big-beat-history-influence-prodigy-fatbo

Tech House

1994, London, UK. Tempo: 124 to 128 BPM.

The swing of house and the toughness of techno: a dry, punchy kick, shuffling hats, and a rubbery bassline that does most of the talking. Sounds are stripped and repetitive, with small percussion tricks and chopped vocal snippets keeping the groove moving.

Official track: Green Velvet, Flash (1995).

Sources: Tech House in the family tree · mixmag.net/read/wiggle-and-the-birth-of-tech-house- · articles.roland.com/the-tech-house-story/

Hard House

1995, London and Leeds, United Kingdom. Tempo: 140 to 150 BPM.

A pounding kick, a bouncing offbeat bass and hoover or horn stabs that hit like an alarm. Breakdowns build with snare rolls until the kick slams back. It is relentless and camp at once, designed for hands in the air at six in the morning.

Sources: djmag.com/features/dont-ever-stop-tony-de-vit-trade-and-infi · djmag.com/longreads/how-tidy-trax-embodies-loud-proud-spirit

French House

1996, Paris, France. Tempo: 120 to 128 BPM.

A looped disco or funk sample run through a filter that opens and closes like a door, so the groove swells and breathes. Compressed, pumping kick, phased strings, sometimes a vocoder. The moment the filter fully opens on a Chaka Khan style vocal is pure release.

Official track: Stardust, Music Sounds Better With You (1998).

Sources: xlr8r.com/features/the-history-of-french-house-sound/ · medium.com/cuepoint/deeper-than-daft-punk-a-love-letter-to-t

Afro House

1999, South Africa. Tempo: 118 to 124 BPM.

Deep, rolling percussion with live sounding congas, shakers and hand drums over a soft four on the floor kick. Warm pads, a deep bassline and chanted or sung vocals in Zulu, Xhosa or English. Tracks build slowly and hypnotically, more trance than peak.

Official track: Black Coffee feat. Bucie, Superman (2009).

Sources: Afro House in the family tree · loopcloud.com/cloud/blog/5223-Origins-8-Tracks-That-Mark-the · africainwords.com/2015/03/02/a-brief-introduction-to-south-a

Funky House

1999, UK. Tempo: 124 to 128 BPM.

Chopped disco and funk samples with a filter sweeping open and closed, a bouncy bassline, lush strings and a big diva vocal loop. The kick is steady and the hats bright. Everything is designed for hands in the air and a sing along at the chorus.

Official track: Armand Van Helden feat. Duane Harden, You Don't Know Me (1999).

Sources: Funky House in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funky_house

Electro House

2002, Italy and France. Tempo: 125 to 130 BPM.

Distorted, buzzing synth bass riffs that sound like a machine breaking, a compressed four on the floor kick, and heavy sidechain pumping. Vocals are robotic or shouted. Drops hit hard and dirty, halfway between house and rock, and the breakdown is often a single filtered riff building until the whole floor jumps at once.

Official track: Benny Benassi, Satisfaction (2002).

Sources: Electro House in the family tree · bennybenassi.com/biography.html · 6amgroup.com/articles/all/electro-house-music-guide-history-

Footwork

2003, Chicago, United States. Tempo: 155 to 165 BPM.

Skittering triplet kicks and 808 bass at 160, with half time space in between. Vocal samples chopped into stutters and repeated until they turn into rhythm. Producers pull out the bass on purpose to trip up rival dancers, then slam it back.

Official track: DJ Rashad, Let It Go (2013).

Sources: redbull.com/gb-en/footwork-music-guide-and-history · daily.bandcamp.com/features/ghetto-house-juke-album-guide

Moombahton

2009, Washington, DC, USA. Tempo: 105 to 110 BPM.

Dutch house slowed down to about 108 BPM so it sits on a reggaeton bounce. The dembow drum pattern, fat synth stabs, air horns and heavy bass drops. It is slower than house but more physical, all hips and knees.

Official track: Dillon Francis & Diplo feat. Maluca, Que Que (2011).

Sources: Moombahton in the family tree · thefader.com/2010/03/05/dave-nada-creator-of-moombahton-inte · washingtoncitypaper.com/article/221511/our-year-in-moombahto

Organic House

2011, International day party circuit (Ibiza, Tulum, Burning Man). Tempo: 110 to 124 BPM.

Deep, patient house with hand drums, kalimbas, flutes, strings and live vocals over a soft kick. Melodies drift rather than drop. It is a sunrise sound, and the best moment is when a simple guitar or flute line lifts over the groove as the sky turns orange.

Official track: Matthew Dekay & Lee Burridge, Lost In A Moment (2012).

Sources: blondish.world/zine/music/organic-house-music-guide/ · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_house

Gqom

2012, Durban, South Africa. Tempo: 120 to 128 BPM.

Raw, broken kicks that never quite sit on the grid, booming bass, dark synth drones and chants. No melody to hide behind. It sounds like a taxi sound system at maximum, and the floor moves in stomps and sudden freezes.

Official track: Babes Wodumo ft Mampintsha, Wololo (2016).

Sources: djmag.com/longreads/dj-lag-gqom-king-conquers-globe · thenativemag.com/a-primer-on-south-african-electronic-and-da

Future House

2013, France and the Netherlands. Tempo: 124 to 128 BPM.

A bouncy, metallic bass sound that wobbles up and down in pitch, snappy garage influenced drums and a clean, bright mix. Drops are short and catchy rather than huge. Vocals are soulful hooks lifted from R&B. On the floor it feels lighter than big room, a groove you can bounce to for a whole set without the pressure ever dropping.

Official track: Tchami feat. Kaleem Taylor, Promesses (2014).

Sources: Future House in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_house · edmtunes.com/2014/09/tchami-throws-shade-over-future-house-s

Tropical House

2013, Norway and Australia. Tempo: 100 to 115 BPM.

Relaxed house at a lazy tempo: marimba, steel drums, pan flute and plucked melodies over a soft kick. Vocals are sweet and pop shaped. The drop is a flute line, not a bass hit. On a floor it reads as sunshine: people sway, sing along and hold drinks up instead of jumping, and the set never feels rushed.

Official track: Kygo feat. Conrad Sewell, Firestone (2014).

Sources: Tropical House in the family tree · vice.com/en/article/thomas-jack-tropical-house-interview-201 · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_house

Amapiano

2015, Gauteng townships, South Africa. Tempo: 110 to 115 BPM.

Jazzy piano chords and airy pads over shakers and a soft kick, then the log drum: a deep, pitched, woody bass hit that bounces between the beats. Vocals are chanted or sung in local languages. Tracks run long and the dancers wait for the log drum to drop.

Official track: Focalistic feat. Vigro Deep, Ke Star (2020).

Sources: Amapiano in the family tree · mixmag.net/feature/amapiano-south-africa-house-music-movemen · redbull.com/za-en/amapiano-history

Bass House

2015, UK and Los Angeles, USA. Tempo: 124 to 128 BPM.

House drums with a shuffling hat and a dirty, growling bassline taken from UK garage, dubstep and drum and bass. The kick punches and the bass talks back in short, distorted phrases. Short vocal chops and big drops keep the energy high.

Official track: Jauz, Feel the Volume (2015).

Sources: Bass House in the family tree · ukf.com/read/what-the-hell-is-bass-house-anyway/ · vice.com/en/article/ac-slater-comes-clean-as-night-bass-conq

Lo-Fi House

2016, Online (YouTube), UK and Australia. Tempo: 118 to 125 BPM.

Dusty, tape saturated house with muffled kicks, hissing hats and chopped R&B or film samples. Pads are hazy and the mix is deliberately rough, as if played off a worn cassette. It is emotional and a little sad, and in a club the kick sounds thin on purpose, so the crowd leans into the melody and the nostalgia instead of the drums.

Official track: Mall Grab, Liverpool Street In The Rain (2018).

Sources: Lo-Fi House in the family tree · mixmag.net/feature/2016-lo-fi-house-emerged-from-the-undergr · mixmag.net/feature/ross-from-friends-interview-lofi-tread

3-Step

2023, Johannesburg, South Africa. Tempo: 118 to 124 BPM.

Afro house with three kicks per bar instead of four, leaving space that makes the groove lurch forward. Amapiano style log drum bass, gqom darkness, deep house chords and live horns. When the third kick lands, dancers lean into a rolling step.

Official track: Dlala Thukzin, Zaba & Sykes, iPlan (2024).

Sources: mixmag.net/feature/3-step-afro-houses-evolution-movement-afr · thenativemag.com/a-primer-on-south-african-electronic-and-da

Soulful / Gospel House

Garage House

1982, New York City and New Jersey, USA. Tempo: 115 to 125 BPM.

Sparse drum machines, a heavy synth bassline, and space everywhere, with dub echoes on claps and vocals. Gospel-trained singers ad-lib over long instrumental stretches. It feels soulful but spacious. At peak time a big vocal returns after a long dub section and the room sings along.

Sources: Garage House in the family tree · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2016/05/the-music-got-me-a-bri · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peech_Boys

Jackin' House

1986, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Tempo: 120 to 128 BPM.

Raw Roland drum machines, a bouncing bassline, and chopped vocal stutters that repeat one word until it becomes rhythm. Few chords, lots of swing. The track tells you to jack your body, and dancers do it, torsos pumping forward in time with the kick.

Official track: Steve 'Silk' Hurley, Jack Your Body (1986).

Sources: Jackin' House in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Your_Body · classicpopmag.com/features/the-house-that-jack-built/ · grammy.com/news/house-music-timeline-important-artists-songs

Gospel House

1987, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Tempo: 118 to 124 BPM.

Organ chords and piano, handclaps on the two and four, and a lead singer testifying like it is Sunday. Choirs answer the lead. Lyrics talk about freedom, love and a promised land. When the key change hits, hands go up and the floor feels like a congregation.

Official track: Joe Smooth, Promised Land (1987).

Sources: Gospel House in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Smooth · redbull.com/us-en/8-best-gospel-house-anthems · djmag.com/features/how-joe-smooths-promised-land-harnessed-u

Vocal House

1990, US East Coast (New York, Baltimore). Tempo: 120 to 125 BPM.

Organ bass stabs, a snappy kick, and one huge vocal hook sung by a powerhouse singer. Songs are built like pop: verse, chorus, break. The riff is simple enough to hum. When the chorus hits the room shouts it, and it crossed straight onto radio.

Official track: Crystal Waters, Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless) (1991).

Sources: Vocal House in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy_Woman_(Crystal_Waters_song) · mixmag.net/feature/20-essential-diva-house-tracks · okayplayer.com/originals/crystal-waters-cece-peniston-robin-

Handbag House

1992, London, UK. Tempo: 120 to 128 BPM.

Piano stabs everywhere, a four to the floor kick, and a big female vocal soaring over a long breakdown. Chords are bright and major. The build runs long, the piano comes back in, and the whole room screams the hook with arms in the air.

Official track: Alison Limerick, Where Love Lives (Classic Mix) (1991).

Sources: Handbag House in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diva_house · mixmag.net/feature/20-essential-diva-house-tracks · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Love_Lives · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardbag

Soulful House

1993, New York City and New Jersey, USA. Tempo: 118 to 124 BPM.

Live sounding keys, jazzy chords, and real bass guitar feel over a warm, swinging kick. Big soul vocals carry the song, often with horns or strings. It is music with verses and choruses. The floor moves easy, smiling, singing every line back at the booth.

Sources: Soulful House in the family tree · 6amgroup.com/articles/all/open-up-your-soul-with-this-soulfu · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerri_Chandler · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_at_Work

Techno

EBM

1981, Düsseldorf, Germany and Brussels, Belgium. Tempo: 115 to 130 BPM.

A sequenced bassline that never lets go, eighth notes locked to a stiff disco kick and a cracking snare. Vocals are barked, not sung, short commands shouted over cold analogue synths. No breakdown, no drop. The floor moves like a drill team, boots hitting on every beat until the track simply stops.

Official track: Front 242, Headhunter (1988).

Sources: EBM in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_body_music · mixmag.net/feature/the-10-best-pre-90s-ebm-new-beat-tracks · daily.bandcamp.com/lists/new-ebm-list · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headhunter_(song)

Electro

1982, New York City, USA. Tempo: 110 to 130 BPM.

A Roland 808 doing the heavy lifting: booming kick, snapping handclaps, rattling hi-hats in broken funk patterns instead of a straight four. Robotic vocoder voices, Kraftwerk-style synth melodies and rap chants float over the top. Breakers hit the floor when the drum machine rolls into a fill.

Official track: Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force, Planet Rock (1982).

Sources: Electro in the family tree · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2013/04/planet-rock-mixtape/ · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_techno

Detroit Techno

1987, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Tempo: 120 to 135 BPM.

Machine drums that still swing. Tight 909 hats, a firm kick, and chords or strings that feel hopeful and sad at the same time. Melodies are futuristic but warm, funk played by robots. When the piano stabs of a classic like Strings of Life land, the whole floor lifts its hands.

Official track: Rhythim Is Rhythim, Strings of Life (1987).

Sources: Detroit Techno in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_techno · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2016/05/the-music-got-me-a-bri

New Beat

1987, Ghent, Antwerp and Brussels, Belgium. Tempo: 95 to 115 BPM.

Slow, heavy and dark. Records pitched down until the voices drag and the drums thud. EBM basslines and acid squelches crawl under spoken samples and stabs. It is dance music at half pace, and the floor sways and stomps instead of jumping, heads down, locked in.

Sources: New Beat in the family tree · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2018/01/new-beat-feature/ · mixmag.net/feature/the-10-best-pre-90s-ebm-new-beat-tracks

Acid Techno

1992, London, UK. Tempo: 135 to 150 BPM.

Several TB-303s at once, squealing and twisting through resonance sweeps over a hard, relentless kick. Little melody, no vocals, just acid lines building and folding into each other. Tracks run long and raw, made to be mixed hard, and the room answers every filter sweep with a roar.

Official track: Hardfloor, Acperience 1 (1992).

Sources: Acid Techno in the family tree · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2016/06/london-acid-techno-fea · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardfloor

Gabber

1992, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Tempo: 160 to 200 BPM.

A kick drum distorted until it becomes the melody, a hard pitched thud that rings like a hammer on steel. Sampled shouts, horror film snippets and cheap stabs sit on top. The tempo is punishing, and the floor answers with the hakken, feet flying in fast tiny steps.

Official track: Euromasters, Alles Naar De Klote (1992).

Sources: Gabber in the family tree · djmag.com/features/gabber-30-hard-fast-and-louder-ever · artsandculture.google.com/story/a-brief-history-of-gabber-th · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euromasters

Dub Techno

1993, Berlin, Germany. Tempo: 115 to 125 BPM.

One muted chord, fed through delay and reverb until it becomes weather. A soft kick, a hiss of hats, and sub bass you feel more than hear. Filters open and close slowly over ten minutes. Nothing drops. The floor goes still and deep, swaying in the fog.

Sources: Dub Techno in the family tree · monumental-movement.jp/en/column-basic-channel/ · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_Channel

Minimal Techno

1993, Detroit, Michigan, USA. Tempo: 125 to 132 BPM.

Everything stripped away except the groove. A kick, a clipped hat, a single percussive loop that shifts a little every sixteen bars. Tiny changes feel huge. Sets run for hours and the floor slips into a trance, reacting to one snare roll like it was a full breakdown.

Official track: Plastikman, Spastik (1993).

Sources: Minimal Techno in the family tree · djmag.com/features/how-robert-hoods-minimal-nation-became-de · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimal_Nation

Ghettotech

1995, Detroit, United States. Tempo: 140 to 160 BPM.

Detroit electro and techno drum programming pushed fast, with Miami bass low end and Chicago ghetto house chants. Vocals are blunt, funny and filthy. DJs mix hard and quick, a new track every minute, and the floor answers with jit footwork at full speed.

Official track: DJ Assault, (explicit title) (1997).

Sources: daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2017/05/ghettotech-oral-histor · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghettotech

Hard Groove

1996, United Kingdom. Tempo: 130 to 140 BPM.

Tough, looping techno with swinging hip hop and funk drums, tribal toms and chopped vocal or disco samples. Three decks, fast mixing, loops stacked on loops. It is hard but it grooves, and the best moment is a filtered sample locking into a relentless percussive roll.

Official track: Ben Sims, Unity (2022).

Sources: daily.bandcamp.com/lists/the-second-coming-of-hardgroove · djmag.com/news/ben-sims-launches-hardgroove-originals-releas

Microhouse

1999, Frankfurt and Cologne, Germany. Tempo: 118 to 125 BPM.

House music built from tiny sounds: clicks, cut up syllables, crackles and glitches arranged into a warm, bumpy groove. The kick is soft, the bass is round and the melody is small. It feels like a swing on a summer terrace, not a peak time punch.

Official track: Isolée, Beau Mot Plage (1999).

Sources: deephouseamsterdam.com/forgotten-genres-microhouse/ · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microhouse

Industrial Techno

2013, Berlin, Germany and the UK. Tempo: 130 to 145 BPM.

Distorted kicks that clip on purpose, metal percussion, and noise walls with no melody to hold onto. Rhythms lurch and grind like factory machines. Every bar is violent but still built for dancing. When the distortion drops out for one beat and slams back, the floor goes off.

Official track: Paula Temple, Colonized (Perc Metal Mix) (2013).

Sources: Industrial Techno in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_techno · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Temple · vice.com/en/article/joe-muggs-industrial-techno/

Deconstructed Club

2014, Berlin, Germany; New York, United States; London, United Kingdom. Tempo: Variable BPM.

Club music pulled apart: gunshots, shattered glass, scraping metal and sudden silence where a kick drum should be. Rhythms lurch and stop, bass hits with no warning. It is tense and beautiful, and dancers move in bursts rather than a steady groove.

Official track: Arca, Thievery (2014).

Sources: spinmagazine.com/2015/12/arca-rabit-what-genre-2015-trend-of · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstructed_club

Melodic Techno

2016, Berlin, Germany. Tempo: 120 to 126 BPM.

A rolling analogue bassline under long, minor key synth arpeggios. Pads swell for minutes and the build is the whole point. Breakdowns go almost silent, one lead melody hangs in the air, then the kick returns and the crowd sings the synth line back at the booth.

Official track: Stephan Bodzin, Singularity (2015).

Sources: Melodic Techno in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tale_of_Us · mixmag.net/read/beatport-adds-melodic-house-techno-as-a-new-

Hard Techno Revival

2021, Europe (Amsterdam, Berlin) and the USA. Tempo: 140 to 160 BPM.

Heavy, pumping kicks with rumbling basslines and sidechain that makes the whole mix breathe. Trance stabs, spoken word hooks, and pop samples cut through the pounding. Tempos sit well above house. Drops are short and brutal, built for clips, and the crowd jumps on every return of the kick.

Official track: Sara Landry, Mike Dean, Spiritual Driveby (2024).

Sources: Hard Techno Revival in the family tree · billboard.com/music/music-news/sara-landry-hard-techno-spiri · djmag.com/features/sara-landry-hard-technos-high-frequency-p · ra.co/dj/spfdj/biography

Trance

Trance

1990, Frankfurt, Germany. Tempo: 130 to 140 BPM.

A steady kick under long, repeating synth arpeggios that loop and open slowly. Tension builds over minutes, the drums drop out, a big melody floats alone, and then everything comes back together. It is hypnotic rather than funky, and when the full melody returns after the break, a whole room of strangers lifts their hands at the same moment.

Official track: Energy 52, Café Del Mar (Three 'n One Radio Remix) (1998).

Sources: Trance in the family tree · mixmag.net/feature/10-best-early-90s-trance-tracks · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trance_music

Hard Trance

1993, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Tempo: 140 to 150 BPM.

Fast, pounding kicks with heavy reverb, driving offbeat bass and sharp, gated synth stabs. Breakdowns are short and the builds are aggressive. It is trance with the brakes off, halfway to hardstyle. On the floor there is no slow moment: the crowd stomps in time and the lead riff hits like an alarm.

Official track: Cosmic Gate, Fire Wire (2001).

Sources: Hard Trance in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_trance · insomniac.com/magazine/10-trance-subgenres-you-need-to-know/

Progressive Trance

1995, UK. Tempo: 128 to 134 BPM.

Slower and deeper than classic trance: layered pads, arpeggios and a steady bassline that build over long minutes. Breakdowns are patient, not dramatic. Melodies are subtle and moody rather than big and anthemic. A DJ can hold a room for hours with it, the energy rising so slowly that nobody notices until the peak.

Official track: BT, Flaming June (1997).

Sources: Progressive Trance in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trance_music · insomniac.com/magazine/10-trance-subgenres-you-need-to-know/

Uplifting Trance

1996, Netherlands, Germany and UK. Tempo: 136 to 140 BPM.

Bright major chords, a rolling offbeat bass and a long breakdown with a classical sounding melody on strings or piano. A snare roll builds for sixteen bars, the whole room holds its breath, and then the lead returns at full volume over the kick.

Official track: System F, Out of the Blue (1999).

Sources: Uplifting Trance in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uplifting_trance · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trance_music

Vocal Trance

1999, Europe. Tempo: 130 to 138 BPM.

Trance with a pop song at its heart: a soaring female vocal over lush pads, plucked arpeggios and a steady kick. The breakdown strips away the drums and lets the voice take over. When the kick returns under the chorus, the whole floor sings the words back at the booth.

Official track: Delerium feat. Sarah McLachlan, Silence (Airscape Remix) (1999).

Sources: Vocal Trance in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trance_music · insomniac.com/magazine/10-trance-subgenres-you-need-to-know/

Psytrance / Goa

Goa Trance

1993, Goa, India. Tempo: 130 to 150 BPM.

Rolling sixteenth note basslines under squelching 303 lines and twisting modal melodies with an Indian flavour. Tracks run eight to twelve minutes and build in waves. Long, trippy breakdowns with spoken samples, then the kick returns and the whole beach lifts.

Official track: Hallucinogen, LSD (1994).

Sources: Goa Trance in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goa_trance · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_trance · psyfyi.com/blogs/magazine/ultimate-psytrance-guide-genres-or

Dark Psytrance

1998, Germany and Russia. Tempo: 148 to 180 BPM.

Fast, twisted and heavy. A rolling bass under grinding, metallic textures, horror film samples and unpredictable effects. Few melodies, lots of tension. The tempo keeps climbing past 150, the kick never lets up, and the dancers stop thinking and just move with their eyes closed.

Official track: Xenomorph, Cassandra's Nightmare (1998).

Sources: Dark Psytrance in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_trance · psystation.com/russian-psytrance-explor-dark-mysterious-soun · psyfyi.com/blogs/magazine/ultimate-psytrance-guide-genres-or

Psybient

1998, England, UK. Tempo: 80 to 110 BPM.

Slow, deep grooves with dub basslines and swirling psychedelic synths. World music samples, flutes and vocals, long drifting passages that change tempo and mood. Ideal for the chill out tent, where people lie down and let the sound wash over them.

Official track: Shpongle, Divine Moments of Truth (1998).

Sources: Psybient in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shpongle · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_trance_genres

Forest Psytrance

1999, Northern Europe (Sweden, Finland). Tempo: 145 to 160 BPM.

Organic and eerie. Crunchy, glitchy percussion, field recordings of birds and branches, deep bass pulses and granular textures. Irregular rhythms that keep you guessing. It sounds like the forest at night is alive and talking back, and at 3 in the morning the dancers stop looking at the DJ and start looking at the trees.

Sources: Forest Psytrance in the family tree · microgenremusic.com/genres/trance/what-is-forest-psytrance/ · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hux_Flux · psyfyi.com/blogs/magazine/ultimate-psytrance-guide-genres-or

Full-On

2000, Israel. Tempo: 140 to 148 BPM.

A punchy kick with a rolling, triplet bassline filling every gap. Bright, uplifting melodies, acid squiggles and huge risers. Built for daylight peaks, each track climbs to a euphoric lead and a crowd of thousands throws their hands up at once.

Official track: Astrix, Deep Jungle Walk (2016).

Sources: Full-On in the family tree · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2016/09/psytrance-israel-featu · psyfyi.com/blogs/magazine/ultimate-psytrance-guide-genres-or · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrix

Progressive Psy

2000, Sweden and Germany. Tempo: 132 to 138 BPM.

Slower and more minimal than full-on. A deep, rolling bassline and tight kick, layers that build over minutes rather than bars. Hypnotic grooves, subtle psychedelic effects and melodies that fade in slowly. Perfect for a sunset set, when the crowd sways together and the bass does most of the talking.

Official track: Son Kite, Colours (2004).

Sources: Progressive Psy in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_trance_genres · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibrasphere · psyfyi.com/blogs/magazine/ultimate-psytrance-guide-genres-or

Jungle & D&B

Jungle

1992, London, UK. Tempo: 160 to 175 BPM.

Chopped Amen breaks cut up and rolled at high speed, over deep, slow reggae sub bass. Ragga vocal samples, dub sirens and gunshot fx. The drums race while the bass moves at half speed. When the MC calls the rewind, lighters go up.

Official track: M-Beat feat. General Levy, Incredible (1994).

Sources: Jungle in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jungle_music · toucanmusic.com/articles/ukhardcore/

Drum and Bass

1994, London and Bristol, UK. Tempo: 165 to 180 BPM.

Fast, tight breakbeats and huge, round sub bass, less ragga than jungle and cleaner. Moody pads, jazz chords, strings and soulful vocals in the quiet parts. Hard rolling drums when it drops. The floor bounces at speed, and the rewinds keep it going all night.

Official track: Goldie, Inner City Life (1994).

Sources: Drum and Bass in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_and_bass · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_City_Life

Jump Up

1995, London, UK. Tempo: 170 to 178 BPM.

Simple, bouncing drum patterns and wobbling, robotic basslines that chop and snarl. Hip hop and cartoon samples, big call and response hooks. Built for MCs and big crowds, with drops you can see coming a mile off. When the bassline finally drops, everyone jumps together.

Official track: Aphrodite, Style From The Darkside (1997).

Sources: Jump Up in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_and_bass · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aphrodite_(musician)

Nu Skool Breaks

1996, London, United Kingdom. Tempo: 125 to 140 BPM.

Broken drum patterns instead of a four to the floor kick, rolling like a hip hop beat played at house speed. Heavy, gnarly basslines borrowed from drum and bass and electro, with techy synths and big drops. It swings hard, and the floor bounces rather than stomps.

Official track: Freeland, We Want Your Soul (2003).

Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nu_skool_breaks

Neurofunk

1997, London, UK. Tempo: 170 to 176 BPM.

Tight, precise drums and twisting, detailed basslines that snarl and morph. Cold, sci fi synths and funk samples warped through machines. Dark, techy and very tight. When a new bass sound twists into the drop, the floor goes deep into it.

Official track: Ed Rush and Optical, Funktion (1997).

Sources: Neurofunk in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurofunk · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_and_bass · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Company_UK

Liquid Funk

1999, London, UK. Tempo: 170 to 176 BPM.

Rolling, lighter drums, jazz chords and warm, melodic basslines. Soul and disco samples, strings and vocals that sing rather than shout. Smooth, flowing and emotional. The floor rolls instead of jumps, and a big vocal hook brings a sing along.

Official track: High Contrast, Return of Forever (2002).

Sources: Liquid Funk in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_funk · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Contrast

Rave / Hardcore

Breakbeat Hardcore

1990, London and South East England, UK. Tempo: 140 to 155 BPM.

Sped up hip hop breakbeats layered over four to the floor kicks. Hoover synths, rave stabs, piano riffs and helium chipmunk vocals. Deep sub bass pulses underneath. Raw and joyful. When the break kicks in again, the whole warehouse jumps.

Official track: The Prodigy, Charly (1991).

Sources: Breakbeat Hardcore in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakbeat_hardcore · toucanmusic.com/articles/ukhardcore/

Makina

1991, Valencia and Catalonia, Spain. Tempo: 150 to 180 BPM.

Hard, fast four to the floor kicks, punchy and clipped, with offbeat stabs and big rave pads. Bright trance leads and synth hooks repeat in bursts. Occasional vocal samples and MC shouts. When a big riff breaks out of the pad, everyone throws hands up.

Sources: Makina in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A1kina · corehistory.blogspot.com/2009/12/makina.html · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EX-3

Happy Hardcore

1993, South East England and the Midlands, UK. Tempo: 160 to 180 BPM.

Fast, bouncing kick drums, rolling pianos and bright, soaring vocals. Sometimes breakbeats, soon pure four to the floor. Candy coloured synth leads and big breakdowns. MCs hype hard. When a piano anthem drops, the whole room jumps with hands in the air.

Official track: Slipmatt, Breaking Free (1994).

Sources: Happy Hardcore in the family tree · vice.com/en/article/happy-hardcore-history-trivia-slipmatt-d · theransomnote.com/music/playlists/gone-to-a-rave-35-high-on- · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_Town

Breakcore

1998, Europe (Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam). Tempo: 160 to 300 BPM.

Amen breaks sliced into machine gun fills at absurd speed, distorted kicks, ragga vocals and sudden shifts into classical strings or pop samples. Chaos with a sense of humour. Then the 2020s version adds dreamy pads and anime samples over the carnage.

Sources: masterclass.com/articles/breakcore-guide · wknc.org/2023/08/10/what-is-breakcore-a-genre-field-guide/

Freeform Hardcore

1999, United Kingdom. Tempo: 150 to 170 BPM.

Fast kick drums with trance leads and acid lines, but the structure breaks free. Tracks shift mood, shape and tempo without warning, like freeform jazz. Hard, rolling percussion and mad, spiralling synths. The floor does not settle, it bounces, stops and goes again.

Sources: Freeform Hardcore in the family tree · wikibin.org/articles/freeform-hardcore.html · kevinenergy.com/freeform-hardcore-productions/ · theransomnote.com/music/playlists/gone-to-a-rave-35-high-on-

Hardstyle

2000, Netherlands and Belgium. Tempo: 140 to 160 BPM.

A distorted kick drum so loud it carries the bassline itself, followed by a reverse bass on the offbeat. Huge euphoric synth leads and cinematic breakdowns. Everything stops, a voice promises the drop, and the kick returns like a hammer.

Official track: Headhunterz, Dragonborn (2012).

Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardstyle · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headhunterz

Donk

2002, North West England (Bolton, Wigan, Liverpool), UK. Tempo: 140 to 155 BPM.

Bouncy four to the floor kicks and an offbeat donk, a rubbery thwack like a pipe hit with a bat. Cheesy trance leads, hard house stabs and rapid MCs spitting on top. When the donk comes back after the build, everyone bounces in place.

Official track: Blackout Crew, Put a Donk on It (2008).

Sources: Donk in the family tree · dazeddigital.com/music/article/61502/1/the-blackout-crew-jax · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_hard_house · officialcharts.com/songs/blackout-crew-put-a-donk-on-it/ · melodigging.com/genre/donk

UK Hardcore

2002, United Kingdom. Tempo: 165 to 175 BPM.

Fast four to the floor kicks with trance supersaw leads and piano breakdowns. Emotional pop vocals, often covers, sung at speed. MCs hype over the build. When the kick drops back in after a long piano breakdown, the room loses its mind.

Sources: vice.com/en/article/happy-hardcore-history-trivia-slipmatt-d · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darren_Styles

Garage & Dubstep

Baltimore Club

1991, Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Tempo: 128 to 135 BPM.

A chopped Lyn Collins Think break looped hard at around 130, with the Sing Sing drum break and stuttering vocal hooks from TV, rap and pop. Short, jumpy and full of edits. The kick doubles up before the drop and the whole room answers with fast footwork.

Official track: DJ Blaqstarr & Rye Rye, Shake It To The Ground (2007).

Sources: boilerroom.tv/25-years-of-baltimore-club/ · stereogum.com/2312315/we-dressed-to-sweat-read-an-exclusive-

UK Garage

1995, London, UK. Tempo: 128 to 135 BPM.

Shuffled, swinging drums, syncopated hi hats and crisp snares. Chopped, pitched up R&B vocal samples in the Todd Edwards style. Warm organ chords and round bass. MCs hype over the top. Bouncy, sexy and quick. The rewind call comes and the crowd screams for it.

Official track: MJ Cole, Sincere (1998).

Sources: UK Garage in the family tree · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2018/01/dreem-teem-interview/ · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_garage

Speed Garage

1996, London, UK. Tempo: 130 to 136 BPM.

Four to the floor garage, pitched up, with a massive rubbery bassline that wobbles and growls under everything. Time stretched vocal chops, siren and gunshot effects borrowed from jungle. Hard stop breakdowns. When the bass returns after the drop, the room surges forward.

Official track: Double 99, RipGroove (1997).

Sources: Speed Garage in the family tree · mixmag.net/feature/the-15-best-speed-garage-records-released · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_garage · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_Spin_Sugar

2-Step Garage

1997, London, UK. Tempo: 130 to 138 BPM.

The kick skips beats, so the groove stutters and swings instead of pounding. Shuffled hats, crisp snares, deep sub bass. Smooth R&B vocals and soulful hooks sit right on top. The body moves side to side, not up and down. Then the DJ pulls it back for a rewind.

Official track: Artful Dodger feat. Craig David, Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta) (1999).

Sources: 2-Step Garage in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2-step_garage · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2018/01/dreem-teem-interview/

Bassline

1997, Sheffield, England, UK. Tempo: 135 to 142 BPM.

Four to the floor kicks and a wild, warping bassline that bends, buzzes and wobbles like a machine. Organ stabs and bright pop vocals on top. Everything else is stripped back so the bass leads. When that bass line kicks in again, the whole club bounces as one.

Official track: T2 feat. Jodie Aysha, Heartbroken (2007).

Sources: Bassline in the family tree · djmag.com/features/history-bassline · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2015/09/nightclubbing-niche/ · mixmag.net/feature/speed-garage-bassline-trend-popularity-no

Jersey Club

2000, Newark, New Jersey, USA. Tempo: 130 to 140 BPM.

Kick drums in fast triplet bursts, bouncing and stuttering. Chopped vocal samples looped into chants, bed squeak and movie sound effects. Fast and playful. When the kicks roll, dancers hit the floor in quick, jerky moves while the crowd circles.

Official track: Lil Uzi Vert, Just Wanna Rock (2022).

Sources: Jersey Club in the family tree · thefader.com/2014/06/12/the-skys-the-limit-an-oral-history-o · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_club

Dubstep

2001, Croydon and South London, UK. Tempo: 138 to 142 (felt at half time) BPM.

Half time drums with a lot of space between hits. Sub bass so deep you feel it in your chest before you hear it. Dub echoes, eerie samples, wobbling mid bass. Minimal and dark. On a big rig, the drop does not explode, it presses the room down.

Official track: Skream, Midnight Request Line (2005).

Sources: Dubstep in the family tree · museumofyouthculture.com/a-brief-history-of-early-dubstep/ · djmag.com/features/how-big-apple-records-became-birthplace-o

Grime

2002, Bow, East London, UK. Tempo: 138 to 142 BPM.

Cold square wave bass, stabbing synths and sparse, jagged drums at 140. Video game sounds, strings and eski ice effects. The beat leaves room for MCs to spit fast, in turn. When a reload is called, the DJ spins it back and the crowd erupts.

Official track: Dizzee Rascal, I Luv U (2003).

Sources: Grime in the family tree · mixmag.net/feature/history-of-grime · londonmuseum.org.uk/collections/london-stories/londons-grime

UK Funky

2006, London, UK. Tempo: 128 to 132 BPM.

Rolling, syncopated drums with soca and Afro percussion, offbeat snares and a skipping kick. Deep, minimal bass and short vocal hooks. It sits between house and garage. MCs call out dance moves over the riddim, crews step into the middle, and the whole floor copies them.

Official track: Donae'o, Party Hard (2008).

Sources: UK Funky in the family tree · djmag.com/longreads/uk-funky-isn-t-back-it-never-left · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_funky

Brostep

2010, United States and United Kingdom. Tempo: 140 to 150 BPM.

Screaming, distorted mid range bass that growls and tears like a metal guitar. Big builds, a silent beat, then a crushing drop. Robot talk synths and machine gun snares. Half time drums hit like a truck. When the drop lands, the whole crowd headbangs in one mass.

Official track: Skrillex, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites (2010).

Sources: Brostep in the family tree · dazeddigital.com/music/article/64343/1/what-is-brostep-five-

Hip Hop & R&B

Old School Hip Hop

1973, The Bronx, New York City, USA. Tempo: 95 to 115 BPM.

Two copies of the same funk record, the break looped by hand so the drums never stop. Congas, a fat kick, a snapping snare. Then the MC rides it with simple party rhymes and call and response. When the break drops back in, the b-boys hit the floor.

Official track: The Sugarhill Gang, Rapper's Delight (1979).

Sources: Old School Hip Hop in the family tree · xxlmag.com/today-in-hip-hop-dj-kool-herc-djs-first-block-par · hhv-mag.com/feature/the-birth-of-hip-hop-von-kool-herc-bis-s

Golden Age Hip Hop

1987, New York City, USA. Tempo: 90 to 110 BPM.

Chopped soul and funk samples stacked on hard drum machine hits from an SP 12 or SP 1200. Dense, layered loops, sirens and horn stabs. Rhymes get slower, deeper, more intricate. The crowd nods more than it jumps, then the hook lands and every hand goes up.

Official track: Public Enemy, Fight the Power (1989).

Sources: Golden Age Hip Hop in the family tree · thequietus.com/opinion-and-essays/anniversary/public-enemy-e · lithub.com/a-brief-oral-history-of-rakim-and-the-golden-age-

Trip Hop

1991, Bristol, England, UK. Tempo: 70 to 100 BPM.

Slow breakbeats, heavy and dusty, with deep dub bass underneath. Film score strings, vinyl crackle, jazz samples and scratched records. Smoky, sad vocals sit right on top. Nobody rushes. The floor sways more than it dances, heads down, eyes closed.

Official track: Massive Attack, Unfinished Sympathy (1991).

Sources: Trip Hop in the family tree · britannica.com/art/trip-hop · albumism.com/features/massive-attack-debut-album-blue-lines-

G-Funk

1992, Los Angeles (Compton and Long Beach), California, USA. Tempo: 85 to 100 BPM.

Slow, rolling grooves built on Parliament Funkadelic style basslines, often replayed live. A high, whining portamento synth floats over the top. Deep 808 kicks, handclaps, female backing vocals. Snoop drawls, Nate Dogg sings the hook, and the whole room leans back.

Official track: Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg, Nuthin' but a 'G' Thang (1993).

Sources: G-Funk in the family tree · loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-boar · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuthin%27_but_a_%27G%27_Thang

Neo Soul

1995, United States (New York, Philadelphia, Richmond). Tempo: 70 to 100 BPM.

Warm Rhodes chords, live bass and lazy, behind the beat drums that feel played by hand. Layered, whispered harmonies, jazz changes and old soul grit. Hip hop swing underneath. It is late night music, the floor slow and close, couples moving more than crowds.

Official track: D'Angelo, Brown Sugar (1995).

Sources: Neo Soul in the family tree · okayplayer.com/originals/dangelo-brown-sugar-album-neo-soul- · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Angelo

Crunk

1997, Atlanta, Georgia and Memphis, Tennessee, USA. Tempo: 70 to 85 BPM.

Booming TR 808 kicks, slow and heavy, with stabbing synth riffs on repeat. Handclaps like gunfire. Shouted chants, call and response, YEAH and OKAY on every bar. Built to make a club lose its mind. When the drop hits, the whole room bounces and yells back.

Official track: Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz feat. Ying Yang Twins, Get Low (2003).

Sources: Crunk in the family tree · daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2019/09/lil-jon-usher-ludacris · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crunk

Trap

2003, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Tempo: 130 to 150 (felt at half time, 65 to 75) BPM.

Deep, long 808 bass that bends and slides. Rattling hi hats in triplets and rolls. Dark minor key synths, orchestral stabs and ad libs between every line. The tempo reads fast but moves slow. When the 808 drops out and comes back, the whole room ducks.

Official track: T.I., 24's (2003).

Sources: Trap in the family tree · npr.org/2023/08/10/1193297765/the-birth-of-trap-music-and-th · redbull.com/int-en/a-track-by-track-history-of-trap-music

Afrobeats

2004, Lagos, Nigeria and Accra, Ghana. Tempo: 95 to 115 BPM.

Rolling, swung drums built on a clave feel, log drum and shaker patterns. Warm synth pads, bright guitar licks, and melodic vocals in English, Pidgin and Yoruba. Slow hips, not jumping. When a big chorus lands, everyone sings it back at the DJ booth.

Official track: Wizkid, Ojuelegba (2014).

Sources: Afrobeats in the family tree · grammy.com/news/afrobeats-evolution-wizkid-rema-wande-coal-o · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrobeats

UK Drill

2012, Brixton, South London, UK. Tempo: 138 to 145 BPM.

Sliding 808 bass that glides between notes like a trombone. Skippy hi hats in a 3 3 2 pattern, snares landing late. Dark piano and string loops, cold and minimal. Masked MCs trade bars with menace. The slide hits on the drop and the whole room goes low.

Official track: Headie One feat. Dave, 18HUNNA (2019).

Sources: UK Drill in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_drill · nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/uk-drill-chicago-chief-keef-am-skeng · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/67_(group)

EDM / Pop

Eurodance

1990, Frankfurt, Germany. Tempo: 120 to 150 BPM.

A pounding four to the floor kick with bright synth riffs and a bass that hits hard. A male rapper takes the verses, a female singer takes the big chorus. Songs are short, hedonistic and made for radio, and the chorus lands like a stadium chant on the floor.

Official track: Snap!, The Power (1990).

Sources: Eurodance in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurodance · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snap!

Big Room House

2012, Netherlands and Belgium. Tempo: 126 to 130 BPM.

A long snare roll build, a moment of silence, then a huge drop that is mostly kick drum and one short synth riff. Trance-style breakdowns, hardstyle-weight kicks, and wooden percussion hits. Very little else. The crowd jumps in unison on the drop, arms pumping.

Official track: Martin Garrix, Animals (2013).

Sources: Big Room House in the family tree · edmsauce.com/2014/07/13/hell-big-room-house/ · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_(Martin_Garrix_song)

EDM Trap

2012, USA. Tempo: 135 to 150 BPM.

Rap trap drums at a half-time feel: 808 kicks, rolling hi-hat triplets and heavy snares. Then rave synths, air horns and huge builds borrowed from EDM. The drop is all sub bass and brass stabs. Crowds bounce low in half time, then lose it when the 808 slides.

Official track: DJ Snake, Lil Jon, Turn Down for What (2013).

Sources: EDM Trap in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EDM_trap_music · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem_Shake_(song)

Future Bass

2012, Australia, Scotland and the USA. Tempo: 130 to 160 BPM.

Wide, wobbling supersaw chords that pulse with sidechain, bright major harmony, and chopped vocal samples pitched up into hooks. Trap drums sit underneath at half time. The drop is a chord swell rather than a bass hit, and the crowd sways and sings instead of moshing.

Official track: Flume feat. Kai, Never Be Like You (2016).

Sources: Future Bass in the family tree · stereofox.com/articles/future-bass-genre-history-artists-son · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_bass

Slap House

2018, Brazil, then Germany and Lithuania. Tempo: 120 to 126 BPM.

A thick, rubbery bass with a sharp attack that slaps on every note, over a plain deep house beat. Pitched, heavily processed vocals, often a sampled pop or rap hook. High counter melodies and triplet fills lead into short drops. It sounds loud and polished, built for car speakers.

Sources: Slap House in the family tree · grayarea.co/magazine/anatomy-of-a-trend-slap-house · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imanbek

Hyperpop

2019, London, UK and online (USA). Tempo: varies widely, often 140 to 180 BPM.

Pop pushed to breaking point: pitched-up vocals, Auto-Tune cranked to a robotic squeal, blown out bass, and synths that sound like plastic. Songs switch genres mid-verse, from bubblegum to metal to trance. Everything is loud, bright and glitchy, and the crowd screams every word.

Official track: 100 gecs, hand crushed by a mallet (2019).

Sources: Hyperpop in the family tree · faroutmagazine.co.uk/did-spotify-invent-hyperpop/ · rollingstone.co.uk/music/features/what-does-hyperpop-mean-in · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_Machine_(song)

Revival / Fusion

Electroclash

2001, New York, United States; Munich, Germany. Tempo: 110 to 130 BPM.

Cold 1980s drum machines and buzzing analogue synths, played with punk attitude. Vocals are spoken, deadpan or shouted, often about fame and fashion. Songs are short and nasty, and the hooks sound like a cheap keyboard played with a sneer.

Official track: Fischerspooner, Emerge (2001).

Sources: billboard.com/culture/pride/electroclash-queer-peaches-fisch · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electroclash_Festival

Electro Swing

2006, Austria and France. Tempo: 115 to 130 BPM.

Samples of 1920s and 1930s swing and gypsy jazz, horns and scat vocals, over a house or hip hop beat with a punchy kick. Live trumpet and clarinet often join the DJ. The drop lands on a big band stab, and people actually swing dance.

Official track: Caravan Palace, Lone Digger (2015).

Sources: npr.org/2013/10/23/240259909/europe-swings-the-body-electric · jazzfuel.com/electro-swing/

Phonk

2012, SoundCloud, USA; drift phonk in Russia. Tempo: 120 to 150 BPM.

Distorted 808 cowbell melodies, heavy bass and chopped vocal samples from 90s Memphis rap. Drift phonk speeds it up, with aggressive drums and sub bass. Menacing and hypnotic, with the cowbell riff stuck in your head for days. In a club it turns a quiet room into a mosh pit within one drop.

Official track: Kordhell, Murder In My Mind (2022).

Sources: Phonk in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonk · pressreader.com/usa/billboard/20221119/281801402954838

Brazilian Phonk

2023, Online, Brazil and Europe. Tempo: 125 to 135 BPM.

Distorted cowbell riffs from Memphis phonk collide with the repeated vocal chops and heavy kicks of São Paulo funk mandelão. Tracks are short, loud and loop one word until it sticks. Made for gym edits, car clips and a drop that hits in under ten seconds.

Official track: MXZI, Montagem Tomada (2025).

Sources: billboard.com.br/brazilian-phonk-conheca-a-variacao-gringa-d

Global Crossover Pop

Dancehall

1979, Kingston, Jamaica. Tempo: 90 to 110 (older), up to 130 BPM.

A riddim of drum machine and synth bass, digital after 1985, with a deejay chatting rhythmic patois over the top. The same riddim carries dozens of songs. Sound system selectors wheel the tune back to the start when the crowd demands it.

Official track: Shabba Ranks, Ting-A-Ling (1992).

Sources: dancehallmag.com/2026/08/24/music/what-is-dancehall-the-genr · dancehallmag.com/2026/09/17/style/sleng-teng-at-40-the-casio

Kuduro

1996, Luanda, Angola. Tempo: 130 to 140 BPM.

A hard, fast electronic beat with rattling percussion and a heavy kick, built from cheap software and pure attitude. Vocals are shouted and chanted. The dance comes first, and the track exists to push dancers into wild, broken, acrobatic moves.

Official track: Buraka Som Sistema, Kalemba (Wegue Wegue) (2008).

Sources: field-journal.com/editorial/angolan-kuduro-dance-conquers-th · thefader.com/2008/06/11/ghetto-palms-dj-znobia-angolan-kudur

K-pop House

2015, Seoul, South Korea. Tempo: 115 to 124 BPM.

Deep house drums and warm chords under sharp K-pop vocals. The kick is steady, the bass is soft and the chorus is often a quiet hook instead of a big blast. The dance break keeps the house groove going, so the choreography rides the kick instead of a big drop, and the whole song feels cool and restrained.

Official track: SHINee, View (2015).

Sources: K-pop House in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/View_(song)

Reggaeton Pop Crossover

2017, Puerto Rico and Miami, USA. Tempo: 88 to 100 BPM.

The dembow rhythm, a boom, ch, boom, chick pattern, under Latin pop chords, acoustic guitar and a big, sung chorus. The bass is soft and warm, the verses rapped or sung in Spanish. It is slow enough to sway and catchy enough for radio.

Official track: Luis Fonsi feat. Daddy Yankee, Despacito (2017).

Sources: Reggaeton Pop Crossover in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Despacito · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggaeton

Latin Music

Cumbia

1940, Caribbean coast, Colombia. Tempo: 80 to 110 BPM.

A shuffling two step, the guacharaca scraping on every beat and the drums rolling underneath. In the big band era clarinets and brass carry the tune. Later the accordion takes over, bright and nasal. It is simple and forgiving, a rhythm anyone can dance to by the second chorus.

Official track: Pedro Salcedo y su Orquesta, La Pollera Colora (1960).

Sources: Cumbia in the family tree · hollywoodbowl.com/about/watch-and-listen/a-brief-history-of- · britannica.com/art/cumbia

Bossa Nova

1958, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Tempo: 110 to 140 BPM.

A nylon string guitar does the work of a whole samba school. The thumb plays the surdo, the fingers flick the offbeats. The voice sits close to the microphone, almost a whisper. Soft brushes, cool jazz chords, no shouting. On a floor it is a sway, not a stomp, the warm up record that makes the room lean in.

Official track: Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, The Girl From Ipanema (1964).

Sources: Bossa Nova in the family tree · smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/remembering-bossa-nova-pioneer · nepm.org/national-world-news/2019-07-06/joao-gilberto-master

Salsa

1967, New York City, USA. Tempo: 160 to 220 BPM.

Clave locks everything in place. Congas, timbales and bongo chatter over a piano montuno that loops like a motor. Trombones blast in hard, rough and proud. The singer trades lines with the coro, then the band drops to the mambo section and the floor explodes into spins. Cuban roots, New York attitude.

Official track: Hector Lavoe, El Cantante (1978).

Sources: Salsa in the family tree · daily.bandcamp.com/label-profile/fania-records-label-profile · britannica.com/art/salsa-music

Latin Freestyle

1983, New York City and Miami, USA. Tempo: 110 to 125 BPM.

A drum machine punches out syncopated electro, with busy 808 and 909 fills and a fat synth bass. Latin percussion rolls over the top. Then a big, heartbroken pop vocal, usually a young woman singing about love gone wrong. Stabs, breaks and a chorus you scream along to on the dance floor.

Official track: Shannon, Let the Music Play (1983).

Sources: Latin Freestyle in the family tree · americansongwriter.com/how-freestyle-singer-shannons-biggest · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freestyle_music

Latin House

1985, Chicago and New York City, USA. Tempo: 120 to 128 BPM.

A four to the floor kick with live congas, timbales and cowbell rattling across it. Piano vamps borrowed from salsa, Spanish vocal chants, a rolling bassline. The best records break down to just percussion, then the kick slams back and the whole floor shouts.

Official track: Nuyorican Soul featuring India, Runaway (1996).

Sources: Latin House in the family tree · beatportal.com/articles/23399-how-latin-and-afro-sounds-conq · djmag.com/longreads/how-masters-works-nuyorican-soul-took-du · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_house

Miami Latin Pop

1985, Miami, USA. Tempo: 100 to 130 BPM.

Bright pop production with a Cuban engine underneath. Conga and timbales, a horn section in stabs, a slap bass and glossy synths. The hooks are in English, the rhythm is not. The moment the conga line forms, even the shy guests join in.

Official track: Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine, Conga (1985).

Sources: Miami Latin Pop in the family tree · remezcla.com/features/music/throwback-music-history-impact-o · songhall.org/profiles/gloria-emilio-estefan

Baile Funk

1989, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Tempo: 130 (later 150) BPM.

Miami bass drum machines turned into the tamborzão, a thumping, rolling Afro Brazilian beat. MCs chant and rap in Portuguese, often explicit. Tracks are short and loop the hook hard. At a baile the whole crowd sings the call back.

Official track: MC Fioti, Bum Bum Tam Tam (2017).

Sources: masterclass.com/articles/funk-carioca-music-history · daily.bandcamp.com/lists/the-manic-joyous-sound-of-brazils-f

Reggaeton

1994, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tempo: 88 to 100 BPM.

The dembow beat is the whole story: boom, ch boom chick, over and over. A thick bass, a snare that hits on the offbeat, sirens and air horns. Rapped or chanted Spanish vocals, often call and response. When the beat drops the room splits into couples and perreo starts.

Official track: Daddy Yankee, Gasolina (2004).

Sources: Reggaeton in the family tree · blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2024/09/gasolina/ · wncw.org/2023-03-14/a-tough-question-led-one-woman-to-create

Urban Bachata

1999, The Bronx, New York City, USA. Tempo: 120 to 140 BPM.

Two electric guitars pick fast, bright arpeggios against the bongo and the guira scraping on each beat. The bass slides. The voice is high and pleading, with R&B phrasing and bits of English and hip hop swagger. Couples lock in close and hit the tap on the fourth beat.

Official track: Aventura, Obsesion (2002).

Sources: Urban Bachata in the family tree · theconversation.com/how-bachata-rose-from-dominican-republic · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aventura_(band)

Latin Trap

2016, Puerto Rico. Tempo: 130 to 150 (felt at half time) BPM.

Rattling hi hats, booming 808 bass and slow, heavy half time drums from Atlanta trap. On top, Spanish rap and sung hooks drenched in Auto Tune, often dark and boastful. Some tracks slip into a dembow groove for the last chorus, and the club switches from nodding to dancing.

Official track: Bad Bunny, Soy Peor (2016).

Sources: Latin Trap in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_trap · theeagleonline.com/article/2023/11/genre-deep-dive-latin-tra

Corridos Tumbados

2019, Sonora, Mexico and Los Angeles, USA. Tempo: 70 to 110 BPM.

Acoustic requinto guitar runs, fast and bright, over a bajo sexto and a walking tololoche or tuba. The storytelling of old corridos meets trap slang, mumbled vocals and sometimes 808s. Crowds sing every word, and the requinto solos draw cheers like a drop.

Official track: Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma, Ella Baila Sola (2023).

Sources: Corridos Tumbados in the family tree · en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corridos_Tumbados_(album) · hmc.chartmetric.com/regional-mexican-music-corridos-tumbados · mexiconewsdaily.com/culture/narcocorridos-bans-mexico/