Dance Music Histories
Introduction
Although the roots
of today's electronic dance music go back a lot further, the dance
scene arguably started with the first house music recordings in the 1980s.
The UK was one of the first countries to really take to this style of music, and the scene exploded in the UK in 1987 and 1988 with "acid house". This new, UK form of house gave birth to the British rave scene, which led to hardcore and drum & bass; it also led to the clubbing phenomenon which peaked in the 1990s. Explore the histories of these dance music style with our Toucan Music articles!
The Dance Music History Pages
Trance
Characterised by synths mixed with house beats, usually with a combination
of delay and reverb, trance is one of the most popular and longest
surviving forms of dance music.
Hard House
A combination of sped up house rhythms, usually with a harder kick drum,
and harder style samples, UK hard house combines elements of house
and club music with old skool, hardcore, hip-hop and even trance.
Hardcore
One of the older forms of dance music, hardcore has seen many different
styles in its history. Originally a fusion of breakbeats and hard,
synth stab sounds at a house tempo, today UK hardcore has mutated into
a bouncy, 170+bpm techno style, usually with a heavy kick drum and
modern trance synth style melodies.
Drum & Bass
Originally a stripped down version of hardcore with just breakbeats and
deep bass, drum & bass has now become one of the world's most innovative
music genres. Truly a UK style, drum & bass today can include funky
instrumentals, hard edged synths and electronic beats.
Chillout
Chillout music was originally designed to relax clubbers looking to take
a break during the middle of a long dancing session. Now it's a genre
in its own right!
Speed Garage (written in 1998)
In its pure form, speed garage was one of the shortest lived musical
genres. Its beginnings can be traced to UK clubs around 1996, and
by the end of 1998 it had mutated into the new hip-hop and R&B
influenced "UK garage" sound.
In The Beginning...
By the mid 1980s, the UK was already dancing to electronic music in the form of Electro and Hi-NRG. House and techno emerged from America in the mid 1980s. House came from Chicago and techno from Detroit, but both had a similar electronic beat-driven sound and tracks of both styles quickly became hits on the UK club scene. By 1987, house and techno had reached the UK and, helped by DJs such as Danny Rampling and Paul Oakenfold who played the sound to UK clubbers on holiday in Ibiza, as well as clubs such as the Hacienda in Manchester who promoted the music, by the 1990s the dance scene had gone mainstream with pop producers ditching hi-energy in favour of these new styles.