Electro Music

Electro (short for either electro-funk, or electro-boogie) is a genre of electronic music and early hip hop directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines, and funk sampling. Records in the genre typically feature drum machines and 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. This is the main distinction between electro and previously prominent genres such as disco, in which the electronic sound was only part of the instrumentation. It also palpably deviates from its predecessor boogie for being less vocal-oriented and more focused on electronic beats produced by drum machines.

Following the decline of disco music in the United States, electro emerged as a fusion of funk and New York boogie combined with German and Japanese electropop, with Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) being key influences. In 1982, producer Afrika Bambaataa released the seminal "Planet Rock" which was influenced by Kraftwerk, YMO, and the TR-808. In 1983, Hashim created an influential electro funk sound and Herbie Hancock had the hit single "Rockit". The early 1980s were electro's mainstream peak. By the late 1980s, the genre moved away from its funk influences. Electro became popular again in the late 1990s with artists such as Anthony Rother and DJs such as Dave Clarke. A third wave of popularity occurred in 2007. Electro has branched out into subgenres, including "electrocore" and Skweee, which developed in Sweden and Finland.