Master Electronic
Music Production
Deep-dive guides on electronic music history, production techniques, and iconic sounds. With interactive patterns you can play right here.
Explore by Genre
Techno
Techno originated in Detroit, Michigan between 1985 and 1988. Three high school friends from Belleville—Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson—developed the genre by combining the electronic sounds of Kraftwerk with funk rhythms from Parliament-Funkadelic and the emerging Chicago house scene. The genre is characterized by repetitive 4/4 beats typically ranging from 120 to 150 BPM, synthesizer-driven melodies, and a futuristic aesthetic rooted in Detroit's post-industrial identity.
10 articlesHouse
House music emerged in Chicago between 1983 and 1985, named after The Warehouse nightclub where DJ Frankie Knuckles pioneered the sound. When disco declined after 1979, Chicago DJs began extending disco breaks with drum machines—particularly the Roland TR-909—and layering European electronic music. The genre established the 4/4 kick drum pattern, offbeat hi-hats, and soulful vocal samples that remain foundational to electronic dance music.
10 articlesElectro
Electro emerged in the early 1980s when producers in New York, Detroit, and Los Angeles fused Kraftwerk's electronic aesthetic with American funk using the Roland TR-808 drum machine. Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" (1982) defined the genre: machine-generated rhythms, synthesized basslines, and a futuristic vision that directly influenced hip-hop, techno, Miami bass, and modern trap.
10 articles