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future bounce

Future Bounce

Netherlands · 2010s
DancingHappyEpicDreamyIntense
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Description

Future bounce is a festival-ready offshoot of future house that blends the genre’s glossy, uplifting chord progressions with the rubbery, syncopated drops of Melbourne Bounce. It is characterized by bright, plucky leads, bouncy bass patterns that "jump" across the grid, and tight, sidechained four-on-the-floor drums at around 126–130 BPM.

The style typically pairs emotive, pop-leaning breakdowns—often with piano stabs, vocal chops, and wide supersaws—with a punchy, minimalist drop where a percussive bass and pluck lead trade short, syncopated phrases. Crisp fills, risers, and snare builds heighten the contrast between breakdown and drop, making the genre both danceable and euphoric.

History
Origins (mid-2010s)

Future bounce emerged in the mid-2010s, primarily within the Dutch EDM scene, as producers sought a brighter, pop-friendlier successor to the gritty bass of electro house and the massive leads of big room. By fusing future house’s sleek, detuned-pluck aesthetics with the springy, offbeat energy of Melbourne Bounce, early adopters shaped a sound that was both radio-ready and festival-effective.

Breakout and Codification

Labels like Spinnin' Records and imprints around STMPD RCRDS popularized the style through singles and DJ edits that emphasized contrast: emotive, melodic breakdowns and tightly punctuated drops. Tracks by Brooks, Mike Williams, and Mesto helped codify the template—128 BPM, bright plucks, and bouncy bass sequences that danced around simple, catchy chord progressions.

Mainstream Reach

As the wider EDM landscape diversified after the big room peak, future bounce became a go-to formula for crossover dance-pop and festival sets. Collaborations with headline acts, remixes of pop vocals, and support from major festival DJs brought the sound to global stages while keeping production minimalist in the drop and lush in the breakdown.

Continued Evolution

Producers have since hybridized future bounce with modern pop, electro house, and progressive house, experimenting with different swing feels, timbres, and vocal-driven arrangements. While trends have cycled to other styles, future bounce remains a staple for high-energy, melodically rich club and festival tracks.

How to make a track in this genre
Tempo, Rhythm, and Groove
•   Aim for 126–130 BPM (128 BPM is common). Use a tight four-on-the-floor kick, with claps on 2 and 4 and open hats on the offbeat. •   Create the signature “bounce” with short, syncopated bass notes that alternate with plucky lead stabs. Employ subtle swing or shuffled 1/16s to add motion.
Harmony and Structure
•   Use simple, emotive progressions (e.g., I–V–vi–IV or i–VI–III–VII). Keep breakdown chords lush (piano, supersaws, or wide plucks), then strip down for the drop. •   Structure: Intro → Melodic Breakdown (pads/piano/vocal chops) → Build (snare rolls, risers) → Drop (minimal, bouncy lead + bass) → Second Breakdown/Drop → Outro.
Sound Design and Timbre
•   Leads: Detuned plucks or short-decay supersaws with a lowpass filter and fast envelopes; layer a transient click for punch. Add short room reverb and stereo widening. •   Bass: Perky, percussive bass with fast attack, short decay, and strong sidechain. Alternate octaves for bounce and use glides for character. •   FX: Uplifters, downlifters, white noise, and quick fill shots (toms, snares, bleeps) to articulate phrases.
Mixing and Dynamics
•   Aggressive sidechain compression to create pump between kick, bass, and leads. •   Keep the drop dry and focused; reserve wider reverbs and delays for breakdowns to maximize contrast. •   Use transient shaping and multiband compression to retain punch while keeping high-end plucks smooth.
Vocals and Hooks
•   Vocal chops or short toplines work well. In breakdowns, pitch-chopped phrases can foreshadow the drop melody. •   Keep hooks simple and rhythmic so they interlock with the bounce pattern.
Arrangement Tips
•   Build tension with rising pitch automation, increasing snare-roll density, and filter sweeps before the drop. •   Reserve the fullest chord stacks for the breakdown; let the drop breathe with just kick, bass, and pluck to spotlight the groove.
Main artists
Influenced by
Future House
Future house is a mid‑2010s strain of house music known for rubbery, plucked bass leads, clean and punchy drums, and streamlined, drop‑focused arrangements. It bridges the groove and warmth of deep/UK house with the sheen and impact of big‑room/electro‑house, often featuring metallic or organ‑like bass timbres that “speak” melodically. Typical tracks sit around 124–128 BPM, use tight sidechain compression for a pumping feel, and contrast sparse, atmospheric breakdowns with hooky, syncopated bass drops. Vocals, when present, are concise—often chopped or pitched—and the sound design emphasizes clarity, swing, and a modern, club‑ready polish.
Melbourne Bounce
Melbourne bounce is a high-energy offshoot of electro house that emerged from Australia in the early 2010s. It is characterized by a driving 4/4 kick, short off-beat bass stabs that create a rubbery “bounce” groove, and sparse, percussive drops built around punchy lead stabs, brass-like synths, and tom/snare fills. Typically sitting around 126–130 BPM (often 128), the style favors minimal, festival-ready arrangements with big build-ups, chantable vocal chops, and highly DJ-friendly intros/outros. The sound is bright, playful, and kinetic—designed to work on large dancefloors while remaining simple enough to be irresistibly catchy.
Electro House
Electro house is a high-energy branch of house music characterized by distorted, buzzing bass leads, crisp four‑on‑the‑floor drums, and dramatic, festival-ready drops. It typically runs around 125–130 BPM, favoring aggressive, sawtooth-based synth timbres, heavy sidechain compression, and big, riff-like hooks over lush chord progressions. Production emphasizes powerful low-end, gritty midrange textures, noise sweeps and risers, and tightly structured builds and breakdowns that set up explosive drops. While rooted in house and electro traditions, its sound design borrows from techno’s intensity and big beat’s punch, resulting in a bold, modern, and club-focused aesthetic.
Big Room House
Big room house is a festival-focused strain of EDM built for massive sound systems and outdoor main stages. It typically runs around 126–132 BPM (most commonly 128), uses four-on-the-floor kick patterns, and features huge, simple lead riffs designed to be instantly memorable to large crowds. A defining trait is the contrast between cinematic, reverb-washed breakdowns and ultra-dry, percussive drops driven by a powerful kick, sub, and a few bold supersaw or horn-like synth stabs. Arrangements lean on dramatic builds with snare rolls, risers, and crowd-hyping vocal chops, culminating in drops that emphasize impact over harmonic complexity.
Progressive Breaks
Progressive breaks is a melodic, atmospheric branch of breakbeat that applies the long-form arrangement, harmonic richness, and textural detail of progressive house and progressive trance to syncopated breakbeat rhythms. Typically in the 125–135 BPM range, it features wide stereo pads, evolving arpeggios, deep and warm basslines, and patient, DJ‑friendly builds. Rather than the raw, ravey edge of classic breaks or the gnarlier energy of nu skool breaks, progressive breaks prefers cinematic sound design, modal harmonies, and gradual tension-and-release across extended arrangements. The result is dancefloor music that feels transportive and emotive: rolling break patterns underpin soaring chords and motifs, with motifs introduced, developed, and recontextualized over many minutes.
Future Bass
Future bass is a melodic, drop-focused style of electronic dance music built around lush, detuned saw-tooth chords, dramatic swells, and emotive, pop- and R&B-leaning progressions. It typically runs at 70–90 BPM (or 140–180 BPM in double-time), uses trap-inspired drums (808 kicks, crisp snares on the third beat, syncopated hi-hats), and features heavy sidechain compression for a breathing, "pumping" feel. Producers often layer shimmering supersaws, pitch-automated leads, and chopped/pitched vocal snippets to create euphoric, weightless drops that contrast with airy verses and cinematic builds. A hallmark is its glossy, future-leaning sound design—gliding chords, LFO modulation, wide stereo images—paired with catchy, sentimental melodies that make it equally club-ready and radio-friendly.
Edm
EDM (Electronic Dance Music) refers to the mainstream, festival-oriented wave of electronic dance styles that rose to global prominence in the early 2010s. It emphasizes high-energy drops, ear-catching toplines, and crowd-pleasing arrangements designed for large stages and mass audiences. Musically, EDM typically sits around 124–130 BPM with a strong four-on-the-floor kick, wide supersaw leads, bright plucks, and heavily sidechained pads and basses for a pumping feel. Tracks are structured around tension-and-release: intros and builds lead to explosive drops, followed by breakdowns that rebuild energy. Vocals and pop-style songwriting frequently appear, enabling crossover success on radio and streaming platforms.
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