AB-Sounds

Chiptune (also called chip music or 8-bit music) is a style of electronic music created with, or emulating, the programmable sound generator (PSG) and FM chips found in vintage game consoles and home computers such as the NES/Famicom, Game Boy, Commodore 64 (SID), Amiga, Atari ST, and others. The sound palette is defined by simple waveforms (square/pulse, triangle, saw, noise), rapid arpeggios that imply chords on limited channels, pitch bends, duty-cycle modulation, and crunchy noise percussion. These constraints lend chiptune its bright, percussive, and highly melodic character, often evoking early video-game aesthetics. While originally utilitarian—music for games and computer demos—the approach evolved into a standalone art form. Contemporary chiptune spans pure hardware-authentic tracks and hybrid productions that blend chip timbres with modern synthesis, drums, vocals, and mixing techniques.

Drum and bass (DnB) is a fast, rhythmically intricate form of electronic dance music centered on breakbeats at roughly 160–180 BPM and powerful, sub‑heavy basslines. It grew out of the UK’s early ’90s rave and jungle scenes, combining chopped funk breaks (most famously the Amen break), dub and reggae sound‑system aesthetics, hip‑hop sampling, and techno’s futurist sound design. Across its many substyles—liquid funk’s soulful harmonies, techstep and neurofunk’s cold, machine‑like bass engineering, jump‑up’s hooky bass riffs, atmospheric DnB’s pads and space—drum and bass remains a DJ‑oriented, dancefloor‑driven genre that prizes tight drum programming, deep low end, and precise arrangement for mixing.

Electronic is a broad umbrella genre defined by the primary use of electronically generated or electronically processed sound. It encompasses music made with synthesizers, drum machines, samplers, computers, and studio/tape techniques, as well as electroacoustic manipulation of recorded or synthetic sources. The genre ranges from academic and experimental traditions to popular and dance-oriented forms. While its sonic palette is rooted in electricity and circuitry, its aesthetics span minimal and textural explorations, structured song forms, and beat-driven club permutations. Electronic emphasizes sound design, timbre, and studio-as-instrument practices as much as melody and harmony.

Funk is a rhythm-forward African American popular music style that centers on groove, syncopation, and interlocking parts. Rather than emphasizing complex chord progressions, funk builds tight, repetitive vamps that highlight the rhythm section and create an irresistible dance feel. The genre is marked by syncopated drum patterns, melodic yet percussive bass lines, choppy guitar "chanks," punchy horn stabs, call‑and‑response vocals, and a strong backbeat. Funk’s stripped-down harmony, prominent use of the one (accenting the downbeat), and polyrhythmic layering draw deeply from soul, rhythm and blues, jazz, gospel, and African rhythmic traditions. From James Brown’s late-1960s innovations through the expansive P-Funk universe and the slicker sounds of the 1970s and 1980s, funk has continually evolved while seeding countless other genres, from disco and hip hop to house and modern R&B.

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.

J-core is a Japanese take on hardcore techno that fuses high-BPM club structures with otaku culture, game/anime sampling, and brightly melodic writing. It typically sits in the 160–200+ BPM range, using pounding four-on-the-floor kicks, gabber-style distorted low-end, or layered breakbeats. The style is defined by hyper-melodic leads (often supersaws), euphoric trance harmonies, and chopped/processed voice clips from anime, games, denpa songs, or Vocaloid. Aesthetically it leans kawaii/cute but can swing toward intense, chaotic, or even speedcore extremes. J-core flourished in Japan’s doujin scene and rhythm-game ecosystem, with circles and labels releasing compilations and event-driven tracks.

Rave is a high-energy electronic dance music style and party culture that crystallized in the late 1980s in the United Kingdom, growing out of acid house nights and warehouse parties. Musically, it emphasizes relentless dance-floor momentum, big breakdowns and drops, bright "rave stabs" and hoover leads, chopped breakbeats or four-on-the-floor kicks, and euphoric vocal samples. While the word "rave" refers to the broader culture of all-night events, the genre tag often points to the early 1990s UK sound sometimes called hardcore rave or breakbeat hardcore: uptempo BPMs, Amen/Think breaks, 808/909 drums, M1 piano riffs, diva hooks, sirens, and airhorns. The mood ranges from ecstatic and communal to dark and intense, with DJ-friendly structures designed for long blends and peak-time rushes.

Hardcore (often called hardcore techno in its early form) is a fast, aggressive branch of electronic dance music characterized by heavily distorted, punchy 4/4 kick drums, tempos ranging from roughly 160 to well over 200 BPM, and a dark, high‑energy aesthetic. It emphasizes percussive drive over complex harmony, using clipped and saturated kick-bass sound design, sharp hi-hats, claps on the backbeat, and harsh synth stabs or screeches. Vocals, when present, are typically shouted hooks, sampled movie lines, or crowd chants processed with distortion and effects. Originating in the Netherlands in the early 1990s, the style quickly splintered into related scenes and subgenres such as gabber, happy hardcore, Frenchcore, terrorcore, speedcore, and later hardstyle. Its culture is closely associated with large-scale raves, specialized labels, and distinctive visual branding.

Rhythm game music is a high-energy, precision-oriented style written to synchronize tightly with interactive note charts in music and rhythm video games. It blends club-ready electronic subgenres (trance, happy hardcore, Eurobeat, drum and bass, techno, house) with bright J‑pop/anison sensibilities, catchy motifs, and sound-design flourishes derived from game audio. Tracks favor clear, quantized rhythms, sectional contrast, and dramatic builds/drops so players can read and perform complex patterns. Producers often incorporate tempo shifts, stop effects, meter play, and FX hits that mirror gameplay cues. Melodies are hooky and memorable, while percussion is punchy and forward to make timing windows feel satisfying.