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Electro (short for either electro-funk, or electro-boogie)〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Electro-Funk > WHAT DID IT ALL MEAN ? )〕〔(Rap meets Techno, with a short history of Electro ). Globaldarkness.com. Retrieved on 2011-07-18.〕 is a genre of electronic music and early hip hop directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines,〔Gavin Weale (2001) (The Future Sound Of Electro ). Electroempire.com〕 and funk sampling.〔Electro itself is a musical style blending "funk & synthesizers with elements of hip-hop", according to 〕〔Sean 'P-Ski' P (1995) (Electro – What Does It Mean? ). Electroempire.com〕 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.〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher=Allmusic )〕 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. ==Definition and characteristics== From its inception, one of the defining characteristics of the electro sound was the use of drum machines, particularly the Roland TR-808, as the rhythmic basis of the track. As the genre evolved, computers and sampling replaced drum machines in electronic music, and are now used by the majority of electro producers. It is important to note, that although the electro of the 1980s and contemporary electro (electronic dance music) both grew out of the dissolution of disco, they are now different genres. Classic (1980s) electro drum patterns tend to be electronic emulations of breakbeats (occasionally a four to the floor pattern is used as well), with a syncopated kick drum, and usually a snare or clap accenting the backbeat. The difference between electro drumbeats and breakbeats (or breaks) is that electro tends to be more mechanical, while breakbeats tend to have more of a human-like feel, like that of a live drummer. The definition however is somewhat ambiguous in nature due to the various uses of the term.〔(Electro-Funk : What Did It All Mean? ). Electrofunkroots.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-07-18.〕 The Roland TR-808 drum machine hit the market in 1980, defining early electro with its immediately recognizable sound. Staccato, percussive drumbeats tended to dominate electro, almost exclusively provided by the TR-808. As an inexpensive way of producing a drum sound, the TR-808 caught on quickly with the producers of early electro because of the ability of its bass drum to generate extreme low-frequencies.〔; as cited in 〕 This aspect of the Roland TR-808 was especially appealing to producers who would test drive their tracks in nightclubs (like NYC's Funhouse), where the bass drum sound was essential for a record's success.〔Harvey, Steven "The Perfect Beat" The Face Magazine, October, 1983〕 Its unique percussion sounds like handclaps, open and closed high-hat, clave and cowbell became integral to the electro sound. The Roland TR-808 has attained iconic status, eventually being used on more hits than any other drum machine. Through the use of samples, the Roland TR-808 remains popular in electro and other genres to the present day. Other electro instrumentation was generally electronic, favoring analog synthesis, programmed bass lines, sequenced or arpeggiated synthetic riffs, and atonal sound effects all created with synthesizers. Heavy use of effects such as reverbs, delays, chorus or phasers along with eerie synthetic ensemble strings or pad sounds emphasized the science fiction or futuristic themes of classic (1980s) electro, represented in the lyrics and/or music. Electro hip hop group Warp 9's 1983 single, Light Years Away, produced and written by Lotti Golden and Richard Scher, exemplifies the Sci-Fi, afrofuturist aspect of electro,〔Toop, p. 148〕 reflected in both the lyrics and instrumentation. The imagery of its lyrical refrain ''space is the place for the human race'' pays homage to Sun Ra's 1974 film,〔(IMDb )〕 while its synth lines and sound effects are informed by sci-fi, computer games, and cartoons,"born of a science-fiction revival.".〔Toop, p. 148〕 Most electro is instrumental, but a common element is vocals processed through a vocoder. Additionally, speech synthesis may be used to create robotic or mechanical lyrical content, as in the iconic Planet Rock and the automatous chant in the chorus of Nunk by Warp 9.〔("Scifi Street Sounds" )〕 Although primarily instrumental, early electro utilized rap. Male rap dominated the genre, however female rappers are an integral part of the electro tradition, whether featured in a group as in Warp 9 or as solo performers like Roxanne Shante. The lyrical style that emerged along with electro became less popular by the 1990s, as rapping continued to evolve, becoming the domain of hip hop music. About electro origins, Greg Wilson claims: 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「electro music」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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