Electronica vs. Electronic Music

rbro · Post by **rbro** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:31 pm

Forgive my naivete. Are these terms essentially one in the same, or do you consider Electronica to be a sub-genre of Electronic Music, or something else?

timothyallan · Post by **timothyallan** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:36 pm

I think electronic music is the umbrella that people use to describe anything that has a synth in it.

Electronica is usually associated with beepy, bloopy styles of music.

sidownes · Post by **sidownes** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:39 pm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronica

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_music

wilxon · Post by **wilxon** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:51 pm

timothyallan wrote:I think electronic music is the umbrella that people use to describe anything that has a synth in it.

Electronica is usually associated with beepy, bloopy styles of music.

Electronic music coveres all music created electronically, can be done without synths.

timothyallan · Post by **timothyallan** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:50 pm

Ohh I knew someone would call me on that. I should have clarified that it could be anything that plugs into the wall.

I generalized synths into anything that can synthesize sounds.

rbro · Post by **rbro** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 11:36 pm

wilxon wrote:
timothyallan wrote:I think electronic music is the umbrella that people use to describe anything that has a synth in it.

Electronica is usually associated with beepy, bloopy styles of music.
Electronic music coveres all music created electronically, can be done without synths.

But how do you define "created electronically"?

beats me · Post by **beats me** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:59 am

I think Electronica is used when a song doesn't fit comfortably into one specific genre, or at least that is how I have seen it used. Um, not quite House, not quite Breaks, too fast for Ambient. fuck it, Electronica. Next song.

dango · Post by **dango** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:23 am

on the wiki for electronic music there is this picture. looks like he's using live

wikipedia wrote:A live performance with electronic instruments.

wilxon · Post by **wilxon** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 8:26 am

rbro wrote:
wilxon wrote:
timothyallan wrote:I think electronic music is the umbrella that people use to describe anything that has a synth in it.

Electronica is usually associated with beepy, bloopy styles of music.
Electronic music coveres all music created electronically, can be done without synths.
But how do you define "created electronically"?

I define "created electronically" when using electronic equipment to make it.

Guitars, drums, pianos and instruments of acoustic nature requiring microphones to record i dont consider to be in this category. Amps and stuff would be electrical not necessarily electronic.

However - using a computer, synths, samplers, etc etc to be electronical.

Anything that requires circuitry, and is therefore electronic.

nolus · Post by **nolus** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 8:58 am

To me 'Ellectronic Music' is any music made by purely electronic means that goes beyond what would be possible using purely accoustic instruments.

As opposed to ellectronically produced music, which might sound just like accoustic music to an untrained ear. I.e. the GM backing track used by an Elvis impersonator is *not* ellectronic music.

fatrabbit · Post by **fatrabbit** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:50 am

I think the terms are too simplistic. The truth is there is a lot of area in between, but these labels are assigned to things (usually by journalists) who have to write about sound.

mikemc · Post by **mikemc** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:37 pm

I've seen this debate several times, and each time it seems like the wikipedia definitions that are cited during the debate have been expanded

I mostly agree with the definitions at this point.

I'd distinguish the two as follows: electronic music has existed since the advent of electronically *synthesized* instruments. Electronica has existed since very late 80's- early 90's. Some people disregard the term as having any value, having been invented by glib journalists.

In my book "Electronica" is a term (yeh, seems everyone agrees it was invented by a journalist) like "Americana" that refers to "a panopoly of music that is derived from a particular kit of musical-cultural parts". So any music that incorporates a significant portion of those elements from Electronic Music is Electronica-- that somehow substantially 'refers' to electronic music.

That's my characterization of the distinction and I'm sticking to it.

SPAWNmaster · Post by **SPAWNmaster** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 2:23 pm

fucking ridiculous debate in my own opinion. everyone has their own definitions these days especially with genre blurs. for the most part people agree that electronica and EDM (electronic dance music) are entirely seperate...EDM being the umbrella category for such genres as:

trance
house
breaks
electro
tech-house
techno
minimal
DnB
psytrance

each of which contain various other subgenres. to me electronica can be 2 things: 1) what the masses refer to when they hear any form of EDM OR 2) rock with electronic influences (discobiscuits for example).

rbro · Post by **rbro** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:04 pm

The reason I even ask, is that I went into a large bookstore the other day and wanted to find some books on Live, digital recording, etc. So I went to the information desk and asked where their books on "electronic music" were. The 2 dudes behind the counter looked at me like I was crazy. Finally one of them said, "You mean 'Electronica'?" and pointed me towards one of the shelves. I found the books I was looking for, but I thought it was an interesting exchange and got me thinking.......

SPAWNmaster · Post by **SPAWNmaster** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:26 pm

rbro wrote:The reason I even ask, is that I went into a large bookstore the other day and wanted to find some books on Live, digital recording, etc. So I went to the information desk and asked where their books on "electronic music" were. The 2 dudes behind the counter looked at me like I was crazy. Finally one of them said, "You mean 'Electronica'?" and pointed me towards one of the shelves. I found the books I was looking for, but I thought it was an interesting exchange and got me thinking.......

fair mate. i understand the hassle and it's quite annoying that the masses refer to anything and everything with a synth in it "electronica." i assume you live in the USA.