Electro

A style of electronic dance music that emerged in the United States in the early 1980s. It fused funk and early hip-hop with the robotic sound of Kraftwerk and Yellow Magic Orchestra, so it is also called electro-funk. It is built on the Roland TR-808 drum machine, with syncopated, breakbeat-style rhythms instead of the straight four-on-the-floor kick of house and techno. Other hallmarks are booming 808 bass and kicks, sharp handclaps, synthesizer riffs, vocoder vocals and futuristic, sci-fi themes. Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force’s “Planet Rock” (1982), produced by Arthur Baker, was its breakthrough. Cybotron (Juan Atkins and Rick Davis), Egyptian Lover and Mantronix also shaped the sound. Electro was central to early breakdancing culture and laid the groundwork for Detroit techno, Miami bass and hip-hop production. It is distinct from “electro house,” a later and unrelated style.