Dance off!

Whack on your neon shirt, wristbands and canvas shoes, and prepare for the hottest genres in dance music – no glow sticks necessary!

HOUSE
This has been one of the longest lasting dance styles. It’s strongly influenced by the soul and funk sounds of disco, but updated for modern audiences. In this genre you’ll find a brisk tempo, plenty of drum machines, lots of sampling and processed vocals. A lot of the biggest artists in this genre come out of the land of frog legs and cheese, France.
Playlist these: Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, Sneaky Sound System

ELECTROCLASH
This dance style actually peaked in the early 2000s in the club community, and got its name because of the punk attitude of its first artists like Peaches. It’s worth noting because only now is its influence starting to trickle down the pop charts through bands like The Veronicas, albeit in a much glossier, less punky form. It has a very eighties vibe and uses a lot of synths paired with guitars.
Playlist these: The Sounds, Le Tigre, The Veronicas

INDIE ELECTRONICA
Not all dance music is designed to make you dance. Think of the way Radiohead incorporated electronic elements into their landmark album Kid A – not exactly a dance floor filler! This sort of music tends to be more downbeat and often uses samples to create a lush soundscape.
Playlist these: Mum, Dntel, The Postal Service
 
MASHUPS
These are kind of the novelty songs of the dance world. They combine the lyrics of one song with the beats of another, and the tracks that are put together are usually from completely different genres for maximum shock value. A landmark album by Danger Mouse combined the ’60s pop maestros The Beatles’ The White Album with rapper Jay-Z’s The Black Album to make, of course, The Grey Album.
Playlist these: Girl Talk, 2 Many DJs, Danger Mouse

NU RAVE
Nu rave branched out of the dance punk sounds of bands like The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem, with less of an emphasis on punk and more on having fun. The acts in this genre have a very distinct look in their outfits, video clips and album artwork, stealing much of its aesthetic from the rave scene, so expect to be blinded by neon if you go to a nu rave gig.
Playlist these: Klaxons, New Young Pony Club, Muscles

BAILE FUNK
Think you’?ve never heard of this sort of this hot genre? You probably have but don?’t realise it! A recent Bonds ad for their ‘Kaleidoscope’ range featured the funky sounds one of the biggest bands playing this sound, Bonde do Rolê. Baile funk came from the hip swivelling land of Brazil, so there?’s plenty of samba drums and saucy lyrics rapped over the top. It came from the ghettos so it’?s all about having a fun time, partying and forgetting your worries.
Playlist these: Cansei de Ser Sexy, Bonde do Rolê, MIA