Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Began in the late 1970s as a development of Krautrock, pioneered by Kraftwerk

 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Artists such as David Bowie added the synthesised electronic timbres to his
experimental ‘Berlin’ trilogy of albums – Low, Lodger and Heroes to influence the Art
Rock movement that would influence the New Romantics
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Disco producers, such as Giorgio Moroder began producing a disco sound that was
populated with solely electronic instruments
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Analysis: Poker Face – Lady Gaga

Tempo:

Tonality:

Melody:

Harmony:

Rhythm/ Time Signature:

Timbre: Instrumentation:
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Analysis: Bulletproof – La Roux

Tempo:

Tonality:

Melody:

Harmony:

Rhythm/ Time Signature:

Timbre: Instrumentation:
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Analysis: Bulletproof – La Roux

Tempo:

Tonality:

Melody:

Harmony:

Rhythm/ Time Signature:

Timbre: Instrumentation:
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Instrumentation

Vocals
Electric Guitar x 2
Bass Guitar / Bass Synth
Drum machines
Drums and percussion (synthesized)
Heavy use of Synthesizers
Pads
Strings
Pianos
Samplers (minimal use)
Pattern Sequencers
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Performance and Arrangement:

• An up-beat tempo in excess of 90bpm and up to 125bpm

• Almost always 4/4
• Almost exclusively minor keys
• Steady beat on 2 and 4 with some variety towards chorus
• Often four-to-the-floor kick pattern
• Intricate hi-hat parts
• Often rigid, robotic programming – very little swing
• Crash on chorus entry
• Harmony is static, typically three or four chords, two on verse or a four chord pattern repeated.
• Harmonic variation comes from individual parts and timbres and through dynamics
• Synth stabs or syncopated staccato stabs on piano
• Heavy use of synthetic sounds on percussion (909 handclap and cowbell)
• Use of synth for bass lines
• Synth riffs and pad chords
• Samples taken from a range of instrument and vocal recordings
• Structures are built on building up and breaking down textures and rhythmic elements
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Characteristics:

• Opening Hook
• Exciting synth attacks
• Changes in vocal textures (Vocoder, splicing, samples)
• Sequenced lines
• Use of dynamic variety
• Dropping out of drums / pads for break downs
• Introduction on counter melodies in verse / pre-chorus to give harmonic variety
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Technology and Production:

• Electronic instruments used include: Drum machines, samplers and synthesizers

• Use of a wide variety of effects
• Effects including: reverb, delay, distortion, chorus, side-chain compression
• Use of Filters
• Vocal Manipulation processing
• Computer-based sequencers to create the music
• Cheaper technology makes music production more accessible
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Common Structure (pop):

Intro (8 bars) – Verse(8 bars) –  Pre Chorus(8 bars) – Chorus(8 bars) – Hook(8 bars) –
Chorus Break Down(8 / 16 bars) – Chorus till end
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Demonstration
 Area Of Study 2: Pop Music Styles Since 1910

Electro Pop

Task:

Create a quick composition 16-32 bars using Poker Face by Lady Gaga or Bulletproof by
La Roux as a style and ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit as a stimulus.

Download the tracks on the blog

The score for Smells Like Teen Spirit is in your portfolio and available on Moodle

Submit your results as a blog entry