Electronic rock, also commonly referred to as synth-rock, electro-rock or digital rock, is rock music generated with electronic instruments.
It started in the 1960s and has gotten better with technological developments. The development of the synthesizer really made this genre blow up and the development of the MIDI digital format and computer technology made it even easier for musicians to put out their work. In the 1970s, punk music was introduced and inspired the creators of electronic rock to have more punk elements. It reached its peak in the 90s to the early 2000s when computer technology was advancing.
Electronic rock has an interesting sound that focuses more on the beats rather than the lyrics. Although there are little to no lyrics, one can still feel the emotions the band is trying to convey. The beat moves through your body, making it great to dance to and lose yourself to. One can create their own meaning in the song, which makes it an extremely interesting genre.
Some people would say that it isn’t music, but I guess everyone has their own definition of what qualifies as music. Dubstep made a huge name for itself in the 2000s and dubstep a subgenre of electronic dance music. So basically electronic rock is dubstep with punk elements incorporated throughout. I think bands like The XX, XXYYXX and Crystal Castles do a great job of redefining the genre to make it modern. Give it a listen, you might just fall in love with it.
Here are my top electronic rock tracks:
And finally, “Intro” by the XX. I have never found a song quite like this. It makes perfect background music for any occasion:
I’m actually listening to it right now
Click here to listen to other artists.
