# EDM (Electronic Dance Music) — Genre

> Festival-style electronic music. Build-and-drop structure. High energy.

## Defining elements

- 4-on-the-floor kick drum
- Build-and-drop song structure
- Tempo 120-140 BPM typically
- Heavy bass at drop
- Vocal hooks (often female)
- Festival-ready production

## Sub-types

- **Big room** — festival anthem (David Guetta, Hardwell)
- **Future bass** — modern emotional EDM (Flume, Illenium)
- **Dubstep** — wobble bass (Skrillex, Excision)
- **Trap (EDM)** — different from hip-hop trap (RL Grime, Baauer)
- **Tropical house** — relaxed EDM (Kygo, Robin Schulz)
- **Hardstyle** — aggressive (Headhunterz)
- **Drum and bass** — fast (Pendulum, Camo & Krooked)

## Structure

```
Intro (16 bars)
Build-up (16 bars — tension building)
Drop (32 bars — bass + beat hit)
Breakdown (16 bars — quieter)
Build-up (16 bars)
Drop (32 bars)
Outro (16 bars)
```

## Typical instrumentation

Synth bass + lead synth + drum machine + vocal samples + risers / sweeps

## Production characteristics

- Loud, compressed
- Sub-bass heavy
- Layered synths
- Sidechained pumping
- Festival-ready loudness

## Lyrics direction

- Empowerment
- Dancing, freedom
- Love at festival
- Often female vocal hooks
- Repetitive (designed for dancing)

## For Suno

```
[Style: big room EDM, 128 BPM, F minor, synth bass + lead synth melody + 
4-on-the-floor kick + risers and sweeps + female vocal hook chopped + 
build and drop structure, festival-ready production]
```

## Examples

- Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Avicii, Skrillex, Tiësto
- Modern: Illenium, Flume, Kygo, Marshmello

## Avoid

- Live instruments dominant
- Sparse arrangement
- No drop
- Slow tempo
- Acoustic feel
