what is The Age of Hip Hop Electronic?

1969 to 1989

It's about the first 20 years of electronic dance music, Hip Hop, and a culture birthed from the disenfranchised.

-KNOW THE ROOTS-

The roots of Electronic Dance Music and Hip Hop are more closely related than you may think….

The story of Hip Hop and Electronic Music is a tale rooted in continuous evolution, germinated by the seeds of creativity, rebellion, social awakening, and voices that needed to be heard. The organic tapestry that emerged from the early decades captured the cocktail of mood and emotion within people who operated on culture and society's fringes. The Age of Hip Hop Electronic encapsulates the essence of marginalized people looking to belong and striving for an outlet for the creative energy brimming inside them.

Today, Hip Hop and Electronic is the culmination of that spirit and energy, but it continues to evolve and morph as new inspiration flows backward and forwards between communities and cultures. We have only written the first few chapters of a never-ending story that will continue to write itself with the ink of our collective contributions.

The Beat Begins To Build

The independence of Jamaica in 1962 ushered in an era of growth and a period where the country was trying to find itself and develop a post-colonial sense of identity. Reggae emerged during this period from Ska and Rocksteady. Marginalized communities that could not afford the entrance fees to up-market clubs had already established public parties with a distinct culture of music pioneers and sound systems. People like Augustus Pablo and King Tubby had seized on the idea of creating their "versions" of popular Reggae tracks by removing the vocals and often stripping specific instruments to emphasize the bass. This was the beginning of what we know today as Dub. The style of Dub has also morphed to include different "versions," including old school and ecology of variations. Combined, Dub continues to echo and reverberate Afrofuturism with its experiences of alienation and remembrance.

Spiraling out from this period in Jamaica was Dancehall music, a "version" that grew out of Ska, Dub, and Reggae. Dancehall had a profound effect on Jamaican culture post-independence, but probably its most significant impact was with women. In reaction to the Dancehall culture, women began to defy and modify the cultural and gender expectations within Jamaican society. Dancehall culture provided women with an outlet to dress and behave as they would want, creating their unique styles. Apart from enjoying a newfound sense of freedom, women also began to leave their creative mark. In particular, Lady Patra and Lady Shaw demonstrated that women have something to say and can be cooler than boys. "Bam, Bam" by Sister Nancy is also another example of classic Dancehall empowering women.

Across the pond in America, soul, rhythm and blues, and gospel had been elements of a melting pot that would result in Disco music in the early to mid-70s. The Hippie era was coming to an end, and a broad range of social issues came to the fore. New York and Philadelphia became drivers of the emerging Disco culture influenced by African American and Latino sounds. The early days of Disco were characterized by semi-underground parties that became havens for people that had otherwise been treated as outcasts. Gay men, in particular, discovered the freedom and acceptance of the Disco scene. People from all walks of life could come together and party, free of discrimination and judgment.

Like flowers blossoming on a tree, up-tempo Disco and Hi-NRG emerged as offshoots. Hi-NRG is characterized by faster tempos and what has been called "butt banging bass." The vibe was about giving your body to the music and moving without inhibitions, a pure release of unbridled energy. HI-NRG grew to take on mainstream status with the LGBT community in America, embracing it for its sense of freedom.

Spreading out from New York into Chicago, the disco movement experienced new life in a reincarnation called house. Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan were amongst the DJs who experimented with Disco tracks to make them more mechanical and introduce a deeper base. The epicenter for this new sound was a Chicago club called the Warehouse, where the movement earned its name. Dance music started to see a resurgence post-disco era and quickly branched out into several sub-genres such as Acid, Deep, Hard, and Latina House. The electronic scene was shifting, finding new inspiration, but never dying.

Disco boomed in Detroit just long enough to leave a seed that would grow into Techno. Drawing from HI-NRG, House, and inspiration from Kraftwerk and German Techno, the Detroit scene developed a distinct sound. Front runners such as Juan Atkins described Techno as a clean sound, which provided a stark contrast to the bleak industrial mood of Detroit at the time. The interconnectedness of the electronic scene was well established, and the techno bug quickly spread throughout Europe and many parts of the world. In Germany, Techno took on a greater meaning for people who had experienced the isolation of the cold war era and is seen as a significant source of re-establishing cultural exchanges between West and East Germans. In time, jazz even found its way into the mix in what has become a complex range of fusions that make up contemporary Techno.

MARGINALIZATION SPRINGS ANEW

The Bronx was home to African, Caribbean, and Latino Americans that collectively created the culture and art movement that is Hip Hop in the mid-70s. Four key elements emerged to make Hip Hop the phenomenon that it is. Rapping, mixing, breakdance, and graffiti are aspects of a culture that was always destined to be more than just a sound. Disco, jazz, rag-time, and funk have found some expression within the Hip Hop movement, but it is the act of "mixing" that the culture is probably best known for.

Clive Campbell or DJ Kool Herc is generally credited as the father of Hip Hop. Cindy Campbell, the sister of DJ Kool Herc, came upon the idea of hosting parties to earn extra money. DJ Herc naturally agreed to spin funk tracks at these events but quickly generated the idea of using two copies of the same record on a turntable to experiment with the breaks. What would be called "breakbeat" DJing using funk drum solos served as the original Hip Hop sound foundation. DJ Kool Herc's use of turntables to manipulate sound inspired the art of mixing or turntablism. This would quickly spread to capture the imagination of another Bronx legend, Afrika Bambaata, and his Zulu nation.

Afrika Bambaata is a central figure in the development of breakbeat and Electro-Funk. Inspired by DJ Kool Herc and Kool DJ Dee, Afrika formed the Universal Zulu Nation to attract disillusioned youth away from gangs and give them a more positive outlet for their energy. In 1982, Afrika embarked on the first international Hip Hop tour to promote the values that drove his creativity. Peace, unity, love, and simply having fun were the elements he believed Hip Hop should encapsulate. Kraftwerk and the Yellow Magic Orchestra from Japan found their way into Afrika's imagination and served as an added ingredient in the electro sound that he would create.

ELECTRO FREE EUROPE AND THE WORLD

Kosmische Musik sprung up in a highly industrialized age of Germany during the 60s and 70s, combining electronic music with psychedelic rock. The movement was affected by German youths' desire to rebel against its past and the shadow of the Berlin Wall to create something new and separate from traditional German music and American pop. From this climate, Kraftwerk was founded and played a pivotal role in popularizing electronic music while also influencing many other artists globally that were experimenting with forms of electronic sound. In the late ‘70s, EBM music began to take shape using the industrial and militant vibes the Berlin Wall continued to give those living around it.

1977 was a landmark year in Europe for the evolution of electronic-inspired music. Space Disco, Synth-Pop, and Italo-disco hit the scene. Italo-disco, in particular, became hugely successful in mainland Europe and was known as Euro-disco outside of Italy. Euro-disco influenced the English underground dance culture of the day and even inspired bands as far afield as Canada. All contributed more to the idea that electronic music was fun and innovative, not simply a novelty for the strange.

As the 80s rolled in, England saw an explosion of Synth-pop-inspired bands from Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, Gary Numan, and Tubeway Army. Although there was a big pushback from traditional record labels and producers, England was beginning to embrace the use of synthesizers and syndrums in the creation of pop music. This wave of Synth-pop managed to stretch as far as Korea and the Far East. Electronic music in all its various forms was bubbling up all over Europe, sometimes gaining mainstream popularity; other times being enjoyed by the fringes and counter cultures. The broader spirit of electronic inspiration was always kept alive by the underground scene and remained its underlying source of survival and evolution. It's what kept most electronic music connected worldwide, enabling sounds to bounce around from one club to another globally, where dance and sound are the only culture!

The late 70s and early 80s saw the Yellow Magic Orchestra gain tremendous popularity in Japan, ultimately becoming the most significant act in the country. As a band, they had been inspired by the work of Isao Tomita, who had begun to experiment with synthesizers in the 60s. The Yellow Magic Orchestra, together with Tomita, not only pioneered electronic music in Japanese pop but also brought the style to film scores and television shows. This began a culture that remains to this day and finds expression in an underground scene that accommodates a mix of electronic sub-genres.

The Age of Hip Hop Electronic through underground culture has transfused itself into the fabric of global culture. Hip Hop and Electronic music are alive and morphing, feeding off local ingredients in all four corners of the globe. From Africa to the US, Europe to South America, and the Far East, the collective movement is present in some form or another. The spirit of fun, peace, fringe expression and puts electricity in the speakers. Ska dubbidy dub, hip to the tech, tech to the hop. Pon da remix, storm the house. The rhythm and the rhyme goes on!