How to Explore
Welcome to PulseRoots! This guide helps you navigate the vast world of electronic music using our interactive tools.
On desktop, you'll find an immersive treemap that visually maps out the connections between genres. On mobile, the genres are organized into a clear and accessible accordion list.
Styles and Substyles
Both views start with broad "Families" (like Techno or House) and branch down into specific styles and substyles. Click or tap on any genre to open a panel with a detailed description and a sample track to help you understand its unique sound.
Music History Timeline
Click the Timeline button to explore 107 key milestones in electronic music history, from 1897 to the present day. Hover over any dot to read the story.
Key Artists
For each genre, we've included a "Key Artists" section featuring pioneers and standout musicians who have significantly shaped its sound.
Accessibility
PulseRoots is keyboard-accessible. Press Tab to reach the genre tree, then use the arrow keys to move between genres and press Enter or Space to open the details panel for the selected genre.
Note on Classification
This visualization represents one interpretation of how electronic music genres are categorized. Music is fluid, and other classifications might group styles differently based on cultural, historical, or sonic perspectives.
Inspirations
PulseRoots is inspired by the incredible work of other music exploration projects. Special thanks to Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music, Musicmap, and Every Noise at Once for paving the way.
Listening to Tracks
To listen to the example tracks, a Spotify account may be required. The embedded player provides a 30-second preview for all users. Logging into Spotify may unlock the full track, depending on your subscription.
Contact
Thank you for visiting, and I hope you enjoy exploring the world of electronic music.
If you have any suggestions, improvement proposals, if you've found any errors, or just want to say 'Hi!', feel free to write to me through our contact page.
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Tape Music
Part of Experimental
Tape Music is a pioneering form of experimental composition where magnetic tape is used not merely as a recording medium, but as the instrument itself. Emerging in the mid-20th century, it involves the physical manipulation of recorded sound through techniques such as splicing (cutting and rearranging tape with razor blades), varispeed (altering pitch and tempo), reversing, and creating mechanical tape loops. This genre shifted the focus from musical notation and live performance to the tactile sculpting of sound in a studio environment. It allowed composers to create impossible rhythms, dense textures, and 'phase shifting' effects (as seen in Steve Reich's work), effectively laying the technical and conceptual groundwork for modern sampling and the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).
Tape Music at a glance
- Family
- Experimental
- Parent style
- Experimental
- Subgenres
- 0 direct
- Path
- Experimental › Tape Music
Key artists
Listen to an example
Related styles
Styles that share key artists
These styles have key artists in common with Tape Music.