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Space Disco: the renaissance of the genre in the 2020s, new artists and cosmic sound
Space Disco, the style that sent listeners on a cosmic journey without a rocket back in the late ’70s, is now experiencing a true renaissance. Disco rhythms, synthesizers, retrofuturism and sci-fi aesthetics are once again attracting producers, DJs and fans of electronic music all over the world.
And if it seemed to you that cosmic disco was left behind in the vinyl era, the last decade proves the opposite: Space Disco is coming back with a new shine.
What is Space Disco?
Space Disco is a subgenre of disco and early synthesizer music, inspired by:
science fiction,
space missions,
retrofuturistic imagery,
the aesthetics of synths and analog sound.
Typical elements include:
orbital synth lines,
vocoder vocals,
drum machines,
“space” FX,
smooth yet dancea...
Broken Beat: why broken rhythms have returned and become a hit
Broken Beat, a style long considered the domain of jazz-fusion heads and the London underground, is suddenly back in the spotlight. Its signature broken rhythms, live-feeling grooves and warm soul energy are once again heard at festivals, in clubs and in new releases from artists nobody had heard of just yesterday.
Why has the genre returned — and what makes it so relevant today? We break it down in the latest news feature from Minatrix.FM.
What is Broken Beat and why does it sound so unusual?
Broken Beat is music where the rhythm is deliberately “broken”: the kick is pushed onto the “wrong” beat, hi-hats shuffle and wobble, snares hit in all the unexpected places — and together it creates the feel of a live, organic improvisation.
The genre brings toget...
Illbient — Dark, Experimental Dub-Ambient: History, Sound, Artists
Illbient is one of the most enigmatic and underrated electronic music genres. Dark, industrial and chaotic, it emerged in New York in the mid-1990s, became cult among avant-garde producers and is now experiencing a new renaissance. Its sound is a blend of urban noise, hip-hop beats, ambient and experimental textures. It’s the music of ruined cities, night streets, industrial aesthetics and abstract emotions.
What is Illbient?
Illbient is a hybrid of ambient, dub, hip hop, noise and post-industrial textures. The name comes from the slang word “ill” (dark, strange, twisted, “sick”) + ambient.
The genre creates an atmosphere of:
thick sonic fog,
slow trip-hop/dub-style grooves,
noisy, degraded loops,
broken, urban-sounding samples,
glitch effects and gr...
Brostep: History, differences from Dubstep, aggression, festival sound and the genre’s comeback
Brostep is gaining momentum again on the global electronic scene — heavier, louder and more aggressive than ever before. The genre that once became synonymous with the ultra-hard side of dubstep is now experiencing a new wave of popularity thanks to fresh releases, festival live sets and the revival of the “American school” of bass music.
What is Brostep?
Brostep is a subgenre of dubstep that focuses on:
hyper-boosted basslines,
harsh digital synths,
tear-out drops,
powerful metallic growl effects,
and dense EDM-style energy.
If classic UK dubstep is dark, atmospheric and minimalist, then Brostep is pure aggression, designed for massive festival stages.
History of the genre
Although dubstep itself has its roots in London and the British underground, Brostep to...
Full-On — Psychedelic Energy at Its Peak | Minatrix.FM
Full-On — the most explosive subgenre of psytrance, blending a powerful rolling bass, high tempos (typically 140–148 BPM), bright melodies and a cinematic atmosphere. It’s the sound of sunrise dancefloors and open-air festivals: dense production, tight drum programming and a constant feeling of lift-off.
What is Full-On (in a nutshell)
Full-On is the dancefloor-oriented, melodic and “fluffy” high-end take on psytrance. It inherits the psychedelia of Goa trance, but delivers it in a more energetic, driving, “laser-focused” form: bouncy 1/16 rolling bass, a tight 4/4 kick, stepped arpeggios, acid leads, dynamic breaks and impactful drops.
Key traits:
Tempo 140–148 BPM, occasionally 148–150 for twilight sets.
Rolling bass (1/16) + a dr...
Detroit Techno: Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson — the foundation of techno music
Detroit Techno — the historic roots of true techno on Minatrix.FM
Detroit Techno is more than a genre. It is the historical wellspring of the entire techno culture — the moment when the industrial rhythm of the motor city became art. Born in the 1980s in Detroit, Michigan, Detroit Techno became the foundation of modern electronic music — from club techno and house to futuristic branches like electro and minimal.
What is Detroit Techno
Detroit Techno is the primordial form of techno, combining:
mechanical rhythms and minimalism,
deep basslines, industrial noise and synthetic melodies,
a futurist outlook and the pursuit of utopia through technology.
This music feels like the pulse of the factory and a dream of the future. You can hear both the clatter of machines an...
Spacesynth — Music, Genre, Artists. Listen and Download Spacesynth MP3
Spacesynth is a genre of electronic music that emerged in the 1980s at the crossroads of Italo Disco, synthpop, and space music. It captures humanity’s dreams of stars, the future, and advanced technology in shimmering arpeggios, warm analog synths, and endless melodic lines.
Origins and inspiration
Spacesynth appeared in Europe in the mid-1980s — the era of VHS sci-fi, laser shows, and the first affordable home synthesizers. Inspired by cosmic aesthetics and the electronic soundscapes of Jean-Michel Jarre and Vangelis, producers like Raymond Donnez (Don Ray), Laserdance, Koto, Cyber People, Hypnosis, and Proxyon began creating instrumental tracks that felt like a space odyssey.
The genre became a natural extension of Italo Disco, but largely without vocals, focusing instead on...
Britpop: History, the “Big Four” (Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Suede) and the Best Albums of the ’90s
Britpop is not just a genre, but a cultural phenomenon that defined the sound of British music in the 1990s. It became a symbol of the era when Britain once again asserted itself as a musical superpower — with guitar-driven energy, witty lyrics and the spirit of youth.
Origins and context
In the early 1990s, the UK music scene was heavily influenced by American grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam). Against this backdrop, a new movement emerged, focused on British identity, national humour and everyday life.
Inspired by The Beatles, The Kinks, The Smiths and David Bowie, a new wave of musicians crafted a sound that felt close to home — melodic, accessible and sharply observant.
Key Britpop bands
Oasis
The Manchester brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher turned Britpop into a people’s mo...
Indie is the music of freedom, sincerity, and creative independence.
Indie (short for independent) is not just a musical genre, but an entire philosophy of independent creativity. It unites hundreds of directions — from indie rock and indie pop to indie folk, electronic and lo-fi — while preserving its core idea: self-expression free from mainstream constraints.
Origins and Evolution
1970s–1980s: The Beginning
The first “indie” artists emerged in the era of punk and alternative rock, when musicians sought to escape the control of major labels. In the UK, independent labels like Rough Trade, Factory Records, 4AD, Creation appeared, while in the US, labels such as Sub Pop, Merge, and Matador emerged. Bands that defined the spirit of independence arrived on the scene: The Smiths, Joy Division, Sonic Youth, Pixies, R.E.M..
1990s: T...
Smooth Jazz is music that relaxes, inspires, and sets the mood.
Smooth Jazz is a subgenre of jazz where softness, melody, and a modern sound meet. It blends elements of R&B, soul, funk, and pop while preserving jazz harmony and an improvisational spirit. This is music that makes time feel slower: it’s all about calm, gentle grooves, and the warm tones of saxophone, guitar, and keys.
History of the Genre
1970s: Origins Smooth Jazz emerged as a continuation of fusion and cool jazz, when jazz musicians began using electric instruments and laid-back groovy rhythms inspired by R&B and pop. Key figures such as Grover Washington Jr., George Benson, David Sanborn, and Bob James helped make jazz more accessible to a wider audience.
1980s: Commercial Breakthrough In this decade Smooth Jazz took shape as an independent style. U.S. radio stations beg...
Roland TR-909 — the rhythm machine that changed electronic music forever
Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer is an iconic drum machine released by Roland in 1983. Sitting at the crossroads of the analog and digital eras, it became a cornerstone of the emerging sounds of house, techno, acid, trance and rave culture, shaping the signature drum patterns that are still considered a benchmark today.
Historical context
In the early 1980s, most manufacturers were chasing realistic acoustic drum sounds. The TR-909 went against that trend: it did not try to imitate a real drum kit, but delivered a stylized, fat and punchy tone, perfectly suited for clubs and large sound systems.
Paradoxically, on release the TR-909 was a commercial flop. Its true recognition came later, when units hit the second-hand market and young producers in Chicago, Detroit and across Europe discovered ...
Digital Amnesia: Why Google Hides Music Culture from Users
(A Minatrix.FM case study)
Minatrix.FM is more than just an online radio station. It’s an ecosystem years in the making for electronic-music lovers — a portal for DJs, producers, and listeners featuring rare artist biographies, in-depth genre analyses, themed playlists, an archive of original shows, and a 24/7 club stream. On the site you’ll find what YouTube, Spotify and aggregators often don’t provide: ultra-niche selections (EBM, Futurepop, Goa-trance, Minimal Techno), scene histories, label spotlights, rare releases, and the context without which music culture loses its depth.
Minatrix.FM doesn’t chase clickbait — it consistently invests in educational and encyclopedic value. Exactly the kind of project a search engine ought to surface — and ye...
Futurepop: History, sound, Covenant, VNV Nation. Emotional club sound.
Futurepop — a subgenre of electronic music that emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s at the crossroads of synthpop, EBM, and trance. It blends danceable rhythms, emotive vocals, synth-driven melodies, and a dark club aesthetic. The sound aims for atmosphere, euphoric choruses, and a futuristic sheen while retaining its roots in “dark electronics.”
History
Late 1990s
After the heyday of darkwave and EBM, dark-club audiences began seeking a more melodic, EDM-oriented sound. Producers experimented with trance leads, big synth pads, and emotionally charged hooks.
2000s — defining the canon
Futurepop crystallized as its own direction. Cornerstones of the genre include the band VNV Nation and the projects Apoptygma Berzerk and Covenant. Their sound fuses 4/4 dance be...
Baile Funk: History, DJ Marlboro, Sound DNA, Funk Ostentação, and Global Expansion
Baile Funk (often called funk carioca) is a Brazilian street movement and music style that grew out of parties in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas in the late 1980s–early 1990s. At the crossroads of Miami bass, electro, samba, and Afro-Brazilian rhythms, a fierce, noisy, hypnotic sound emerged — heavy sub-bass, chant-like hooks, and direct, spoken-style vocals. Over time, baile funk became a national phenomenon and later a global catalyst for pop music, EDM, and “global bass.”
Brief history
Origins (late ’80s): Rio radio stations spin Miami bass and electro; DJs start throwing bailes — courtyard block parties with massive speaker stacks (sound systems), where US beat templates are mixed with local MC delivery and Portuguese slang. Scene pioneers DJ Marlb...
British Rap — the voice of the streets, accent, and sociocultural realism.
British Rap — a branch of the hip-hop culture that took shape in the UK from the late 1970s to early 1980s. Unlike its American roots, British rap evolved under the influence of:
local street slang,
sound system culture,
Caribbean diasporas,
the UK electronic dance scene.
It is marked by a unique rhythmic feel, distinctive pronunciation and accent, and a stronger social focus in its lyrics.
Origins (1970–1980s)
The earliest examples of British rap emerged against the backdrop of:
disco and early electro,
reggae sound systems,
dub and dancehall.
Recordings appeared that were inspired by American MCs yet rooted in local themes and British linguistics. Importantly, the country already had a strong toasting tradition (the MC style born on dub parties).
By the late...
