Ethnic electronica (also known as ethnotronica, ethno electronica or ethno techno) is a broad category of

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

, where artists combine elements of electronic and world music. The music is primarily rooted in local music traditions and regional cultures, rarely relying on global trends of popular music.

History

1980s

In the West Balkans, a Southern European subgenre of contemporary pop music known as "

turbo-folk Turbo-folk (sometimes referred as pop-folk or popular folk) is subgenre of contemporary pop music with its origins in Serbia, that initially developed during the 1980s and 1990s, with similar music styles in Bulgaria (chalga), Romania (manele ...

" (sometimes referred to as "popular folk") initially developed during the 1980s and 1990s, with similar music styles in

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

(

Skyladiko Skiladiko or Skyladiko , ( gr, Σκυλάδικο), is a derogatory term to describe a branch of laiko music and some of the current nightclubs in Greece in which this music is performed. It also refers to the so-called "decadent" form of laiko ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

(

Chalga Chalga (; often referred to as pop-folk, short for "popular folk" or ethno-pop, short for "ethnic pop") is a Bulgarian music genre. Chalga or pop-folk is essentially a folk-inspired dance music genre, with a blend of Bulgarian music (Bulgarian ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

(

Manele Manele (from Romanian, ''fem.'' ''sg.'' manea; ''pl.'' manele, the plural form being more common) is a genre of pop folk music from Romania. The manele can be divided into "classical manele" and "modern manele". The "classical manele" are a Tu ...

) and

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

(

Tallava Tallava or Talava is a music genre originating from Albanian-speaking communities in Kosovo as well as in North Macedonia, with a presence in Albania. Having originated in the Roma community in Kosovo in the 1990s, it evokes regional Balkan musi ...

). It's a fusion genre of popular music blending

Serbian folk music Serbian folk music ( sr, српска народна музика / ''srpska narodna muzika'') refers to, in the narrow sense, the "older" style of Serbian folk music, predating the "newer" ( sr, link=no, новокомпонована / ''novokomp ...

with other genres such as pop,

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

, and/or hip-hop. Other notable examples of 1980s ethnic electronica include Angolan

kuduro Kuduro (or kuduru) is a type of music and dance from Angola. It is characterized as uptempo, energetic, and danceable. Kuduro was developed in Luanda, Angola in the late 1980s. Producers sampled traditional carnival music like soca and zouk bé ...

, Mexican

tecnocumbia Tecnocumbia is a style of Cumbia where there is a fusion between electronic sounds generated by electronic musical instruments through electronic drums, the electric guitar, synthesisers, and samplers. "Tecnocumbia" was a word developed in Mexi ...

and the Indian album '' Synthesizing: Ten Ragas to a Disco Beat''.

1990s

With the advent of electronic music technology and availability of

traditional instruments A folk instrument is a musical instrument that developed among common people and usually does not have a known inventor. It can be made from wood, metal or other material. Such an instrument is played in performances of folk music. Overview Th ...

, fusion forms of the two eventually arose. Such genres use

electronic musical instrument An electronic musical instrument or electrophone is a musical instrument that produces sound using electronic circuitry. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical, electronic or digital audio signal that ultimately is plugged into ...

s and/or traditional folk arrangements, acoustic instruments, and the like, to create distinct styles. For example, they may use acoustic instruments―stringed instruments―while incorporating hip hop, or four-on-the-floor rhythms, although it varies based on influences and choice of sounds.Smyth, David (23 April 2004). "Electrifying folk: Folktronica, new folk, fuzzy folk – call it what you will. Laptops are replacing lutes to create a whole new sound", ''

Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

'', p. 31. Empire, Kitty (27 April 2003). "Up front on the verge: Four Tet, aka Kieran Hebden", ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'', p. 14. ''The Ashgate Research Companion to Popular Musicology'' introduces "folktronica," as "a catch-all ermfor all manner of artists who have combined mechanical dance beats with elements of acoustic rock or folk." The 1993 album '' Every Man and Woman is a Star'' by

Ultramarine Ultramarine is a deep blue color pigment which was originally made by grinding lapis lazuli into a powder. The name comes from the Latin ''ultramarinus'', literally 'beyond the sea', because the pigment was imported into Europe from mines in Afgh ...

is credited as a progenitor of modern electronic folk music; it featured a

pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depicts ...

sound and incorporated traditional instruments such as violin and harmonica with

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

and

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...

elements. According to ''The Sunday Times Culture's Encyclopedia of Modern Music'', essential albums of the genre are

Four Tet Kieran Hebden (born September 1977), known as Four Tet, is an English electronic musician. He came to prominence as a member of the post-rock band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist with charting UK albums such as '' Rounds'' ...

's ''Pause'' (2001),

Tunng Tunng are an English folk music band. They are often associated with the folktronica genre, due to the electronic influences evident in some of their work. Tunng are often noted for their use of unconventional instruments, including seashells a ...

's ''

Mother's Daughter and Other Songs ''Mother's Daughter and Other Songs'' is the debut album by Tunng, released in 2005. The track "Tale from Black" featured at number 37 in the 2004 Festive Fifty The Festive Fifty was originally an annual list of the year's 50 (though the exact ...

'' (2005), and

Caribou Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subspe ...

's ''

The Milk of Human Kindness ''The Milk of Human Kindness'' is the third studio album by Canadian musician Dan Snaith, released under the moniker Caribou on April 18, 2005, by The Leaf Label and Domino Recording Company. It is Snaith's first album credited under Caribou, wi ...

'' (2005).

2010s

In the 2010s, new artists such as

alt-J Alt-J (stylised as alt-J, real name Δ) are an English indie rock band formed in 2007 in Leeds. Their lineup includes Joe Newman (guitar/lead vocals), Thom Sonny Green (drums), Gus Unger-Hamilton (keyboards/vocals), and formerly Gwilym Sainsbur ...

and

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon. Vernon released Bon Iver's debut album, ''For Emma, Forever Ago,'' independently in July 2007. The majority of the album was recorded while Vernon ...

achieved considerable commercial success in what had been a fairly underground scene since its inception.

's latest works,

22, A Million ''22, A Million'' is the third studio album by American indie folk band Bon Iver, released on September 30, 2016. Recorded in lead member Justin Vernon's April Base studio in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the album marks a major shift in the band's soun ...

(2016) and i,i (2019), entered the top ten in several countries and produced equally successful singles and

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nominations. In the late 2010s, the Ukrainian ethnotronica scene had a rise, when such artists as

Go_A Go_A ( uk, Ґоу_Ей) is a Ukrainian electro-folk band first formed in 2012 who were set to represent Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with the song " Solovey". Following the cancellation of the 2020 co ...

Onuka ONUKA (literally: ''granddaughter'') is a Ukrainian electro-folk band. It was created in 2013 by Ukrainian musicians Yevhen Filatov and Nata Zhyzhchenko. Other group members are Daryna Sert (keyboardist and backing vocalist), Mariya Sorokina (per ...

, Yuko,

Mavka ''Mavka'' ( uk, Мавка) is a type of female spirit in Ukrainian folklore and mythology. She is a long-haired figure, sometimes naked, who may be dangerous to young men. Terminology There is variation in the names and spelling, including uk ...

became popular outside of their country.

Notable artists

Notable acts of ethnic electronica include Bryn Jones with his project

Muslimgauze Muslimgauze was the main musical project of Bryn Jones (17 June 1961 – 14 January 1999), a British ethnic electronica and experimental musician who was influenced by conflicts and history in the Muslim world, often with an emphasis on the Isra ...

, the artists of

Asian underground Asian underground is a term associated with various British Asian and South Asian Canadian musicians (mostly Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan) who blend elements of Western underground dance music and the traditional Asian music of th ...

movement (

Cheb i Sabbah Cheb i Sabbah"Jewish DJ Captivates Arab Ears"
''

Asian Dub Foundation Asian Dub Foundation (ADF) is an English electronic music band that combines musical styles including rap rock, dub, dancehall, ragga, and South Asian music. The group also includes traditional rock instruments such as electric bass and gui ...

, Joi,

State of Bengal Saifullah "Sam" Zaman (17 April 1965 – 19 May 2015), known by the stage name State of Bengal, was a British DJ and music producer of Bangladeshi descent associated with the UK and Asian Underground movement. Early life Zaman was born on 1 ...

Transglobal Underground Transglobal Underground (sometimes written as Trans-Global Underground) is an English electro-world music group, specializing in a fusion of western, Asian and African music styles (sometimes labelled world fusion and ethno techno). Their f ...

Natacha Atlas Natacha Atlas ( ar, نتاشا أطلس}; born 20 March 1964) is an Egyptian-Belgian singer known for her fusion of Arabic and Western music, particularly hip-hop. She once termed her music "'' cha'abi moderne''" (modern popular music). Her mu ...

), Mozani Ramzan,

Shpongle Shpongle is a psychedelic electronic music project from England that formed in 1996. The group includes Hallucinogen and Raja Ram (one of three in The Infinity Project). The duo are considered to be one of the progenitors of the psybient gen ...

, Ott,

Zavoloka Zavoloka (full name, Kateryna Zavoloka) is a contemporary experimental music and electronic music composer, sound artist, improviser, performer and graphic designer from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. She was born in 1981. The word ''zavoloka'' ...

, Linda George,

Banco de Gaia Banco de Gaia is an English electronic music project, formed in 1989 by Toby Marks (born 1964, South London, England). The music of Banco de Gaia is mostly categorized as ambient dub and downtempo. Marks works to cross genres, often using Ar ...

, AeTopus, Zingaia,

Afro-Celt Sound System Afro Celt Sound System is a British musical group who fuse electronic music with traditional Gaelic and West African music. Afro Celt Sound System was formed in 1995 by producer-guitarist Simon Emmerson, and feature a wide range of guest artists. ...

, Métisse,

The Halluci Nation The Halluci Nation, formerly known as A Tribe Called Red, is a Canadian electronic music group who blend instrumental hip hop, reggae, moombahton and dubstep-influenced dance music with elements of First Nations music, particularly vocal chan ...

, early work by

Yat-Kha Yat-Kha is a band from Tuva, led by vocalist/guitarist Albert Kuvezin. Their music is a mixture of Tuvan traditional music and rock, featuring Kuvezin's distinctive '' kargyraa'' throat singing style, the '' kanzat kargyraa''. Biography Yat-Kha ...

(with Ivan Sokolovsky).(in Russian)
СОКОЛОВСКИЙ, Иван : R.I.P.
on zvuki.ru – this article calls Yat-Kha ''the first Russian ethnic electronica''

References

{{Electronica Electronic music genres World music genres British styles of music