Stylistic origins Synthpop
EBM
trance
techno
electro-industrial
electropop Cultural origins Late 1990s, Europe and North America Typical instruments Synthesizer
drum machine
sampler
music software | ||
Futurepop is an electronic music genre, an outgrowth of electronic body music, that evolved in the late 1990s with groups like VNV Nation, Covenant, and Apoptygma Berzerk. The term "futurepop" was coined while a discussion between VNV Nation lead singer Ronan Harris and Apoptygma Berzerk lead singer Stephan Groth to describe their sound at the time, and that of similar groups. Other leading artists of the genre are Assemblage 23, Neuroticfish and Seabound.
The genre began to emerge in the early 2000s and retains some elements of EBM and Electro-industrial. It features a danceable sound with heavy synthpop influences (such as song structure, focus on lyrics and vocal style) and epic trance (grandiose and arpeggiated synthesizer melodies) to create a techno-beat-driven, club-oriented music.
Some songs in the genre have become popular in alternative dance clubs, particularly in Germany. Futurepop music is popular in the cyber youth culture and in the alternative electronic music scenes. Music festivals that feature Futurepop bands include Infest, Amphi festival, Wave Gotik Treffen and M'era Luna.