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Reference
Electronic style reference
Synthwave, IDM, trip-hop, lo-fi, future bass, dubstep, hyperpop, phonk and neighbouring hybrid styles.
How to use this list
Each row pairs a style term with a cue line written in the same grammar: what the music is, what plays it, roughly how fast, and how it feels. Copy the cue, then change one thing at a time so you can tell which token moved the result.
This list covers electronic music made for listening as much as dancing; for floor-first genres use the dance and club reference instead.
Combining entries
Electronic prompts respond well to synth-type words (supersaw, square wave, reese bass, 303) — they steer timbre more precisely than genre names.
If a take drifts away from what you wanted, remove tokens rather than adding more. Long prompts dilute; short, specific ones steer.
| Synthwave | synthwave, analog saw lead, gated reverb snare, pulsing bass arpeggio, 110 BPM, 80s night-drive nostalgia |
| Darksynth | darksynth, distorted bass pulse, horror-film arpeggio, punchy drums, 118 BPM, menacing neon dread |
| Vaporwave | vaporwave, slowed mall-pop sample, heavy chorus and reverb, tape wobble, 70 BPM, dreamy consumer haze |
| Chillwave | chillwave, washed-out synth pad, lo-fi drum machine, blurred vocal, 100 BPM, sun-bleached memory |
| Downtempo | downtempo, laid-back breakbeat, dubby bass, filtered chords, 92 BPM, instrumental lounge cool |
| Trip-hop | trip-hop, heavy dusty breakbeat, cinematic strings, vinyl crackle, 84 BPM, smoky noir vocal |
| IDM | idm, intricate programmed drums, detuned melodic cells, odd time shifts, 138 BPM, curious cerebral mood |
| Glitch | glitch electronica, stuttering buffer edits, clicks and pops, granular texture, 120 BPM, fractured precision |
| Breakbeat | breakbeat, chopped funk break, punchy sub, filter sweeps, 132 BPM, energetic retro-rave drive |
| Big beat | big beat, huge compressed breaks, fuzz bass riff, siren stabs, 128 BPM, swaggering block-party chaos |
| Electro (808) | electro, crisp 808 drum machine, robotic vocoder, bleepy melody, 126 BPM, retro-future funk |
| Synthpop | synthpop, bright polysynth chords, simple sequenced bass, LinnDrum groove, 118 BPM, wistful vocal melody |
| Future bass | future bass, pitch-bent supersaw chords, snappy trap drums, vocal chop hook, 150 BPM, bright emotional lift |
| Dubstep | dubstep, wobbling LFO bass, halftime drums, huge drop, 140 BPM, aggressive mechanical weight |
| Riddim | riddim, repetitive triplet bass growls, minimal drums, 150 BPM, hypnotic head-nod aggression |
| Chillstep | chillstep, lush pads over halftime drums, soft sub bass, 140 BPM, ethereal female vocal, calm uplift |
| Ambient electronica | ambient electronica, soft granular pads, gentle broken beat, 96 BPM, warm exploratory drift |
| Lo-fi beats | lo-fi beats, dusty boom-bap drums, mellow Rhodes chords, vinyl noise, 82 BPM, instrumental study calm |
| Chiptune | chiptune, square-wave lead, noise-channel drums, fast arpeggios, 150 BPM, gleeful 8-bit energy |
| Hyperpop | hyperpop, pitched-up vocal, distorted saw bass, sugar-rush synths, 160 BPM, maximalist chaos |
| Electroclash | electroclash, sleazy analog bass, deadpan spoken vocal, dry drum machine, 128 BPM, cold club attitude |
| Witch house | witch house, pitched-down vocal, trap hats, occult pad drones, 70 BPM, eerie ritual atmosphere |
| Footwork | footwork, rapid triplet kicks, chopped soul vocal, sparse bass, 160 BPM, restless Chicago energy |
| Neo-soul electronic | electronic neo-soul, swung programmed drums, warm Rhodes, wobbly pitch, 88 BPM, intimate late-night groove |
| Modular / generative | generative modular, evolving sequence, random filter movement, analog drift, 110 BPM, patient machine curiosity |
| Wave / hardwave | wave, detuned bell lead, heavy sub, halftime drums, 150 BPM, melancholic digital romance |
| Phonk | phonk, cowbell melody, distorted 808, memphis vocal sample, 130 BPM, gritty night-drive menace |
| Synth-funk | synth-funk, slap-style synth bass, clavinet stabs, tight drum machine, 108 BPM, sleek retro groove |
| Ambient IDM | ambient idm, delicate broken beat, lush reverb pads, glitched detail, 108 BPM, wistful and intricate |
| Electro-swing | electro swing, sampled 20s jazz horn loop, four-on-the-floor kick, 124 BPM, playful vintage party |
Raw data: /guide/reference/lists/electronic-list.json · 30 entries
FAQ
What if two entries sound too similar?
Combine them deliberately: take the drum description from one and the synth description from the other, then keep a single BPM.
Do I have to use the whole electronic cue line?
No. The lines are built from independent tokens, so you can keep the two or three that matter and drop the rest without breaking the grammar.
Can I mix this list with another one?
Yes — keep one rhythm description, one lead instrument, one production word and a single tempo. Competing rhythm descriptions are the usual cause of muddled results.