Violet Recording Editorial Team

What is afrobeat? A plain-English guide to the groove, horns, polyrhythms, and history of Fela Kuti’s genre, plus how it differs from modern Afrobeats…

What is shoegaze? It’s the dreamy, effects-drenched wall-of-sound rock born in late-1980s Britain — here’s its origin, sound, key bands and how to make…

Funk vs phonk: one is a 1970s live-band groove built on the bass and “the One,” the other a lo-fi, cowbell-heavy Memphis rap offshoot.…

What is reggae? A Jamaican genre from the late 1960s built on the offbeat skank, the one-drop drum and a deep, melodic bassline —…

What is trap music? A plain-English guide to the Atlanta-born hip-hop genre: its booming 808 bass, rapid hi-hats, dark minor melodies, tempo, and key…

What is lofi music? It is mellow, imperfect, jazzy instrumental hip hop built on vinyl crackle, warm chords and swung beats, plus how to…

What is drill music? A dark, 808-heavy rap style born in Chicago and reshaped by UK and Brooklyn drill — its origins, tempo, minor-key…

What is phonk? A lo-fi hip-hop style built on 1990s Memphis rap samples, distorted 808 cowbell melodies and chopped-and-screwed vocals. Here’s the breakdown.

What is amapiano? A South African genre built on deep log-drum bass, jazzy piano loops and airy percussion near 112 BPM — its sound,…

What is Afro House? A clear guide to the South African dance genre — its tempo, drums, jazzy chords, key artists like Black Coffee,…