Everything Viyolens publishes on Music Genres — reviews, buying guides and how-tos written for players and producers in the UK.
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Inside Music Genres
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Essential Nu Metal Albums Explained
Cut through the nostalgia and the backlash: here are the records that actually matter, and how to judge them properly rather than dismissing them on reputation alone.
A Beginner's Guide to Emo
Emo isn't a haircut — it's rock music that puts honest emotion right at the front. Where it came from, how it changed, and the albums to start with.
A Beginner's Guide to Bebop
Bebop can sound intimidating from the outside. This guide breaks down what it actually is, how it sounds, who built it, and exactly where to start listening.
A Beginner's Guide to Highlife
Never heard of highlife before? Here's the friendly, no-pressure introduction to West Africa's great guitar-and-horns tradition.
The Best Exotica Artists to Know
Four names cover almost everything you need to know about who built exotica. Here's who they are and what makes each one essential.
Soca Subgenres, Explained
"Soca" covers more ground than it first appears. Here's a clear map of the soca subgenres underneath the umbrella term, and how to actually tell them apart.
Essential Pop Music Albums Explained
Singles get you a hit; albums prove an artist can sustain an idea for forty minutes. Here are the pop albums genuinely worth hearing in full.
The History of Fado
Fado wasn't born in one night from one broken heart. Here's the tangled, multicultural, decades-long story of how it actually came together.
Bossa Nova Subgenres, Explained
How a small, quiet Rio de Janeiro sound branched into samba-jazz, bossa jazz, MPB and a lounge revival decades later.
A Beginner's Guide to House Music
House music can feel like a wall of subgenres and jargon from the outside. Here's the sound, the story and the gear explained simply, with a clear route to where to go next.
A Beginner's Guide to Exotica
Exotica is one of the friendliest genres to start with. Here's a calm, encouraging way in, with your first three records mapped out.
Boogie Subgenres, Explained
One word, four genuinely different genres — here's a clear map of how boogie splits, and why it keeps causing mix-ups.
A Beginner's Guide to Dubstep
What dubstep actually is, how it works, and where to start listening — the plain-English guide for anyone new to the genre.
The History of Ragtime
How a sound built in Black communities conquered sheet music, faded through the jazz age, then came roaring back decades later.
A Beginner's Guide to Boogie
One pattern, one form, four weeks — here's the reassuring, no-nonsense route into playing boogie for the very first time.
A Beginner's Guide to Ska Music
Faster than reggae, older than punk's version of it, and horn-led from the start. Here's what this genre actually is and where its revivals came from.
The History of Grime
Grime didn't arrive fully formed. Here's how it moved from pirate-radio frequencies in east London to a Mercury Prize, a quiet decade, and a full-blown revival.
Essential Drum and Bass Albums Explained
Drum and bass was built for the 12-inch single, which makes the albums that broke that mould genuinely worth understanding on their own terms.
Fender Jazzmaster Explained: Features, Types and Tips
It was built for jazz players who never wanted it, then became one of alternative music's most iconic shapes. Here's how a Fender Jazzmaster actually works.
Essential Bhangra Albums Explained
A tidy top-ten doesn't quite fit this genre's real history. Here's an honest way into its recorded legacy, by artist and era rather than a countdown.
The Best Gospel Music Songs Right Now
Charts come and go, but a handful of gospel songs still move a room decades after they were written. Here is why they have lasted.
Amapiano for Newcomers: Where to Start
You want to actually enjoy this music, not pass an exam on it. Here's a genuinely gentle way into amapiano, built for someone starting from zero.
Essential Blues Music Albums Explained
These records didn't just document the sound — they built it. Here's why each essential blues album earns its place.
The Best Ragtime Songs Right Now
Seven ragtime pieces that have stayed genuinely alive and defining for over a century, from Maple Leaf Rag to the underplayed Harlem Rag.
