Everything Viyolens publishes on Music Genres (General) — reviews, buying guides and how-tos written for players and producers in the UK.
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Articles on Music Genres (General)
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Phonk for Newcomers: Where to Start
Forget the subgenre chart and the history lesson. Here's the fastest, least overwhelming way to actually get into phonk, step by step.
A Beginner's Guide to Glitch
Clicks, stutters and digital hiccups turned into music on purpose — here's a gentle, no-pressure way into glitch for anyone starting from scratch.
The Best Highlife Artists to Know
A guided tour of the highlife artists worth knowing, from the genre's first international star to the band that took it global.
Soundtrack Subgenres, Explained
"Soundtrack" isn't one thing. Here's what actually separates orchestral, electronic, hybrid, song-driven, game and musical scoring — no waffle.
The Best Phonk Artists to Know
Behind the cowbells and distorted bass are real people who built this scene. Here are the phonk artists worth knowing, and where each one fits in.
The Best Bebop Artists to Know
A handful of musicians effectively wrote bebop's vocabulary. Here's what each of these essential bebop artists actually contributed, and why it still matters.
Bossa Nova for Newcomers: Where to Start
No jazz theory, no rigid guitar patterns — just three albums, in order, and what to actually listen for once you press play.
The History of Glitch
From a Japanese sound artist's damaged CDs to a German label's compilation series — the real, contested, occasionally accidental story of how glitch got its name.
Glitch Subgenres, Explained
What began as one strange 1990s studio habit has spread into half a dozen recognisably different styles. Here's how each branch actually connects back to the trunk.
A Beginner's Guide to Bossa Nova
What bossa nova actually is, in plain English — the sound, the story and the handful of names worth knowing before you dive in.
Essential Sea Shanty Albums Explained
A work-song tradition was never built for records — which is exactly what makes the handful of genuinely essential sea shanty albums worth explaining.
The History of Flamenco
From private Andalusian gatherings to UNESCO heritage status: the history of flamenco, told through the people and venues that shaped it.
A Beginner's Guide to Americana
Americana blends country, folk, blues, bluegrass and rock into something else entirely. Here's a friendly, no-jargon way in for first-time listeners.
Americana Subgenres, Explained
Americana isn't one sound - it's several older traditions sharing a roof. Here's every subgenre named plainly, with no jargon left unexplained.
The History of Classical Music
From plainchant to Stravinsky: a chronological walk through classical music history, era by era, and why the order still matters.
The History of Soundtrack
A French composer, a Disney album and a synthesiser that out-argued a full orchestra — the story of how film music actually got here.
Essential Bachata Albums Explained
The bachata albums that actually moved the genre forward, and why each one mattered at the time it landed.
The History of Rocksteady
Two years, two rival studios and one massive shift in Jamaican music. Here's the no-nonsense history of how rocksteady took ska's crown and handed it straight to reggae.
The Best Sea Shanty Artists to Know
Solo singers, harmony groups and centuries of uncredited shantymen — here's who actually built and rebuilt sea shanty music, before and after TikTok.
Rocksteady Subgenres, Explained
Two years wasn't long enough for an official family tree, but real rocksteady subgenres still emerge once you know what to listen for. Here's the honest map.
A Beginner's Guide to Phonk
Confused by the cowbells, the distorted bass and the Memphis rap samples? Here is phonk explained calmly, piece by piece, from first principles.
Essential Rocksteady Albums Explained
Looking for a classic rocksteady album? Here's the honest answer: it's mostly a singles genre, and these are the compilations that genuinely count as essential listening instead.
The History of Reggaeton
How a Jamaican riddim became a Panamanian translation, a Puerto Rican underground movement, and finally a global pop genre — the full story, chapter by chapter.
Highlife Subgenres, Explained
"Highlife" isn't one sound. Here's a plain-spoken breakdown of the genre's real subgenres, from palm-wine guitar to international fusion.
