Few music genres state their intentions explicitly though their names… with one significant exception.

Dance music is entirely focused on making the listener move; pump up clubs and rattle car sound systems with its heavy 4/4 bass lines and dramatic, feel-good synth melodies.

Dance music (often referred to as EDM; electronic dance music) has some of the most energetic and stylised design ethics within the music industry, placing focus on both the energy of the music and the euphoric atmosphere that it aims to produce.

Modern, sans-serif, thick lettering is often at the heart of dance music’s visual design, often being paired with colourful and energetic imagery.

However, dance music is an incredibly vast genre that covers a multitude of different styles and influences from other genres. Design elements not dissimilar from rock and metal can be seen in the logos and branding typography of Sonny ‘Skrillex’ Moore and DJ duo Krewella. Sharp, angular lettering combined with a solid, bold font creates an effect reminiscent of that found in metal music; unsurprising since both of these artists create dubstep, an extreme sub-genre within dance.

Hip-Hop has also introduced its own design elements into EDM, specifically within the trap sub-genre. Artists like Kill the Noise, Diplo and JOYRYDE have been major players in developing the trap sound as well as the distinctive visual design, aping several different elements of hip-hop which can differ significantly.

BLVCK MVGIC’s art incorporates elements of anger rap with a violent, scrawled typeface while SELECTA 19 has a lot more of a classic gangsta rap look with thick clear text in a bold colour. Revolution’s art is somewhere in-between, incorporating a clear yet cartoony font similar to that used by Eminem in the mid 2000’s.

Despite what many may claim, dance music is a highly varied and intricate genre with just as much depth of meaning as any other genre. While many are attracted to the music for its simplicity, it is clearly seen though the design styles associated with the music that there is much more to this genre than first meets the eye.

Banner courtesy of Alexander Popov on Unsplash.