Freestyle Roots

Electronic music was really being experimented mid-20th century by classical musicians. In the '60s, synthesizers were starting to come into vogue with rockers and jazz musicians alike, but a pivotal point was when classical musician Wendy Carlos released the landmark album Switched-On Back in 1968.

In the '70s, synthesizers were being commonly utilized as through works by important rockers such as Stevie Wonder and The Who's Pete Townshend, in funk music, and ultimately with disco, namely Euro-disco as pioneered by artists such as Giorgio Moroder.

Disco music in particular provided the relentless 4/4 groove that eventually became synthesized as early as the late '70s. New Wave music and Industrial music of that same period also began to rely heavily on the use of experimental effects and mechanized rhythms.

Krautrock, birthed in the late '60s, spawned off highly influential experimental rockers such as Can, Tangerine Dream, and Kraftwerk. The latter group would become the most influential purely electronic artists of all time and hence be given the title "Fathers of Electronic Music".

Kraftwerk's landmark 1974 record "Autobahn" became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and was an important step in the mainstreaming of electronic music. In 1977, disco queen Donna Summer released another turning point in electronic music with her massive hit "I Feel Love," which several pinpoint as the first true house music record. During that same year, Kraftwerk released "Trans Europe Express," another groundbreaking effort in their canon.

In early 1982, hip hop godfather Afrika Bambaataa and his group The Soul Sonic Force released "Planet Rock," a record that primarily sampled "Trans Europe Express" but added a unique blend of drum machine, vocoder, and breakbeats that would pave the way to electro-funk, Miami Bass, and freestyle music.