Fusion (music)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"The early promise of jazz rock -- that electronics, ethnic influences and rock rhythms could expand the sonic and textural matrix of jazz-- degenerated into the vapidity of fusion." Joel Lewis, The Wire #130 |
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A fusion genre is music that combines two or more music styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided into smaller parts, each with their own dynamics, style and tempo.
The notion of fusion refers to the concept of purity of genres.
"Fusion" used alone often refers to jazz fusion.
Artists who work in fusion genres are often difficult to categorize within non-fusion styles, primarily because most genres evolved out of other genres. These artists generally consider themselves part of both genres. For example, a musician that plays dominantly blues influenced by rock is often labelled a blues-rock musician, such as Stevie Ray Vaughan. Vaughan, a Texas blues guitarist, used rock and blues together.
Ray Charles, who recorded gospel and jazz-influenced blues, created what would become known as soul music. By fusing the two genres, Charles pioneered the style of country soul, most famously on his landmark album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, and influenced similar efforts by Candi Staton and Solomon Burke.
Fusion music as a genre broadened the definitions of jazz, rock, and pop music. Herbie Hancock fused jazz, funk, rock, and smooth tones to accomplish a new, rounder, more cultured sound for his band. See Head Hunters or Thrust. These sounds generally consisted of a standard rhythm section: bass, drums, and sometimes guitar, with layered keyboard tracks of Rhodes, strings, clavinet, organ and synthesizers.
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Examples
- jazz-rock fusion: jazz + rock
- jazz funk: jazz + funk
- acid jazz: jazz + hip hop/electronic dance music
- Latin jazz: jazz + Latin music
- Cuban jazz: jazz + Afro-Cuban music
- jazz rap: jazz + rap
- jazz punk: jazz + hardcore punk + blues
- G-Funk (Gangsta Funk): gangsta rap + p-funk
- crunk: rap + electro
- hip-hop soul: hip-hop + soul
- tech house: techno + house
- Latin house: Latin music + house
- bachatango : bachata + tango
- ambient house: ambient + house
- disco house: disco + house
- electro house: electro + house
- Latin pop: pop music + Latin music
- Blues-rock: blues + rock
- pop rock: pop music + rock
- Latin rock: Latin music + rock
- ska punk : ska + punk
- pop-punk: pop music + punk
- dance-punk: electro + punk
- Melodic Hardcore: Hardcore punk + Pop Punk
- anti-folk: punk + folk
- Funk-rock: funk + rock
- Funkcore: funk + hardcore punk rock
- Crunkcore : Crunk + screamo
Heavy metal fusion
- Alternative metal: alternative rock + heavy metal
- funk metal: funk + metal
- folk metal: folk music + heavy metal
- Industrial metal: Industrial music + heavy metal
- Nintendocore : Metalcore + 8-bit music + video game music
- Crossover thrash: hardcore punk + thrash metal
- Deathcore: metalcore + death metal
- Metalcore: hardcore punk + heavy metal
- Melodic metalcore: metalcore+ melodic death metal
- Progressive metal: progressive rock + metal
- Sludge metal: hardcore punk + doom metal
- Nu metal: hip hop + heavy metal
Other fusions
- zouk lov : kizomba + zouk
- reggaeton: ragga + Latin music (+ rap)
- salsaton: salsa + reggaeton,
- rumbaton: rumba + reggaeton,
- kumbiaton: cumbia + reggaeton, bachaton
- soca: soul-calypso
- Chutney soca: Chutney + soca
- seggae: sega + reggae
- Flamenco rumba: "rumba" (guaracha) + flamenco
- pachanga: merengue + conga
- electrotango: tango + electro
- boogaloo (Latin soul): Latin music + rhythm 'n' blues
- ska: ~ rhythm 'n' blues + mento
- Country rock: country + rock
- Country rap: country + rap
- Country soul: country + soul
- Folk rock: folk + rock
- Reggae fusion
- Raggacore
- Rap rock: rap + rock
- Rhythm and blues
- World fusion music
See also