Electronic folk music, also known as folktronica, is a form of experimental music that combines elements of folk music and electronic dance music. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with folktronica; however, folktronica is an adaptation of the genre (much like electronica), whereas electronic folk music is the original style.

Electronic folk music can be described as “folk music in a contemporary setting”, and has been described as “the most radical departure from traditional British and American Folk since Martin Carthy and Davy Graham spliced the genres back in the 60s.”

An Introduction To Electronic Folk: a blog which gives an introduction to the genre and reviews recent releases.

Electronic Folk is a relatively new genre based on the use of traditional folk instruments accompanied by electronic devices. It has grown over the last ten years and continues to evolve. The artists in this genre tend to be quite experimental, especially with the sounds they produce. Those interested in learning more about this music may find it helpful to explore different genres and their approaches to Electronic Folk.

The idea behind this site is to provide an introduction to Electronic Folk and then review recent releases. The reviews will contain a detailed analysis of each album, along with a brief description of the various instruments used. Hopefully the reader will gain a better understanding of what makes each artist’s work unique and how it fits into the overall genre. This blog will also include some links for further reading about Electronic Folk and other related topics.

Electronic Folk is often considered an experimental genre that emerged from other styles such as dubstep or drum’n’bass, but there are many similarities between these types of music as well. The main difference is that electronic folk tends to focus more on traditional folk sounds rather than electronic ones.

Electronic folk is a genre of music which combines traditional folk themes with electronic music. The result is a hybrid which can be described as both an electronic and folk album. It is also known as folktronica, although this term has also been used to describe a distinct subgenre of electronic music.

The genre was pioneered in the 1970s by Mike Oldfield, who combined traditional instruments such as the acoustic guitar and the fiddle with electronic ones like the synthesizer, sequencer and drum machine. In his classic album Tubular Bells, he used tape loops to create a mesmerising new sound. By the 1980s, artists like Julian Cope were using sequencers and synthesisers to create avant-garde folk albums. The genre continued to grow in popularity throughout the 1990s with artists like Joanna Newsom, Bill Callahan and Devendra Banhart releasing critically acclaimed albums.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the genre with artists like Sufjan Stevens, Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver blending traditional instrumentation with electronic sounds. This revival has been led by bands like The Decemberists who have released critically acclaimed albums such as ‘The Crane Wife’ and ‘The King Is Dead’.

Electronic folk is a music genre which combines elements of electronic music with folk music. It first arose in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and developed out of psychedelic folk and electric folk. Although it is often regarded as a British-centric genre, the most influential artists of this genre were American and Italian, such as Simon Finn (an Australian who lived in the UK), David Ackles, United States of America, Samla Mammas Manna (Sweden), Premiata Forneria Marconi (Italy). Electronic folk was popularized by the recordings of Nick Drake (UK) and Vashti Bunyan (UK).

The term was coined by Paul Simpson in Sounds magazine in 1978.

The earliest electronic folk artists used tape manipulation techniques to create artificial sound effects, such as backwards tape loops.”

Electronic folk is a genre of folk music that incorporates elements of folk into electronic music. It emerged in the late 1960s as artists attempted to electrify traditional folk instruments such as banjo, accordion or drums. As a result, new folk styles emerged from traditional folk music in attempts to electrify the medium, which led to the creation of folktronica. In more recent times, the genre has grown to incorporate elements of various musical styles. Folk rock and psychedelic folk were early influences, while more modern artists such as Stornoway and Tunng incorporate indie pop and alternative rock influences. The increasing popularity of artist-run record labels, with electronic musicians taking an interest in remixing contemporary acoustic releases, will see the genre continue to develop.

Electronic folk music, often simply referred to as electronic folk or electronica, is a diverse and largely experimental subgenre of folk music that incorporates elements of electronic music. The term has been used to describe the work of numerous artists since the 1960s. Electronic folk incorporates many forms of electronic music into traditional folk music, including synthesizers, drum machines, computerized effects and sampling. Its origins lie in the work of post-rock pioneers such as Nick Drake and Fairport Convention who began experimenting with tape loops and synthesisers respectively in the late 1960s.

Since then, a variety of musicians have employed different forms of electronics to augment their traditional sound and create original pieces within the genre. While the dominant forms tend to be various hybrids between rock and electronics (such as the work of acts such as The Books), there have been increasing numbers of influences from other genres outside rock including hip hop (as seen in the work of Roots Manuva) and dubstep (as seen in the work of Bon Iver). However, much like post-rock itself, there are very few bands that are purely electronic folk.

Electronic folk is a genre of folk music that utilised electronic instruments and electronic effects. This includes but is not limited to acoustic instruments played through amplifiers, or acoustic instruments with some sort of pickups on them. It can also include music that incorporates more experimental, electronic sounds.

The use of electronics in folk music dates back to the 1930s, with the early Hammond organ. The first time was when it was used to accompany people such as Woody Guthrie during performances. It was also used to enhance the sound of string ensembles during this time.

The first example of a full performance using only electronic instruments may have been by Sid Wyman, who recorded his song “Space Control” in 1952 using a Moog synthesizer. This predates Wendy Carlos’ 1968 album Switched-On Bach by 16 years.