Hi-NRG
| Hi-NRG | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1970s to early 1980s, United States and United Kingdom |
| Derivative forms | |
| Fusion genres | |
| Regional scenes | |
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| Other topics | |
| Artists and songs | |
Hi-NRG (pronounced "high energy") is a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music (EDM) that originated in the United States and United Kingdom during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As a music genre, typified by a fast tempo, staccato hi-hat rhythms (and the four-on-the-floor pattern), reverberated "intense" vocals and "pulsating" octave basslines, it was particularly influential on the EDM scene. Its earliest association was with Italo disco, which incorporated new American electronic sounds of post-disco into the genre.
In 1977, Donna Summer was interviewed about her single "I Feel Love", which was a mostly electronic, relatively high-tempo disco song without a strong funk component. In the interview, she said "this song became a hit because it has a high-energy vibe". Following that interview, the description "high-energy" was increasingly applied to high-tempo disco music, especially songs dominated by electronic timbres. The tempo threshold for high-energy disco was around 130 to 140 BPM. In the 1980s, the term "high-energy" was stylized as "Hi-NRG". Eurobeat, dance-pop and freestyle artists like Shannon, , Taylor Dayne, Freeez or Michael Sembello were also labeled as "Hi-NRG" when sold in the United States.
In the 1980s, "Hi-NRG" referred not just to any high-tempo disco/dance music, but to a specific genre, only somewhat disco-like. Hi-NRG is, however, typified by an energetic, staccato, sequenced synthesizer sound of octave basslines or/and where the bass often takes the place of the hi-hat, alternating a more resonant note with a dampened note to signify the tempo of the record. There is also often heavy use of the clap sound found on drum machines.
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