Quoth UrbanDictionary.com: “A song [that] is extremely tight or just unbelievably awesome.”

This sub-genre of EDM is slower than house music, but faster than hip-hop, and is distinguished by a rhythm that diverges from the typical four-on-the-floor (thump-thump-thump-thump) pattern.

Disc jockey, or DJ for short, is often considered a term applied more to radio, but as EDM has become more popular, those men and women manipulating vinyl or MP3s behind the decks (turntables/laptops) are being identified as DJs, too.

The moment of euphoria for EDM fans arrives when the beat falls away and there’s a blissful suspension before the low-end kicks in, bringing everything back and generally causing hysteria on the dance floor.

Dating back to 2000, EDM’s stone age, dubstep first appeared in London (and would spawn a handful of splinter genres, such as grime). Mostly instrumental, this style of EDM is influenced by reggae-tinged dub music and characterized by syncopated rhythm and an emphasis on bass and drum elements. Check out Skrillex’s Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites f [..]

What’s become a popular shorthand for many current genres (electro-pop, et al), Electro surged to popularity in the early 1980s in Europe, Japan and the U.S.It’s known for its heavy use of TR-808 drum machines and funk sampling.

A catch-all term for all forms of electronic dance music, encompassing club, dance, techno and others. Fact magazine, among others, traces the origins of the EDM abbreviation to 2010.

Spawned in Chicago in the early ’80s and considered by many critics to be a mutation/update of disco, UrbanDictionary.com defines the style as “strongly influenced by elements of the early-to-mid 1970s soul and funk-infused style … [taking] disco’s use of a prominent bass drum on every beat and develop[ing] a new style by mixing in a heavy electron [..]

Reportedly the next big thing in EDM, Melbourne bounce is defined by UrbanDictionary.com as “a progression from the uptempo, horn-infused Dutch house style … a descendant of the electro house umbrella with inspiring party-hearty jams, raucous horns and goofy, fun-loving sensibilities.”