Indie Dance
Disco · 2002 · 115 to 125 BPM
Indie dance is where independent rock meets the dancefloor, first activated in the mid-2000s and reshaped in the 2010s into a darker, more melodic sound. Darlyn Vlys describes his own music as somewhere between rock, indie dance and synthwave, and that's the right key to it: round, italo-derived basslines, treated guitars or vocals, and a tempo that stays under techno's. The label itself is something of a streaming-platform catch-all, but the real scene plays out in the clubs and festivals that claim it as their own.
8 reference tracks
- Roosevelt: Sign (2021)
- The Rapture: House of Jealous Lovers (2002)
- LCD Soundsystem: Losing My Edge (2002)
- Roman Fluegel: Gehts Noch (2004)
- Hot Chip: Over And Over (2006)
- LCD Soundsystem: Dance Yrself Clean (2010)
- Bicep: Apricots (2020)
- Confidence Man: Holiday (2022)
At a glance
- Tempo: 115 to 125 BPM
- First appeared: around 2002
- Machines: Roland Juno-106, Guitare électrique, Roland TR-8
- The sound: Basse analogique type Juno, Voix traitées chorus et delay, Guitares samplées, Roland TR-8 et clones 808
- Labels: DFA, Kitsuné, Permanent Vacation, Multi Culti, Pets Recordings, Correspondant
- Key artists: Darlyn Vlys, AFFKT, Damon Jee, Red Axes, Curses, Marc Houle
Producing Indie Dance
Indie dance stays under techno tempo, 110 to 122 BPM, often around 115 to 118. The feel blends drum-machine stiffness with band energy: straight eighths, little swing at 50 to 53 percent, while the guitar and vocal accents push and pull. A TR-8 or 808 clone holds a round four-on-the-floor kick, a rock snare or clapped 808 cracks on 2 and 4 with short reverb, and open hats mark the offbeat of 4. The bass is a Juno-106 sawtooth with chorus, round and slightly warbly like the italo it descends from, playing an eighth-note riff that falls with the kick and fills the gaps, sidechained lightly at 3:1. On top, cut guitar chords and arpeggios with dotted-eighth delay, chorus-treated vocals, Juno pads, and a rising sawtooth lead for the chorus.
The full production course, in French: tempo, drums, bass, sounds, arrangement, mix, plugins and machines, and a step by step start.
Frequently asked
What is Indie Dance?
Indie dance is where independent rock meets the dancefloor, first activated in the mid-2000s and reshaped in the 2010s into a darker, more melodic sound. Darlyn Vlys describes his own music as somewhere between rock, indie dance and synthwave, and that's the right key to it: round, italo-derived…
What tempo is Indie Dance played at?
Between 115 and 125 BPM.
Who are the key Indie Dance artists?
Darlyn Vlys, AFFKT, Damon Jee, Red Axes, Curses, Marc Houle.
