Electro (short for either
electro-funk, or
electro-boogie) is a
genre of
electronic music and early
hip hop directly influenced by the use of
TR-808 drum machines, and
funk. Records in the genre typically feature
drum machines and heavy electronic sounds, usually without vocals, although if vocals are present they are delivered in a deadpan manner, often through electronic distortion such as vocoding and talkboxing. This is the main distinction between electro and previously prominent genres such as
disco, in which the electronic sound was only part of the instrumentation. It also palpably deviates from its predecessor
boogie for being less vocal-oriented and more focused on electronic beats produced by drum machines.