Futurepop is mainly characterized by its "technoid"[2] and "dance-oriented"[2]pop rock music structures,[1] catchy melodies,[2] the "pervasive use of trance beats"[3][2]), and an absence of vocal modification.[1] The genre is distinguished from regular trance music by "retaining the lyrical and vocal structure of synthpop".[3] Its "transparent sounds"[3] and "smooth production" style[3] have been considered as being "chart-compatible"[2] and "designed for music clubs".[2][8]
Tom ShearofAssemblage 23 described the style ironically as "mostly people who can't sing over '90s era trance patches".[4]
Ronan Harris of VNV Nation credited himself with the term "futurepop" during a discussion with Apoptygma Berzerk vocalist Stephan Groth to describe the sounds of their music and similar groups at the time.[3] According to Sorted Magazine writer "Girl the Bourgeois Individualist":
He says he came up with it during a conversation with Apop's Stefan Groth when they were discussing the arrogant attitude the press had towards the scene, dismissing it as simply an '80s revival. There was also the problem with the terms that were around, they regarded electro as encompassing too many things, while EBM is not what it used to be and the idea of the whole dark scene gives the impression that everyone is hanging out in crypts and listening to Sopor Aeternus.[5]
^David Horn, John Shepherd, Paolo Prato: Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 11: Genres Europe. Bloomsbury Academic 2017, ISBN978-1501326103, p. 223. "The futurepop genre, as exemplified in the music of Apoptygma Berzerk, Covenant and VNV Nation, saw EBM merging with synthpop while adopting features of trance and contemporary EDM."
^Alexander Nym: Schillerndes Dunkel: Geschichte, Entwicklung und Themen der Gothic-Szene. Plöttner Verlag, 2010, ISBN978-3-86211-006-3, p. 199. "In der Szene ist Neon das neue Schwarz. Der Sound dazu nennt sich Future Pop, Cybergoth oder Hellectro und ist von billigem Techno oft kaum mehr zu unterscheiden. (Stefan Gnad). ("Within the dark scene neon is the new black. The sound connected to it is called futurepop, cybergoth or hellectro. The music shows almsost no difference to mediocrely produced techno music.").
