buildup
A passage of increasing intensity that creates tension and anticipation before a climactic release.
In Depth
Buildups use a combination of techniques to create escalating tension: rising pitch sweeps, accelerating drum rolls, adding rhythmic subdivisions, filtering up from low to high frequencies, and gradually introducing new elements. The buildup-drop structure is the fundamental dramatic arc of EDM. Effective buildups make the eventual release feel inevitable and cathartic. The longer and more intense the buildup, the more powerful the drop feels.
Some DJs deliberately fake a drop after a buildup, pulling the energy away at the last second, before delivering the real drop moments later for even greater impact.