Categories and genres exist only to help describe the differences in mood and tempo.
House: 112-136 Beats Per Minute, consistent but not as monotonous as trance. Produced with rhythm machines with an emphasis on funky groovy.
Techno:120-144 BPM . Rhythms and sounds do not imitate non-electric instruments; techno explores the possibilities of new technologies
Trance:120-144 BPM. long drawn-out layered, techno, subtle and intricate for a long trip.
Hard-core: 144+ BPM. Comes in Regular and Breakbeat (Jungle).. Pure techno adrenal pump
Progressive: a term usually attached to house , implying a futuristic and highly polished production.
Tribal: can have lots of indigenous samples and hand percussion but can also describe a primal approach to rhythm.
Acid: boingy electro punctuations
Dub: slow, deep and processed with lots of echoes.
Ambient: can have beats but probably won't focus on them. Variable attention requirements.
Acid Jazz: jazz elements structured around a Hip Hop beat.
Hip Hop: 90-120 BPM breakbeat rhythms , lots of bass and snare.
Industrial: Can mean dance music with abrasive textures or experimental sound sculpture of a confrontational nature