BY FRED SHUSTER >MUSIC WRITER

That's how today's club DJs categorize the music they spin - and if you haven't been to a dance night lately, it can come as a shock. Forget melody, songs and singers you can identify. It's all about wall-to-wall sound, fast electronic beats and washes of synth. It's not very funky, but if you happen to be in your 20s, that's what you've been grooving to for years.

Along with the sound is a subculture of clubs with dedicated followings. They often take place once a week around the region, especially in Hollywood.

The dance-club landscape, though, has taken a radical turn, with happening events taking place in North Hollywood, Newport Beach, Long Beach and elsewhere.

Dance clubs are thriving.

While Hollywood was once the natural habitat of the dance-club aficionado, the scene has become so vast and widespread that cities like Long Beach can support one of the best Saturday nights around in Sam's, a weekly club whose multiple rooms and hip crowds rival anything in the 323 area code. Top dance club promoter Giant, too, is known throughout the country for its weekly events in L.A., Orange County and San Diego, as well as one-off special events that attract dancers from around the world.

One of the newest weekly events is the NoHo Massive, a warm Thursday-night club at the slyly named Bank Heist building in North Hollywood. The long-vacant former home of a Security Pacific Bank on Lankershim Boulevard, just across from the Metro station, has been refurbished into an atmospheric, high-tech seven-night-a-week, multilevel spot with a restaurant and soundtrack to match.

"It's a new era for clubbing in the Valley," said Ellis Ranko, a promoter with Giant, which puts on club nights in Hollywood, Newport Beach and San Diego. "The vibe is good. It's about time something like this was happening here."

Ranko was one of several rival club promoters checking out the scene at the new NoHo Massive last week. The place was comfortably crowded, with dancers making their moves on two floors, one spinning house, Top 40 and mash-ups and the other sticking to techno and electronica sounds. The crowd was composed largely of young professional types, but the security staff didn't bat an eye when this unidentified reporter fell in late after the Sex Pistols show at the Roxy, wearing jeans, sneakers and a worn-out shirt.

"It's more kick-back and less intimidating than Hollywood clubs," said North Hollywood resident Jennifer Kae, 26, sitting on the outdoor patio that overlooks Lankershim during a rare respite from the pulsating dance floor upstairs. "It's nice to be able to go out somewhere good like this and still be so close to home."

As North Hollywood continues to become a sought-after destination for hot new restaurants, bars, shopping, theaters and a general arty vibe, the average age of residents is far younger than ever. At NoHo Massive, everyone in the diverse, interesting crowd seemed to be in their early to mid-20s.

"We want a great mixture of people - young, sophisticated and fun," said Prince collaborator Sharon Ferguson, who hosts the NoHo Massive on Wednesdays when the burlesque troupe Bomb Cherry Dolls perform. "It's sort of like a private party, but open to the public."

The joint has a solid pedigree. Investors include Grammy Award-nominated DJs/producers/remixers Chris Cox and the Crystal Method's Ken Jordan, both of whom live nearby and share a studio in the neighborhood.

"For seven years, I've been driving by this building, saying, `This place would make a great club,' " said Cox, who spins for 15,000-plus crowds at outdoor "massives" in South America and Europe. "I thought this would be a fantastic location, especially now that NoHo is so happening. "When Ken and I started talking, he told me about this new club that was about to open. It's perfect because all our DJ friends who live in the area can have a place to hang out. "

The top DJs are flocking to the place. The affable Cox, who has been to Brazil to spin at giant dance events three times in the past three months, recently sat in behind the turntables and the club-culture grapevine buzzed with the news. NoHo Massive was on the map.

"I think what we've done is create Hollywood in North Hollywood," said longtime club manager Kat Johnson, a partner in Bank Heist. "I think we have something that adds to the ambience."

We'll let one of the regulars have the last word. Says GiGi Minto, 23, who's been at the club for the past five Thursdays: "It's just a great party. Coming from a Jamaican like me, this place is great."

NOHO MASSIVE
>Where: Bank Heist, 5303 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood.
>When: 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday nights.
>Tickets: $10. (818) 760-1648, www.myspace.com/nohomassive.