Of all the genres of music currently popular here in America, there is none quite like Electronic Dance music. Just reading those words might have already conjured pictures of neon flashing strobes, girls in skimpy flower outfits, and drugs. Lots and lots of drugs. I would ask that before you continue, you try your best to push these images out of your head. Clear your mind of any preconceived notion you might have had about the genre of Electronic Music, and take a deep breath.
You good? Okay Let's continue.
My love for EDM started way back during my senior year of high school. One day when I was in the school store buying Mambas (my only source of happiness during those long days), I heard a song come on that absolutely floored me. I had never heard anything like it! Almost instantaneously, I felt as if a lightning bolt had struck my temple, killed me, and then was brought back to life with defibrillators made of pure ice. My taste in music had seemingly shifted to a point of no return....from liking pop-culture hits being played on the radio 600 times a day, to songs that my friends had never even heard of. What song could do such a think you may ask? Ghosts n Stuff by Deadmau5. It still had that poppy sound to it (thanks to the glorious voice of Rob Swire) but it was different enough to question my reality. Why hadn't I been listening to this stuff before? I went home after cross country practice that day and immediately booted up the good ol' family computer and listened to Deadmau5 all night. Little did I know I was undergoing a physical, spiritual, and intellectual transformation that is still taking place to this day as I delve further and further into the depths of this incredible genre.
Because it is so different, EDM has become the most misrepresented, misunderstood, and disrespected genre of music in a long time. I have met loads of people (more than I can count really) who openly mock the genre and say it's only relevant because of it's controversial music and the alluring hippie lifestyle that it inevitably brings along. They claim that the concerts are a waste of money because all the "artist" does is stand at the top of a big stage and "press the play button" as they jump around like a maniac to raise the hype levels of the crowd. This is just simply false. How do I know? Because I was a DJ. A low-level one, yes, but a DJ nonetheless, and let me tell you that it's NOT as easy as it looks.
To showcase what a REAL DJ performance looks like, I'll post a few examples. Here is one of my favorite electronic songs "Down the Road" by C2C. The first link is the original song and the second one is their live performance. Notice how much the song changes when they perform it live. (If you are impatient skip to about the 2 minute mark in each video to compare).
The live version:
Notice how they extended the song by over TWO MINUTES. That was NOT just a few dudes pressing play and jumping around. If you noticed, they barely had time to do much else with their hands because they were too busy mixing, scratching, and playing with the EQ levels of the song. Those are true DJ's who have mastered their art. Now C2C has a major advantage over most DJ acts. There is four of them. If you notice how their hand movements correlate to the song, you will start to notice that each of them have a specific job. If you liked that performance, here is another amazing artist by the name of Yamato. This guy is probably one of the best mix n' scratch DJ's of our time. A truly special talent. He is like the four DJ's in C2C all in one.
So as you can see, there is much more to DJing than pressing play and jumping around a bit on stage. That being said, I'm not completely ignorant. I understand that there are indeed DJs that do exactly that, but I would contend that there are lazy artists like that in every genre. It's not hard to pick out the fakes from the real deal. EVEN IF THE DJ JUST STANDS THERE AND PLAYS MUSIC THATS FINE AS WELL!! Why is this so? Why do people pay excessive amounts of money to go to shows and festivals knowing there is a chance that the DJ just touches a few knobs here and there? The answer is quite simple, and it demonstrates the lack of understanding that the average person has about EDM as a whole. Here's the real secret to falling in love with this genre. The real reason people who love Electronic music, do so with a fire that will never burn out. You ready?
It's not about the DJ.
That's right. The DJ even knows this. Electronic music is adored so much because it conjures up words, looks, feelings, and emotions that we never knew existed within us. Combine that with amazing speakers, amazing light shows, the people you love all dancing around you, and you get an experience like no other. The reason people love this genre so much is almost entirely based off of the live shows they have gone to with their friends. This is why it's so important to leave out lyrics in electronic music. It leaves room for people to give it their own meanings, and when you attach those sorts of emotions and memories to a certain song...it will NEVER go away. At the end of the day, the quality of music is all about how it makes you feel...and seeing electronic shows live give SO much meaning to the songs that fans of the genre listen to every day. Electronic music isn't about the artist...it's one hundred percent about the fans. It's about the way the music grabs a hold of your mind, body, and soul and binds you in the chains of movement along with everyone else in the crowd. There is no greater sense of belonging and happiness in the world, than to look up while at a show and literally see that everyone around you is in a complete state of happiness and dance.
This is why the genre is so misunderstood. Most fans of various other genres of music make the live performances COMPLETELY about the artist and their lyrics...going as far as to scream out their names the the lyrics of their songs with tears of excitement in their eyes. It is the complete opposite at EDM shows. The DJ or artist takes the greatest pleasure in making the audience excited enough to remain in a constant state of dance....hence the name Electronic DANCE Music. The music and dancing go hand-in-hand, and it is hard to enjoy the genre completely if you aren't dancing and having fun with your friends.
Another big issue people seem to have with electronic music is that there isn't enough emotion in the music. It sounds "too robotic" and the lack of lyrics is a no-go for many people. If you simply don't like the sound of electronic music, and if lyrics are must-have for you in your music library, then that is perfectly fine. Most people are like that nowadays. I personally prefer lyric-less music because it allows me to give the song any meaning I want to...and it can change based on how i'm feeling. However, to claim that electronic music lacks soul is just plain false. The amount of "soul" that is felt while listening to a song depends entirely on how much "soul" the artist put into the making of it. It also depends largely on how you feel about that genre of music as a whole! If you just don't like the sound of the genre, of course you are not going to give it the attention needed to uncover the energy and soul behind it...and forget about exploring the genre for its truly special gems.
Here is a perfect example of an electronic song that conjures emotions you may not have even known existed within you. There is little to no lyrics in this one, yet for some reason it never fails to bring tears to my eyes. It's called "Sea of Voices" by Porter Robinson, and it is a truly special song. Make sure to listen with headphones for maximum effect!
Porter Robinson is one of those special artists who pours his entire heart and soul into his music, and if you liked that song, I would highly recommend his only album, "Worlds". It is a truly phenomenal work of art. Yes, it is art. At least to me it is, and that is something that no one can take from me or any other fan of the genre. To us, electronic music will always mean something special...no matter how far away we drift from the genre and no matter how long we go without seeing a show.
I can't talk about the best artists in the genre of electronic music without at least mentioning the granddaddy of them all...Deadmau5. This man has done so much for the genre, and actively campaigns for its benefit. He calls out the fake DJs while supporting the real ones, and sometimes even signs them to his personal record label. The quality of his music is unparalleled, and his composition is by far the best of all time. Deadmau5 is truly a titan of the industry, and he is a enormous reason why I even got into this genre in the first place. I owe many many memories, thoughts, and emotions to him. His best song (in my opinion) is called "Strobe", and I consider it to be the "Stairway to Heaven" of electronic music, and it is widely considered to be one of the best (if not THE best) electronic song of all time. There is just something about that soft beginning and the way it transitions so smoothly into it's beat and melody. I think it's safe to say this is one of those songs that will simply never die. I can listen to this on repeat for hours on end, and I often do. I'll post it below so you can finish this now-lengthy piece to the sound of its sweet melodies and build up. Enjoy.
It is my intense desire that this piece did it's job in convincing you of EDM's legitimacy in the realm of music, and why the fans love it as much as they do. At the very least, I just wanted to address some of the common misconceptions surrounding this beautiful genre, and showcase a few of it's truly remarkable talents. I will leave you with a video that I made a few years back showcasing all the love and emotion that I talked about in this article. I filmed it at the festival known as "Electric Forest" and it's one of the very best festivals in the country.
I sincerely wish you all the best in life and much peace and love. I know this was quite the switch-up from my usual content, but electronic music is something I will always be passionate about, and I will never let anything stop me from talking about it and exposing the truth underneath all the glitz and glamour. Look for more articles pertaining to the EDM genre in the future!
Until then....
- SAF