How to Perform Electronic Music
Contents
A quick guide on how to get started with making and performing your own electronic music.
Introduction
Electronic music is a genre of music that uses electronic musical instruments and digital audio workstations (DAWs) to produce sounds. It covers a wide range of styles, from techno and house to dubstep and Drum ‘n’ Bass.
There are two main ways to perform electronic music – either by DJing or by live performance.
DJing is the art of playing pre-recorded tracks, often mixing them together to create a new piece of music. A DJ will use a mixing console and turntables (or CDJs) to play their tracks, and will often add effects using a sampler or drum machine.
Live performance is where an artist creates their music using hardware or software instruments, and performs it in front of an audience. This can be done either solo or as part of a band.
If you want to start performing electronic music, you’ll need to choose which method you want to use. In this article, we’ll look at how to get started with both DJing and live performance.
The Different Types of Electronic Music
There are four main types of electronic music: techno, trance, house, and drum and bass. Techno is a type of electronic dance music that is characterized by a repetitive 4/4 beat. Trance is a type of electronic music that is also characterized by a repetitive 4/4 beat, but is generally more mellow and has a slower tempo. House is a type of electronic dance music that is characterized by a 4/4 beat with a strong emphasis on the first beat of the bar. Drum and bass is a type of electronic music that is characterized by a fast tempo and a 4/4 beat with heavy bass and drums.
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the 1980s. techno is characterized by a repetitive four on the floor beat and often features synthesizers, sequencers, and drum machines. The first techno track is widely considered to be “Jupiter” by consultant producer Juan Atkins. Techno is typically produced for use in a nightclub setting, although it has also been known to be used in other contexts, such as on movie soundtracks and video game soundtracks.
Trance
Trance is a genre of electronic music that emerged from the British new-age music scene and the early 1990s German techno and hardcore scenes. Most trance is instrumental, with a tempo lying between 110–150 beats per minute (BPM). The style was an influence on other subgenres, including Eurotrance, tech house and uplifting trance.
In the late 1990s, trance music achieved mainstream popularity in Europe as well as major popularity in the US Trance productions include forms of european electronic music often feature sweeping and lengthy electronic music produced largely for dance-based entertainment purposes. The genre frequently features guest vocalists and is sometimes referred to as Euro-trance or techno-trance.
House
house is a genre of electronic music characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor dance beat and often originated in Chicago in the 1980s. It was originally developed by DJs who blended various forms of dance music to entertain clubgoers. The name “house” refers to the Warehouse nightclub in Chicago, where the music was first played.
Today, house music is popular all over the world and is frequently played in clubs, festivals, and radio stations. It has also been influence other genres of music, such as techno, trance, and drum and bass.
Drum and Bass
Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to D&B, DnB or D’n’B) is a genre of electronic music characterised by fast breakbeats (typically 160– 185 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, sampled sources, and synthesizers. The music grew out of the UK rave scene in the early 1990s and developed further during the early and mid-1990s.
The popularity of drum and bass at its commercial peak ran parallel to several other homegrown dance styles in the UK including big beat and hard house. But towards the turn of the millennium its popularity was threatened by several criticism: it was labelled flatlining or past its sell-by date by some commentators; crowds attending drum and bass events were accused of increasing violence; while others claimed that the entire music had been hijacked by aggressive “jungle” MCs, diminishing its credibility as a form of intellectual electronic music. By late 2001, mainstream media interest in drum and bass had declined significantly.
Despite this, however, the genre continued to grow in underground popularity, experienced a steady revival throughout Europe from about 2005 onwards– particularly in eastern Europe–and enjoyed increased popularity in North America from around 2006/2007 onwards–particularly on the US West Coast–as well as Australasia and Japan.
The History of Electronic Music
Electronic music is a genre of music that is made using electronic musical instruments or electronic musical devices. It emerged in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Early examples of electronic music include the theremin, an instrument that was invented in the 1920s, and the Ondes Martenot, an instrument that was invented in the 1930s.
The Origins of Electronic Music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments and circuitry-based music technology. In general, a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means (electroacoustic music), and that produced using electronics only. Electromechanical instruments include mechanical elements, such as strings, hammers, and so on, and electrical elements, such as magnetic pickups, power amplifiers and loudspeakers. Examples of electromechanical sound producing devices include the telharmonium, Hammond organ, and the electric guitar. Purely electronic instruments do not have vibrating strings, hammers, or other sound-producing mechanisms. Devices such as the theremin, synthesizer and computer can produce electronic sounds.
The origins of electronic music date back to the 19th century with instruments like the theremin and telharmonium. These early instruments were used in live performances and studio recordings. In the early 20th century, electronic music began to be used in film scores and radio broadcasts. In the 1930s composers like Edgar Varèse and Karlheinz Stockhausen began to use electronic resources in their music. In the 1950s (and again in the 1970s) advances in technology led to the development of new electronic instruments like the synthesizer. These instruments were used in works such as Stockhausen’s Electronic Study I (1953), John Cage’s Imaginary Landscape No. 4 (1951) for 12 radios, Pierre Henry’s Symphonie pour un homme seul (1950–1951), and Vladimir Ussachevsky’s Poeme électronique (1957).
During the 1960s psychedelic rock bands like The Beatles experimented with new studio techniques likephase shiftingand feedbackto create strange new sounds on their albums Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) andMagical Mystery Tour(1967). In 1966 The Beach Boys released their albumPet Soundswhich featured unconventional instrumentation including thereminand musique concrète samples. This album is often cited as one of the most influential records in pop historyand helped start a trend of sonic experimentation in mainstream pop that would last throughout the rest of the 20th century.
The Development of Electronic Music
The first electronic instruments were developed in the early 1900s. These instruments, called theremins, were used in early electronic music. Theremins were used to create sound by waving your hands in the air near two metal antennas. The first theremin was built in 1920 by Russian engineer Leon Theremin.
In the 1930s, new electronic instruments were developed, including the synthesizer. The synthesizer is an instrument that can create any sound imaginable. Invented in 1876 by Elisha Gray, the synthesizer was initially used as a way to create new sounds for the telephone. It wasn’t until the 1930s that German engineer Hans Welte began to develop the first electronic music synthesizers.
During World War II, many scientists and engineers were employed by the military to develop new technologies for use in warfare. This work led to advances in electronic music and the development of new instruments such as the audio oscillator and the tape recorder. After the war, many of these same scientists and engineers went on to work in the fledgling field of electronic music.
In the 1950s, composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Schaeffer began creating entire pieces of music using only electronic sounds. This type of music is called musique concrete or electroacoustic music. In contrast to earlier forms of electronic music, which had been based on imitation of acoustic instruments, musique concrete was entirely new and explored completely different sonic possibilities.
In 1957, musician Vladimir Ussachevsky collaborated with engineer Peter Mauzy to develop one of the first tape-based composers. Tape-based composers use recorded sounds played back on tape machines to create new pieces of music. Ussachevsky and Mauzy’s tape composer was called a “sound mixer” and could be used to layer multiple recordings on top of each other, as well as manipulate them with various effects such as reverb and echo.
In 1960, Ussachevsky and Mauzy published a paper entitled “Towards Electronic Music” which described their work with sound mixers and outlined some of their ideas for future development of electronic musical instruments. This paper had a profound impact on the field of electronic music and influenced many subsequent developments in musical technology.
The Future of Electronic Music
Electronic music has been growing in popularity for the past few years. Many people enjoy the convenience and variety that it offers. With so many different genres and subgenres, there is something for everyone.
The Popularity of Electronic Music
There are many different genres of electronic music, and each one has a devoted following. In recent years, electronic music has become increasingly popular, with DJs and producers achieving mainstream success.
Electronic music is created using a variety of digital instruments and electronic devices. These can include synthesisers, drum machines, and samplers. Music can be created using a single instrument or a combination of instruments.
One of the key benefits of electronic music is that it can be created anywhere, at any time. All you need is a laptop or a mobile device and you can start making music. This has made it very popular with people who enjoy making their own music or remixing existing tracks.
Electronic music is often seen as being at the forefront of musical innovation. This is because new technologies and musical styles are constantly being developed, which keeps the genre fresh and exciting. Electronic music has also been influenced by other genres such as rock, pop, hip-hop, and classical. This has resulted in a wide range of sub-genres, each with its own distinct sound.
The Evolution of Electronic Music
It cannot be denied that electronic music has come a long way since its inception in the early 1900s. In its early days, electronic music was mostly reserved for avant-garde composers and was not widely accepted by the mainstream music industry. However, over the years, electronic music has evolved and has become one of the most popular genres of music today.
One of the biggest factors that has contributed to the evolution of electronic music is the technological advances that have been made in recent years. These days, there are a wide variety of electronic instruments and devices that can be used to create amazing soundscapes and melodies. In addition, with the advent of computer-based music production software, it is now easier than ever for anyone to create their own electronic music.
As electronic music has become more popular, we have also seen a rise in the number of festivals and events that are dedicated to this genre of music. These events are a great way for fans of electronic music to come together and experience the newest and best tunes that this genre has to offer. In addition, these events also help to support and promote up-and-coming producers and DJs who are helping to shape the future of electronic music.
