Where Did Electronic Dance Music Originate?
Contents
Electronic dance music has been around for decades, but its origins are often debated. In this blog post, we’ll explore the history of EDM and its influence on the music industry.
Introduction
Electronic dance music, also known as EDM, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres made largely for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. EDM is generally produced for playback by DJs who create seamless selections of tracks, called a mix, by segueing from one recording to another.
The origins of EDM are difficult to trace, as it emerged from a wide range of precursor genres including disco, techno, house, and experimental music. However, one of the earliest known examples of electronic dance music is the 1978 track ” Spacewalk ” by German composer and producer Kraftwerk.
Other early pioneers include Giorgio Moroder, who produced the influential disco hit ” I Feel Love ” in 1977; Afrika Bambaataa, who released the groundbreaking hip-hop track ” Planet Rock ” in 1982; and Japanese composer Yellow Magic Orchestra, who experimented with electronic sounds on their 1978 album Solid State Survivor.
The explosion of EDM in popular culture can be traced to the late 1980s and early 1990s rave scene in the United Kingdom , particularly in London and Manchester . With the advent of affordable personal computers and synthesizers , as well as sampling technology , a new generation of DJs and producers began creating their own dance tracks.
By the mid-1990s, international superstars like The Chemical Brothers , Fatboy Slim , The Prodigy , and Daft Punk had emerged, helping to propel electronic dance music into the mainstream. In the years since, EDM has continued to evolve and diversify , giving rise to subgenres like trance , dubstep , drum & bass , and trap .
The Early Days of Electronic Dance Music
Electronic dance music has its origins in the early 1970s, when musicians began experimenting with electronic instruments and synthesizers. This new style of music quickly gained popularity in clubs and on the radio. In the 1980s, electronic dance music became more mainstream, with artists like Madonna and Michael Jackson incorporating it into their music. Today, electronic dance music is one of the most popular genres in the world.
1970s
In the 1970s, electronic dance music began to emerge as a genre. Early innovators such as Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder created songs that laid the foundation for the genre, incorporating elements of pop, disco and experimental noise music. These early tracks laid the groundwork for the entire EDM genre, influencing everything from techno and house to trance and dubstep.
1980s
The origins of electronic dance music can be traced back to the 1980s, when DJs and producers began creating remixes of songs using electronic instruments and equipment. This new style of music quickly gained popularity in clubs and dance venues, and soon producers began releasing their own original tracks. By the early 1990s, electronic dance music had become a mainstream genre, with artists like Moby, The Prodigy, and Fatboy Slim achieving mainstream success. Today, electronic dance music is one of the most popular genres in the world, with artists like Calvin Harris, Skrillex, and Deadmau5 topping the charts.
1990s
In the early 1990s, the rise of electronic dance music was accompanied by a wave of club culture that spread around the globe. Traveling DJs brought new sounds to far-flung dance floors, and a new generation of producers and remixers created records that fused different genres and styles. This cross-pollination resulted in a vibrant global scene, with local scenes developing in dozens of countries.
In the United States, the rise of electronic dance music was fueled by two key developments: the development of affordable personal computers and the popularity of rave culture. In Europe, meanwhile, electronic dance music was deeply intertwined with club culture and the emerging trance and techno scenes.
The 1990s also saw the rise of IDM, or intelligent dance music, a genre that blended experimental electronics with pop sensibilities. The most important IDM artists included Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, and Autechre.
The Rise of Electronic Dance Music
Electronic dance music, also known as EDM, has become increasingly popular in recent years. It has its origins in the 1970s, when DJs and producers began creating new, electronic sounds. EDM is now a multi-billion dollar industry, with festivals and clubs all over the world. Let’s take a closer look at the history of this genre of music.
2000s
With the rise of the internet and portable music devices in the early 2000s, EDM began to rapidly increase in popularity. This was helped by the increasing availability of affordable music production software, which allowed anyone with a computer to create their own electronic music. The first commercially successful EDM song is widely considered to be “Boom Boom Pow” by The Black Eyed Peas, which topped the charts in 2009.
The early 2010s saw a continued increase in the popularity of EDM, with tracks like “Levels” by Avicii and “Harlem Shake” by Baauer becoming global hits. In 2013, Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” became one of the biggest songs of all time, selling over 10 million copies and winning multiple Grammy Awards.
In recent years, EDM has become increasingly mainstream, with many top 40 pop songs featuring elements of electronic dance music. As its popularity continues to grow, it seems likely that electronic dance music will continue to have a major impact on the music industry for years to come.
2010s
In the 2010s, EDM achieved widespread mainstream success. This was characterized by the commercialization of a number of previously underground styles of electronic dance music, including electro house, dubstep, and techno. Several EDM artists achieved mainstream prominence during this decade, including Avicii, David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Skrillex, Steve Aoki and Tiësto.
The rise of electronic dance music was also accompanied by a growing popularity of festivals devoted to the genre, such as Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival. In addition, the 2010s saw a proliferation of EDM-related news media outlets, including online magazines such as Your EDM and DJ Mag, as well as television shows such as Electric Daisy Carnival Experience and Ultra Music Festival Worldwide.
Conclusion
Electronic dance music, also known as EDM, is a broad range of popular music genres that are primarily produced with electronic musical instruments and have a strong focus on rhythm and melody. While the term “EDM” can be used to describe any type of electronic music, it is most commonly used to refer to the more commercial subgenres such as electro house, dubstep, and trance.
The origins of EDM are difficult to trace definitively because it is a genre that has evolved over time and has been influenced by many different styles of music. However, it is generally agreed that EDM developed from two main sources: disco/funk and experimental electronic music.
Disco/funk was one of the first genres to make use of electronic instruments such as synthesizers and drum machines. Experimental electronic music, on the other hand, was created by avant-garde composers who were exploring new ways to create sound with devices such as oscillators, tape machines, and early computers. These two genres laid the foundations for what would eventually become EDM.
