Who Created 1980’s Electronic Dance Music?

This blog post will take a look at some of the most influential figures in the world of 1980’s electronic dance music.

Introduction

Electronic dance music, also called EDM, encompasses a wide range of genres that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This type of music is usually characterized by a strong beat, synthesized sounds, and a catchy melody. Although EDM has its roots in disco and electronic music, it has since evolved into a highly popular genre that incorporates elements of house, techno, trance, and more.

Some of the most famous EDM artists include Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder, Afrika Bambaataa, and Jean-Michel Jarre. These pioneers helped to shape the sound of EDM and influenced many subsequent artists. In the 1990s and 2000s, EDM became increasingly popular in nightclubs and festivals around the world. Today, it is one of the most popular genres of music, with fans all over the globe.

The Early Days of Electronic Dance Music

In the late 1970’s, a new type of music was beginning to take shape. This new sound was a mix of disco and electronic music, and it was quickly becoming popular in the underground club scene. This new style of music would come to be known as electronic dance music, or EDM for short. But who were the pioneers of this new sound?

The First Electronic Dance Music Clubs

In the early 1980s, the first electronic dance music clubs began to appear in major metropolitan areas around the world. These clubs were often underground, illegal venues that were not affiliated with the mainstream music industry. They were typically located in warehouses, basements, or other makeshift venues, and they attracted a wide range of people from different social backgrounds.

The music played at these clubs was primarily electronic, and it was often improvised or created on the spot by the DJs. This type of music was very new and experimental, and it quickly gained a following among clubgoers who were looking for something different from the mainstream pop music that was being played on radio stations and in nightclubs.

The popularity of these early electronic dance music clubs led to the formation of several influential record labels, including Warp Records and Ninja Tune, which helped to popularize this new genre of music. In the 1990s, electronic dance music began to achieve mainstream success, with artists such as The Prodigy and Fatboy Slim achieving commercial success with their albums “Experience” and “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby” respectively.

The First Electronic Dance Music Festivals

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a new type of music began to emerge in the clubs of Europe and North America. This music, which would come to be known as electronic dance music (EDM), was characterized by its use of synthesizers, drum machines, and other electronic instruments.

EDM quickly became popular in the underground club scene, and by the mid-1980s, a number of festivals devoted to the genre were being held in both Europe and North America. These early festivals were often organized by underground promoters and featured a mix of local and international DJs.

Some of the most notable early EDM festivals include:

-The first Berlin Love Parade (1989)
-The first Amsterdam Dance Event (1996)
-The first Detroit Electronic Music Festival (2000)

These early festivals laid the foundation for the massive EDM festivals that are now held all over the world.

The Birth of House Music

In the early 1980s, a new form of dance music was created by DJs in Chicago. This style of music was called house music. House music was a mix of different styles of music including disco, soul, and electronic. The first house music song was created in 1984 by a DJ named Chip E.

The First House Music Clubs

The first house music clubs started appearing in the early 1980s in Chicago, Illinois. These clubs were usually after-hours venues that played a mix of disco, soul, and electronic dance music. The term “house music” is said to have been coined by DJ Frankie Knuckles, who played at one of the first house music clubs, The Chicago Warehouse.

The Warehouse and other early house music clubs were important in the development of house music because they provided a space for DJs to experiment with new sounds and create longer, more open-ended DJ sets than was possible in traditional nightclubs. The popularity of house music spread to other cities with large African-American populations, such as Detroit, New York City, and Philadelphia. By the mid-1980s, house music had become a global phenomenon.

The First House Music Festivals

The first large-scale house music event was held in Chicago in August of 1987. The party was called the Lovebug Picnic and it drew a crowd of over 3,000 people. The event was organized by several local promoters who wanted to bring the burgeoning house music scene to a larger audience.

The party was a success, and it ushered in a new era of large-scale house music events. In the years that followed, similar events were held in Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, and other major cities across the United States. These parties helped to spread the word about house music and build up its community of dedicated fans.

Today, house music festivals are held all over the world, attracting millions of people each year. These events are often seen as the spiritual successors to the original Lovebug Picnic, and they continue to play a vital role in spreading the word about this beloved musical genre.

The Birth of Techno Music

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a new form of electronic dance music began to emerge in Detroit, Michigan. This new style of music, which would come to be known as techno, would go on to have a profound impact on the world of electronic music.

The First Techno Music Clubs

Techno music began in the early 1980s in Detroit, Michigan. A group of African American musicians, producers, and DJs created a new style of music that was influenced by disco, electro-funk, and other types of dance music. This new style of music was played in nightclubs and soon became known as techno.

The first techno music clubs were small, underground venues that attracted a diverse crowd of people who loved to dance. These clubs were often located in warehouses or abandoned buildings, and they became hotspots for illegal drug use and crime. As techno music grew in popularity, the clubs became larger and more mainstream. By the late 1980s, techno music was being played in clubs all over the world.

The First Techno Music Festivals

The first techno music festivals began in the early 1980s, and they were typically one-day events held in clubs or warehouses. The earliest known festival was Doc Martin presents The Fantastical World of Tecno, held in Los Angeles in 1981. This event featured early innovators like Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, who later went on to found the Detroit techno scene.

By the mid-1980s, techno music festivals were being held all over the world, from Berlin to Ibiza. These events were often organized by underground promoters and featured cutting-edge electronic music that was not yet commercially available. In 1988, the first official techno music festival, called Mayday, was held in Berlin. This event drew over 30,000 people and showcased some of the biggest names in techno at the time, including Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, and Joey Beltram.

Today, techno music festivals are still being held all over the world, though they have become much more commercialized than their early predecessors. Many of these events now feature a mix of electronic music genres, along with other attractions like camping and food trucks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is no one answer to the question of who created 1980’s electronic dance music. While there are a few key figures who were instrumental in its development, the genre is truly a result of the work of many different people from all over the world. From early pioneers like Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder to contemporary superstars like Skrillex and Calvin Harris, electronic dance music has come a long way in just a few decades. And it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.