How to Thumb Your Way to the Best Electronic Dance Music
Contents
Thumbing your way to the best electronic dance music can be easy if you know what you’re doing. Check out our guide to get started.
Introduction
Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is one of the most popular genres of music today. If you’re a fan of EDM, then you know that there are a lot of great songs out there. But how do you find the best EDM? That’s where thumbing comes in.
What is electronic dance music?
Electronic dance music (EDM), also known as dance music, club music, or simply dance, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres made largely for nightclubs, raves and festivals. It is generally produced for playback by DJs who create seamless selections of tracks, called a mix, by segueing from one recording to another. EDM producers also perform their music live in a concert or festival setting in what is sometimes called a live PA. In Europe and North America, EDM is more commonly called simply “dance music” or “club music”. These genres were developed by subcultures including the gay community (especially house music and disco) and black people (especially techno and drum and bass).
Dancemusic.com defines “electronic dance music” as “any type of modern popular music which is primarily played in nightclubs and fast tempo”. According to AllMusic, EDM began to evolve out of the rave and club culture of the 1980s and early 1990s. According to Bill Brewster,”the word ‘rave’ was first used [in Britain] in the late 1980s to describe the kind of wild multitrack party patterns that developed out of the acid house scene”.
The history of electronic dance music
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, disco clubs became popular with the mainstream audience. On the other side of the Atlantic, electronic music was making its way into the underground scene. Clubs such as The Paradise Garage in New York and Zouk in London were playing a new type of music that was created by DJs using turntables and mixing equipment. This new style of music became known as house music.
The origins of house music can be traced back to Chicago, where DJ Frankie Knuckles began playing a blend of disco, soul, and African-American R&B in clubs such as The Warehouse and Music Box. House music quickly spread to other cities with large African-American populations, such as Detroit and New York. In the mid-1980s, house music began to develop its own sound and identity with the addition of elements from other genres, such as Latin American music, gospel, and rock.
House music became popular in Europe in the late 1980s, thanks to the work of English DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling, who played at famous nightclubs such as Ministry of Sound in London and Space Ibiza in Spain. By the early 1990s, house music had become one of the most popular genres in the world with subgenres such as acid house, techno, and trance becoming increasingly popular.
Today, electronic dance music is enjoyed by millions of people all over the world. It has also had a significant impact on pop culture with many mainstream artists incorporating elements of EDM into their own songs.
The Different Types of Electronic Dance Music
Electronic dance music covers a wide range of genres, so it can be difficult to pinpoint which type you like best. However, once you find a style of EDM that you enjoy, you’ll be hooked for life. To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the different types of electronic dance music. Read on to find your new favorite genre.
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in the late 1980s. The term is derived from the word technology, and it is characterized by its use of hypnotic, repetitive rhythms and its focus on the technological aspects of sound production. Techno music is often associated with the rave culture and the club scene, and it is typically produced by DJs and producers using electronic equipment such as synthesizers, drum machines, and turntables.
House
House is a style of electronic dance music that originated in the Chicago club scene in the 1980s. It was initially opposed to the disco sound that was popular at the time, but as house music became more popular, it began to incorporate elements of disco. House music is characterized by a strong 4/4 beat, often with a 909 kick drum on the first and third beats, and by the use of synthesizers, drum machines and samplers.
Trance
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s in Germany. It is characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 BPM, repeating melodic phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout the track.
Drum and Bass
Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated to D&B, DnB, Drum n Bass and Drum & Bass) is a type of electronic music characterised by fast breakbeats (typically between 150–180 beats per minute) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, synthesizers and sampled sources. The genre grew out of the British rave and jungle scenes in the early 1990s.
The popularity of drum and bass at its commercial peak ran parallel with several other homegrown dance styles in the UK including big beat and hard house. But towards the turn of the millennium its popularity was deemed to have waned as the UK garage style known as speed garage yielded several hit singles. Speed garage shared much with the original drum and bass sound but added more influences from House music, resulting in productions being closer to Techstep’s harder sound.
Dubstep
Dubstep is a type of electronic dance music that emerged in the late 1990s. It is characterized by a heavy bass sound and syncopated rhythms. Dubstep tracks often have a tempo of 140 beats per minute. The genre was developed in the UK and has since spread to other countries.
The Best Electronic Dance Music Festivals
Ultra Music Festival, Tomorrowland, and EDC Las Vegas are just a few of the best electronic dance music festivals in the world. These festivals attract some of the biggest names in the EDM world and offer an incredible experience. If you’re a fan of electronic dance music, then you need to check out these festivals.
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland is an annual electronic music festival held in Boom, Belgium. The festival was first held in 2005, and has since become one of the world’s largest and most prominent music festivals. Tomorrowland has featured some of the world’s biggest EDM acts, including Avicii, Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, and more.
Ultra Music Festival
The Ultra Music Festival is an annual event that takes place in Miami, Florida. It is one of the largest and most well-known electronic dance music festivals in the world, attracting tens of thousands of people from all over the globe. The festival features a wide variety of electronic music genres, including trance, house, techno, drum and bass, and more. If you’re a fan of electronic dance music, the Ultra Music Festival is definitely an event you won’t want to miss!
Electric Daisy Carnival
Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks show.
The Electric Daisy Carnival, also known as EDC, is an electronic dance music festival that takes place annually in Las Vegas, Nevada. The festival is produced by Insomniac Events, and features a wide variety of electronic music genres including house, techno, drum and bass, dubstep, and trance. EDC was founded in 1997 by Pasquale Rotella, and has since become one of the largest and most popular electronic dance music festivals in the world.
EDC Las Vegas is typically held over a three-day weekend in late June or early July, and features over 200 DJs and performances spread out across eight different stages. The festival also features a variety of art installations and interactive experiences.
How to Find the Best Electronic Dance Music for You
With so many sub-genres of electronic dance music, it can be tough to know where to start. That’s why we’ve thumbed through the best of the best, and compiled a list of the EDM tracks you need in your life. Whether you’re a fan of dubstep, house, or techno, we’ve got you covered.
Use streaming services
When it comes to finding the best electronic dance music for you, streaming services are a great place to start. With so many options available, you can easily find a station or playlist that matches your taste. Plus, you can often sample a track before you commit to buying it.
If you’re not sure where to start, try checking out some of the most popular streaming services, like Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music. You can also search for specific genres or artists to find something that’s tailored to your taste.
Go to electronic dance music festivals
Going to electronic dance music festivals is one of the best ways to find new music and see what genres are out there. There are many different festival circuits, so you can usually find one that specializes in the type of electronic dance music you like. For example, if you like techno, there’s probably a techno festival circuit. If you’re into dubstep, there’s most likely a dubstep festival scene. And so on and so forth.
Not only will you be able to hear new music at these festivals, but you’ll also be able to see how different DJs perform live. This can be a great way to see which DJs you like and don’t like, as well as get an idea of what kinds of tracks are popular right now.
Check out online radio stations
A great way to find new electronic dance music is to check out online radio stations. There are many stations that specialize in this genre, and they can be a great way to discover new artists and songs.
If you’re not sure where to start, try looking for a station that broadcasts from your region. This will ensure that you’re getting the most relevant results. You can also look for stations that specialize in a particular subgenre of electronic dance music, such as house or techno.
Once you’ve found a few radio stations that look promising, it’s time to start listening! Pay attention to the songs that are played and see if anything catches your fancy. If you hear a song that you like, make a note of the artist and track name so you can look it up later.
It’s also worth checking out the websites of popular electronic dance music festivals. Many of these festivals have their own radio stations, which can be a great way to discover new music.
