Electronic Dance Music Culture in the 21st Century
The 21st century has seen a huge resurgence in popularity for electronic dance music (EDM). This has led to the development of a whole new culture around the music, with festivals and clubs becoming major tourist attractions. In this blog, we take a look at the EDM scene and how it has evolved in the 21st century.
Origins of Electronic Dance Music
Electronic dance music is a genre of music that is typically produced for nightclubs, raves, and festivals. It has its roots in 1970s disco and 1980s techno and house. EDM is typically characterized by a strong 4/4 beat, synthesized melodies, and a “hands in the air” party atmosphere.
Musique concrete and early synthesizers
In the late 1940s, Pierre Schaeffer, a French composer and music critic, began experimenting with musique concrete, a type of music that uses recorded sounds as its primary source material. Schaeffer’s experiments laid the groundwork for the development of electronic music, and his work had a profound impact on the composers who would come to pioneer the genre.
In the early 1950s, another Frenchman, Pierre Henry, began experimenting with tape loops and other methods of manipulating recorded sound. Around the same time, German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen was also working with tape loops and other electronic devices. These three composers were among the first to make truly electronic music.
In 1955, American engineer Raymond Scott created one of the earliest electronic instruments, the clavioline. This keyboard-based instrument used vacuum tubes to create sound, and it was capable of producing a wide range of tones and timbres. The clavioline was used extensively in film soundtracks during the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1957, Japanese composer Isao Tomita recorded his now-classic album Snowflakes Are Dancing using an early analog synthesizer called the Sound Workshop Model 200. This album demonstrated the potential of electronic music to create richly textured sonic landscapes. Tomita would go on to release a number of other highly influential albums throughout his career.
Hip hop, disco, and the birth of club culture
In the late 1970s, energetic new musical genres were born in the clubs of New York City and Chicago. disco was a mix of soul, pop, and Latin music that became wildly popular in dance clubs. Hip hop was a culture that included DJing, MCing, graffiti art, and breakdancing. These new genres were the perfect soundtrack for a new kind of club culture that was emerging in cities across the United States.
Club culture in the early 1980s was largely influenced by gay men and women of color whowere looking for a safe space to express themselves. This new club culture gave birth to a new kind of music: electronic dance music (EDM). EDM is a genre of music that is produced with electronic instruments and typically features repetitive rhythms.
The first EDM artists were inspired by disco and hip hop, but they began to experiment with synthesizers and drum machines to create entirely new sounds. These early pioneers laid the foundation for what would become one of the most popular genres of music in the world.
The Rise of EDM
In the 21st century, electronic dance music has become one of the most popular genres of music. It has its origins in the 1970s, when DJs began to experiment with electronic music. EDM has since become a global phenomenon, with festivals and clubs dedicated to the genre.
The second summer of love and the rave scene
The late 1980s saw the rise of the acid house and rave scene in the United Kingdom. This was the second summer of love, and it was characterised by a new type of music known as EDM, or electronic dance music. This new style of music was created using synthesizers and drum machines, and it often had a fast tempo and a heavy bassline. The rave scene was particularly popular with working-class youths, who often held illegal raves in fields and warehouses. The police often raided these raves, but they only served to make them more popular.
The birth of commercial EDM
The origins of commercial EDM can be traced back to the rave culture of the 1980s and early 1990s. Raves were underground parties that were often held in secret locations, such as warehouses or abandoned buildings. These parties were usually unlicensed and illegal, and they often featured music from DJs who played a mix of styles, including House, Techno, Trance, and Drum & Bass.
Rave culture began to decline in the late 1990s, due to increased police crackdowns on these illegal parties. However, some aspects of rave culture began to reemerge in the early 2000s, with the rise of commercial EDM festivals and clubs. These new events were much more organized and legal than their predecessors, and they featured a wider range of electronic music styles.
Commercial EDM has continued to grow in popularity in the 21st century. Today, EDM festivals are held all over the world, and some of the biggest names in electronic music regularly headline these events. In addition, many radio stations now feature EDM programming, and there are several dedicated TV channels that showcase this type of music.
EDM Today
Since the first electronic dance music festivals in the late 1990s, the EDM scene has exploded in popularity. In the 21st century, EDM festivals are attended by millions of people all over the world. The music, the lights, the people – there’s nothing quite like it. But what is it about EDM that has made it so popular?
The global phenomenon of EDM
Since the explosion of electronic dance music (EDM) onto the global stage in the early 2010s, the genre has continued to gain in popularity around the world. EDM festivals like Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival attract hundreds of thousands of fans each year, while mainstream artists like Calvin Harris and The Chainsmokers top charts with their catchy EDM-influenced tunes.
So what is it about EDM that has captured the hearts and minds of music lovers across the globe? Many fans appreciate the genre’s uplifting and often euphoric sound, which can be a welcome change of pace from the dark or angsty lyrics often found in other popular music genres. Others enjoy the sense of community and togetherness that comes with attending an EDM festival or rave, where people from all walks of life can come together and enjoy the music.
No matter what it is that draws people to EDM, there’s no doubt that the genre has taken the world by storm and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
The rise of streaming services
In the past decade, streaming services have become increasingly popular, with several platforms now vying for users’ attention. One of the most well-known is Spotify, which boasts over 250 million active users as of 2019. Other popular services include Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Pandora Radio.
While many people enjoy streaming music for its convenience, some question whether it is detrimental to the music industry as a whole. One of the major arguments against streaming is that it does not provide artists with enough revenue. For example, an artist who streams their music on Spotify will earn an average of $0.004 per stream, which adds up to very little when compared to the sale of physical albums or digital downloads.
However, it is important to note that streaming is not the only source of income for artists; they also earn money from live performances, merchandising, and endorsements. In addition, some argue that streaming services have actually helped to increase exposure for lesser-known artists and broaden people’s musical tastes. Overall, the effects of streaming on the music industry are complex and controversial.
The Future of EDM
The electronic dance music culture has exploded in popularity in recent years. With the rise of digital streaming services and social media, EDM has become more accessible than ever before. But what does the future of EDM hold? Will it continue to grow in popularity? Or will it eventually fizzle out? Let’s take a look.
The continued rise of EDM
The popularization of electronic dance music in the early 2010s led to a continued increase in popularity throughout the decade. By the end of the 2010s, EDM had become one of the most popular genres of music in the world. This rise in popularity has been attributed to several factors, such as the increasing popularity of festivals and live concerts, the increasing accessibility of EDM due to streaming services and social media, and the increasing popularity of electronic music among young people.
EDM is also popular because it is generally seen as a positive and inclusive genre of music. Unlike other genres, such as rock or hip-hop, which often have negative connotations, EDM is generally seen as positive and upbeat. This positivity has led to an increase in the number of people who are willing to listen to and enjoy EDM.
The continued rise in popularity of EDM is likely to lead to even more positive things for the genre. As more people become exposed to EDM, they are likely to find new and different ways to enjoy it. Additionally, the continued rise in popularity is likely to lead to more investment in the genre, which will result in better production values and more opportunities for artists within the genre.
The evolution of EDM
The history of electronic dance music is often told as a story of innovation and experimentation. In the early days of the genre, artists were pushing the boundaries of what was possible with new technology, and the results were often raw and unpolished. As technology improved and new genres emerged, the sound of EDM became more refined and polished. Today, EDM is a thriving global industry with a sound that has been increasingly influenced by pop music.
In the 21st century, EDM has continued to evolve and experiment with new sounds and styles. Artists are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible, and the results are often exciting and innovative. Here are some of the ways that EDM has evolved in recent years:
1. The rise of trap music: Trap music is a subgenre of hip-hop that originated in the early 2000s. It is characterized by heavy bass, 808 drums, and melodies that often have a dark or melancholic tone. In the 2010s, trap music began to cross over into the mainstream, thanks to artists such as Flume, Baauer, and RL Grime. Trap music has since become one of the most popular genres in EDM.
2. The rise of future bass: Future bass is a subgenre of electronic dance music that emerged in the 2010s. It is characterized by its use of psychedelic synth sounds, trap-inspired beats, and low-pitched vocal samples. Future bass was popularized by artists such as Flume, Illenium, Porter Robinson, and Skrillex.
3.. The rise of hardstyle: Hardstyle is a subgenre of electronic dance music that originated in Belgium in the early 2000s. It is characterized by its hard-hitting kicks, distorted synth sounds, and dark melodies. In recent years hardstyle has begun to cross over into the mainstream thanks to artists such as Headhunterz and Brennan Heart.
4.. The rise of trance: Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Germany in the early 1990s. It is characterized by its ethereal melodies, dreamlike atmosphere ,and driving beats . In recent years trance has made a comeback thanks to artists such as Above & Beyond , Armin van Buuren ,and Markus Schulz .
