How Electronic Dance Music is DisenfranchisingIts Fans

How Electronic Dance Music is Disenfranchising Its Fans

The electronic dance music industry is in a bit of a quandary. On one hand, the music has never been more popular, with festivals and clubs all over the world catering to diehard fans. On the other hand, those same fans are feeling increasingly disconnected from the music and the culture that surrounds it.

The History of Electronic Dance Music

Electronic dance music has a long and varied history, with fans often becoming disenchanted with the genre as it changes and evolves. This can be seen as early as the 1980s, when electronic dance music was first starting to become popular.

The rise of disco

Disco was a music genre and subculture that emerged in the 1970s. It was particularly popular in gay clubs and black neighbourhoods in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit and San Francisco. Disco was characterized by its thumping bass beats, fast tempos,Synthesized melodies, white labels, Flashing lights and glossy surfaces.

The music was often repetitive and had a heavy emphasis on the 4/4 beat. disco became very popular in mainstream clubs and radios across America by the mid-1970s. The genre began to decline in popularity towards the end of the decade, disco reached its commercial peak with the release of the film Saturday Night Fever in 1977.

The fall of disco

Disco’s downfall began in earnest in 1979, when a Bronx-based DJ named Kool Herc threw a party that would come to be known as the first hip-hop show. Featuring the nascent art of turntablism and rhyming over tracks, this new style of music quickly eclipsed disco’s popularity. In the early 1980s, as disco’s popularity continued to wane, a number of factors converged to kill the genre off completely. Among them were the rise of punk and New Wave music, which offered a more aggressive musical counterpoint to disco’s polished sheen; the backlash against dance music occasioned by the disastrous 1979 film “Saturday Night Fever”; and perhaps most importantly, the advent of synthesized dance music from Europe, which would come to be known as techno.

The birth of EDM

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, electronic music began to seem more and more viable as a commercial force. In 1977, Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte released “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer, widely considered to be one of the first disco hits. The following year, Moroder won an Academy Award for his work on the film Midnight Express. And in 1981, Kraftwerk’s “Computer World” topped dance charts around the world.

However, it wasn’t until the early 1990s that electronic dance music really exploded onto the mainstream radar. This was largely due to the advent of rave culture in the UK, which saw young people flocking to huge dance parties that often lasted for several days at a time. The most famous of these parties was held at an abandoned airfield in Derbyshire called Castlemorton; an event that ultimately led to tougher restrictions on public gatherings being enacted by the British government.

Despite this crackdown, rave culture continued to thrive in the UK throughout the 1990s, giving rise to a new generation of superstar DJs such as Paul Oakenfold, Sasha, and Fatboy Slim. Meanwhile, in America, electronic dance music was being popularized by figures like Moby and David Guetta. By the end of the decade, EDM had well and truly arrived on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Mainstreaming of EDM

The commercialization of EDM

In recent years, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) has exploded in popularity, crossing over into the mainstream and becoming one of the most popular genres of music globally. However, this newfound popularity has come at a cost, as the commercialization of EDM has led to a dramatic increase in ticket prices, and a corresponding decrease in the quality of live performances. This has effectively disenfranchised many of the genre’s original fans, who are now being priced out of the market.

In order to understand how this happened, it is necessary to first understand the history of EDM. The genre first emerged in the underground club scene of the 1980s, where it was primarily played by DJs as a way to keep dancers engaged for prolonged periods of time. Over time, EDM began to evolve and expand beyond its club roots, with supporters holding massive open-air festivals and raves in fields and warehouses. This was always an expensive proposition, but ticket prices were kept relatively low by virtue of the fact that most EDM festivals were organized by fans, for fans.

However, in recent years commercial promoters have increasingly taken over the EDM festival scene, resulting in dramatic price hikes. A case in point is Tomorrowland, which was originally founded as a non-profit event by two Belgian brothers with a passion for EDM. In 2013, Tomorrowland was sold to American entertainment conglomerate Live Nation for $140 million. Since then, ticket prices have more than tripled, with a regular three-day pass now costing around $450. This price point is simply not affordable for many people who have been attending Tomorrowland since its inception.

What’s more, as ticket prices have climbed, so too has the cost of travel and accommodation. Many long-time attendees now find themselves priced out not just of Tomorrowland itself, but also of the surrounding area during festival season. This has led to a decline in both attendance and morale at what was once one of the world’s most beloved music festivals.

It is clear that the commercialization of EDM has had a profound impact on the genre and its fans. In order to prevent further decline, it is crucial that promoters begin to listen to their fanbase and make an effort to lower ticket prices back down to a reasonable level. Otherwise, they risk alienating their core audience and killing off one of today’s most popular musical genres.

The corporatization of EDM

In the past few years, Electronic Dance Music (EDM) has exploded in popularity in the United States. What was once a niche genre played primarily in underground clubs is now a mainstream phenomenon, with massive festivals and arena shows selling out across the country.

However, as EDM has become more popular, it has also become more commercialized and corporatized. The biggest EDM festivals are now sponsored by companies like Red Bull, Heineken, and Calvin Klein, and feature stages designed more for branding than for music. Top DJs are signed to exclusive deals with major labels, and their music is increasingly being used in advertisements.

All of this corporate involvement has led to a feeling among many fans that EDM is becoming too mainstream and losing its underground roots. In particular, there is a sense that the music is becoming homogenized and that the unique style of each individual DJ is being lost in the pursuit of mass appeal.

What do you think? Is corporate involvement in EDM a good or bad thing?

The homogenization of EDM

The electronic dance music (EDM) scene has undergone a major transformation in recent years. Once the preserve of underground clubs and raves, the genre has now gone mainstream, with festivals and concerts attracting tens of thousands of fans.

However, not everyone is happy with this new found popularity. Some fans argue that the mainstreaming of EDM has led to a homogenization of the genre, with artists producing more commercial and familiar sounding music instead of the more experimental and challenging sounds that defined the early days of the scene.

This homogenization has disenfranchised many longtime fans who feel that EDM has lost its way and is no longer the music they fell in love with. While it is understandable that some people are unhappy with the change, it is important to remember that all genres of music undergo similar transformations as they become more popular.

The Disenfranchisement of EDM Fans

In recent years, electronic dance music has seen a rise in popularity. Despite its increase in popularity, many fans of the genre feel disenfranchised by the mainstream music industry. The main issue that disenfranchises EDM fans is the way in which the music is produced.

The loss of the underground

The electronic dance music industry has exploded in recent years, growing from a niche genre into a multi-billion dollar business. But as the EDM scene has become more commercialized, some fans have been left feeling disenfranchised.

For many, the allure of EDM was its underground roots. Raves were often held in secret locations, and DJs played underground tracks that weren’t being played elsewhere. But as EDM has become more mainstream, that underground feeling has been lost. Festivals are now held in large stadiums and arenas, and the music being played is often the same Top 40 tracks that can be heard on pop radio.

This loss of the underground has led to a sense of betrayal among some fans. They feel that the music they love has been taken away from them and sold to the highest bidder. As a result, they’ve become disenchanted with the EDM scene and are turning their backs on it altogether.

It’s not just diehard fans who are feeling disenfranchised either; even casual listeners are starting to lose interest. With so much generic music being played, it’s becoming harder to find something new and exciting. And as EDM becomes more homogenized, it’s losing its ability to stand out from other genres.

The future of EDM is uncertain at best; it’s possible that it will continue to grow and evolve, or it could fizzle out entirely. Either way, it’s clear that the loss of the underground is taking its toll on the genre.

The loss of the avant-garde

A big part of the appeal of EDM for many of its fans is that it is seen as outside the mainstream – a genre for people who are looking for something different, experimental and, most importantly, cutting-edge. However, as the genre has become more and more popular in recent years, this avant-garde appeal has been increasingly eroded. What was once a genre for those who wanted to hear something new and different is now being co-opted by the very mainstream it once shunned.

This process has been hastened by the fact that many of the biggest names in EDM have begun to move away from the more experimental side of things and towards a more pop-friendly sound. This is understandable from a commercial perspective – after all, these artists need to make a living – but it means that fans who are looking for something truly innovative are being left behind.

The result is that EDM is in danger of losing its most dedicated fans – those who were drawn to it in the first place because it was so different from anything else out there. If the genre continues down this commercial path, it risks becoming just another cog in the pop music machine, rather than the alternative force it once was.

The loss of the DIY ethic

The loss of the DIY ethic is perhaps the most significant way in which EDM is disenfranchising its fans. For many, the appeal of EDM was that it was a genre of music that could be created and enjoyed without the need for large record labels or expensive studios. The rise of digital music production tools made it possible for anyone with a computer to create professional-sounding tracks, and this democratization of music production led to a boom in creativity and experimentation.

However, as EDM has become more mainstream, the DIY ethic has begun to disappear. Many of the biggest names in the genre are now signed to major labels, and the cost of entry into the scene has risen significantly. In order to produce tracks that can compete with those of established producers, aspiring producers now need to invest in expensive software and hardware. This has led to a situation where only those with significant financial resources are able to create professional-soundingtracks, which has in turn made it harder for new and innovative producers to gain a foothold in the scene.

The result is that EDM is becoming less diverse and less interesting, as the same big names dominate the genre and push out smaller producers. This homogenization of the genre is making it increasingly difficult for fans to find new and exciting music, and is ultimately leading to a situation where electronic dance music is no longer the innovative and exciting form of music it once was.