The Ryder: A Too Brief History of Electronic and Dance Music

The Ryder is a blog dedicated to exploring the history and evolution of electronic and dance music. From its earliest beginnings to the latest trends and innovations, we’ll cover it all!

Early Electronic Music

While electronic music has only recently become mainstream, its origins date back over a century. In fact, the first electronic musical instrument, the Theremin, was invented in 1919. It wasn’t until the 1950s, however, that electronic music began to be widely used in popular music.

The first electronic musical instruments

The first electronic musical instruments were born in the early 20th century, with the invention of the theremin and the ondes Martenot. These earliest instruments were bulky, expensive and difficult to play, so they remained the preserve of professional musicians and composers.

In the 1940s and 1950s, a number of affordable and portable electronic instruments were developed, including the Hammond organ, the Mellotron and the Moog synthesizer. These new instruments made it possible for amateurs to create electronic music, and they quickly gained popularity in popular culture. In the 1960s, electronic music was used extensively in film soundtracks, making it one of the most commonly heard genres of music in the world.

In the 1970s and 1980s, electronic music became increasingly mainstream, thanks to the advent of disco, techno and house music. By the 1990s, electronic dance music (EDM) had become one of the most popular genres in the world, with artists like Björk, The Prodigy and Chemical Brothers achieving global success.

Today, electronic music is more popular than ever before, with new genres and subgenres constantly emerging. Thanks to advances in technology, anyone can now create their own electronic music using a simple computer or smartphone.

The first electronic music recordings

The first electronic music recordings were made in the late 1800s, using a device called the theremin. The theremin was invented by a Russian scientist named Lev Termen, and it was the first musical instrument that could be played without being touched. The theremin was used to make sound effects for movies, and it also became popular in classical music.

In the 1930s, electronic instruments began to be used in popular music. The most famous early example is the song “Puttin’ on the Ritz” by Fred Astaire, which uses a theremin to create a eerie, otherworldly sound. In the 1940s, composers like John Cage and Pierre Schaeffer began to experiment with creating music using tape recorders and other devices. These composers were influenced by Marxists ideas about art and society, and they believed that electronic music could be used to create a new type of socialist art.

The Development of Electronic Dance Music

Electronic dance music has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the late 1970s. What started out as a niche genre of music has now exploded into the mainstream, with artists like Calvin Harris and Skrillex topping the charts all over the world. In this article, we’ll take a look at the history of electronic dance music and how it has developed over the years.

The birth of disco

The birth of disco can be traced back to the early 1970s, when DJs in New York City began playing a new style of music known as “funk.” This new style of music was created by African American and Latino musicians and was characterized by its heavy bass lines and catchy melodies. Disco quickly became popular with clubgoers, and by the mid-1970s, it had become the dominant genre of dance music.

Disco continued to grow in popularity throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s, but by the mid-1980s, it began to decline in popularity. This decline coincided with the rise of a new genre of electronic dance music known as “house.” House music was created by DJ Larry Levan and was characterized by its use of synthesizers and drum machines. House music quickly gained popularity in nightclubs in Chicago and New York City, and by the early 1990s, it had become the dominant genre of dance music.

The rise of house music

In the late 1970s, a new style of music was born in the clubs of Chicago. Called house music, it was based on a simple four-on-the-floor beat and South African disco tracks like “No Way Back” by Wayne Williams. House music quickly spread to other cities with large African-American populations like Detroit and New York, and soon became the soundtrack of gay club culture.

Despite its popularity, house music remained largely underground until the early 1990s, when it exploded into the mainstream with tracks like “No Limit” by 2 Unlimited and “What Is Love” by Haddaway. Spun by DJs in huge clubs like Berlin’s Love Parade and Ibiza’s Space, house music became synonymous with hedonism and excess.

In the 2000s, a new generation of producers began experimenting with house music, incorporating elements of other genres like dubstep and techno. The result was a renewed interest in the genre, culminating in the massive success of 2010s hits like Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” and David Guetta’s ” Titanium.” House music is now one of the most popular genres in the world, enjoyed by millions of people every day.

The advent of techno

Techno is a genre of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid-to-late 1980s. Techno is generally characterized by a repetitive four-on-the-floor beat, often in common time (4/4), a tempo of 120 to 150 beats per minute (BPM), and synthesizers.

Techno was developed by a group of African American DJs and producers who were influenced by the Chicago house music scene as well as funk and electro. The first techno tracks were made with basic equipment, such as drum machines, synthesizers, and turntables.

Early techno tracks were often experimental, with little or no melody or vocals. This changed in the early 1990s, when producers began to incorporate elements of pop music into techno. These days, techno is a highly commercialized genre, with many subgenres, such as trance and hard dance.

The Modern Era of Electronic Dance Music

House music, techno, drum and bass, trance, and dubstep are all sub-genres of electronic dance music (EDM). These genres of music have origins that date back to the 1970s and 1980s. The history of EDM is a complex and interesting one, with sub-genres often borrowing from one another. In the past, electronic music was primarily created using analog synthesizers and drum machines. Today, digital technology has allowed producers to create more complicated sounds and rhythms.

The popularity of EDM

The popularity of EDM has exploded in recent years. In the United States, the genre has gone from a niche market to becoming one of the most popular forms of music. This is due in part to the rise of social media and the internet, which have allowed for a more globalized and interconnected world. As a result, EDM has become more accessible to people all over the world.

The popularity of EDM has also been bolstered by the rise of festivals such as Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival. These festivals have helped to bring the genre to a wider audience by showcasing some of the biggest and best DJs in the world. In addition, they have also helped to create a sense of community around EDM culture.

Finally, the popularity of EDM has also been driven by some of the biggest names in the genre, such as Skrillex, Tiësto, and Calvin Harris. These artists have achieved mainstream success and have helped to bring EDM into the mainstream consciousness.

The rise of dubstep and trap

The early 2010s saw the rise of dubstep and trap, two subgenres of EDM that have taken the world by storm. Dubstep is characterized by its heavy bass, while trap often incorporates rap and R&B elements into its sound. These genres have become extremely popular in recent years, with artists like Skrillex, Diplo, and Calvin Harris achieving mainstream success.

The future of electronic music

In the late 1990s, a new group of electronic musicians began to experiment with the sounds that had been created by their predecessors. These artists, who came to be known as IDM (intelligent dance music) or glitch hop, used computers to create rhythms and melodies that were more complex than anything that had been heard before. The result was a new genre of music that was both cerebral and danceable.

Today, electronic music is more popular than ever, with new artists emerging all the time. The future of the genre is impossible to predict, but one thing is certain: electronic music will continue to evolve and surprise us for years to come.