EDM stands apart from many musical genres in that its boundaries remain unclear. Originating in disco music from the ’70s, its influence can be found in Donna Summer’s synthesized hit “I Feel Love,” and Afrika Baambaata’s 1982 track “Planet Rock.”
As post-disco era of the 1980s continued, electronic music continued its transformation with new technologies like drum machines and digital synthesizers, ultimately giving rise to subgenres such as techno and trance.
Genres
Electronic dance music genres often blur, although some artists might choose to define them with one term or another. Yet people still mix styles. Yet there are clear distinctions among them.
House music is an eclectic genre characterized by its hypnotic drum beats and basslines. Typically produced using synthesizers and digital drum machines, house has quickly become one of the most sought-after dance genres due to its ability to get audiences moving on the dance floor.
Techno is a dynamic musical genre with dark roots that blends different sounds to produce complex compositions. Known for its fast tempos and deep bass tones, techno music can get audiences moving at parties or events.
Electro is an electronic music genre influenced by hip-hop and funk rhythms combined with heavy use of 808 drum machines to form its unique sound. Electro’s breakbeats harken back to hip-hop patterns sped up for house and techno tempos while interwoven with pitch modulated bleeps and bloops from early pioneers such as Afrika Bambaataa, Kraftwerk, and other pioneers from this scene. This genre was heavily pioneered by early pioneers like Afrika Bambaataa and Kraftwerk among other electro pioneers. This genre was heavily influenced by early pioneers like Afrika Bambaataa, Kraftwerk and others from this scene who began creating its unique sound.
Dubstep has quickly become one of the most beloved EDM genres over time, with increasing popularity within EDM culture and beyond. Characterized by heavy basslines and distorted vocals, dubstep has evolved into an extremely diverse form of electronic dance music with numerous subgenres within its genre combining to form one versatile electronic genre.
Glitch hop is an eclectic genre fusing elements from hip-hop, trap and dubstep music genres. This combination creates its unique sound while remaining hard to categorize. The genre’s distinctive head-nodding rhythm accompanied by large shows of bass design wizardry enable listeners to fully appreciate production’s technical side.
Tropical house music combines elements from both tropical and dance genres to form its signature sound, becoming increasingly popular over the past several years thanks to artists such as Kygo who have created pop remixes incorporating this style. Tropical house stands out from other genres due to its combination of sounds; with its focus on relaxation and catchy melodies it has quickly become one of many people’s favorites.
Characteristics
EDM music can often be identified by its rhythmic beats, hypnotic melodies and atmospheric textures. Composed with various sounds and instruments like synthesizers and drum machines as well as vocals; frequently it utilizes audio effects such as reverb, delay or distortion for additional impact.
Electronic dance music (EDM) began its evolution during the 1970s with disco’s popularity influenced by funk and soul music. Later on in the decade, digital audio technology made it possible to combine and manipulate sounds in ways previously impossible, leading to new electronic genres coming into existence.
One of the best-known subgenres of electronic music is Drum and Bass (DnB), which features fast-paced rhythms and complex drum patterns to produce an energetic atmosphere. Furthermore, DnB incorporates heavy bass lines containing sub-bass frequencies for an authentic bass sound; sometimes DnB may even incorporate sub-bass frequencies for even deeper frequencies to produce powerful vibrations that create a deep and powerful bass tone – creating either dark and gritty or smooth and upbeat tracks depending on its style.
Trance music is another well-loved electronic dance music (EDM) genre. Trance offers a soothing and meditative listening experience with slower speeds compared to other EDM genres; its lyrics may include singing in a foreign language with images or videos accompanying its music.
Techno is a subgenre of EDM which first emerged in the 1990s. This genre features synthesizers, sampler-sequencers and drum machines with complex rhythms often found between 120 to 160 BPM.
House, Glitch Hop and Trap are among the other EDM genres; each genre possesses distinct features; for instance Glitch Hop is known for distorted and chopped-up samples while Trap features hard-hitting hip-hop inspired beats and 808 bass frequencies.
House EDM hails from Chicago club culture and can be defined as an electronic genre characterized by mixing traditional acoustic forms like disco and Latin dance music with electronic sounds – often with dusty drum machines and timeless synth sounds as its hallmarks.
Techniques
Electronic music and dance production relies heavily on synthesizers, drum machines and computer-processed recordings and samples for production. This gives producers much greater creative control than acoustic genres as they can place each instrument exactly where they desire in the mix – producing fuller yet precise music with more of an electronic edge than its acoustic counterpart.
EDM stands out as an umbrella term in that it encompasses music from various genres that don’t share much in common with it (such as metal). As such, EDM remains one of the least-understood musical subgenres.
Electronic dance music differs from most other musical forms in that its creation typically occurs not live but instead using computer technology by an electronic music producer who may or may not also be DJ-ing. A sequencer program helps combine all the different components into an infectious tune that anyone can groove along to! The resultant tune creates high energy rhythmic tunes perfect for dancing on dance floors around the world.
Beat and tempo of an electronic song are essential when listening to electronic music, as they represent its pulse that you can feel, while its tempo determines how quickly you should move along to it. A good groove should easily cause your body to respond by moving to its beat in simple ways like bopping and swaying and eventually progressing into more complex dance moves as you grow more comfortable with dancing along.
Trance music combines elements from House, Techno and Ambient genres and typically features long melodic breaks with increasing tension over time. Trance also uses dramatics influenced by Classical music or cinematic soundtracks to create a sense of transcendental ecstasy; vocals are rarely heard within this style of music but when used reflect spirituality or higher consciousness. BPM levels for Trance can range between 130-150 BPM.
DJs
EDM covers an expansive spectrum of subgenres, DJ performances, concerts and festivals worldwide. Due to its rising popularity, mainstream singers are even beginning to incorporate EDM into their work. EDM is distinguished by pulsing beats and mesmerizing rhythms that create a mesmerizing ambiance which can both exhilarate and relax listeners alike.
EDM can be an incredibly lucrative business, with superstar artists like Skrillex and Tiesto earning millions through their performances. This flourishing industry has given birth to numerous companies that cater specifically to EDM artists and fans alike – from booking services to music licensing deals; all designed to give their clients recognition they deserve while helping them make money while doing it!
Maria Frazier is a veteran publicist with decades of experience, witnessing dance-music flacks blossom into powerful players first-hand. Her clients include Daft Punk (she managed press for their album Random Access Memories), Bassnectar, Disclosure and Skrillex; she stands out among her field for excellence.
Frazier began building relationships within the dance-music scene while it was still emerging, forging connections among underground DJs and promoters to form an international network that eventually included many of its biggest names – from Steve Aoki to emerging bass producers such as OWSLA. She currently owns Chicago-based Biz3 Publicity which represents an array of industry giants such as DJ Shadow.
Bob Frazer has made a name for himself as one of the premier promoters in dance-music industry with his New York-based firm SFX Entertainment. His client roster – featuring everyone from The Chainsmokers and Skream and Amon Tobin to DJs Skream and Amon Tobin – bears testimony to his ability to anticipate trends and capitalize on them.
William Morris Agency’s Mary May has also established herself in EDM by using her strong relationship with Pete Tong to spearhead William Morris Agency’s entry into dance-music genre. Since then, her dance-music division has expanded considerably and now represents artists such as David Guetta, Empire of the Sun, and Pretty Lights.