A new BBC series explores how dance music has taken over the globe. Spanning disco, The Warehouse and modern forms such as EDM.
Electronic dance music (EDM) first rose to prominence worldwide after Madonna released her techno-pop album Ray of Light in 1998, sparking its meteoric growth across the US and internationally.
Origins
Recent books, films and documentaries which shed light on the roots of dance music have recently been released – such as Can You Feel It? from BBC which takes viewers through modern dance music from disco at The Warehouse of Chicago up until its global mainstream status today.
Contemporary electronic music is composed largely using synthesizers and computers, often with 4/4 time signatures and high BPM rates – commonly referred to as EDM (Electronic Dance Music). Electronic musicians and producers frequently rely on software platforms called MIDI that enable them to control various sound effects, synthesizers, drum machines with ease – this enabled their production components to be synced together in real-time creating various subgenres of EDM such as drum ‘n’ bass, garage trance and dubstep genres of EDM music production.
Dance music’s roots can be traced back to late 19th-century Western ballroom and social dance genres. By the 1920s, swing dance had become immensely popular, followed by rock n roll in 1950, soul/R&B/disco in 1970 (paving way for dance-pop in 1980), then disco which combined popular elements with strong beats/uptempos of dance genres (in this case disco music).
Electronic Dance Music or EDM was initially created within rave scene in the early 1990s and became widely popular as it combined sampled syncopated rhythms such as breakbeats with other samples such as musical pieces, dialogue or effects from movies or TV. Tempos were typically raised up to 125 beats per minute or BPM.
In the early 2000s, DJs began appearing on major music charts and collaborating with artists outside of dance music sphere. EDM groups such as Daft Punk made inroads into US market, altering perceptions about dance music globally while bringing it closer to diverse audiences and communities.
Disco
The story of dance music, disco in particular, is fascinating. Its emergence was due to an array of unique circumstances which enabled its meteoric rise despite all odds; furthermore it served as a catalyst for many genres now found throughout contemporary musical culture – pop, funk, hip hop, electronic rock and even techno and house were inspired by disco.
Disco is a genre of popular dance music characterized by a four-on-the-floor beat created by bass drum and snare drum, often set by both instruments together and syncopated rhythmically. It draws its inspiration from African-American and Latin dance styles including rhumba, salsa music and merengue polyrhythms such as the cha-cha-cha, merengue samba and tango polyrhythms; its signature high-pitched hi-hat sound may have originated due to an accidental recording error originally attributed to drummer Earl Young but now believed intentional to give disco music its distinctive high-hat sound signature sound.
US disco emerged in the late 1970s, and by its peak at the end of that decade most major cities had vibrant club scenes that focused around nightclubs, dance halls and private loft parties. Some clubs featured live bands of saxophone, piano and trombone while others used DJs playing records via turntable and mixer.
One of the greatest advances in disco music was the invention of DJing. DJs used multiple record turntables and a mixer to play multiple songs back-to-back; this marked a vast improvement over previous formats that relied solely on single records or radio broadcasts. DJs could also remix, reorder, or add effects to create variations on them for performance on stage.
Mid-1970s disco had become an integral part of mainstream pop music, and artists from diverse musical genres began incorporating elements of disco into their work, which helped it survive its sharp decline due to hi-NRG music in the early 1980s. Pop hits like “Saturday Night Fever” by the Bee Gees in 1977 and easy listening singer Dolly Parton’s 1979 song “Great Balls of Fire” kept dance music alive through into the early ’90s.
Techno
Techno is a form of dance music which began its journey in Detroit, Michigan during the late 80s. This genre blends black styles such as Chicago house, funk and electric jazz with electronic music to produce its distinctive four-on-the-floor beat and steady pulse, looped tracks and sounds and vintage analog synthesizers to produce unique rhythmic patterns and tension. Techno’s dark yet futuristic sound recalls industrial music.
Techno was first conceptualized by three young African-Americans exploring drum machines and synthesizers in the form of The Belleville Three, who later went on to pioneer this genre. Utilizing elements from Chicago House music with European Synth-Pop sounds as its foundations, their music eventually gave birth to what we recognize today as Techno music.
Techno is considered harder and more abrasive than other forms of electronic dance music, often featuring high tempos with use of distorted sawtooth bass. Techno has inspired other types of music such as hardcore punk and metal; film score work has even used its sound in video games! Techno remains one of the world’s most beloved genres and continues to reign supreme at clubs and festivals worldwide.
The BBC series ‘Can You Feel It? – How Dance Music Conquered the World‘ provides an in-depth examination of techno history. Featuring interviews with notable figures like Fatboy Slim, Nicky Siano, Juan Atkins and Derrick May. Set for release this Friday (21 September at 10 pm), it should make for fascinating viewing!
Techno music has much to offer listeners; as an ever-evolving genre it can be found across genre boundaries and artists from diverse backgrounds. Jon Hopkins is an outstanding example, managing to blend aggressive dance beats with acoustic piano and synthesizers – his latest album ‘Singularity’ is proof that techno transcends genre boundaries.
EDM
EDM stands out as one of the most diverse genres within dance music, and this diversity is what draws so many listeners in. Its immense appeal stems from being easily tailored for any mood or event; furthermore, new subgenres form all the time; some may be bigger than others but all have one common characteristic – their distinctive sounds!
The 2010s saw the explosion of EDM alongside the growth of streaming services, giving people access to different strains of electronic dance music at lightning speed. They could swiftly shift between bass-heavy dubstep popularized by artists like Skrillex and big, sweeping progressive house (David Guetta and Tiesto) or from hard blare electro house to cleaner, tougher Dutch house beats.
Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer, pioneering DJs who emerged from this movement. Influential figures include Kraftwerk who pioneered robot pop and Delia Derbyshire who was responsible for pioneering modern electronic music technology. More recently, Tiesto and Daft Punk are often credited with developing EDM while artists such as Skrillex and Deadmau5 continue to push its limits.
Nowadays, EDM music is typically created by electronic producers who use a computer to manipulate sounds they produce. This gives them more control over the final result from initial concept to execution; for instance, they could adjust kick drum tempo or replace unsuitable synths more easily – tweaks that can have hugely positive impacts on final products!
Dance music’s rise around the globe is truly remarkable. From its humble roots in Western ballroom and social dance music through remix culture in the 80s to today’s EDM explosion, its history makes for a remarkable journey and shows just what can be accomplished when talented individuals use modern technologies to their advantage.