EDM stands for Electronic Dance Music. This genre encompasses numerous subgenres of percussive rhythm-based electronic music that are meant for audiences to dance to. Such genres include disco, synthpop, house, trance music, drum and bass and dubstep.
Some subgenres gained widespread recognition during the 2010s thanks to artists such as Skrillex, Deadmau5, and Sebastian Ingrosso; however, their sounds have been around for decades.
Origins
Electronic music refers to any form of music created using electronic instruments or equipment for sound production. This may range from using synthesizers and drum machines in modern electronic dance music, to keyboards modified with electronics (such as 1748’s Golden Dionysis electromechanical organ).
Beginning in the 1960s with producers like Joe Meek and inventor Bob Moog expanding the sounds possible on an electrical instrument, electronic music flourished further during the ’80s with ultra synthesized pop songs such as A-ha’s Take on Me and Marshall Jefferson’s Move Your Body becoming mainstream hits and cementing its place within popular culture with Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers, Kraftwerk becoming household names.
Techno is one of the earliest forms of EDM, featuring artists utilizing repetitive beats under synthesizers to produce hypnotic and otherworldly sounds. This style evolved throughout the ’80s with new offshoots appearing in Detroit, Chicago, and London; setting precedent for UK garage, trance, and hardstyle music genres later on.
Original production methods developed for club scene use were disc jockey-playable mixtapes or live DJ sets by disc jockeys. Large scale commercial raves led by acts such as The Prodigy and Moby further popularized these production methods and made them accessible to wider audiences.
Streaming services have allowed these sounds to reach millions of fans instantly, creating a huge opportunity for EDM artists. Furthermore, EDM culture has become culturally influential – shaping fashion trends, elaborate stage designs, and inspiring an entire community of visual artists and entrepreneurs.
Subgenres
EDM, or Electronic Dance Music, has given rise to various subgenres like jungle, garage, drum and bass, techno and trance that each have their own sound and style that set them apart from one another.
House was among the earliest danceable music genres to gain widespread success as an enjoyable dancing style, defined by its signature 4-on-the-floor rhythm and hypnotic beats. Additionally, house gave rise to other subgenres like UK garage, trance and techno.
Drum and Bass or DnB is an electronic dance music subgenre which emerged during the early 1990s, drawing inspiration from various musical genres. Characterised by its high tempo (170-180 bpm) and use of heavily processed breakbeat samples, DnB quickly gained widespread recognition resulting in artists such as Goldie and Roni Size being recognized across different markets.
Trance is another genre of EDM which originated in British new-age and German hardcore scenes during the 90s. Its distinctive features are its 128-1 50 BPM tempo range and use of repetitive melodic phrases, build-ups and climaxes as well as its buildups and climaxes.
Trap music, on the other hand, is a more recent subgenre of EDM that first made an appearance in 2010. This hybrid genre blends elements of southern hip hop music such as rap and R&B with elements from EDM such as drop structures and buildups to form something known as trap.
Large-scale EDM festivals such as Ultra Music Festival and Tomorrowland have played an instrumental part in shaping EDM. At these events, a variety of subgenres from EDM are brought together, contributing to its mainstream success; yet these festivals may be seen by fans of specific subgenres as being oversimplified labels that disregard their unique music and culture.
Styles
EDM encompasses many distinct styles. This ranges from the cold electro-pop of German pioneers Kraftwerk to the hypnotic beats of disco music. Additionally, EDM encompasses complex turntable work by DJs like Giorgio Moroder as well as Jamaican dub music’s cut and paste sounds; early electronic musicians who worked at the edges of music industry with limited equipment laid the groundwork for modern EDM.
DJs were initially the primary producers of electronic dance music (EDM). DJs would create seamless playlists called DJ mixes by segueing between tracks seamlessly. Later, music producers started producing EDM for concerts and festivals circuits; Deadmau5 and Tiesto’s success has helped popularise EDM across genres including rock and country music genres.
Electronic music typically features an underlying rhythm created using synthesizers and digital sound processing, as well as instruments and samples from multiple instruments that combine into a unique blend of sounds that is both pulsing and upbeat. Producers frequently incorporate dynamic changes into electronic tracks with dynamic tempo changes or jump cuts.
EDM comprises many subgenres, such as big room house, dubstep and progressive house. Big room house focuses on strong basslines, repetitive chords and an upbeat beat; making it a popular choice at large music festivals and making artists like Hardwell and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike famous. Progressive house is similar but less repetitive with more melodic elements influenced by artists such as Aphex Twin and Daft Punk.
Techniques
Making an electronic dance track requires an understanding of music fundamentals like melody, harmony and rhythm. A strong kick drum and enough reverb give tracks an open sound; BATTERY makes auditioning samples easier so kits can be set off by MIDI for beatings.
EDM tracks often rely on effects to augment sounds and create depth and resonance that would otherwise be hard to achieve with traditional instruments. This technique also serves to create space, which is essential for making dance tracks that feel big and exciting.
Trance music emerged in the early 90s and quickly gained widespread appeal among clubbers and festival goers alike, quickly becoming a fan favorite with both audiences. Its distinctive blend of upbeat chord progressions, atmospheric build-ups, and vocalists such as Paul Van Dyk and Ferry Corsten brought massive audiences at venues and festivals all around the globe.
Drum and bass has quickly become one of the go-to genres at major EDM events, with artists like Goldie and Roni Size receiving wide critical acclaim. Originating in rave culture during the 80s rave scene, drum and bass takes house and techno techniques and pushes them further by emphasizing large sub bass basslines as well as heavily processed breakbeat samples.
EDM encompasses other popular subgenres, such as big room house, electro house and trap music. Each genre has made an impactful statement on the music scene – acts such as Hardwell and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike have become global stars with huge crowds at concerts and festivals worldwide. Big room house features energetic synths and percussive beats while electro house incorporates these elements with more harmonic melodic styles; trap music combines hip hop influences with synth-heavy sound while using distortion effects for an intense energetic style; while hip hop influences combines high energy synths with percussive beats for an intense, energetic style.
Influences
EDM draws its inspiration from various genres. Some of its earliest examples can be traced back to disco music from the 1970s, which utilized drum machines and electronic instruments to synthesize rhythms with drum machines – thus leading to its own subgenres such as techno and synthpop.
Electronic dance music (edm) saw rapid development due to advances in computer technology and musical software that made producing music easier, allowing DJs to experiment with new sounds and styles without depending on traditional recording equipment like microphones and mixers.
This led to a rapid expansion of dance scenes worldwide, with new clubs and festivals springing up everywhere. Electronic Dance Music (edm) also coincided with an increasing acceptance and embrace of different ways of living by society as a whole, giving fans more freedom in attending festivals as authentic individuals.
Marshall Jefferson is best-known for pioneering Chicago house, while Skrillex is often credited as being behind modern dubstep. Other influential artists include Aphex Twin who created a symphonic ambient style which became synonymous with electronic dance music (EDM).
Modern EDM has an expansive variety of subgenres and top DJs. As such, EDM has quickly become one of the main attractions at music festivals worldwide with its infectious beats and melodies pulsating through speakers at every festival worldwide. Experience EDM first hand by dancing under lights with thousands of other fans who all share your sense of community – an exhilarating feeling shared among thousands all dancing for one amazing experience that leaves its audiences buzzing for more edm! It will leave an unforgettable memory behind for all who get to witness it first hand.