The film examines EDM as a hybrid genre and its influence in shaping today’s culture. Tommie Sunshine travels around interviewing DJ’s and exploring various venues.
The documentary documents shocking cases of sexual abuse within the dance music industry and sheds light on how victims are forced out while perpetrators remain protected by this industry.
Daft Punk
Daft Punk has made an indelible mark on dance music culture with their iconic robot suits and ability to blend electronic with orchestral sounds seamlessly. This documentary investigates their influence on genre and pop culture alike.
This documentary on house and techno music explores its development through interviews with some of its biggest names – such as Defected Records’ Simon Dunmore, Honey Dijon, John ‘Jellybean’ Benitez from New York as well as queer communities impacted by AIDS crisis. Additionally, club culture plays an integral role in queer communities’ lives while the sound provided a means of coping.
Homework was one of the most influential albums in dance music history and this short documentary by Chicago DJ CK303 examines some of the influences that went into its creation. Set to a mix by Chicago DJ CK303 featuring many key artists that inspired its makers, this mix also provides the background score to accompany this essential watch for fans of Homework’s legendary album.
Interstella 5555 was directed by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter and provided a vivid look at the development of dance music from Cabaret Voltaire’s early DIY electronics through Human League, ABC and Sheffield-born Toddla T’s Raggatronics. Filmed on 35mm film for maximum timelessness, Interstella 5555 attempted to convey its history without giving away dates: its goal being that viewers viewing this footage ten years from now would not know whether this footage belonged to 2005 or 1985!
After their successful first world tour, the duo decided to explore professional studios and experiment with various recording techniques. Their experiments were put on hold when Disney commissioned them for work on the Tron: Legacy film score; however their return to digital love on Random Access Memories may have seemed like a step backward; nonetheless they kept listeners engaged by using tools such as vocoder.
Martin Garrix & Carl Cox
What We Started, from Bert Marcus Productions, highlights Martin Garrix as he prepares to headline Ultra Music Festival as well as Carl Cox who nears his 15-year residency at Space Ibiza. Both musicians collaborated with Bert Marcus Productions filmmakers on this film sure to delight fans of dance music!
This documentary offers an interview list that spans the house music world, including Paul Oakenfold, Tiesto, Afrojack and other well-known DJs such as Paul Oakenfold and Afrojack – making it an invaluable way to understand how dance music has grown into such an expansive global phenomenon. However, this film fails to explore some of dance’s more sensitive areas – from drugs and commercialization, declining live mixing and prevalence of USB DJing; interviews often prove less than helpful: from Ed Sheeran’s incomprehension of USB DJing (“it’s just a laptop and dude?”) to Cox laughing heartily when asked about ecstasy use during club culture’s peak in UK clubs during club culture’s glory days, this film misses its mark.
Noteworthy aspects of the film include its emphasis on dance music’s role within LGBTQ culture and how mainstream artists from other genres have turned to rising producers such as Garrix for collaborations – this includes his collaborations with Ed Sheeran and Usher as well as Moby.
Documentaries have long been known to open eyes and minds, while at the same time inducing emotional responses in viewers. Great documentaries not only remind audiences about what has passed but also provide inspiration for what could come next; five dance music documentaries prove this point beautifully! With this success of this genre being evidenced in their popularity today.
Rave Culture
Rave culture is a worldwide phenomenon characterized by clandestine venues, hypnotic electronic music, and liberal use of drugs such as Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) and GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate). Rave has become an alternative lifestyle for many around the globe and community spirit is highly prized in rave scenes around the world. Rave music genre is now one of the biggest industries with numerous subcultures and festivals within it – this documentary investigates this culture’s roots as well as impacting society at large including drug abuse and mental illness issues.
Documentary of Tommie Sunshine’s popular radio show of the same name featuring EDM culture, lifestyle and its associated lifestyle. Interviews are conducted with several notable producers and DJs within the EDM scene as well as its origin and development in India through interviews with popular Indian music producers like Audio Units, i7HVN and Braindrop. Furthermore, technology advancement has revolutionized music production resulting in advances such as advanced software that revolutionized EDM music production.
“E” is for Ecstasy” was first shown on BBC in 1992 and follows a group of young people who use recreational drugs at raves, while also including stories and advice from health professionals to warn about its potential dangers. The film serves as a powerful warning against recreational drug abuse in rave culture.
Documentaries that explore rave culture as well as EDM music’s effects on society such as depression and anxiety are explored here, while female DJ Tanvi and Zequenx, two female artists in EDM music, discuss their rise within it – along with interview footage showing challenges they have encountered within it such as conservative backlash from families and casual sexism at clubs.
Documentaries have chronicled EDM’s rise as a significant musical movement. These films provide valuable insight into its development and cultural influence while serving as sources of motivation for fans and aspiring DJs alike.
Tommie Sunshine
No matter your musical tastes or interests, documentaries can open your mind and spark conversation about music history and culture. Dance music has had an immense influence on global culture for over four decades and continues to thrive today, which makes the genre’s emergence all the more significant in digital age. Dance music documentaries take viewers back from its early beginnings through to live shows by DJs on stages or cutting dubplates in million dollar studios; whether looking backward or forward here are 12 dance music films worth checking out this summer!
This documentary offers an in-depth examination of house music’s rise and its subculture, featuring interviews with such luminaries as Nile Rodgers, Simon Dunmore from Defected records, New York maestro Honey Dijon and other industry stars – telling its own tale. This is how house became one of the global musical movements.
Tommie Sunshine is an influential remixer renowned for reworking the signature sounds of Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz, The Black Keys, Bob Marley and Major Lazer among many other household names. As well as producing original works on labels like Spinnin’, Brooklyn Fire and Musical Freedom he has written and recorded tracks for Konami’s classic arcade game DDR.
Although not an amazing film, this story follows a young DJ, his loyal friend, a hopeless romantic and an experienced has-been as they all take part in an annual music festival where much of its action occurs. Although not particularly plot driven, its soundtrack alone makes this well worth your while watching!
Underplayed explores gender imbalance in festival and club lineups through interviews with female artists from varying genres. From EDM stadium-filler Rezz to techno alchemist Nightwave and jungle-footwork queen Sherelle, Underplayed provides an eye-opening doc, which covers issues of being ignored or dismissed in studios; criticism online; threats offline – making the message crystal clear: change must come.