EDM (Electronic Dance Music) is an expansive and varied musical genre which utilizes both traditional and digital equipment and software. Originating in the 1970s, EDM continues to gain prominence today.
Producers such as The Prodigy made their name through UK rave scene with their unique blend of punk and dance music, while Goldie created Drum & Bass which has since gained widespread acceptance among both music fans and DJs alike.
What is EDM?
EDM, or electronic dance music, is an ever-evolving genre that incorporates elements of various musical genres. Synthesizers and drum machines, traditional guitars and vocals all contribute to EDM’s energetic, fast rhythms – popular at clubs, festivals and radio stations; mainstream artists increasingly collaborate with EDM producers.
In the early 1990s, a new genre of electronic and dance-oriented music emerged. At first known as trance music, its development was heavily influenced by progressive house pioneers Sasha and John Digweed, becoming later known as electro house; its distinctive sound combined bass lines with synthesizers for an modern yet danceable experience that also took into account influences like The Prodigy and Depeche Mode’s techno sounds.
An important influencer on electronic dance music was the rave movement in the early and mid 2000s. Raves were unofficial events hosted at warehouses without official security guards, where attendees focused on listening and dancing to electronic music while engaging in crowd activities such as raves. Through such events, EDM became more widely known.
EDM music today is generally created using computers by producers who may also be known as DJs. They use Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software to mix a range of sounds together into one track – these could come from virtual synthesizers programmed into their DAW or samples from prior recordings.
EDM styles that have become particularly fashionable include big room house, hybrid trap, dubstep and electronic pop. You will often hear these sounds at festivals and dance clubs; their popularity was popularized by artists like Hardwell, Skrillex and Diplo. Furthermore, these artists have produced for some of the biggest pop stars worldwide such as Beyonce, Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga.
Big Room House
Big Room House (BRH) is a subgenre of EDM music that is popular with young audiences and at mainstream festivals. This genre incorporates elements of other styles like electro house, UK garage, trance, progressive house and progressive techno. Typically it has an tempo between 120 to 130 beats per minute with long build-ups followed by electro style beat drops with four on-the-floor kick drums; additional hallmarks are synth saturation minimal vocals and simple melodies.
EDM producers in the early 2010s popularized this subgenre of EDM music, and its rise was spearheaded by artists such as Hardwell, KSHMR and Blasterjaxx who utilized this genre into their own tracks – becoming staples at festivals like Tomorrowland. Unfortunately however, critics often object to its lack of originality, homogeneity and artistic merit; critics may point out.
Before the rise of big room EDM, dance music had many sub genres to it. Some were more underground with strong influences from techno, acid, and rave music while other styles were more pop friendly and targeted at mainstream audiences. Mainstream acts were frequently inspired by underground acts by creating tracks with 4-on-the-floor beats or nods towards underground styles; therefore EDM came about to differentiate this more pop/club friendly music from its counterpart in underground/rave scenes.
As dance music became more mainstream, its genre boundaries blurred further. Pioneering artists such as Daft Punk refused to be defined by any one genre and became massive hits across the board. Other major artists include Prodigy with their combination of punk rock, techno and breaks music as well as Chemical Brothers with their work across techno, trance and pop genres.
Big Room House saw the birth of a genre-defying style, which combined all these elements together into one unique sound: four on the floor beat, intense synth saturation and an anthemic chorus. This breakthrough hit signaled to dance music fans worldwide that dance music had reached beyond just rave audiences.
Dubstep
One of the more well-known forms of EDM, dubstep is a fast-paced dark genre that has quickly become one of the go-to dance music styles at dance clubs and festivals alike. Drawing influences from UK garage, drum ‘n bass, grime and dub music genres alike, its beats typically run at 140 BPM in half time format with emphasis placed on its snare pattern to produce an hypnotic rhythm that makes listeners feel as though they are moving with it themselves.
Dubstep, popular among electronic producers due to its deep bass sounds and energetic drum patterns, has also become increasingly popular with raves and clubs across the world. Additionally, Skrillex has even become an international superstar through hit records that combine dubstep and 4 on the floor house styles.
James Blake is another artist that has successfully transitioned from dubstep into mainstream popularity, featuring soulful vocals and intricate production in his music, which has garnered him collaborations with some of the biggest names in dubstep and electronic music genres. Borgore is another dubstep artist that blends elements of this genre with metal and hardstyle sounds for an innovative sound that stands out among his peers.
Dubstep tracks feature intricate beats with multiple layers of synths and samples, using frequent rewinds and drops to increase intensity of sound; their tempo can range between 140 bpm and 170 bpm in double time.
Dubstep has also had an influence on other genres such as drum and bass music, which uses similar rhythms but features faster beats with harder synths that produce shorter rewinds and drops.
Flux Pavilion, Skrillex and Deadmau5 have become some of the most prominent artists in drum and bass music with their cutting-edge tracks that push boundaries within this genre while offering fans something fresh and exciting to listen to. Their hits combine elements from drum and bass, dubstep and pop genres for maximum fan attraction.
Future Bass
As years passed, electronic music began to expand its scope beyond house and techno; there was acid, italo, deep dubstep among many others that came along with electronica music.
Music production began to shift towards computers rather than analogue equipment, opening its production up to individuals who otherwise may have needed to sell their car in order to access music production. This created an entirely new generation of producers who were freer to experiment and craft their own sound within existing genres – this revolution created so many EDM subgenres.
Future bass is an emerging dance music genre created in the early 2010s. A hybrid of genres including trap, hip-hop and electro house with elements of melodic dubstep, it features heavy basslines with wide detuned chords that feature detuned tones such as sawtooth waves or square waves and typically utilizes “risers” (pre-drop buildups of white noise), arpeggio chords or vocoders as sound design tools; typically tempo ranges between 130-170 BPM when recording tracks for future bass tracks.
Future Bass music has its roots in dubstep and trap music, but has since developed from its original trappy form into something much more melodic. Future Bass songs usually incorporate melodies with multiple notes that may even include vocals from artists such as Flume, Cashmere Cat and Louis the Child who have popularized this subgenre.
Hip hop and soul music have had an influence on this genre as well, with producers like Rustie Mohawke creating tracks which blend these styles with melodic sounds for more melodic tracks that fit the genre. Hip-hop-influenced dance music has quickly grown over time within dance music industry and even started influencing mainstream pop music today.
As music producers use cutting-edge software and techniques to craft their own sound, the future of music looks bright. But before writing your next hit song, it’s essential that you conduct some tests and obtain feedback from other musicians – which may seem intimidating at first. So start sending your songs around to friends in the music industry to gauge their reaction.