Electronic Dance Music has taken the world by storm since its introduction into popular culture over two decades ago and gained widespread acceptance across every culture and nation.
According to a recently released business report, tech-house has overtaken techno as the most popular EDM genre. Additionally, hardstyle is becoming increasingly popular globally with its signature combination of distorted kicks and insane melodies.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is one of the world’s most beloved music cities, boasting an abundance of musicians living there and offering endless musical opportunities. Additionally, this city is ideal for visitors who appreciate dancing to electronic beats – plus there are some incredible recording studios here that visitors can visit as well!
Los Angeles has long been known as a hotbed of experimental club music and has produced some of the industry’s top producers and DJs – among them is Pete Tong who has become one of the most celebrated electronic musicians of our time, performing at numerous festivals around the globe and hosting his weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1. Pete has had a major impact on electronic music‘s development and is widely recognized for being a pioneer. He holds one of the greatest influence over electronic music’s evolution and hosts his weekly BBC Radio 1 Radio Show Show that also airs every Saturday afternoon on BBC Radio 1.
Chee is another highly acclaimed electronic music artist from LA who stands out with his distinctive blend of hip hop influences, heavy basslines and synthy magic. Chee has garnered support from some of the industry’s most influential tastemakers; most recently releasing “Act Like You Know.”
Los Angeles is well known for its film studios, but also boasts an active music scene featuring some of the nation’s best known bands. There are countless clubs that play electronic music; Create in Hollywood is an especially notable venue that hosts both live acts and A-list DJs for an unparalleled Vegas-esque production inside the former Los Angeles Stock Exchange building.
The Mayan in Downtown Los Angeles is a top nightlife spot, featuring both electronic and mainstream rock music. Its temple-themed interior provides the ideal environment for speaker-bumping tunes and spectacular light shows. Other popular nightlife destinations in Los Angeles include Sound, which has a warehouse-style building to attract techno fans; Academy for cutting edge house artists; and Playhouse with an all-star lineup including Cedric Gervais.
India
EDM made its debut into India’s mainstream scene in 2013 and quickly captured the imagination of young, affluent urban populations. Club owners fed demand for superstar acts like Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta while festivals began popping up across India and local DJs found their way to national renown.
But India boasts an active underground scene. Artists such as Mumbai-based producer Brij Dalvi (also known as Three Oscillators) employ new plug-ins and online platforms to experiment with sound design – their style blends elements of traditional Indian music with contemporary electronic production techniques for an electrifying result.
Indian electronic music’s rapid rise coincides with its rapid economic development and one of the youngest populations on earth, comprising around 140 million urban residents – many belonging to an urban middle class which has flourished thanks to growing access to new technologies.
These millennials are searching for new experiences and ways to express themselves, and dance culture is a core part of their identities. Contemporary Bollywood hits can often be defined as Electronic Dance Music (EDM), featuring pumping basslines and build-and-drop structures designed for communal dancing – you’re likely to find these songs at any wedding today, with kids and aunties dancing to Avicii’s Levels or another track from his catalogue.
Bollywood-influenced tracks remain immensely popular across India’s clubs and festivals. But electronic music from diverse genres has gained ground recently – especially within clubs owned by event company Submerge founded by Nikhil Chinapa who notes his focus is not solely bringing international talent, but supporting local artists as well.
India’s dynamic dance scene is fascinating to observe. Genres of all sorts can enjoy growing popularity; Indian producers who can expand their tastes beyond dance music may find that including electronic forms will open up much wider audiences for them and will help democratize how music is created and consumed worldwide.
Sweden
Sweden is home to some of the greatest names in electronic music, and chances are you have heard one or more of their songs at some point during your lifetime. While ABBA is perhaps best-known, Sweden also produced one of today’s biggest DJs – Avicii (real name Tim Bergling).
Since 2000, electronic music in Sweden has seen steadily increasing popularity. There are now clubs dedicated to this genre and numerous producers have achieved global renown.
Electronica music has long been the go-to genre in Sweden, though rock and pop remain strong traditions as well. American styles began influencing Swedish culture as early as 1940 when dansorkestrar (“dance orchestras”) played American tunes to which people could dance; rock ‘n roll gained momentum later that decade while Swedish bands like Tages and Ebba Gron achieved international renown during the 60s.
Techno is steadily gaining in popularity as its dancefloor-friendly sound finds resonance with audiences worldwide. Sweden boasts an active nightlife scene and numerous venues for live performances; plus several top-tier recording studios that produce high quality productions.
Swedish techno producers are well known for their signature minimalist sound. Adam Beyer of Drumcode stands out among them; other top Swedish techno producers include Cari Lekebusch, Goto80, Henrik B and Joel Mull. Furthermore, many Swedish producers create chip music as well, designed specifically to run on older computer consoles or specialized PCs.
Swedish producers are pioneers of both progressive house and deep house music, known for their signature sound which has garnered worldwide acclaim. Often described as minimalistic yet hypnotic, their music provides perfect accompaniment for dancing.
The United States
Electronic music has long been a force in popular culture, from disco to dubstep and beyond. Additionally, its prevalence has led to new genres like electro (revived by artists like Fischerspooner and Ectomorph in recent years) as well as mashups which combine vocal and instrumental components from two recordings to form one cohesive new sound.
After digital recording technology first became widely available in the 1990s, home computer users started producing their own music using software programs available through computer games. Electronic music saw particular success as its popularity expanded and equipment became more affordable; as “bedroom bands” proliferated and Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez, and Steve Reich all began performing themselves alongside “bedroom bands.” Meanwhile Detroit techno pioneers Juan Atkins and Rik Davis united under Cybotron.
DJs used tape recorders to compile and play their own mixes during the early days of electronic music, specialising in one genre such as Chicago house or Detroit techno; others created hybrid styles such as electro funk or B-Boy hip hop which combined older disco records with Italo disco and Kraftwerk-influenced synth pop.
Technology advanced rapidly during this era and synthesizers became an ever-increasing component of rock music. While initial synthesizers relied on acoustic instruments like organs for sound generation, later models utilized transistorized circuitry to produce synthetic tones. Bands such as The Silver Apples, Alan Parsons Project and Pink Floyd experimented with synthesizer sounds.
Disco music saw wide adoption during its heyday, with artists like Giorgio Moroder and Donna Summer introducing electronic sounds into mainstream pop music through dancefloor anthems with synthesized basslines and shimmering keyboard melodies that became dancefloor hits. Later forms of dance such as Italo disco and trance used sweeping strings, hypnotic drum beats, and crystaline synths to create dream-like sonic environments that eventually gave way to new forms.
Electronic dance music (EDM) is currently created on computers by producers and DJs using software to control their machines. Some producers, commonly referred to as DJs, have become superstars over time – commanding six-figure salaries for live performances as a DJ and having their work broadcast worldwide via radio shows such as A State of Trance or The Electric Daisy Carnival.