Over the past two years I have developed a deep and legitimate love for electronic dance music (EDM). I say that my love for EDM is legitimate because my taste in the music expands far beyond insanely-popular dubstep. Granted, dubstep is what first hooked me on EDM, but now I listen to and appreciate everything from ambient trance to groovy hip-hop beats to drum & bass and just about everything in between. About a year after I started listening to electronic music I met my girlfriend who had spent a number of years in the rave scene and whose friends – it seems – are all capable of Dj-ing. During our time together, she has introduced me to her friends and they have explained and showed me what DJ-ing is all about; it’s from watching them mix that I have learned to really appreciate what can be done with a pair of turntables and some records. That said, it upsets me that explosion in popularity of EDM has led to finger-pointing and name calling and, frankly, selling out. Deadmau5’s brutal – but honest – assessment of “live” DJ performances and A-trak’s astute response to it begs the question of whether crowds at EDM shows are being duped into thinking that they’re seeing something fresh and original, when all they’re really getting is a pre-mixed set that is cued to a fancy light show.
Before I add my two cents to the debate, I think some aspects of EDM should be clarified for those who are new to the genre (or for those who are only on the electronic bandwagon). When you go to a show, chances are good (approximately with 100% certainty) that you are not seeing music being produced before your eyes. And, unfortunately, a lot of times you’re not even seeing someone DJ (spinning a live mix of songs), hence why you can hear the same set from this or that performer as the last time you saw him/her. It seems today, that, “button pushers,” as Deadmau5’s refers to them, have somewhat taken over the whole EDM scene. To be fair, watching someone press play can be just as enthralling, exciting, and fun as watching someone read the crowd and mix right in front of everyone, but, for my money, real, on-the-spot mixing is what makes electronic music great, and it is the reason why I am so fascinated by it. Everything else, I consider a watered-down and somewhat lazy performance.
I can understand, given today’s context of touring artists who are in a different city every night, why a performer (because the people who do this don’t deserve the title of “DJ”) would opt to just “press play” every night; it’s easy and, if it’s a popular act, chances are that audiences will be pleased by hearing the hit singles played. Additionally, with so many EDM newcomers at their shows who probably can’t tell a difference between a live and pre-made mix, what difference does it make, right? Well, for those members of the audience who do care and who appreciate the nuances of a well-crafted set, it makes all the difference in the world. By this, I am not trying to say that pre-made sets are unbearable; they’re still plenty of fun to watch and dance to. What I am trying to say is that the best EDM sets are ones put together by a talented DJ who is paying as much attention to his audience as the audience is paying to him; they are the sets that showcase music I’ve never heard before, not the ones that play “Bass Cannon” or “Cinema” for the 900th time. A true DJ should be watching the crowd, picking up on their vibes, and playing songs in accordance with those vibes, not just putting their hands up or yelling at everyone to get hyped on this next drop. If the right song is played, the audience will get hyped when they hear it, not when they’re told to.
It is the creativity of the music and honest connection between a DJ and the audience that draws me to electronic music; I love this stuff and it would pain me to see EDM become just another music fad. I never want EDM to die out and become so predictable that no one wants to hear it anymore. So educate yourself, and let’s keep electronic music real and alive.
Deadmau5's timblr post - http://deadmau5.tumblr.com/post/25690507284/we-all-hit-playA-Trak's Article in Huffington Post - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/atrak/dont-push-my-buttons_b_1694719.html
DancingAstronaut.com editorial - http://www.dancingastronaut.com/2012/06/editorial-dance-music-has-gone-mainstream-but-it-doesnt-have-to-sell-out/#axzz21eZcuU7d
