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EDM = Economically Developed Music?
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| Lira |
What plays a more important role in the popularity of electronic dance music? Economy or culture?
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USA/Canada: So, the land from the north of the Grande river is known as the hometown of disco, house, techno and hip-hop; and the U.S. is also the World's greates economical power. All these forms of dance music are/were well stablished, but, apart from hip-hop, the popularity of other EDM genres doesn't seem to be anything impressive. Apart from a couple of great festivals (like those awards in Miami), a foreigner hardly hears of anything else (if there really is anything big out there). Maybe there's still the prejudice that Moby himself had before he started his career (he thought it was a gay/latino/black/... thing till the day he saw a white brit with his girlfriend spinning techno).
Japan: The second greatest economical power, Japan's got an impressive tradition when it comes to edm - from the Yellow Magic Orchestra till Yoji Biomehanika, their producers often come with something new and inspiring (probably because since they import the music from Europe, the US and change it to a 3rd completely different thing), such as the greatest genre ever (aka Shibuya-Kei). Despite of all its potential, I've never met a Japanese person who even knew the name of any of these producers (apart from the Shibuya-Kei ones, such as Pizzicato Five).
Europe: In this case, you have some of the world's most important economical centres and probably the higher rate of turntables per capita. Land of trance, happy hardcore, drum'n'bass... the holy land of electronic music lovers, specially in central western Europe.
Rest of Asia: If you count Russia as an Asian country, that's probably the only country that has a nice scene, with extremely talented producers, such as Paul B. and Radiotrance. It's like the rest of the continent didn't even exist, and places like China, Korea and India (Goa is being excluded because it's got a absurd amount of foreigners) are not even "secondary centres", like Russia, Brazil and Argentina.
Africa: I only know of two African DJ's, although I reckon the economy may be a factor in this case.
Oceania: The region's most wealthy countries (NZ and Australia) are known as EDM powers as well. From the Melbourne Shuffle to Concord Dawn, they clearly show those are some of the best places in the world when it comes to electronic dance music.
Latin America: Now this is weird. Brazil's exported many producers (such as Renato Cohen, DJ Marky and Tobi Amos), and has become a secondary centre. EDM is quite well-known (DJ Marky is a celebrity), and there are huge festivals, such as Skol Beats and Brasília Music Festival Electronic (which promises to be Latin America's greatest festival) broadcasted all over the country and having the attention from the media, but the music seems to be restricted to the wealthiest places (Brasília, São Paulo and Belo Horizonte - Rio's got an unexplainable cultural barrier of "Rio Funk"). Argentina's got Hernan Cattaneo, but apart from the Colombian "DJ Cutoff", I can't think of anyone else from this region.
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So, it seems a strong (or developing) economy is necessary for the establishment of a proper edm scene (otherwise countries like Senegal and Laos would have well known producers), but apart from Europe (as far as I imagine), Brazil and Australia, the so-called popular producers don't seem to be THAT popular. Why is that? What is more important? Thoughts?
(Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistake - I'm really sleepy :D) |
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| Nalin |
| intriguing, will comment when sober. |
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| beats and beeps |
| Very interesting. |
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| Radagast |
Trust me, individual EDM artists even in the Netherlands are as relatively unknown as anywhere else. I asked a guy from the Netherlands who Tiesto was and he had no idea. I think he was 16 or so. Just the right age to be into his country's pop culture, Tiesto isn't all that big a part of it outside of a Tranceaddict's point of view. Whose point is more valid? Are the people you asked to find out about EDM in Brazil and other countries already into EDM? Did you ask someone who doesn't know what EDM is if EDM is popular in their country?
And as far as EDM producers not being recognized...well that's pretty obvious. Most other people don't even consider "Techno" music music at all. Produced by computer nerds for computer nerds and/or homosexuals. Why recognize what some unknown guy came up with by pushing some buttons on a machine? I'm not even sure if this relates or answers any questions you posed but it just came out of me. :stongue:
Actually, EDM is mainstream in North America. You just don't notice it because of the way it's presented.
EDM is everywhere you go. You hear it on television commercials, it's in elevators, movie soundtracks and sports hilight reels. It's played in restaurants and malls. It's played at major sporting events, and played behind the VJ's words on MTV. It's the soundtrack of reality television, the intro language of prime time detective dramas, and it plays on the phone when you're put on hold.
It's the most listened to music on the planet if we measure music by exposure to human ears. EDM is the most mainstream music in North America, and indeed the world. It's relatively cheap to make and can be made to sell almost anything. Maybe the fact that it is presented to the mainstream as cheaply produced background music plays a part in the producers not getting as much recognition as well. Who knows.
Then you have the interesting Tiesto at the Olympic Opening Ceremony situation which could be discussed if we wanted to digress further. Personally I think Tiesto's performance had much less impact on the non EDM world than an ad for the new Subaru that's filled with DnB or Ambient Breaks would. Even though it was the supposed "Worlds #1 DJ" playing, they still marketed it as background music and worse since you couldn't hear him spinning 98% of the time (On USA TV at least). |
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| aspergian |
This is very, very fascinating. Well put, Lira. :)
Isn't it so strange that a place like Japan has so much technological output -- creators of so many classic synthesizers and computerized bits-n-pieces of gear -- but their exported output of artists seems to pale in comparison? Well, we'll hope for something with Utada in a few months.
EDM -- technological music -- comes in so many flavors. Obviously, money, and much of it in $$$$, is needed to make music-making machines and develop an enriched atmosphere consisting of the techno-savvy in order to further progress. Parallel to more general applications of science, funding helps brilliant minds a lot! This is blunt but may make you laugh: countries with more computers have more computer music.
There is something to be said regarding the subtle ubiquity of electronic music in North America, however, as Radagast pointed out. Like dust, it is everywhere and doesn't attract much mention due to reasons such as a lack of strong media personalities (hello, MOBY!!!) but there it is, chugging along in the background of all the aforementioned. It's there but the appearance of EDM Stateside has become so intuitively natural, unlike the failed full-frontal "electronica revolution" of the late 90s. Assimilation, inverse to the Borg, has been nonintrusive and unthreatening in this manner. You slip a bit in at a time until the populace becomes pleasantly acclimated.
Another related event: the introduction of a Best Electronic/Best Dance Album for the Grammies thanks to a united initiative from the dance music community despite their disparate styles. :D |
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