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Is this the direction American dance is going?
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| Latham |
Lately I have been thinking about the American scene and seems like there is a massive amount of new listeners, majority liking only a few artists skrillex, deadmau5, wolfgang, afrojack, and the whole dubstep genre. I have talked about this with friends and it seems like a lot of these listeners have like ADHD. When is the next cut, the next huge wobble, the next high pitched lead...
For example: Afrojack - Chords is a new progressive house song and if you look at any page with it, he is getting flamed for making song that isn't Dutch house. "Too boring" "Too minimal" ... In my opinion, shows diversity and I enjoy that track a lot more then some of his others. Skrillex and Wolfgang have so many cuts in their music that it ALMOST makes it not enjoyable for me, but everyone else loves it.
I haven't been listening to edm nearly as long as a lot of people, but am I the only one noticing this trend. Or am I stereotyping and generalizing? In a way I think it reflects our society. Everyone having smart phones, constantly being updated on facebook/web. Soon as everyone leaves class, everyone is on their phone and even in the car. Something to keep their attention at every moment.
Not hating on any genre or artist, I just find this kind of interesting. I personally enjoy progressive house/trance the most, so maybe that is why I take this view. Anyone else have an opinion on this? |
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| shaminii |
| Most/maybe all my friends who never listened to EDM a couple years ago now listen to dubstep. Even dubstep parties have popped everywhere. I think it says a lot. I think dubstep is the frat boys excuse for listening to EDM. |
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| Latham |
Yea I won't argue with that. I believe dance music in general has had this fluffy stigma surround it (at least in the US). Dubstep bypassed that by being the heavy metal of edm, attracting a lot of people. Perhaps these are the majority I refer to in my original post.
I guess that could go along with how a lot of people who never listen to edm think it all sounds the same, same beat, w/e. Eliminating a lot of progression maybe makes it more interesting to a mainstream listener.
But then also, pop-culture definitely has a part in this and I believe that has just begun. I see DJ/party symbols in commercials more frequently and the collaboration of big dance DJs w/ rap/pop stars is growing. A lot if not the majority of the top songs in the US are club ready now. This whole edm/party scene seems like it is about to be huge in the US (again?). Hell, look at the expansion of Insomniac this year adding Orlando, Las Vegas, Michigan, Seattle.
I could be biased by saying this, but I feel a lot of the music we grew up listening to has been stagnant for years (me particular: alternative/rock). Maybe people are just ready for something new in general, or this is just a fad for many. |
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| Latham |
| quote: | Originally posted by civicstyle
trancestep |
Not sure how far this will go.. If this can even be considered a genre.
I've heard it implemented in a few sets, but really can only use it so sparingly. It is interesting, but that is about it =/
Too many trance fans despise dubstep for this ever to have an impact. |
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| Lizandrooo |
| Not much to argue here. Since it got easier to buy some soft synths and to midi map everything with your choice of controller, its gotten easier for anyone to wander into dance music. music has definitely made a plunge south. I mean all this 'farty bass' with afrojack and dj chuckie just told me to GTFO. Yeah its great to see new faces and to spread the scene and all but the new comers seem to forgotten or not care about the dance music cultures history. they dont know how hard it was to find people that were that open minded, find a dirty warehouse and be blessed with a pair of decks, mixer and dj for a damn good time with out having the 'thugs/hip hop' ruin it. This is me and maybe im becoming an old timer but i just dont appreciate the 'should have been fads' like mau5, benassi and afrojack and the like. |
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| psyruz |
My 14 y/o brother was listening to dubstep tracks on youtube. That says a lot to me right there. There is definitely good dubstep being made but I too am amazed at how it has exploaded into mainstream with a strict crowd, a crowd that makes fun of electronica, call all of it "techno". You mentioned ADHD, haha.
Basically dubstep hits so hard, it grabs your neck and rapes your ears with funky breaks and a pure jagged digitally futuristic technologic wobble wobble wobble. When it drops it makes you want to ing dance. But its not for the rave scene or true electronica mixing set show. You can't have a journey following the dj with this, just like hip-hop, etc.
My two scents. Hopefully this sets up the conditions in which electronic music as a whole gains more prevalence and respect in the states. I'm hoping/praying for a return to the roots of trance! |
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