Difference Between EDM and Electronic Music
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Summary
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What Redditors are SayingDifference Between EDM and Electronic Music
TL;DR EDM (Electronic Dance Music) is a subset of electronic music focused on danceable tracks, often associated with commercial and festival-friendly sounds. Electronic music encompasses a broader range of styles produced using electronic instruments.
EDM vs. Electronic Music
EDM stands for Electronic Dance Music and is primarily characterized by its danceability. It includes genres like house, techno, dubstep, and more that are designed to be played in dance contexts such as clubs or festivals [1:3][2:2]. In contrast, electronic music is a broader category that includes any music created using electronic processes, including non-danceable genres like ambient music [1:2][2:5].
Commercial Aspect of EDM
Many discussions highlight the commercial nature of EDM, associating it with mainstream appeal and festival-oriented music [1:1][2:3]. Artists like David Guetta and Marshmello are often mentioned in this context [1:11]. This perception can lead to EDM being viewed negatively by some who prefer underground electronic music [3:6][2:7].
Historical Context and Evolution
Historically, EDM was used as an umbrella term for all electronic dance music to replace the misuse of "techno" [2:4]. However, over time, it has evolved to represent a specific style of music that emerged during the 2010s, characterized by simplified structures and mainstream appeal [3:5]. The term EDM can sometimes obscure the origins and influences of foundational genres like Detroit Techno and Chicago House [3:6].
Genre Complexity and Overlap
The complexity of electronic music genres can be overwhelming due to the numerous subgenres and overlapping characteristics [4:1][5:9]. Genres within EDM can be distinguished by elements like tempo, sound design, and rhythm [5:2][5:7]. Despite these distinctions, there is often debate and gatekeeping regarding genre definitions [5:11], leading some to prefer more inclusive terms like "electronic music" [5:5].
Recommendations Beyond Discussions
If you're exploring electronic music, consider listening to various subgenres to identify what resonates with you. Platforms like Spotify offer curated playlists that can help discover new artists and styles. Additionally, attending live events or festivals can provide exposure to different genres and help refine your preferences.
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Source Threads
POST SUMMARY • [1]Summarize
What is the difference between the terms EDM and electronic music?
Posted by No-Entrepreneur3920 · in r/electronicmusic · 2 years ago
ORIGINAL POSTI’m 41 and massively into melodic house, tech house, deep house, techno.
I hear the term EDM used by folk younger but it’s not a term I use.
It feels to me that EDM doesn’t represent an umbrella term for all electronic music but more a specific subset. If I’m to guess it seems like it captures a more commercial sound of electronic.
Am I accurate?
edm music is electronic music you can dance/rave to. electronic music is just…music make with electronics. all edm is electronic music but not all electronic is edm. for example: those four genres u listed would fall under edm, but ambient music is electronic music that isn’t danceable.
ppl get too hung up on genres tho imo.
As an old head and geriatric raver this definition is weird to me, because I was there on the 90s era rave mailing lists when the tern EDM first started being used, because it was originally defined is EDM being basically anything mainstream that wasn't IDM or underground.
IDM (intelligent dance music) wasn't just stuff like Aphex Twin or Squarepusher or even Board of Canada. It included deep house, techno, electro, trance and more as long as it had complicated polyrhythms and made your brain dance as well as your booty. Not all deep house was IDM, but not all deep house was clubby/poppy EDM, either, not by a long shot.
EDM was more poppy club and dance music and big room stuff for the new, growing mainstream festivals that looked like raves, but weren't raves. Because a rave is underground and was free or cheap, and other hallmarks like they didn't confiscate your water, beer or drugs.
Raves were DIY and followed the idea of a TAZ or temporary autonomous zone and not held in huge venues with huge stages and fireworks and million dollar light shows and tons of official staff or security. EDC isn't and wasn't a rave, it's a festival. Raves don't even really have stages because it wasn't about big name acts or stage theater, it was about the individuals and the dancers and what they brought to share with each other.
So EDM would be, say, Swedish House Mafia, or Bassnecter, or Steve Aoki or even Avicii. Or more recently - James Hype.
Thee-o spinning 90s psytrance and goa from a folding table on the floor at a renegade desert rave? Not EDM. Avicii spinning mainstream melodic trance on a huge festival stage with video walls and a million dollar light show? EDM.
Even back then dance and club music existed that wasn't rave/techno/house related - think C&C Music Factory, top 40 R&B stuff, even Madonna, but increasingly these genre lines were getting blurred as main stream pop/dance artists started borrowing and stealing sounds from the underground and they were releasing tracks that had hints of deep house and 4 on the floor, and this was one of the original uses of the term EDM to differentiate that more mainstream, crowd friendly and pop friendly dance music from the underground, acid, rave and deep house stuff.
We were even putting new more mainstream 90s and 2000s electronic dance like the Chemical Brothers or Fatboy Slim into the EDM box because a lot of that was radio and MTV friendly and ready to go and used traditional record industry studios, production and marketing practices.
Further, we definitely listen to ambient and related chill genres at raves. Not only was it often included in DJ sets as breathers between harder acid rave techno stuff but many DIY raves often had chillout rooms or tents where you'd find ambient or ambient house, dub, dub techno and others.
Today the definition of EDM has obviously changed and it includes stuff like, say, Anjunadeep and Ben Bohmer, who is both really poppy, melodic and accessible but also has very deep deep house roots and sounds to the point that even my jaded old raver self likes it, and yet it's also big room festival fare and definitely not a rave.
Or what about Jon Hopkins? Super popular, plays huge festivals but puts out super intelligent, complicated music that's also melodic and accessible, yet he'd fit right in at some dingy underground rave? Technically EDM? shrug
In any case including all rave or electronic dance music like techno or deep house under the EDM umbrella doesn't sit right with me, even though techno is blowing up again and you have acts like Tale of Us playing huge festivals with huge light shows.
Originally EDM had a very specific negative connotation - and very judgemental, snooty and hipster kind of meaning. It was a dis and intentional disrespect that that music wasn't underground enough and it was too mainstream.
It was more like "All this new mainstream dance music that we don't like because it's too poppy, mainstream and not hipster enough because we're huge nerds and we're gen X and you're stealing our music and turning it into poppy shit" kind of a negative definition.
And, yeah,people do get too hung up on genres in electronic dance music. It's been that way since the late 80s and early 90s. Shit, arguing about genres was like 50% of the traffic on any of the regional rave mailing lists and forums.
The best electronic/dance music breaks or invents whole new genres.
This. If it's danceable, it could be considered EDM. And even within this, there is subjectivity to what people find to be danceable. You could technically do contemporary dance to ambient electronic music. It doesn't have to be commercial or festival stage stuff. Too many people try and just gatekeep music or use terms negatively. There's nothing wrong with the term EDM.
It is no different or worse than other terms that have been used over the decades from electro to electronica. It's simply that people stereotype the term into things they don't like.
Electronic music is still overall a more appropriate umbrella term to encompass everything from ambient to soundtrack and score and literally any music made electronically on computers, even to the point of stuff that doesn't use any synthesizers at all and may simply be sample manipulation and beats, like some areas of trip hop.
Back in the day, people would call all electronic music “techno”, even though it’s a distinct genre. I think EDM is one of those terms.
Over here in the Netherlands and big parts of Europe we had tons of genre names since the 90's, Mellow, Club, Dance, Trance, Eurodance, Techo, Hardstyle, Happy Hardcore, Hardcore, Terror and many MANY genres in between.
I personally don't like the name EDM as it just puts everything into one pile no matter the BPM and type of sound.
I don't get why more people aren't just pointing out the obvious:
EDM = electronic dance music. How is this different from electronic music? Literally just 'dance'. It is electronic music that is dancey. It is that simple.
You call Tycho electronic music because it's obviously not dancey, Deadmau5 is electronic dance music because it is something you can dance to. Definitely there are Deadmau5 songs that aren't as danceable so those songs are more just electronic, not electronic dance.
“EDM” started as a better catch-all term for electronic music than “techno” but soon morphed into a term for festival-friendly music which largely shares a similar structure of a build to a bass drop.
It’s too homogenized to fall under a particular subgenre of electronic music, hence “EDM”.
When I hear EDM, I think of Americans listening to big name artists like David Guetta, Marshmello etc.
It's not a term I've heard anyone use in the UK, they tend to be more genre specific.
The term EDM works as well, and as poorly, as do the terms jazz, classical, even rock. There are dozens of sub-genres within each of those, but they’re similar enough that it’s useful to have a term that encompasses them all.
Yep. Techno would still not be considered edm, but there’s what people call mainstream ‘business’ Techno and underground Techno which is generally more experimental and forward thinking.
Technically true, but it’s more about the intent of the sound. There’s also music that sounds electronic that is made acoustically. But what good would it do to label Country music as Electronic music for example other than piss everyone off?
I have always thought that EDM means more like mainstream electronic music. Avicii and whatnot and 2010 being the main decade of it.
r/electronicmusic • [2]Summarize
This might be a stupid question but I'm a newcomer to this genre. Is there a difference between Electronic music and EDM?
Posted by Zirzamini · in r/electronicmusic · 1 year agoBasically I'm organizing my spotify playlist and I have a EDM playlist but I pretty much don't know anything about it(other than the fact that it's for dancing and it includes all genres of electronic music((right?))) So doesn't that makes it the same as Electronic music? Can't I just add any music that has a Electronic sound to my EDM playlist? Searching about this stuff made me more confused
I feel like everyone has their own way they think of it, but personally I view EDM as a subset within the umbrella of "Electronic Music". Electronic Music IMO is just any music created primarily using electronic instruments/processes, and thus would include stuff like Oneohtrix Point Never which wouldn't be considered "dance music".
EDM would just be electronic music that's created more with the purpose of being played in a dance context, such as a club/festival. So stuff like house/techno/dubstep/DnB/etc.
There is electronic music not intended for dancing but putting that aside, EDM was originally an umbrella term for all electronic dance music (with the goal of replacing the misuse of ‘techno’ for that purpose) but its use coincided with the rise of a new wave of global festival oriented dance music and the term now refers to that style, which comprises big room house, electro house, progressive house, and American festival oriented styles of bass music.
I certainly wouldn't lump in Progressive as EDM.
Not all progressive, but acts like Alesso, Avicii, and even Swedish House Mafia were using the term Progressive House circa 2010. It's a far cry from the kind of Sasha, James Holden, Border Community strain of Progressive House, but it's the term that was used at the time for what came to be known as EDM.
Really depends who you ask... Back in the day, EDM was an umbrella term used for any and all "Electronic Dance Music" - house, trance, electro (mostly 4x4 stuff). I still use the term this way.
However about a decade ago a new 'genre' arose for big festival, main stage type music that was called EDM. It has really juiced up, more simplistic bassline + synth songs and has a more mainstream appeal. So it really depends on an individuals understanding of the term itself.
Don’t want to get in any debate here because these convos can go off the rails, but I’ve always used the term Electronic Music because it’s more inclusive of music that is not necessarily “dance” music. There’s a lot of electronica that is worth exploring that isn’t really dance music, so I never really saw the need to create a new less inclusive umbrella term.
Been raving, djing and throwing parties since 96. I never once used heard anyone call it edm until about 2012 when Skrillex blew up. Then the mainstream took wind of it and now the young people think that it has always been the case. It hasn't. For the record, anyone deeply into underground subgenres like techno, (real) house, drum and bass, and the deeper side of dubstep (not the riddim nonsense) etc., will roll their eyes if you call their music edm. EDM has the big corporate festival sound that you will not find in the underground.
absolutely. when I read edm, my brain thinks "garbage" 😂. but i am also old. I do enjoy a lot of danceable electronic music though, edm as a term makes my alarm bells ring
Edm is basically pop dance music.
There is pop electronic music too. Porter Robinsons nurture for example. Being pop has nothing to do with it being EDM or electronic, it's about whether the song was made primarily as a dance floor track or just a normal song in my opinion
Not to confuse things further. But funny enough I would consider this danceable pop music that pop dance music.
Basically there's a lot of dance/festival music that is designed to stimulate and be loud and punchy. Then there's derivates of that that can pull that many ways.
Then there's pop music that's meant to be catchy and be more mainstream appealing. A lot of this has a proper singer over it.
You might think I'm splitting hairs, but Avicii, Zedd, David Guetta, and Armin Van Buuren have a different vibe from Fred Again, Jamie xx, Blessed Madonna etc. The first group imo is EDM/festival music. The latter group is what I call club music.
There's plenty of overlap and subjectivity obviously
EDM (electronic dance music) is a sub genre of electronic music. EDM is essentially a subset of disco music, with drum machines, and electronic sounds/textures making up a bulk of the sonic pallet. Basically it’s just a “style” of electornic music, as the electronic genre takes many shapes and sizes. (I.e. ambient house, dungeon synth, deconstructed club, etc.)
r/EDM • [3]Summarize
What is EDM? All genres of Electronic Music? Or is EDM just assorted Electronic Pop that none of the of genres want to claim?
Posted by DistributionMedium79 · in r/EDM · 2 years agoI know it was meant to be a term for all genres of electronically produced music that people often dance to, but I usually just use “electronic music”. EDM, at some point, in my head, became a dirty word or like how disco must have felt when uttered from the mouth of a super fan just after disco demolition night. It just seems so contrived, which it is right? I believe Sillerman coined the phrase towards the beginning of the “golden age”? Anyway I use it as a catchall for anything that, to me, doesn’t fit a legit genre ie, house, trance, dub, tech and/or is too Pop(y) for me to Just want to make sure I’m not being a grumpy old fuck because it makes me want to pull my hair out when I hear how “House is disgusting and dead” or “What happened to Trance”. Come. On. Have some reverence. It all pretty much traces back to one of these two to some extent. Anyway I just don’t love using a label that was created in a boardroom 25 years after the movement it’s attempting to label started. Thoughts?
How much have you smoked tonight?
It’s a term to use to people where you aren’t sure if they listen or know any sub genre of EDM. It’s like if you’re talking to people about what you have in your living room. If you’re being general then you say you have a 65” 4K TV. If they establish that they know TV models, you could say you have an LG OLED C3. If you had started with the latter response, there’s a risk they would have no idea what you were talking about and you just sound silly and gave more detail than needed
I disagree. Maybe because I’m older, but back in the early 90’s most electronic music was known as techno, and EDM was a sub-genre. I still hate that all electronic music is labeled as EDM, because there’s lots of electronic music that you would not necessarily dance too but is still cool to listen to.
back in the early 90’s most electronic music was known as techno, and EDM was a sub-genre
While true, we shouldn't just continue on with the mislabeling. Techno is technically a (sub)genre of EDM, which I know makes some people mad, but it doesn't make it any less true.
there’s lots of electronic music that you would not necessarily dance too but is still cool to listen to
I refer to this as simply "electronic music", with EDM being a subset of that.
EDM is not a specific genre, it's a category of music that sits under the larger umbrella of Electronic Music (no dance). Then under EDM, you have all of the various (sub)genres, e.g. techno, dubstep, trap, trance.
Despite what some people may say, the term "EDM" isn't just reserved for mainstream/generic/poppy electronic music. However, people continue to try and assert this simply because they want to distance themselves from certain subgenres that they find to be lame in an effort to feel superior to others. But at the end of the day, music categorization follows a simple top-down hierarchal structure, which is independent from personal feelings.
Incredibly wrong. EDM, historically speaking, wipes out the purpose, meaning, origins, and influence of styles like Detroit Techno, Chicago House, EBM, etc.
Sure, literally it is Electronic Dance Music, but the term was really adopted and accepted widely in 2010s and that is part of a larger overall feel and mindset that doesn’t embody the influences of other OG subgenres that helped influence the subgenres that came out during the EDM marketing revolution.
There is electronic and synth music that comes from Black Artists influenced by music genres like Jazz, Soul, R&B, Hip Hop, Rap, etc.
EDM blankets newer subgenres and whole different culture. Not obsolete but different and that should be respected.
EDM, historically speaking, wipes out the purpose, meaning, origins, and influence of styles like Detroit Techno, Chicago House, EBM, etc.
In what way(s) does EDM wipe out the purpose, meaning, origins, and influences of those styles?
the term was really adopted and accepted widely in 2010s
Yes, true, but we create new words and categories/genres all the time, but just because they’re new doesn’t mean they’re somehow invalid. More often than not, the music predates the label given to it.
part of a larger overall feel and mindset that doesn't embody the influences of other OG subgenres that helped influence the subgenres that came out during the EDM marketing revolution
Again, how does EDM not embody or represent the influences of the music that came before the widespread adoption of the term in the 2010s?
There is electronic and synth music that comes from Black Artists influenced by music genres like Jazz, Soul, R&B, Hip Hop, Rap, etc.
Yeah of course, but what does that have to do with anything? Not all electronic music is electronic dance music.
EDM blankets newer subgenres and whole different culture. Not obsolete but different and that should be respected.
EDM blankets all genres and subgenres of electronic dance music, new and old. Acknowledging and accepting this isn’t disrespectful in any way, and it’s odd that you would even draw that conclusion.
Is Techno a sub-genre, yes. Is Techno the term I use for all electronic music, also yes. I have enough acronyms in my life and I'm not switching to one that didn't exist when I started in the first place.
Techno is only one small side of EDM. You cannot refer to house and dubstep as techno. That’s just wrong
We were calling all of it techno in the 90s, but only because it was packaged (incorrectly) that way to more mainstream audiences
I think EDM is a better term to use when talking to someone who is not familiar with the music genre. From there people can find many names for what they like. I know these aren't all the genres but this picture kinda shows my point. I know you may think different and I can see your side too! Positive energy here, just my thoughts 👍
more like the square of EDM is inside the rectangle of electronic music ...
All EDM is electronic music. Not all electronic music is EDM. EDM is a subgenre within electronic music
r/EDM • [4]Summarize
Does anyone have a guide to the different genres within EDM?
Posted by IcySatisfaction632 · in r/EDM · 1 year agoI’m fairly new to EDM and don’t really know the difference between the many subgenres (like house, techno, drum and bass, etc). Is there any sort of guide I can reference or can anyone share how they tell the difference? Thnx!
Original, much longer detailed post https://www.reddit.com/r/aves/s/em6Xp97IGu
Links to other sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_electronic_music_genres - good overall review, often includes some technical detail on the music in individual articles
https://www.reddit.com/r/electronicmusic/comments/72l7ww/extremely_genre_specific_relectronicmusic/ (check the Supplemental Resources in this post) - tons of resources in here and song examples
http://music.ishkur.com/ - single page chronology so you can learn about things from a historical perspective, instead of just randomly hitting different genres. Recommend moving from left to right. Some of the descriptive blurbs are very opinionated
https://musicmap.info - compact overview with decent range
https://rymboxset.blogspot.com/ - deep dive into many subgenres
http://everynoise.com - AI generated, very wide-ranging labeling system. Can be weird with names of things
https://discogs.com - not the best for genre explanation but has a ton of detail for historical records and labels .
http://everynoise.com - AI generated, very wide-ranging labeling system. Can be weird with names of things
So is this just like music-map.com but better?
Honestly.. I've been listening since 2008 and I think it's all convoluted. Too many, wayy too many genres and SO much overlap. Back when I got into it, people were so freaking anal whenever you got a genre wrong (S3RL - Genre Police, lol) that I stopped caring. They even bicker over the big umbrella terms. I was bashed when I first called everything techno, then got bashed when I used EDM. Some people will go "that's not EDM, that's techno!" Then others will go "EDM includes techno" "no it don't". Gave me such a headache that I gave up. I now call everything electronic music and I break everything up into tempos: chill, upbeat, happy/silly and aggressive.
I agree in part and disagree in part. First off, broadly speaking, techno is definitely EDM, so whoever is saying that is not only a snob, but an incorrect snob. Some of the more downtempo or ambient techno isn’t really “dance”, so I can see the argument there, but most techno falls under the umbrella of EDM.
Second off, I find genre labels to be super useful. The sheer number of subgenres and microgenres can be nauseating at first, but once you understand the framework and common nomenclature, it makes searching for similar styles of music much easier. For example, do you like tweakin’, drippy synths? Understanding that sound as acid/chemical makes searching for similar songs much easier. Prefer your acid over a hip-hop beat vs. a house beat? Then knowing about acid breaks will make it far easier to search up music in a very specific style.
Anyone who gatekeeps or is unnecessarily obnoxious about genres is a loser, though. It’s a useful tool, but not worth a heated argument.
I agree with you. I think I was just around the wrong people. They really sucked the fun out of the whole genre thing for me that I kind of just disconnected. That's why I just say "electronic music" now, because everyone seems to be okay with that. My loophole is, if I like an artist, I will search his/her specific genre and/or check out who they usually tour with. It's not foolproof but makes me happy.
Hahaha yeah this is totally fair. I definitely don’t wanna get that technical about it. I think mostly I just want some language to put to some of these genres so I can talk about them. Specifically, I have some rave friends who have similar taste to me and some who have very different taste, so when we’re deciding which raves/shows/festivals to go to it’ll be nice to be able to describe the general genre/vibes of the music!
Im gonna take my time and do a handmade guide for you, which is the most accurate one, because I am that awesome
Now, before the guide, I need to tell you that EDM is so wide-range that there is no crystal clear separation of genres, there are tons of sub-genres, no genre is an island, many genres intertwine, and that there will always be people who disagree on the topic
Big Categories are:
- HOUSE
- TRANCE
- TECHNO
- HARDCORE
- HARDSTYLE
- JUNGLE
Now, one could easily argue that Hardstyle is a derivative of the Hardcore music, and on the other hand a derivative of Trance music, and so on, but all in all, I am making this type of separation based solely on the impact of the music genre, and clear differences between individual genres.
HOUSE
House is the main shiet. 4/4 basedrum, around 120 BPM, is the most Vanilla version of EDM, and serves as the base for pretty much everything in the entire music production since 90s. Spiritual successor of 70s Disco, is heavily interconnected with Pop and Dance music, serving as a base for anything Pop in the past 30 years. Even thoug some old heads would disagree, one of the best representatives of the Genre is Outwork - Elektro, to fully represent the entire idea of House music
Original Chicago House from 80s is inspired by funk, soul, blues, jazz, disco, dub and so on, it eventually evolved into a crazy amount of sub-genres, which you need to explore on your own (Acid, Ambient, Electro, BIG ROOM, Deep, Funky, Garage, etc).
Example of one of the bigger sub-genres is BIG ROOM, which is characterized by Euphoric tunes with huge beat-drops, created to engage with the Music festival people. Example would be Martin Garrix - Animals
Another notable subgenre is Eurodance - now dont be fooled by people that would put anything euro-pop into this category, like Kyle Minogue and Backstreet boys. Eurodance would best be described by these names: Scooter, Gigi D Agostino, Cascada, Basshunter, Lasgo, Sylver, Milk Inc and couple of Bubblegum-dance groups (Aqua, Vengaboys)
TRANCE
Trance emerged in Europe, Germany, and is characterized by monotone, repetitive and hypnotic tunes that literally induce "state of trance". And though while the main premise is repetition, Trance is such a music that builds tension that leads to peak/drop moment, that would eventually enhance the feeling of "trance". Usually around 130 BPM. Subgenres include Goa, Psy, Acid, Symphonic, Arena/Anthem (this one is great for mindless dancing), and so on.
Personally not a big fan of trance, except for a single sub-genre: Psy trance. And now Im here writing my personal opinion but I believe to be a valid info for anyone into EDM: 2000-2012 Psy trance DJ's were some of the most creative people in the EDM music, of all times. Skazi, Astrix, Void, Bizzare Contact, GMS, and others, that was probably the most energetic version of trance that was a big thing in Europe in those years.
And when I say creative, I am not joking, example: Void - Needle I time-stamped it for you, indulge me and wait for the drop at 4:05
TECHNO
Techno explains itself. It's like the entire music is made by technological sounds, machines, percussion of metal sounds, bang sounds, and so on. It's main premise is the rhythm, over musical and melodic aspects.
Subgenres include Acid, Minimal, ambient, dub, industrial, etc.
Maybe the best song to describe Techno would be Jeff Mills - Bells
HARDCORE
Now this is the genre that bore fruit to the future of EDM music, in form of many loved sub-genres. Emerged in USA and Europe early 90s, with a faster tempo than regular Techno (they are related in the beginnings), with 150-170 BPM, it was somewhat darker in it's beginnings but soon started to spawn many sub-genres that took a different approach - mainly Gabber and Happy Hardcore, and later in 2000s Hardstyle which I separated as a basic genre due to being super different than original Hardcore
Example of Mainstream Hardcore: Angerfist ft Nolz - Creed Of Chaos
Notice how of all the genres, Hardcore is the most "dancy" one.
Gabber and Happy Hardcore are sub-genres that unfortunately lost their respective spotlights, but people from those times remember it very well. Now, have you followed Eurosong 2024 ? That dude that god canceled to appear in finals, Joost from Netherlands, he incorporated both Gabber sequence and Happy Hardcore sequence into his song, surprising a big number of Gen-Z who never heard that music but were amazed by it Joost Klein - Europapa - I timestamped it for you. When he goes "europaapapapa" the 2 following segments are Gabber (harder bass) followed by Happy Hardcore (synth as the main tune), respectively. The song is trash, but I am so glad he did that, introducing almost forgotten genres to the new audience.
Happy Hardcore example: Party Animals - Have you ever been Mellow - you will notice how different from gabber, the front tune is synthisizer instead of the harder beat
There are other Hardcore genres, which personally I do not like, there are also genres for insane people, like Terror and Speedcore (this is literally NSFW, do not google it, 1000+ BPM songs that sound like someone is torturing someone) and even worse there is "extratone" which is basically recordings of a car engine in full speed.
For bigger understanding of Hardcore, search DJ Paul Elstak - dude is 40 years in the music, still makes tunes and remixes, and has great compilations on youtube for every sub genre of Hardcore.
HARDSTYLE
People like to dance, so eventually, Hardcore offspring - Hardstyle became the spiritual successor for all the EDM dance genres before. You must have seen by now, the yearly festival of Hardstyle music called Defcon1.
Hardstyle is characterized by a "reverse bass". Unlike other EDMs, let me explain the difference in the best possible way:
BIG ROOM song Stampede intro (listen to the bass)
One of the biggest Hardstyle hits - Wasted Penguinz - Melancholia intro (listen to the reverse bass)
Now that we understand the difference, it is important to say that many people just introduced to Hardstyle have a problem of adjusting to the reverse bass, and think the music to be inferior to other EDM, which is something that takes time to overcome.
Now, Hardstyle also has a unique feature other EDMs dont have - melody. Many Hardstyle songs are super-melodic, and catchy due to the fact, and people started loving it.
One of the cool stories about Hardstyle is DJ Prophet - regarded as one of the best DJs in the business, he decided to switch from Hardcore, over to Hardstyle, due to his personal belief that Hardcore became rigid, and hard, and didnt provide the author freedom to play with melodies like Hardstyle does.
On that topic, by many people considered the best Hardstyle song ever - DJ Prophet - Recession (timestamped at the song climax) - you can not not dance to this
Good example of melodic Hardstyle is originally song by one of the Hardstyle Pioneers - Coone, remixed by Da Tweekaz - Da Tweekaz - Coone - Million Miles Remix - the part from 2:30 to the end is unreal, a melody that achieves so much emotions without a single vocal word, I personally believe the ghost of Chopin came down to earth to inspire these 2 guys when they made this song.
And for the end, Defcon 1 Crowd control - earthquake
Hardstyle, unfortunately, like any other genre, started loosing it's quality in the later years, with best years being 2008-2017, with most things coming after just being either recycled or not as creative as they were before.
JUNGLE
Im gonna be short here (my stove is burning ATM) - characterized by Breakbeats, it provides a unique approach to EDM, with it's cleaner and most popular version being Drum and Bass, music generally for specific crowd. Dubstep also could be considered a sub-genre of Jungle.
Here's one of my personal best DnB songs - Akov - Retribution (this song is just insanely good)
There you go bro. One thing to have in mind is that no genre is an island. There are literally DnB rap, Techno-Folk, and other unimaginable genres. Genres constantly intertwine, and for example the rise of Hardstyle influenced the emergence of Big Room, even though they come from 2 different kitchens.
You will have to search deeply to find out your preferred sub-genre, just like for example mine are Euphoric Hardstyle, Psy-Trance, and Eurodance.
If you liked my guide, please send me 5 euros as my lunch is now burned completely.
La techno è un gruppo di sottogeneri di EDM dai suoni più sintetici talvolta anche hi-NRG, tra cui questo gruppo comprende la trance, eurodance, italodance, hands-up, extratone (esempio: Diabarha - Uranoid), speedcore, jungle, tech house, psytrance, bounce, hardstyle, rawstyle, frenchcore, hardbass, happy hardcore e così via
Awesome write-up and appreciate the linked examples. How would you categorize:
Daft Punk
Justice
Hybrid
Worakls
Lotta great links here. On the broadest level possible, you have three core genres:
House, Breaks (aka breakbeat), and Techno
Most EDM is defined by the type of beat and the tempo. For example, DnB is super fast breakbeats while trip-hop is super slow breakbeats.
House has a straight 4x4 beat (like a march) Breaks have syncopation (slight delay in the beat, more of a bounce) Techno is more or less a combination of house and breaks, usually more synthetic and programmed than breaks but doesn’t strictly adhere to a 4x4 rhythm like house)
All subgenres of EDM are derived from these major genres. Dubstep is slowed down breaks. Hardcore is sped-up techno. Jungle and UKG combine techno and sped-up breaks. House had a billion subgenres usually just referred to as _________ house (e.g. tropical house, deep house, etc.).
Then you have microgenres, which are largely based on vibes. Acid house is house music with a TB-303 synthesizer. Big beat is mid-tempo breaks with excessive sampling and highly compressed percussion. Happy hardcore is super fast breakbeats with uplifting piano riffs.
The many subgenres of EDM are a fun rabbit hole to leap down. A lot of the links being commented here are the gateway. Keep and open mind and enjoy the ride, you never know what you might enjoy.
he called dubstep a subgenre of jungle (??? there's like a decade of evolution in UK bass music in between them) and it's killing me. at that point of reduction just say the only genre is disco. doesnt think electro has a scene based on another comment (look up Dark Science Electro), techno just gets a really basic cursory glance. electro and techno grew really close to each other with the same influences so it seems to be a willing blind spot they're uninterested in (why talk about it?). never differentiated between the breakbeat-centric hardcore (which is where happy hardcore actually comes from) and hardcore techno. says a special feature of hardstyle is the "reverse bass," which i don't remember being common, but jungle's been doing that since Dred Bass in 1994 and the jump-up it inspired you'd hear from Ganja Records, True Playaz, DJ Aphrodite (even featured in a movie). their look at trance needs a lot more context because it's been extremely far removed from its German EBM roots for decades.
if it were inclusive, i'd fear misinformation. i mean, like.. hardstyle is not the only genre of electronic music with a melody. all of the genres listed have tracks with melodies, or even normally have one. the first genre listed is literally house.
House - boots & cats
Dubstep - wubz
Riddim - pretentious wubz
Brostep - wifebeater wubz
Techno - beep boop
Hardstyle - auditory methamphetamine
Trance - I'm not crying, you're crying
D&B - the cats with boots are now at 180bpm and I can't stop dancing
r/EDM • [5]Summarize
What’s the difference between EDM, Techno, Trap, House,Dubstep?
Posted by noahap102401 · in r/EDM · 3 years agoIs it like a every square is a rectangle but not every rectangle is a square kinda thing or what?
Been trying to figure out what genre of this I actually listen to, my favorite artists are Bad Computer, Crankdat, San Holo, ArmnHmr. What would these be considered?
Aside from sound design, a lot of sub genres can be broken down into tempo ranges (house is usually around 120-130 bpm etc.) So if you can't really pick out a genre, finding the bpm is a good place to start, along with if it's broken beat, steady beat and all that.
Other genres revolve around a specific synthesizer or sound (acid house using the 303).
If you're interested in where the genres and sub genres come from, this has a pretty cool breakdown (I'm not sure how complete it is, but it mostly seems on point): https://www.londonsoundacademy.com/blog/list-of-electronic-dance-music-genres
And yes, it can definitely be a "every square is a rectangle but every rectangle is not a square" kind of thing. House for example can encompass a lot of songs, and then you can break out from there to something like electro house (I think Bad Computer can fall into that). Same goes for bass music, you have dubstep (Crankdat) around 70-80 bpm that gets doubled to make it sound so heavy, and Future Bass (San Holo) that is a similar tempo but less harsh and more melodic.
All of the genres you listed are EDM. If it's made on a computer/synth for people to dance to, it's EDM. What distinguishes the sub-genres is usually tempo, sound selection, and rhythm/arrangement. Often times, the drums alone can narrow the track down to a few sub-genres.
Techno and House are both 4-on-the-floor, meaning there's a kick on every beat of a measure. They are also both typically near 130 BPM (beats per minute). Both of these characteristics make the genres easy to dance to because they're predictable and not too fast or slow. What separates the two is sound selection and song arrangement. Techno tends to be more minimal in it's mixes while House is more energetic with tense build-ups and groovy beat drops. Bad Computer definitely falls within the House category.
The rhythm of Dubstep is called "half-time". These days it's often produced near 150 BPM which sounds like it should be faster than House, but you only get a kick or snare every other beat, so it feels more like 75 BPM. This tempo is harder to dance to because it's so slow, but it's great for headbanging or moshing like a metalhead hence why most dubstep tracks tend to sound more aggressive and in your face. Crankdat is a great example. (INB4 "brostep isn't real dubstep". That's a whole other conversation).
Trap can span a wide range of tempos, but one major commonality between all trap songs is the broken up drum beat. It's not as predictable as other genres because the drums aren't evenly spaced like in a House or Dubstep track or for example. Check out artists like Yellow Claw and G-Rex to hear what a trap beat sounds like in comparison to the others. You'll quickly recognize the hip-hop inspired grooves with thumping 808's and rapid-fire hi-hats.
Lastly, you have your melodic acts who place more emphasis on songwriting as opposed to the rhythm/drums. I would put San Holo and Armnhmr in this same category. EDM snobs will be quick to point out their differences, but if you like one then you're more than likely to enjoy the other because of their euphoric vibes. Other artists like them would be Said the Sky, Illenium, Porter Robinson, and Seven Lions.
That said, things aren't always so cut and dry in EDM. Lots of artists like to blend genres which makes it increasingly difficult to categorize them. You can mix Dubstep with Melodic EDM to get Melodic Dubstep (like Seven Lions), or with House to get Bass House (Like Ghastly), or with Trap to get Hybrid Trap (Like G-Rex). But in the end, it's all EDM.
The term “EDM” is mostly an English speaking country term to describe electronic music that you can dance to. While I wouldn’t say it’s a misnomer, the denotation of EDM is often used to justify calling genres EDM when they are in fact not EDM.
For instance; South African house music is not EDM, despite being electronic music that you can dance to. They do not use that term at all to describe their music. There’s so many nuances to it that it’s rarely ever worth correcting people on, but it is worth noting that some genre cultures do not like the term at all. German techno, UK dubstep, UK DNB, French electro, even Chicago (US) house and Detroit (US) Techno.
I also have some qualms with the term because it implies all genres have a common ancestor even when they've emerged completely independently. It's just that there's so many genres and sub-genres and sub-sub-genres these days that it's virtually impossible to keep track of everything. There's already ton of gate-keeping in the community which is why I prefer to err on the side of inclusivity.
Pop is also made on computers and people dance to it so not really a good definition. Also, I wouldn't personally classify techno as EDM. Pretty sure it's not.
Yep I'd be willing to bet pop producers and EDM producers are using nearly identical production software but are not the same genre.
I’m honestly over the whole genre thing lol it’s music man
10 years from now we’ll have some genre “future-bro-trap-house-step” while someone else wants to argue the same song is actually “bro-future-trance-house-step”
Dude I got into EDM in the late 90's. I became an avid fan, and a hobbyist DJ and producer. I used to know my shit.
Fast forward 25 years and 2 kids, being out of the scene for a while and I have NO IDEA what genres some stuff is. Back in the day genres were well defined. It was all trance, electro, house, techno, DnB, breaks... And they had all had subgenres. With some exceptions, you couldn't mix different genres in a set without it sounding really bad. Now that everything has gone digital it's HARD to pin down what a lot of EDM is nowadays.
And I think that's great. It's so much more organic. It just makes categorizing it a pita. And it makes me feel super old.
Also wtf happened to DnB? God I miss bangin' jump-up and tech step sets
Dnb is for sure getting popular again. Maybe not the exact sub genres you listed but it's for sure more common in bass lineups / stages / festivals at least here in North America.
EDM is the broad or umbrella term. The rest (along with many other genres and subgenres) differ in elements like sound design, equipment used, time signatures, etc.
The artists you listed possibly have songs that listeners would classify into distinct subgenres, but generally speaking, Crankdat would be dubstep, ARMNHMR melodic bass, Bad Computer electro, San holo…idk, maybe chill/melodic house or ambient house?
Compare a random House track to a random Dubstep track and the difference should be quite clear
There’s a joke where people say SH isn’t futurebass cuz one time he tweeted saying he doesn’t make futurebass
But let’s be real he makes futurebass, it’s just his style of melodic futurebass
r/KeineDummenFragen • [6]Summarize
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Techno und EDM?
Posted by Flaky-Jellyfish-1122 · in r/KeineDummenFragen · 5 months agoWo liegt da der Unterschied? Ich hätte bei dem folgenden Track bspw. gedacht, dass es EDM ist, da es nicht diese lauten Techno-Töne hat, aber trotzdem steht dort Techno.
Thanks in advance :)
https://open.spotify.com/track/7lsT3gzoDTuCLqo507Rxqk?si=vUTVjLpfRxqtfoU-7k4zJA
Der Übergang ist fließend, viele Leute untscheiden da garnicht so genau, und EDM ist auch eigentlich der überbegriff für Elektronische Tanzmusik. Techno ist dazu nur n Subgenre. Aber für viele ist jede Elektronische Tanzmusik techno.
Danke dir :)
Jetzt haben hier 20 Leute gesagt, dass EDM der Oberbegriff ist, verkennen dabei aber, dass sich Worte und Bezeichnungen auch weiterentwickeln. Niemand würde heute irgendwie den Oberbegriff EDM für Techno nutzen, da sich EDM vom Oberbegriff zu einem eigenen Begriff „morphiert“ hat.(Mal abgesehen davon, dass es für Leute in den verschiedenen Entstehungsszenen, Chicago House;Detroit Techno;French Electro etc. auch nie wirklich der Oberbegriff war). Wenn Leute heutzutage von EDM sprechen geht es dabei zu 99% um Tomorrowland/EDC-esque Musik à la Steve Aoki, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. Man kann im englischen Wikipedia Artikel unter Terminology auch gut nachlesen dass die Amerikanische Musikindustrie Ende der 2000er diesen Begriff „wiederbelebt“ hat um sich klar von der Ravekultur der 90er Jahre abzukapseln.
Hier noch ein Zitat eines anderen Redditors der mein Gefühl zu dem Begriff sehr gut zusammenfasst:
„I also have some qualms with the term because it implies all genres have a common ancestor even when they've emerged completely independently.
The term “EDM” is mostly an English speaking country term to describe electronic music that you can dance to. While I wouldn’t say it’s a misnomer, the denotation of EDM is often used to justify calling genres EDM when they are in fact not EDM.
For instance; South African house music is not EDM, despite being electronic music that you can dance to. They do not use that term at all to describe their music. There’s so many nuances to it that it’s rarely ever worth correcting people on, but it is worth noting that some genre cultures do not like the term at all. As all songs nowadays are produced electronically, and we label music as simplisticy as this, wouldn’t every pop song that you can dance to be EDM?”
Meiner Meinung nach ist EDM eher als Oberbegriff zu werten und nicht als eigene Kategorie, wenn ich einen Techno DJ auf sowas wie Tomorrowland sehe dann würde ich das auch in die EDM Nische sortieren.
Auszug aus Wikipedia:
In Teilen der deutschen Technokultur ist insbesondere der englische Begriff Electronic Dance Music (EDM) oft negativ konnotiert: Obwohl Techno formal selbst zur elektronischen Tanzmusik zählt, wird unter dem Akronym EDM jedoch in Abgrenzung eine insbesondere seit den frühen 2010er Jahren für das Massenpublikum in den USA konzipierte kommerzialisierte Variante der elektronischen Tanzmusik verstanden, wie sie von DJs wie David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Bob Sinclar, deadmau5, Skrillex oder Avicii vertreten wird.^([1])^([2])^([3])^([4])
Im Gegensatz zu Techno, wo das ekstatische Tanzen zu monotonen, hypnotischen Klängen im Vordergrund steht und die DJs sich im Dunkeln auf das Ineinandermischen der Musik beschränken, rücken beim EDM die Künstler als Entertainer oder Animateure des Publikums in den Mittelpunkt und präsentieren sich in aufwändigen Bühnenshows, welche durch ihre charakteristischen Sound-Drops und -Breaks sowie den Einsatz von Pyrotechnik, Konfettisalven und Tortenschlachten geprägt sind.^([5])^([6]) Das Magazin Mixmag definierte EDM in diesem Zusammenhang als „den Drop-lastigen, stadionfüllenden, faustpumpenden, chartstürmenden, massiv kommerziellen Hauptbühnen-Sound, der Amerika erobert hat.
Das ist die richtige Antwort. EDM ist durchkommerzialisierte elektronische Musik, wo nicht die Musik im Mittelpunkt steht.
Warte ab bis dich jemand nach dem Unterschied zwischen EDM und EBM fragt und du 1980 anfangen musst Abstammungen zu erklären.
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen EDM und EBM?
Scheiße, was ist EDM..? Scheiße, was ist EBM..?
Bin ich echt zu alt für diese Abkürzungen?
79er
Easy. Zu EDM tanzt du. Zu EBM marschierst du.
Isnt it funny how your body works? Unterschied ist doch ganz einfach … wenn man sich dazu schubsen kann und es nicht in den Ohren weh tut isses ebm 🤷♂️
Isso 😂
r/EDM • [7]Summarize
What does ‘EDM’ mean to you?
Personally, I use it as an umbrella term for all genres, including d&b, techno, riddim (or trench), house, techno, trance, hardstyle, dubstep, midtempo bass, tech house.
Sort of an “all of the above” term
I define it the same way when said as "electronic dance music" otherwise, EDM is a sub genre.
I use electronic music as an umbrella term for all music produced on a computer. For me I feel like edm is literally music that makes me want to dance. For example, ark patrol imo is not dance music, so it’s hard for me to call that edm but it is electronic
Do you think idm and electronica fall under the umbrella too?
It's dumb. Either the person you're talking to is way too intense, or the person thinks it's all "techno".
Just enjoy yourselves.
I'm a classically trained musician. I play 6 or 7 traditional instruments and I dj and produce. I have 3 decades of experience both technical and from the melting face partying side.
" EDM " would be a nice catch all to me, and what people call EDM was "big room" and now "main stage". Most of those acts are getting pretty old. I think we could start calling it "classic" but imo that would include trance.
There's too many strict sub genres, and honestly idk wtf organic melodic techno means and I think at some point that becomes gate keeping.
Agreed. Genrifying is useful for communication though. I think it starts in one bucket: EDM. Then as you delve in you realize, House is a sub genre of EDM, so is techno, and Dubsteb, and Anthem. Then there are sub genres of house, tech house, disco house etc. It should be simple and easy for noobs to understand.
“Organic” House, what’s that even mean? Unless there is an organ in it, then alright.
Yeah the gatekeeping sometimes gets anoying tbh. A subgenre of a subgenre(bass house of house) is already a lot and then people wanna go even deeper which is stupid imo. If you wanna go deeper just listen to different artists and keep it at that, not go and make up funky names that mean barely anything.
Software produced music, generally intended for use in clubs or festivals - with the frequent objective of being danceable.
Yeah but aren’t almost all modern genres software produced music meant for clubs or festivals haha, like I think Ed Sheeran or Justin Bieber or any hip hop would qualify in this definition and wouldn’t call it EDM myself
I'm wondering if AI is already producing EDM commercially
Usually if I hear the famous “boots and cats” sound, it’s EDM
There’s also trap, dubstep, and dnb (and all of its sub genres) that don’t use that pattern, but they totally qualify as EDM.
r/decadeology • [8]Summarize
hot take?: edm and electropop are the same
Posted by slymew9 · in r/decadeology · 2 years agopeople in this sub and online like to say that the electropop era ended around 2013 and from then on EDM took over. while this may technically be true, in my opinion electropop and edm are still kind of the same thing. electropop is a type of electronic dance music(edm) and i never really thought of electropop and edm being THAT different. they both still have the same tropes and are both exemplary of the 2010s sound. they don’t sound that different from each other besides the level of production. and i’m sure most people generally didn’t think that the two genres sounded that different during the 2010s as it was going on. electropop to edm just seemed like a natural progression of music. when i think of 2010s pop music i think of both of those genres very similarly
It's kinda the same. Electropop and EDM are kinda similar in some ways. I disagree with EDM popularity beggining in 2013. Both were in mainstream pop music between 2009 to about 2013.
You heard Electropop more in songs from 2009-2011 and you started hearing more EDM with the beat drop in 2011. But by 2013, you started to hear less of Electropop but EDM continued to rise in popularity but when Hip-Hop took the top in mainstream again in 2016-17 that's when things changed.
You started hearing EDM more less. The difference of both can be distinguish with Bad Romance (Electropop) and Boom Boom Pow or even more in The Time (Dirty Bit) (EDM)
Edm is the 2011-2012 half of the 08-12/13 era
2013-2016/7 is purely edm and mid 2010’s sounding
true
They do kind of blur together a little between the 2012 and 2014 span because that's when Electropop was being made to play out more like a typical EDM song but on the whole I disagree.
EDM songs have the melody as the focus with the lyrical side of it just being an afterthought, there are less lines overall. They usually have more emphasis on a buildup to the chorus which then plays out for a long time without any vocals.
Electropop songs are structured like a regular pop song just with electronic synths in the background. During the chorus there are usually vocals being sung.
There is also a huge aesthetic difference.
Electropop is synonymous with party culture, youth culture, getting drunk, having sex or whatever.
EDM songs are often associated with songs about raves(not entirely the same thing as party culture) and have some songs which are associated with more deep and meaningful topics and lyrics.
They do kind of blur together a little between the 2012 and 2014 span
That's the point of the 2k12 era
true
r/EDM • [9]Summarize
How are EDM shows different than other genres?
Posted by Shot_Cheesecake3379 · in r/EDM · 2 months agoI've (31F) listened mainly to EDM since my early 20s and have gone pretty much exclusively to EDM shows and raves since then. Been all across the country to all sorts of shows with both high production and those with more of an underground feel.
I personally love lasers and pyro. When they are timed with a drop or done in an artistic way it puts a smile on my face every time. Watching the tomorrowland sets this weekend has been so fun.
I haven't really gone to shows of other genres (rock, rap, pop, country, anything) for many years. The only clips I've seen have been from big artists like Beyonce or Taylor Swift on the internet. Those that I have seen seem to have a lot more dancers on stage but never the lights production we get with EDM.
For people who listen to genres outside EDM, what are other shows like? Anything else make EDM different besides lasers and pyro? Crowds, vibes, outfits, lights, production, etc.
Live concerts are suuuuuuuper hit or miss for me. On one hand i love the live aspect of artists singing their songs. On the other, bad live singers are RAMPANT. There’s also an annoying trend of just having the back track vocals on and the artist screams one word every sentence
This. But with edm the festival sets are pre-recorded so what’s the better version? For me, edm ruined rock concerts (especially rap) because nothing compares for me with the lasers and pyro and uptempo music with the crowd vibes—-a dead-dead-deadLY Combination!!!
I see a lot of the prerecorded claims, but I've also seen DJs fuck up on big stages plenty of times. I know it definitely happens but why do people state it like it's happening so consistently? Am I just unaware of how common it actually is?
Yah i know it’s hated but id much much rather listen to a pre recorded set rather than a bad live singer
Way less interaction with other attendees, less focus on visuals (band dependent but generally true) and much shorter shows. Most of the shows I have been to are in the indie/rock scene and people wear pretty normal clothes, t shirts, jeans/slacks w/e, not as eccentric outfits as dubstep.
Metal shows tend to be a lot more low key in terms of visual production, which is mostly reserved for big name tours and festivals. It's mostly stage lights with some pyro for the larger festivals, lasers tend to be pretty rare but not unheard of. I know Meshuggah had a bunch on their latest tour.
It's not uncommon for most shows to have little to no visual elements at all aside from the band itself, especially at smaller DIY shows. Though to be fair, you're watching an actual band play instruments, sing, scream, do stage antics and interact with the crowd, so I'd say it evens out in the end.
I guess the other big difference is crowd interaction. A lot of people look down on DJs using the mic and interacting with their audience at electronic shows, meanwhile at metal shows it's welcomed and expected, though some bands prefer to just play, say a quick thank you, and then hop off, most recent example of which that I saw was Whitechapel.
Also the bass genres and metal genres pipeline is real. Lots of moshing at metal shows, plenty of rowdy energy at a tearout or dubstep set too.
Definitely true. It's no coincidence a lot of bass DJs listen to a lot of rock and metal in their spare time. That one really popular "fuck it" sample is originally from a Lorna Shore song
It’s way better
I would say that in normal concerts, you play a song, then when the song ends, the crowd applauds, while in electronic dance music, there are transitions between songs and interruptions are rare, or even nonexistent if the artist does not speak or almost does not speak on the microphone.
Regarding the clothes worn, it depends mainly on the subgenre and the country. In Europe, in concerts of famous artists like Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren, Alan Walker, Kygo, David Guetta, etc. there is almost no difference with the concerts, while in techno, many people wear black clothes, and in hard techno, the clothes worn are always black but more bizarre, while in psytrance, people wear hippie clothes, colorful (although more earth than in the us). In the US, on the other hand, the clothes worn in edm events are colorful, and the concept of rave fashion is much more widespread among the general public while it is much more underground in Europe.
Regarding visuals, there's more to EDM than there is to live shows, but big non-EDM artists can use them. I remember at Indochine's show at Musilac that they used some visuals for their songs. However, where visuals are most impressive are in EDM, with artists like Eric Prydz and his holosphere, and Anyma and her afterlife concept (although lately, Anyma has been doing shows with less visuals).
and in terms of average age, in the US, EDM shows generally attract a younger demographic than other genres, while in Europe, it depends mostly on the subgenres and artists, ranging from older demographics for artists like Paul van Dyk and Paul Oakenfold to a very young audience for others like Creeds, I Hate Models, or Sara Landry, to intergenerational artists like David Guetta, Tiësto, or Armin van Buuren.
r/generationology • [10]Summarize
What exactly does EDM mean in regards to generations?
Posted by GoddamnRent · in r/generationology · 7 months agoWhen talking about generations the Electronic Dance Music Era (EDM Era) is often brought up. What is significant about it anyway? Does it represent something that differentiates generations? Just curious overall
You ever heard of Zedd? Look at some of the songs he produced and you tell me those songs represent the EDM era.
I still don’t know the difference between Zedd and Zed’s Dead. I was close enough to the target demo age to be familiar but not quite cool enough I guess!
It was a brief trend in the early-mid 2010’s, but it was really what defined a lot of the music then. EDM themes were even popping up in some pop songs and chart toppers. It got saturated and other genres like Soundcloud rap and “emo rap” took its place by 2016-17.
I do kind of remember some EDM-type songs being played on the radio but then never really heard anything about it after 2016 or so
In the early 90s, rock and metal communities hated electronic music. When the metal show on JJJ played Atari Teenage Riot, the audience response was overwhelmingly negative. Gen X rock and techno communities were absolutely distinct.
While festivals often hand techno and rock stages, they'd each have their own audience.
The (elder) millennials were different, as they grew up with electronic music. By the end of the decade, people at festivals would be going back and forth between techno and rock stages.
Spawn: the Album came out in 1997. It would have been unthinkable five years earlier.
Techno still wasn't mainstream. Aphex Twin and Moby were exceptions. EDM in the late 90s was still just for the cool kids, but by the time of younger millenials it was just another genre.
Shows how different a generation can be from within. Older members enjoy it, younger members see it as a phase
I consider 2013-2016 to be the EDM era since it became extremely mainstream during this time.
Stuff like NCS, Trap Nation, Zedd, Calvin Harris, Avicii
Oh so that’s what it was Back when Avicii’s Wake Me Up was playing on the radio I thought it was just some pop song playing although now looking at it it was electronic disco
Skrillix
I'm an elder Millenial from Chicago that has been into electronic music since the late 80's as a little kid and was going to raves back when the people you see at festivals today would literally chase you down and beat you up for being gay for liking electronic music. It was the opposite of cool. The internet was for fucking dorks. The world was an astonishingly different place.
The term EDM started popping up when shirtless bros started calling themselves festies and collecting wristbands from giant daylight $300 outdoor mega concerts, which have 0.0% in common with the origins and ethos of electronic music as it existed before it got commodified, packaged, and sold as cool to a new generation.
I still listen to trance and house and all sorts of other stuff- great music is still being made, I still chase that new music and end up out at the afters until 7am occasionally, but that's because I'm lucky to live in a place where traces of that old scene are still in existence. It's not the same, but it's far closer than some giant $400 daylight nightmare full of people there because they think they are supposed to be there to be photographed. I want to be in a dark room where people are dancing with their eyes closed and no one is taking pictures.
Back in the day you could pass out in some abandoned warehouse alone and you'd wake up with strangers taking care of you. Today you'd be robbed and maybe worse. The last time I went to a big festival type thing, which I never attend unless dragged, I got fucking pickpocketed and they stole my phone.
It is hard to describe how utterly, completely, wildly different and detached from its roots the modern "scene" is. Every time I go to one of those big modern events it's like hanging out with a childhood best friend that grew up, made a ton of money on bitcoin, got hardcore strung out on drugs, and forgot who he was or what the point of any of this was 20 years ago.
That's what the "EDM era" of electronic music means to me. The McDonaldsization of something I love that used to be special.
I can notice that too. Never been to a concert and probably never will. But when I do see Instagram shorts of people who do go to EDM type concerts they just mainly act as if they’re about to enter a frat party or something.
In comparison, the concerts and parties I see on the internet from back then just felt like concerts and parties, although there could have been some hidden intentions as well
That was more electropop. They're related but not really the same
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difference between edm and electronic music
Key Considerations:
Definition:
- Electronic Music: A broad genre that encompasses any music produced using electronic devices, including synthesizers, drum machines, and computers. It includes various styles such as ambient, techno, house, and more.
- EDM (Electronic Dance Music): A subgenre of electronic music specifically designed for dancing and played in clubs, festivals, and raves. It typically features upbeat tempos and catchy melodies.
Subgenres:
- EDM includes specific styles like house, dubstep, trance, and drum and bass, while electronic music can also include genres like ambient, experimental, and downtempo, which may not be dance-oriented.
Audience and Context:
- EDM: Primarily aimed at a club and festival audience, focusing on high-energy tracks that encourage dancing.
- Electronic Music: Can be enjoyed in various contexts, including listening at home, art installations, or background music, and may not always be dance-focused.
Production Techniques:
- Both genres utilize similar production techniques, but EDM often emphasizes build-ups, drops, and repetitive hooks to engage dancers.
Takeaway: While all EDM is electronic music, not all electronic music is EDM. EDM is a specific, dance-oriented subset of the broader electronic music genre. If you're exploring music, consider your context—whether you're looking for something to dance to or something more experimental and ambient.
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