Electronic dance music (EDM)

Electronic dance music (EDM) is a wide-ranging genre that includes techno, house, and other unique styles. Instruments such as synthesizers and drum machines dominate the sound, and disc jockeys (DJs) are the main performers on songs or albums.

EDM largely started underground in the early 1980s as a part of party and rave culture, but by the late 2000s, it had been embraced by mainstream audiences. The music is the backdrop of festivals, nightclubs, and performances during which the DJ is the focal point and light shows and dancing are highlights. In addition to radio airplay, EDM is shared through streaming services, videos, and social media.

Brief History

EDM has origins in the late 1970s and the mid-1980s at the end of the disco era and before the emergence of crossover pop music. In Detroit, Michigan, and other Midwestern cities, European acts such as Kraftwerk and American funk bands such as Parliament-Funkadelic received airplay on many radio stations. Influenced by rhythm and blues and soul music, Kraftwerk employed electronic synthesizers and mechanical drum beats in its albums. Two of the band's albums, Trans-Europe Express (1977) and Computer World (1981), signaled a shift away from traditional rock guitar riffs and vocals to programmed sounds and lyric-free songs. Techno was born from the Motor City, and Detroit-based acts such as Cybotron and Was (Not Was) were the core of what was called electronic funk, or "electro" for short, in the early 1980s. Vinyl records were spun inside various clubs and parties where DJs would play for hundreds of people and compete against one another.

House music, a competitor of techno, developed from Chicago's club scene, along with the lesser-known acid house. House differed from techno, as the music producer and machines replaced a traditional band. Unlike Detroit techno, house music spread to the East Coast, but neither genre took off in the United States as a standalone form. Many elements were sampled in rap and hip-hop in the 1980s, including Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force's 1982 song "Planet Rock."

House and acid house music had a strong following in Europe in the mid to late 1980s. David Guetta of France and Paul Oakenfold of England were among the early DJs mixing American house tracks with disco and hip-hop. DJs headlined warehouse parties, which later evolved into raves in the 1990s. They performed sets lasting as long as three hours. Although the parties and clubs were popular, the music stayed mostly underground. Established rock acts such as the Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses, however, incorporated rave culture and acid-house sounds into their music, and mainstream acts became part of the scene thanks to DJ remixes.

Techno and electronic music returned to prominence in the United States in the mid-1990s as European DJs gained fame overseas. British acts, including the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim, were introduced to US audiences at a time when the music industry was experiencing a sales slump. Media coverage of electronica was amplified, and technological advances such as digital music allowed the genre to reach more listeners. However, the genre lost momentum in the United States in the early 2000s. Many artists questioned the future of EDM, wondering if it would lose popularity like disco in the 1980s. To prevent this, DJs began diversifying their offerings, collaborating with pop and hip-hop stars, and signing corporate deals to reach a wider audience.

EDM artists gained new fans in the late 2000s and early 2010s with a string of collaborations with pop and rock singers. Stars Calvin Harris and Avicii and veterans such as Guetta found success with these pairings, selling hundreds of thousands of tickets in venues like the Electric Daisy Carnival. The genre continued gaining popularity through the 2020s, with many subgenres emerging, including dubstep, big room house, hybrid trap, electronic pop, and future house. Future bass and moombahton were made popular by notable artists like Flume, Dillon Francis, Marshmello, and DJ Snak.

In 2014, French duo Daft Punk became the first EDM act to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year for Random Access Memories and Record of the Year for "Get Lucky," a song featuring rhythm and blues artist Pharrell Williams and disco pioneer Nile Rodgers. In 2023, the song "Rumble" by Skrillex, Fred Again, and Flowdan won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Song and the same year, Fred Again also won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album for Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9, 2022) (2022).

Overview

EDM genres vary in origin, tempo, and style. In addition to techno, house, and electronica, trap music, featuring artists such as Diplo and DJ Snake, is popular in the United States. It features a mix of hip-hop and rhythmic drops. Dubstep, made popular by Skrillex, emerged from the United Kingdom as a by-product of grime/garage music. It is characterized as experimental and bass heavy. The trance and drum and bass genres were established in the 1990s and remain popular.

The global EDM industry was estimated to be worth nearly $12 billion in the early-to-mid 2020s. Forbes magazine, which began tracking the top ten highest-paid DJs in 2012, singled out Scottish artist Calvin Harris as the top earner in 2016 with $63 million, followed by the “Godfather of EDM” Dutch DJ Tiësto at $38 million and Guetta at $28 million. These artists remained important in the industry in the following decade. In 2023, Calvin Harris had an estimated net worth of $300 million, DJ Tiësto $170 million, and Guetta $85 million.

Warehouse parties have given way to large-scale festivals, arenas, and corporate-sponsored events. The largest fanbase for EDM is in North America, which hosts the most EDM performances each year. Las Vegas has been home to lucrative residencies for Guetta, Harris, and Canadian house artist Deadmau5. Major EDM festivals include Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas, Ultra Music Festival in Miami, and Mysteryland in New York City. EDM artists have also performed as headliners at mainstream festivals, including the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. Artists spend much of the year on tour. However, touring takes its toll on many DJs. Top DJ Steve Aoki performed nearly two hundred shows in 2016 despite vocal cord surgery, and Avicii retired from touring at age twenty-six for health reasons. His song "Wake Me Up" (2013) became one of the most streamed EDM works of all time. However, Aoki took his own life in 2018. His final album Tim (2019) was released posthumously.

Since its 1980s origins, drug use has been linked to EDM and rave culture. Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, also known as MDMA, Molly, or ecstasy, is a psychedelic drug that heightens the senses of its users. Users claim that, when used in combination with the light shows and music at EDM festivals and parties, MDMA gives them feelings of euphoria and pumps up their sensory experiences, making it a sought-after drug. Counterfeit drugs containing other harmful chemicals are also sold. In response to drug sales and overdoses at venues, some festivals practice a zero-tolerance drug policy, and help groups such as DanceSafe perform on-site pill testing and offer precautionary advice for users.

Bibliography

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