Personal electronic music history

[Seth]

I like and appreciate most genres of music, even country and opera. However, there's something about EDM that just lights me up with energy ever since I first heard it. I can't say I appreciate all of it. But, I find most of it appealing. My first exposure to EDM was a song titled "Jump" by The Movement in 1992, the year I graduated High School, when I was still doing the Roger Rabbit, Running Man, Kid 'n Play, and Terminator dance moves.

For years, The Movement CD that only had about 8 songs on it (4 of which were different versions of the same song) was in and out of my CD player more times than I could count. I used to wish and hope someone else would come out with something similar. But, I gave up waiting. Until... I heard Sandstorm by Derude in the early 2000's. Seems there was an underground culture that flourished without me knowing about it. The time was pre-internet. So, I only had access to what I had access to. I could only hear what the radio played.

True or not, in my opinion, Sandstorm reopened the EDM gates to the masses. Ever since then, there's been more and more content available and some really big names have risen to the ranks of global recognition and seeming endless sub-genres have bloomed within the culture. Today, I can listen to endless tracks from people I've never heard of and I love it!

I'm curious what your EDM story is. What was your first exposure?

[Grant Bunter]

Blatant ageism.
Just sayin

Everyone has a song that means more to them than any other.
Not always EDM though...

[Seth]

Blatant ageism.
Just sayin

Everyone has a song that means more to them than any other.
Not always EDM though...

Not really relevant. But, thank you for your input, Dr. Bunter.

Next in line please.

[Grant Bunter]

Relevant??

What I wrote isn't about relevance, it's about age.

By all means then, go ahead and exclude those of us, because we're older, don't do EDM

[9830Lark]

To each his own. Of course, the songs that you hear when you're in you're in your teens are more likely to have the effect you describe.
I'll take this instead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAgnJDJN4VA

[Bruce Weldy]

My first exposure to EDM was in the gym.....The relentless kick drum thump on every beat with no discernible melody coming from the aerobics room was louder than my headphones (and I listen loud). I have a hard time calling it music as it seems to be all computer generated beats.

But, every generation seems to have it's own identity when it comes to what they listen to. The good thing about EDM, Rap, and Hip Hop is that it has made listening to Disco way more palatable.....who'da thunk it?

[Seth]

Relevant??

What I wrote isn't about relevance, it's about age.

By all means then, go ahead and exclude those of us, because we're older, don't do EDM

By that logic, no one on the planet would enjoy Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, or Handel. Yet, I do.

If EDM doesn't appeal to someone, I think it just doesn't appeal them, completely independent of age or any other demographic designation.

I completely honor your likes and dislikes. Not all music appeals to everyone.

Ageism? You're excluded due to your age? Whatever your feelings about that are, they're unfounded, fabricated, and 100% your responsibility.

You're completely welcome to share your personal experience with EDM, favorable or not. And I encourage you to do so. Where have you heard it? When was it? What were you doing? What were the feelings you experienced?

[Seth]

To each his own. Of course, the songs that you hear when you're in you're in your teens are more likely to have the effect you describe.
I'll take this instead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAgnJDJN4VA

Classic Rock is also a staple for me. I love it too.
Have you ever heard some EDM that you enjoyed just a little bit? Got you toe tapping?

[Seth]

My first exposure to EDM was in the gym.....The relentless kick drum thump on every beat with no discernible melody coming from the aerobics room was louder than my headphones (and I listen loud). I have a hard time calling it music as it seems to be all computer generated beats.

But, every generation seems to have it's own identity when it comes to what they listen to. The good thing about EDM, Rap, and Hip Hop is that it has made listening to Disco way more palatable.....who'da thunk it?

I can tell by the way you use your walk, your a woman's man, no time to talk... You're at the gym, Stay'n Alive. Ah ah ah ahh

Hahaha

[Bruce Weldy]

My first exposure to EDM was in the gym.....The relentless kick drum thump on every beat with no discernible melody coming from the aerobics room was louder than my headphones (and I listen loud). I have a hard time calling it music as it seems to be all computer generated beats.

But, every generation seems to have it's own identity when it comes to what they listen to. The good thing about EDM, Rap, and Hip Hop is that it has made listening to Disco way more palatable.....who'da thunk it?

I can tell by the way you use your walk, your a woman's man, no time to talk... You're at the gym, Stay'n Alive. Ah ah ah ahh

Hahaha

We hated disco with a passion in the 70s......It's kind'a nostalgic now. But, ya' gotta admit - music from the 60s and 70s has stood the test of time...and here 50 years later it's being heard all over the place. EDM? Not so much.....

In 1977, the band I was in played Play That Funky Music.....hated it, but it was on the charts and we played whatever hit Billboard. And just two hours ago, I mixed a band playing that song and the crowd all sang along - even the ones in their 20s.

I don't think in 2040 the 20 year olds will know about any music from the 90s thru 2020.....cuz....it just ain't that good.. And I'm including country in that too.

You are welcome to call me Grandpa....or Boomer.....or crusty old curmudgeon..... I answer to all of them.

[Rich4349]

We hated disco with a passion in the 70s......It's kind'a nostalgic now. But, ya' gotta admit - music from the 60s and 70s has stood the test of time...and here 50 years later it's being heard all over the place. EDM...

And just to blur the lines, electronic progenitor / early adopter Giorgio Moroder used a lot of synth / techno on Donna Summer's "I Feel Love",

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zhHnf-yTng

which used a healthy dollop of his hit "Chase".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViN2bRGrBx8


Over time, new styles become the old styles and get incorporated into creating even newer styles / techniques.

[Rich4349]

How do you delete a comment? Sorry for the duplicate.

[Fastskiguy]

My first exposure was Skrillex with Bangarang but I ended up liking house edm a little better. Something about that 125-130ish bpm is just right for walking. I like some of the bassy stuff too like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeU0QKtfzkw

I grew up in the hair metal era so love that. And the guitar gods too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxH_saKDHEI

But more edm....like this! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJDx9dUcaGA

Joe

[ACUA]

I like certain Electric Dance Music for the crisp, tightness of it. When sound is played in an environment and captured with a mic, then converted into an electrical or digital signal then manipulated about, then collected in some solid-state format and then converted back into an electrical or digital signal to be produced through an audio device for me to experience it, I feel like things get lost in translation. EDM starts in the digital realm and stays there until it hits the speakers. For me there is a purity, not an analog kind of purity but a digital one. If that makes sense. For many, the grit you often hear in a vinyl record is part of the magic, that goes for the chirps and ticks you get from a recording of an acoustic guitar piece from the finger slides and fret collisions with the strings. The same can be said about a vocal recording that has breath noise and lip smacks and such. In a way those things make the recording feel real and to edit that stuff out often ruins the piece. With EDM you are allowed a mechanical sense of perfection, a digitally sharp and flawless piece and it works. There is no organic flaws and I find that there is a beauty to it. For that reason, EDM has its place on my playlist. I will say that of 100 tracks, I will hardly maintain more than 5 tracks of the EDM genre on my playlist at any given time, about as much attention as I give country music. My first experience with EDM was BassMechanix in the early 2000s. It was important in that I was looking to generate low frequencies for car audio purposes and EDM is perfect for such. Anything below 40hz that had a beat, I played it in my cd player back in those days, it did not matter what it was. Today I have a few EDM and Electric Pop music interests:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT2No1vusjg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzPElFdxMCM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUOlc_j4rMA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsN7E35LpJE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ5gnHd7avI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFy0hQ3lY-w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVdMAav0R-Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ-RbUwwRv0
To me all of these tracks have a sharpness and a tightness that is accentuated by the Electric sounds or the EDM remix of the piece is refined into a proper jam. These are on my list of guilty pleasures, but screw it, they slap! Check 'em out!

[himhimself]

Hey all.
Been out of the forum for a bit as work has taken its toll over the last 1.5 years. That being said, I am pretty damn stoked to be heading to Electric Forest in two days - EDM nirvana in the woods. And yes, Grant, i'm an old dude too
Will give you my honest feedback next week if I live to tell about it...