Electronic Music | Beginner DJ

Is Electronic Music Finally Becoming Popular?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

There’s been a question on my mind for the year or two that I can’t seem to get out of my head: is Electronic Music becoming popular?

I say this because when I flip on the radio, it seems like Pop and Hip Hop songs are increasingly using Electronic Music as their basis now.

But is this a good thing?

I never hold myself to any high standard or pretentiousness but in some ways, it’s sickening to hear how so many artists are using dirty Electro basslines, filter effects and 4/4 beats as their background music now.

The real stem of the problem is that it gives a false representation of the Electronic Music genres.

Every day I hear people exclaim “I love techno!” or “Electronica rocks!”. You know those old terms that even years ago were indicators that people really didn’t listen to a lot of Electronic Music?

These people lump all Electronic Music into one giant term.

Semantics aside, I think the question at hand popped up at last year’s Ultra Music Festival where Black Eye Peas took the main stage.

For whatever reason, I had to see this train wreck, at least for a minute.

What I saw was utter shit. Not only were play playing the most generic Electronic Music beats possible but people were actually falling all over themselves at how “awesome” the sound was.

To think, people listening to this generic bastardization of Electronic Music… at an Electronic Music festival!

So months go by and B.E.P released their album The E.N.D. It all went down hill from there.

Beside the fact that they were called out by Adam Freeland for stealing a part of his song, the entire album is this clash of cheesy Electronic Music effects that were used back in the 90s.

Fast forward months later and it seems that every Pop and Hip Hop song seems to have this same approach. This repetition of lyrics, gritty (but shitty) basslines, effects and remixes.

So what the hell is going on here? Has Electronic Music finally begun to be popular here in the states?

Over in the U.K. Electronic Music has been reaching Top 40 charts for quite some time but that’s a whole different story.

This new approach to these genres have stripped away the soul of what Electronic Music is just for a quick buck and a popular song.

Even radio DJ’s are getting in on it.

Nearly a decade ago there was a great station here in Florida which actually played a ton of Electronic Music. It wasn’t the deepest underground stuff but it still had its edge.

Now, after a considerable amount of time, we have 106.7 playing live mixes from a local club DJ. This would be fine and all but all he spins is the poppy Electronic tracks, you know, the “safe” ones that people that aren’t really into the style seem to go crazy for now.

Mix this with a constant barrage of air horns, spin backs and chatter about doing shots and we have ourselves one shitty mix.

So where does Electronic Music go from here?

I think we will see a surge in many artists using Electronic Music, wither it’s sampling or instruments, to make a lot of the popular music now.

It will never get to the point where a dark, speedy acid set makes it on radio play here so there’s something comforting knowing that there will always be an edgier side to Electronic Music.

I’m just not looking forward to hearing people go on and on about their bastardized Electronic Music.

Well, I guess that did come across as a bit snotty and pretentious but that’s because I love Electronic Music.

What about you?

Tags: Electronic Music
Posted in General | View Comments