What do Bach, Beethoven, the Beatles, and punk rock all have in common? They originated in Europe and took American society by storm, influencing the standard of great music to this very day. However, in today’s digital society-a world connected seamlessly by technology – the EDM (electronic dance music) genre is growing faster than ever. And while it’s been around in Europe for quite some time, America is just catching on to the global phenomena.
“It seems to be getting bigger and more popular each day,” said senior Abby Hersam, “We are exposed to it all the time, just the other day I saw a commercial with Deadmau5 in the background. It’s going to continue to grow, and one day define our generation.”
Senior Dylan Neuhaus, however, disagrees; “It’s just a fad,” he said, “That kind of music has no soul, it’s just people mashing computer keys and stealing other peoples work. They don’t even play real instruments,” he said.
No matter what the opinion is, the fact remains that EDM is making quite the impression on American society. Recent commercials for products like GoPro HD cameras and Puma sneakers feature dubstep songs in the background. Artists like Rihanna and Brittany Spears are including more and more heavy electronics into their tracks. And above all, the rave seen is exploding all over the U.S, especially amongst highschoolers and college students, who flock to events like Dayglow to get doused in paint and vibe out to EDM.
“Dayglow was crazy,” said junior Chessie Abplanalp, who attended the September performance in NYC. “We were in the first row and got absolutely covered with paint. I’m not the biggest fan of dubstep, but I loved the concert because of all the energy,” she said.
Abby, who has attended multiple rave-like concerts, said each one is better than the last. “It’s not just a music performance,” she said, “It’s filled with light shows and occasionally acrobatics or dancers on stage. The energy is incredible and everyone is there for a complete experience,” she said.
But with the seemingly infinite capabilities that accompany today’s technology, it seems that just about anyone with a computer could compose EDM. “We have long passed the days of what I would call artisan music,” says senior Eric Maier, “no longer are songs crafted note by note in the studio, or lyrics written on napkins,” he said, “things are moving much faster these days thanks to technology.”Eric, who falls asleep listening to music each night, became an avid fan of EDM after he was introduced to it by a couple of his friends from England. He says the skill of an EDM artist doesn’t lie in their music, but rather live performances. “Computers can crank out the beats, but its still up to the human creativity and innovative factor to read crowds, build synth rises, and then blow everyone away with a massive bass drop,” he said.
But the question remains: is this all just a part of a growing fad? Or will it define our generation? “I hope not,” said Eric, “I think we can achieve much grander things than some repetitive computer generated beats, no matter how good it sounds.”
What were listening to…
1) Til Death(R3had Remix)- Wynter Gordon
2) Ice- Kaskade and Dada Life ft. Dan Black
3) Luv Deluxe- Cinnamon Chasers
4) Crave You (Adventure Club Dubstep Remix)- Flight Facilities
5) Love Get Out of My Way (Benny Benassi Remix)- Monarchy
P.s if you haven’t already seen the Tomorrowland video, check it out NOW
By Gogo Jones
