If you're only willing to confine yourself solely to the dance music that's popular in the charts (not to cast aspersions on the more popular dance musicians, I'm quite partial to the odd Calvin Harris or Avicii track from time to time) well then obviously dance music will seem lacklustre and stale because there's a certain formula/blueprint that these musicians will follow in order to appeal to the broadest listenership possible.
If you're willing to put in some effort into finding some more underground/niche dance music, either online or in your local music store, the you're bound to find something that appeals to you. In the past, I felt rather exhausted with what dance music and pop music in general had to offer, so I went and put in the time trawling music sites and found (more often lesser-known but not always the case) dance music that appeals to me. Websites such as Pitchfork, XLR8R, AllMusic, The Guardian, iTunes and even Digital Spy's own music news section to be invaluable in such endeavours.The wealth and breadth of dance music and musicians out there, both past and present, is astonishing.
On my own musical odyssey, I have discovered such wonderful and varied artists like Actress, Air, AlunaGeorge, Azari & III, Azealia Banks, Charli XCX, Chic, CHVRCHES, Classixx, Daft Punk, Daniel Bortz (who I literally discovered this morning hahaha), Depeche Mode, Disclosure, Fatboy Slim, Gold Panda, Justice, Katy B, Lady Gaga, LaRoux, Madeon, Madonna, Monsieur Adi, Robert DeLong, Robyn, Rustie, SBTRKT, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, William Orbit and Zedd.
You might even surprise yourself by finding musicians you love that you would have previously placed outside your own (preconceptions about) musical tastes (as in with my own experiences with artists such as Kanye West, Lorde, Grimes, Jessie Ware, Solange, Phoenix and Miike Snow).
So I encourage you to go out there, get browsing some music websites, perhaps listen to some of the above artists and find what's right for you! Don't just wait for mainstream music to throw something at you that you happen to like, make it happen for yourself!
To you and anyone who reads this, I say good luck and enjoy the music.
TO be fair, if you think of disco being the precursor to dance music.. some of their stuff does conform more closely to some of the elements visible in 80s and 70s material..
Thing is with Dance music there's so many styles, genres, sub-genres, etc, etc you can't really say any one blanket statement about it. A few years ago everything was all Dub Step, now that's dead and other types have come alive instead.
I think as a movement you've always had quirky left field people like your Daft Punk's of this world making the good stuff and then crappy commercial dance music artists making forgettable cheesy sh*te that gives the movement a bad name. But the two shouldn't be lumped together.
If you're only willing to confine yourself solely to the dance music that's popular in the charts (not to cast aspersions on the more popular dance musicians, I'm quite partial to the odd Calvin Harris or Avicii track from time to time) well then obviously dance music will seem lacklustre and stale because there's a certain formula/blueprint that these musicians will follow in order to appeal to the broadest listenership possible.
If you're willing to put in some effort into finding some more underground/niche dance music, either online or in your local music store, the you're bound to find something that appeals to you. In the past, I felt rather exhausted with what dance music and pop music in general had to offer, so I went and put in the time trawling music sites and found (more often lesser-known but not always the case) dance music that appeals to me. Websites such as Pitchfork, XLR8R, AllMusic, The Guardian, iTunes and even Digital Spy's own music news section to be invaluable in such endeavours.The wealth and breadth of dance music and musicians out there, both past and present, is astonishing.
On my own musical odyssey, I have discovered such wonderful and varied artists like Actress, Air, AlunaGeorge, Azari & III, Azealia Banks, Charli XCX, Chic, CHVRCHES, Classixx, Daft Punk, Daniel Bortz (who I literally discovered this morning hahaha), Depeche Mode, Disclosure, Fatboy Slim, Gold Panda, Justice, Katy B, Lady Gaga, LaRoux, Madeon, Madonna, Monsieur Adi, Robert DeLong, Robyn, Rustie, SBTRKT, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, William Orbit and Zedd.
You might even surprise yourself by finding musicians you love that you would have previously placed outside your own (preconceptions about) musical tastes (as in with my own experiences with artists such as Kanye West, Lorde, Grimes, Jessie Ware, Solange, Phoenix and Miike Snow).
So I encourage you to go out there, get browsing some music websites, perhaps listen to some of the above artists and find what's right for you! Don't just wait for mainstream music to throw something at you that you happen to like, make it happen for yourself!
To you and anyone who reads this, I say good luck and enjoy the music.
I couldn't agree with this more. Well done for putting your point across well, without seeming like a musical snob.
Dance music is a broad spectrum, it's huge. 99% of what you hear on the radio is mass produced, commercial pop (see Avicii, SHM, Tiesto et al) however, if you delve deep you can find some real gems to prove that dance is a thriving genre, one which probably will outlive most.
It's worth trawling through Juno, Beatport and the such because you'll find some proper beauties.
TO be fair, if you think of disco being the precursor to dance music.. some of their stuff does conform more closely to some of the elements visible in 80s and 70s material..
But yeah - I know what you mean...
Not wishing to be pernickety but Disco is dance music. Better than that it was a lot more subversive than the music that is now labelled 'dance' music.
I have listened to the Little Mix track 'Move' and yes, it does have a bit of 80s drive about it. And It does sound a bit different.
Sigh, we're not going to have an argument about what is and isn't dance music are we
based on the argument that little mix are dance as there are vaguely disco rhythms I can also argue that rock and roll can be classed as dance because of the dance crazes of the 50s and 60s. As modern rock and metal evolved from rock and roll by your argument iron maiden, black sabatth etc can be classed as dance music!
Compared with the innovation of the 80s and most of the 90s then yes, todays disposable crud like Avicci does seem lacklustre but it serves a purpose and the 'yoofs' lap it up so it's validated whether I like it or not. As stated previously the 'real deal' stuff you need to seek out as it's still there to be discovered if you prefer some quality. If not, take what's spoon fed to you by Heart and Kiss.
Sigh, we're not going to have an argument about what is and isn't dance music are we
based on the argument that little mix are dance as there are vaguely disco rhythms I can also argue that rock and roll can be classed as dance because of the dance crazes of the 50s and 60s. As modern rock and metal evolved from rock and roll by your argument iron maiden, black sabatth etc can be classed as dance music!
Dance Music is a label of convenience applied after the fact, music doesn't always fit conveniently into those categories.
The good post above included references to Chic, Depeche Mode, Fat Boy Slim, William Orbit. Within that broad understanding of dance music, LM's 'Move' is a perfectly valid dance track.
Funk, Disco, 70s RnB were not only the precursors to the resurgence of dance music in the 80s, they were the key influences on the development of modern electronic dance music. And it's not a clean break scenario, it was an evolution of forms. I think the sense of the original question was that it's not clear where dance music is going now. Interesting then that Daft Punk took a retro approach to their latest work and rediscovered musicianship?
I couldn't agree with this more. Well done for putting your point across well, without seeming like a musical snob.
Dance music is a broad spectrum, it's huge. 99% of what you hear on the radio is mass produced, commercial pop (see Avicii, SHM, Tiesto et al) however, if you delve deep you can find some real gems to prove that dance is a thriving genre, one which probably will outlive most.
It's worth trawling through Juno, Beatport and the such because you'll find some proper beauties.
Dance Music is a label of convenience applied after the fact, music doesn't always fit conveniently into those categories. The good post above included references to Chic, Depeche Mode, Fat Boy Slim, William Orbit. Within that broad understanding of dance music, LM's 'Move' is a perfectly valid dance track.
Funk, Disco, 70s RnB were not only the precursors to the resurgence of dance music in the 80s, they were the key influences on the development of modern electronic dance music. And it's not a clean break scenario, it was an evolution of forms. I think the sense of the original question was that it's not clear where dance music is going now. Interesting then that Daft Punk took a retro approach to their latest work and rediscovered musicianship?
Oh and Rock n Roll is dance music.
Thank you for those kind words, it's quite pleasing to log into these forums and to see that people appreciate what you have to say, especially when it's on a topic I am passionate about.
And regarding the first quote, I'll be sure to check out Juno and Beatport as soon as I have the time ( I'm SWAMPED at the moment with college work, oh the joys of the biological sciences ).
As I believe somebody said earlier, I believe that dance music has a long and varied future ahead of it. It may not survive as we know it today but people will always crave music to dance to (indeed dancing was probably the first thing our ancestors did with music, long before lyrics even existed! :eek: )
Plus, the way that dance music and synthesisers are inextricably linked nowadays should be seen as a good thing. As synthesisers and technology as a whole improves and progresses, dance music will arguably stand to benefit the most from all of this innovation. Dance music shall be seen as cutting edge, as fresh sounds, ideas and music making methods crop up.
So to answer the OP's question, dance music has not, nor will not lose its magic.
The OP could be more specific with his question imo. "Dance" is such a broad term, and what type of beat is he talking about? Is he talking about mainstream dance music or the non-mainstream stuff?
Personally, I think dance music is the best it's been since the mid-00s. I've absolutely loved 2013 for dance muisc, it's been amazing. Especially house music becoming mainstream again.
However, I'm going to say that Avicii's music is aboslutely aweful now, and I don't consider than "dance" music, what he does is pop music. You wouldn't hear his songs in a proper club. Wake Me Up especially, is incredibly annoying, I think it's mainly girls who like him.
Mainly people need to stop using the term "EDM". I think record companies think coming up with a little abbreviation will make it marketable like R&B, but it's not working. The term doesn't mean anything, and people mainly use it to refer to pop music. I never heard anybody using that term when I was a child, even though "dance" music was even bigger back then than it is now.
Thank you for those kind words, it's quite pleasing to log into these forums and to see that people appreciate what you have to say, especially when it's on a topic I am passionate about.
And regarding the first quote, I'll be sure to check out Juno and Beatport as soon as I have the time ( I'm SWAMPED at the moment with college work, oh the joys of the biological sciences ).
As I believe somebody said earlier, I believe that dance music has a long and varied future ahead of it. It may not survive as we know it today but people will always crave music to dance to (indeed dancing was probably the first thing our ancestors did with music, long before lyrics even existed! :eek: )
Plus, the way that dance music and synthesisers are inextricably linked nowadays should be seen as a good thing. As synthesisers and technology as a whole improves and progresses, dance music will arguably stand to benefit the most from all of this innovation. Dance music shall be seen as cutting edge, as fresh sounds, ideas and music making methods crop up.
So to answer the OP's question, dance music has not, nor will not lose its magic.
Definitely have a trawl through Beatport, you can lose hours to it!
Steer clear of the Top 10's, they tend to be full of your more pop stuff, but definitely view DJs favourites, and snoop around each genre. There are literally millions of tunes on there.
Same with Soundcloud. Find a DJ you like, then literally go through their posts, and the people they follow. It's like a goldmine.
Let me guess, the original poster is basing their opinion purely on the charts and what they hear on the radio in the morning? For Christ's sake, go visit Resident Advisor, Juno, Boomkat, Soundcloud, Beatport, The Boiler Room, etc. and educate yourself on how broad, wide and also very extensive and often bewildering the world of dance music actually is and not just the crap being pushed by daytime Radio 1.
Thank you for those kind words, it's quite pleasing to log into these forums and to see that people appreciate what you have to say, especially when it's on a topic I am passionate about.
And regarding the first quote, I'll be sure to check out Juno and Beatport as soon as I have the time ( I'm SWAMPED at the moment with college work, oh the joys of the biological sciences ).
As I believe somebody said earlier, I believe that dance music has a long and varied future ahead of it. It may not survive as we know it today but people will always crave music to dance to (indeed dancing was probably the first thing our ancestors did with music, long before lyrics even existed! :eek: )
Plus, the way that dance music and synthesisers are inextricably linked nowadays should be seen as a good thing. As synthesisers and technology as a whole improves and progresses, dance music will arguably stand to benefit the most from all of this innovation. Dance music shall be seen as cutting edge, as fresh sounds, ideas and music making methods crop up.
So to answer the OP's question, dance music has not, nor will not lose its magic.
hmm... im not so sure dance has a varied future ahead of it. whilst dancing to music has been around since caveman days (as you say), modern dance has surely now developed styles as far as it can... abit like rock, its branched out into all possible styles and all thats left is obscure minor styles, or re-hashing earlier sounds.
now im not saying thats a bad thing, that rock or dance is dead, there not, theyll be around forever in one form or another, and i expect various resurgences of older styles to occur.
Comments
Avicii's 'Wake Me Up' would be huge.
These 2 forthcoming Dance Hits are said to both have
the chance to be No.1 in the UK.
I love 'Under Control'. And 'Animals' is already a Top 10
Hit in several European Countries.
UNDER CONTROL - Calvin Harris & Alesso Feat. Hurts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZqmarGShxg
ANIMALS - Martin Garrix
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCYcHz2k5x0
Which is why Little Mix - Move appeals to me so much. It's like how dance music used to be.
If you're only willing to confine yourself solely to the dance music that's popular in the charts (not to cast aspersions on the more popular dance musicians, I'm quite partial to the odd Calvin Harris or Avicii track from time to time) well then obviously dance music will seem lacklustre and stale because there's a certain formula/blueprint that these musicians will follow in order to appeal to the broadest listenership possible.
If you're willing to put in some effort into finding some more underground/niche dance music, either online or in your local music store, the you're bound to find something that appeals to you. In the past, I felt rather exhausted with what dance music and pop music in general had to offer, so I went and put in the time trawling music sites and found (more often lesser-known but not always the case) dance music that appeals to me. Websites such as Pitchfork, XLR8R, AllMusic, The Guardian, iTunes and even Digital Spy's own music news section to be invaluable in such endeavours.The wealth and breadth of dance music and musicians out there, both past and present, is astonishing.
On my own musical odyssey, I have discovered such wonderful and varied artists like Actress, Air, AlunaGeorge, Azari & III, Azealia Banks, Charli XCX, Chic, CHVRCHES, Classixx, Daft Punk, Daniel Bortz (who I literally discovered this morning hahaha), Depeche Mode, Disclosure, Fatboy Slim, Gold Panda, Justice, Katy B, Lady Gaga, LaRoux, Madeon, Madonna, Monsieur Adi, Robert DeLong, Robyn, Rustie, SBTRKT, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, William Orbit and Zedd.
You might even surprise yourself by finding musicians you love that you would have previously placed outside your own (preconceptions about) musical tastes (as in with my own experiences with artists such as Kanye West, Lorde, Grimes, Jessie Ware, Solange, Phoenix and Miike Snow).
So I encourage you to go out there, get browsing some music websites, perhaps listen to some of the above artists and find what's right for you! Don't just wait for mainstream music to throw something at you that you happen to like, make it happen for yourself!
To you and anyone who reads this, I say good luck and enjoy the music.
Little Mix dance????????? Pmpl
But yeah - I know what you mean...
However it's better than ever before in the Underground you just really got to put in the time to come across amazing organic Dance music.
I think as a movement you've always had quirky left field people like your Daft Punk's of this world making the good stuff and then crappy commercial dance music artists making forgettable cheesy sh*te that gives the movement a bad name. But the two shouldn't be lumped together.
I couldn't agree with this more. Well done for putting your point across well, without seeming like a musical snob.
Dance music is a broad spectrum, it's huge. 99% of what you hear on the radio is mass produced, commercial pop (see Avicii, SHM, Tiesto et al) however, if you delve deep you can find some real gems to prove that dance is a thriving genre, one which probably will outlive most.
It's worth trawling through Juno, Beatport and the such because you'll find some proper beauties.
Not wishing to be pernickety but Disco is dance music. Better than that it was a lot more subversive than the music that is now labelled 'dance' music.
I have listened to the Little Mix track 'Move' and yes, it does have a bit of 80s drive about it. And It does sound a bit different.
based on the argument that little mix are dance as there are vaguely disco rhythms I can also argue that rock and roll can be classed as dance because of the dance crazes of the 50s and 60s. As modern rock and metal evolved from rock and roll by your argument iron maiden, black sabatth etc can be classed as dance music!
Dance Music is a label of convenience applied after the fact, music doesn't always fit conveniently into those categories.
The good post above included references to Chic, Depeche Mode, Fat Boy Slim, William Orbit. Within that broad understanding of dance music, LM's 'Move' is a perfectly valid dance track.
Funk, Disco, 70s RnB were not only the precursors to the resurgence of dance music in the 80s, they were the key influences on the development of modern electronic dance music. And it's not a clean break scenario, it was an evolution of forms. I think the sense of the original question was that it's not clear where dance music is going now. Interesting then that Daft Punk took a retro approach to their latest work and rediscovered musicianship?
Oh and Rock n Roll is dance music.
Thank you for those kind words, it's quite pleasing to log into these forums and to see that people appreciate what you have to say, especially when it's on a topic I am passionate about.
And regarding the first quote, I'll be sure to check out Juno and Beatport as soon as I have the time ( I'm SWAMPED at the moment with college work, oh the joys of the biological sciences ).
As I believe somebody said earlier, I believe that dance music has a long and varied future ahead of it. It may not survive as we know it today but people will always crave music to dance to (indeed dancing was probably the first thing our ancestors did with music, long before lyrics even existed! :eek: )
Plus, the way that dance music and synthesisers are inextricably linked nowadays should be seen as a good thing. As synthesisers and technology as a whole improves and progresses, dance music will arguably stand to benefit the most from all of this innovation. Dance music shall be seen as cutting edge, as fresh sounds, ideas and music making methods crop up.
So to answer the OP's question, dance music has not, nor will not lose its magic.
Personally, I think dance music is the best it's been since the mid-00s. I've absolutely loved 2013 for dance muisc, it's been amazing. Especially house music becoming mainstream again.
However, I'm going to say that Avicii's music is aboslutely aweful now, and I don't consider than "dance" music, what he does is pop music. You wouldn't hear his songs in a proper club. Wake Me Up especially, is incredibly annoying, I think it's mainly girls who like him.
Mainly people need to stop using the term "EDM". I think record companies think coming up with a little abbreviation will make it marketable like R&B, but it's not working. The term doesn't mean anything, and people mainly use it to refer to pop music. I never heard anybody using that term when I was a child, even though "dance" music was even bigger back then than it is now.
Definitely have a trawl through Beatport, you can lose hours to it!
Steer clear of the Top 10's, they tend to be full of your more pop stuff, but definitely view DJs favourites, and snoop around each genre. There are literally millions of tunes on there.
Same with Soundcloud. Find a DJ you like, then literally go through their posts, and the people they follow. It's like a goldmine.
Happy hunting
hmm... im not so sure dance has a varied future ahead of it. whilst dancing to music has been around since caveman days (as you say), modern dance has surely now developed styles as far as it can... abit like rock, its branched out into all possible styles and all thats left is obscure minor styles, or re-hashing earlier sounds.
now im not saying thats a bad thing, that rock or dance is dead, there not, theyll be around forever in one form or another, and i expect various resurgences of older styles to occur.