Electronic dance music enhanced by many sub-genres

Generally in music, the word “genre” narrowly isolates styles of music into very distinct categories. Conversely, an interesting. yet under-recognized, aspect of EDM is that “electronic” is not really a holistic term for the genre. In fact, most EDM artists and producers would argue that their music fits into a plethora of different genres far outside the term “electronic.”

My first run-in with this aspect of EDM was actually after my first year at Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas. A few weeks after I came home, Insomniac sent me an email survey to fill out to be entered into a drawing for tickets for next year’s EDC Las Vegas. I thought filling out a survey would just take a few minutes, so I went ahead entering my input on the experience.

Toward the end of the survey, there was a section that asked what my favorite “genre” was and requested I mark all that applied. I sat staring at the page and the enormously long list of things I had never really heard of, including “hardcore,” “garage,” “acid house” and “underground house trippy.” In my naïveté, I actually did an online search of my favorite artists to find out what genre they identified with.

This started a whole new era of my EDM appreciation as a world of very diverse sub-genres all identifying under one word, “electronic.” In fact, I came to understand that the initial word “electronic” was not actually how many artists understood themselves. This term merely was a representation of the mode in which they produced music — through technology and the innovations in synthesizers rather than live instruments.

Listening to the radio became a new experience for me. I started to hear terms like “techno,” “trap” and “dubstep,” but it took a very long time training my ear to understand the actual legitimate musical differences between them.

In fact, most common listeners wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. Techno and house music are almost one in the same, but with roots from Detroit and Chicago, respectively. Using many of the same instruments and a plethora of synthesizers, these two genres, though almost indiscernible, create significant argument within the industry about their respective properties.

“House” has several variations within itself, such as “deep house,” “acid house” and “progressive house.” I remember thinking that this was so bizarre even on my first trip to The Ministry of Sound in London, England. Though I went to see the DJ Kaskade,  a self-proclaimed deep and progressive house producer, the club had several other rooms dedicated to more EDM.

This multi-genre sensory overload is a defining point in the world of EDM. There are many DJs who very narrowly identify with one genre, something they have strayed very little from. There are also others who are somewhat all over the place in terms of their electronic sub-genre identities: for example, Diplo, who has dabbled in dubstep, trap, tropical house and post-hardcore.

Not only are the existing number of sub-genres limitless, but the future of EDM is also defined by the continuous addition of these classifications that seem to spring out of thin air. I was just listening to the BPM satellite radio station the other day and the Chainsmokers’ YouTube EDM 15 was on. I was engaged because I personally love their radio spot, as they tend to talk an extensive amount about the industry between their songs. In fact, they brought up the emergence of tropical house and a new wave of New York garage that was hitting the club scene again.

With all these sub-genres, it is fascinating to watch the positive and negative effects on the industry from such diversity. For one, there are ardent fans who can become very personally invested in a specific type of sub-genre, identifying solely with that realm. In this respect, not only is it limiting for the fan base, but it is also limiting for the artist or DJ themselves. Such a pigeon-holed artistic existence can create incredibly stressful limits on an artist who can sometimes corner themselves into a sub-genre, thus failing to evolve. The inability to branch out and reinvent oneself is the greatest downfall of any artist. This world of hundreds of electronic sub-genres can tend to narrow an artist’s avenues.

On the other hand, this concept of so much diversity within one overarching umbrella genre is something that enhances my opinion that EDM is the music of the future. Its ability to constantly absorb diversity and produce new waves and revivals of old and new styles can continually bring in fans. This diversity, artistic creativity and unique take on the genre as a whole is something that continues to define the EDM industry as one of innovation.

Madison Cisiewski is a sophomore majoring in music industry. Her column, “Electric Industry,” runs every other Monday.