Electronic music arrives emphatically

If you’re a fan of nightlife culture, then you’re no stranger to electronic dance music. With origins dating back to the 1960s, EDM is not merely a music genre, but a collective of various sub-genres, trance, house, techno, dubstep and electro. A musical revolution once exclusive to raves and underground clubs, EDM is progressively garnering mainstream popularity.

Cool cat · Felix da Housecat will be just one of the many talented and enthralling performers at The Love Festival, a long-running dance festival, happening Aug. 20, in neighboring Oak Canyon Ranch, Silverado. - Photo courtesy of Go Ventures, Inc.

Today, one need not visit dance music “meccas” such as Ibiza, Spain; Goa, India or Berlin to witness their favorite artists play. Los Angeles has become a hotspot for EDM — offering world-class nightclubs that invite superstar DJs on a frequent basis. Additionally, Southern California plays host to some of the world’s best musical festivals such as Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival and the Love Festival.

Markus Schulz

In the last 10 years, Markus Schulz has fused the musical identities of progressive house and trance into his own creative persona to forge an inimitable hybrid sound. Following several highly ranked positions, Schulz pushed his way into the top 10 of DJ Magazine’s Top 100 chart, landing at No. 8 in 2008 and 2009. Schulz also hosts his own weekly radio show, “Global DJ Broadcast,” heads the progressive electronic label Coldharbour Recordings and maintains an active production schedule remixing new tracks.

Schulz will be preforming at Avalon on Aug. 20.

Felix Da Housecat, Paul Oakenfold & Funkagenda 

One of America’s longest running dance-music festivals returns for its 19th-annual Southern California date. The Generation Celebration returns with two massive arenas of music featuring the best in house, trance and progressive.

Headline artists include house music sensation Felix Da Housecat, popular for his electroclash and pop-house sound; Paul Oakenfold, one of the world’s first DJs to introduce progressive and ‘Goa trance’ to the mainstream crowds; and Funkagenda, the UK tech house giant infamous for his edgy and acid house influenced beats.

These three will headline the Love Festival at Oak Canyon Ranch in Silverado, Calif,. on Aug. 20.

Deadmau5 

Ranked as world’s fifth-best DJ and house artist of the MTV Video Music Awards, Deadmau5 is undoubtedly one of the most influential and forward thinkers in the electronic music industry. His spontaneity and explosive energy on stage allow him to excel as a live performer — primarily playing his own, original material, assembling tracks on the fly and using cutting edge computer technology, including software he’s helped write himself — an approach that’s catapulted Deadmau5 into dance music’s A-list.

Although Deadmau5 initially gained popularity because of his signature style of progressive music, his live performances are an eclectic mix of house, electro and techno. One can expect lots of hypnotic melodies, long breakdowns and a dash of gut-wrenching techno from this superstar DJ’s sets.

Deadmau5 will be preforming at the Hollywood Palladium on Aug. 25.