Over the past four years since the mass popularization (so to speak) of modern dance music took place, we’ve been a part of an extremely dynamic and evolving industry. In fact, I do believe that the major contributor to the success of the genre was the plethora of new ideas and sounds found lurking around every corner, seemingly having something with which to cater to everyone’s own personal taste. Artists like MSTRKRFT and their (now nearly classic) album “The Looks” drew public attention through their ability to build electronic, dance music with strong rock influences, while at the same time Ed Banger, Dim Mak, and even just Daft Punk toured the world to show people that the term “electronic” can simply be about the party, and that it does not always have to be associated with “trance” and “rave.”
Indeed, over several years, this little disco genre grew out of it’s status as an underrepresented and disrespected fad and began to earn itself a name, each day garnering a wealth of newfound believers. And the best part about it was the fact that everyone who chose to participate was able to build off of something someone before him had already done, and to keep us all moving forward. Boys Noize‘s debut album, for example, taught the world that a loss of bit depth is not necessarily a loss of quality; Oi Oi Oi was full of beautifully destroyed, and often times disgusting sounds that, when combined with an appropriate beat, came together seamlessly. And it certainly was not just Alex doing the work. For a while, it seemed like every new album release was a revolution in itself, and that dance music itself had become untamable.
Unfortunately, this “booming prosperity” (if I may) seems to have changed as of late. And while I’ve heard from many different people on many occasions that, “everything has been done, and it’s all just boring now,” this isn’t what I mean in the slightest. Rather, it seems that all the artists that we’ve grown fond of over the years have continued to provide a steady stream of great quality, creative compositions, but that they’ve somehow lost the ability to build off of and be influenced by other artists, and have become stuck making music in the exact same vein as all of their past work. To put it concisely, it’s almost as if the creativity and originality is still working strong, but that we’ve lost our compass, and with it, our sense of musical direction. Thus, for the last several months, we’ve been stuck wandering in circles like a line of ants with a stick strewn across its path. Sure, the music still sounds great, but where is it–and where are we–going as a collective?
If anyone feels compelled to share thoughts, ideas, or even music, I’m confident that the rest of us would welcome your ideas with open arms.
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Fake Blood – Think I Like It
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Boys Noize – Kontact Me (Removed as per request)
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Boys Noize – Gax (Removed as per request)
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Boys Noize – Nerve (Removed as per request)
Tags: boys noize, Daft Punk, dim mak, ed banger, fake blood, felix da housecat, MSTRKRFT
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Dance music has always been labeled as “disposable”. It is amazing how it has always been viewed as a dead scene, but somehow, after a matter of time resurges into a new re-interpratation of itself. It will live on. It always has. It always will. Patience is our weapon.
Diplo, Switch & dancehall anybody??
RE many different people: “everything has been done” – our little minds cannot even comprehend the amount of different noises that can be heard! from computers, machines, instruments, nature, instruments that haven’t even been invented yet! etc. etc.
Everything can NEVER be done.
Maybe then the musical compass should direct to continual experimentation & invention of the wayS to both capture & create sound?.
And THEN to how to compose it & ‘who’ there is to be influenced by
Cher.
It feels like dance music came with the hipsters, and now it’s dying with the hipsters. Go listen to some rock n’ roll.
I beg to differ raffy! Rock n’ roll was so the 90′s
this is a really great post
Please remove these tracks. This isn’t supporting us.
the great thing about music is as a fan, you’re never stuck listening to the same stuff again and again.
if you don’t like what MSTRKRFT, BOYZ NOISE, FAKE BLOOD or other acts who have been hyped in the past few years
are doing, then…just listen to something else!
those guys are just the tiniest sliver of what’s going on in electronic music…
To be honest this is one of realist post i have read i a while. preach on!!!
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There were a few amazing, AMAZING albums that came out in late 2006/2007. It does seem like things have gone a little downhill since then but I’ve decided that is only because the standard was set so high. If you venture a little beyond Boys Noize, Fake Blood, Ed Banger etc, you will find a lot of great dance music to tide you over until another 2007 comes along.
@BNR Certainly sounds like it’s an article supporting you…
@THE_BOSS I think it actually died in the 80′s when Flock of Seagulls came around.
Like Boys Noize, Fake Blood doesnt like having his tracks given away, either…perhaps you should learn the ethics of the scene your blogging about before writing retarded posts like this one.
Guess what….
Please remove my track.
Thanks.
lol @ ethics of the scene
I think everything your saying is true though. That is until everyone’s compass went to dupstep…for better or for worse. It is new and exciting, but it feels more novel than ever. That and real dubstep people are probably pissed lol.
Ethics of the scene…while I believe that you should have artists’ permission to post full/quality tracks, no one can deny that the “internet” and “blogosphere” are littered with tracks that, while illegally available, certainly help to further popularity and recognition (especially in a scene where very few, like Daft, Justice, or Beetroots, have a strong “live” identity).
If you don’t like Fake Blood, MSTRKRFT, etc…I agree, get some new tunes. Read some new blogs. Don’t follow the hype; find good new tracks across the board and MAKE the hype. One of my favorite things about the scene is that everyday I can open a connection to the internet, and find wildly different and new electro tracks from around the world.
As someone who became interested in the scene with Daft Punk’s 2006/2007 revival, I have certainly branched out and found many, many different influences. I agree with above: DANCEHALL (Major Lazer, Diplo, Switch, etc) and DUBSTEP (Rusko, Skream, etc) seem to be taking us in the new direction. Crookers, who have also become outlandishly well known, continue to keep their beats “crooked,” and will toy with new minimal bleeps and the like.
It may take a little time for whatever the next big step is to arrive, but as long as there are people following the scene/willing to dance, it will be here.