Electronic dance music

This is music made with machines.

It has a strong beat. People dance to it at big parties.

Some people play this music at festivals.

A DJ can mix songs together. This makes the music sound smooth.

Special machines help make the sounds. One machine is called the 808. It makes a cool sound for the beat.

Different kinds of this music exist. Some are called house or techno. Each kind has its own style.

People all over the world love to dance. It is a fun way to be together.

Electronic dance music is often called EDM.

It is music made with electronic tools. People play it at clubs and big festivals.

A DJ plays the music. They use a DJ mix to blend songs. This makes the music flow smoothly.

Some artists even perform live at concerts.

Many styles of EDM exist. Some are called house, techno, or trance. These styles grew from older music. In the 1960s, some bands made electronic music for dancing. Later, Jamaican dub music used echo and bass.

This music used the mixing board like an instrument.

New machines helped EDM grow. The Roland TR-808 is a famous drum machine. It helped make the sound of electro music. In the 1970s, disco used drum machines too. Some disco songs used synthesizers, which are electronic instruments. One hit by Donna Summer used only synthesized sounds. Today, EDM is popular in many places. It is loved in Europe, Japan, and the United States. People enjoy the beat and dancing together.

Electronic dance music, often called EDM, is a wide range of music styles.

These songs use percussion and electronic sounds. People usually listen to this music at nightclubs, raves, or large festivals.

A DJ plays the music for the crowd. They create a DJ mix by smoothly moving from one song to the next. This is called a segue. Some producers also perform their music live at concerts. This type of live performance is sometimes called a live PA. EDM is an umbrella term for many different styles. These include dance-pop, house, techno, electro, and trance.

Many different ways can create these sounds. Some styles grow when people mix two or more genres together. This is called hybridization. Other styles emerge as smaller groups called subgenres. In the past, artists used special tools to change sounds. Jamaican dub music used a mixing board like a musical instrument. Producers used tools to add echo and delay to the music. They often used a machine called the Roland Space Echo. This helped create deep bass lines and special textures. These early experiments helped shape how modern dance music sounds today.

Electronic music has a long and interesting history. In the late 1960s, a band named Silver Apples made electronic music for dancing. During the 1970s, disco music became very popular. In 1974, George McCrae released "Rock Your Baby." This was one of the first disco records to use a drum machine. Later, producer Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte worked with Donna Summer. Their 1977 hit "I Feel Love" was famous for having a completely synthesized backing track. In the late 1970s, synth-pop also began to grow. This style used the synthesizer as the main instrument.

New machines helped dance music change in the 1980s.

The Roland Corporation made many important electronic tools. One very famous machine is the Roland TR-808. In 1980, Ryuichi Sakamoto used the 808 in his song "Riot in Lagos." This track helped create the sound of electro music. Another famous track was "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa in 1982. This song used the 808 to influence many new styles. Another important tool was the Technics SL-1200 turntable. It was developed in 1971 by a team led by Shuichi Obata. This turntable helped DJs practice a skill called turntablism.

EDM connects many different cultures and places around the world. In the late 1980s, it became very popular in Europe and Japan. In the United States, it was mostly found in places like New York City, Florida, the Midwest, and California. For a long time, the American music industry was not very friendly to rave culture. However, the popularity of EDM grew globally in the new millennium. It became especially popular in Australia and the United States. By the early 2010s, the term EDM was used more often by the music industry. Today, people everywhere enjoy the energy of these electronic beats.

Electronic dance music, frequently called EDM, is a broad category of percussive music.

It is designed for playback in environments like nightclubs, raves, and large festivals.

Producers create these tracks for DJs to play. A DJ creates a seamless selection of songs known as a DJ mix. They achieve this by using a technique called a segue to move from one recording to another. Some producers also perform their music live in concert settings. This specific type of live performance is often called a live PA.

Music styles within this category evolve through specific processes. One method is the emergence of a subgenre, which is a stylistic variation within an established genre. Another method is hybridization. This occurs when elements from two or more different genres are combined. This process can result in the creation of an entirely new genre of electronic dance music. The term EDM serves as an umbrella term for many existing styles. These include dance-pop, house, techno, electro, and trance. Many of these genres actually predate the use of the EDM label.

Modern dance music relies on several historical precursors. In the late 1960s, the band Silver Apples created electronic music intended for dancing. Jamaican dub music, which flourished between 1968 and 1985, is considered a vital precursor. Dub producers like King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry used the studio mixing board as a performance instrument. They performed improvised deconstructions of existing multi-track reggae mixes. They also used tools like the Roland Space Echo to create spatial effects like reverb and delay. This era of remix culture was musically cutting-edge despite limited electronic equipment.

Other influential movements include disco and synth-pop. In 1974, George McCrae's "Rock Your Baby" was among the first records to use a Roland rhythm machine. Later, Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte produced "I Feel Love" for Donna Summer in 1977. This track was the first well-known disco hit with a completely synthesized backing track. Synth-pop emerged in the late 1970s with the synthesizer as the dominant instrument. Groups like Yellow Magic Orchestra pioneered digital sampling. They used the LMD-649 digital PCM sampler to construct music from fragments of sound and loops.

The 1980s saw a massive shift due to new electronic instruments.

The Roland Corporation released several influential tools during this time. The Roland TR-808 drum machine became a fundamental element of futuristic sound. In 1980, Ryuichi Sakamoto used the 808 in "Riot in Lagos" to introduce new electro sounds. In 1982, Afrika Bambaataa released "Planet Rock," which used the 808 to influence genres like Miami bass and Detroit techno. Other important tools included the Roland TB-303 and the TR-909.

Technology also changed how DJs interact with music. The invention of the direct-drive turntable was a major milestone. In 1969, Matsushita released the SP-10, the first direct-drive turntable on the market. Later, a team led by Shuichi Obata developed the Technics SL-1200 in 1971. This model was released in 1972 and became highly influential. By the 1980s and 1990s, hip-hop DJs used these turntables as musical instruments. This virtuosic practice is known as turntablism.

The global spread of EDM has faced various social challenges. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, EDM gained mainstream popularity in Europe and Japan. In the United States, it was mostly limited to regional scenes in New York City, Florida, the Midwest, and California. The American music industry and media were often hostile toward it until the 1990s. Some governments even enacted laws to stop rave culture due to perceived associations with drug culture. However, popularity increased globally in the new millennium, especially in Australia and the United States. By the early 2010s, the American music industry began using the term "EDM" to rebrand American rave culture.