Electronic dance music

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.