In 2010, just as electronic music producers and fans alike were hopping onto the Skrillex bandwagon, Sandro Silva released ‘Epic’. Adopting a fairly normal electro build up before making the transition into a more minimal drop it was an instant hit across Europe, picking up incredible amounts of popularity at Tomorrow Land 2011.
Of course when one artist seemingly breeds a highly successful genre, others will follow. Incredibly Knife Party went from first chasing after Skrillex, to jumping into bed with the likes of Hardwell and Dimitri Vegas (notice the difference between ‘Internet Friends’ and ‘LRAD’?). However nearly four years later, and everything big room house related is, to put it simply, awful.
Here’s why it’s going the same way as the dodo:
1. It’s Repetitive
So sososoSO bloody repetitive. From large-scale venues, to festivals, to student’s union club nights you get the same overly loud snare hit, followed by a drop consisting of a one note headache that sounds like R2D2 being molested by a Terminator. Every two minutes. Here is a prime example of what I mean, summed up one short medley:
See what I mean? At least with deep house you get a slight melody for God’s sake, every electro drop seems to basically blast out a low F. People pay hundreds to stand in the main arena at Tomorrowland and listen to ‘EDM’ for hours on end. What’s the fun in that for a whole weekend? I’ll tell you: there is none. Unless you have an obsession with F notes.
2. The Producers Are Crap DJs
Take Calvin Harris for example. He has an almost unnatural talent for coming up with annoyingly catchy melodies to top the charts. The top earning DJ of 2014, he did 125 sets in the past year and has a residency at Hakkasan, Las Vegas. However, I’ve seen it for myself: he’s not a good DJ, and this goes across the board for big room/electro house DJs. They’ve got the basics, but the basics shouldn’t be enough for people at the top. They should have the best DJing skills around. Obviously you go to a show to see them play their material as well, but these composers often have questionably simple mixing. You have to look to other genres like drum & bass, garage, and also dubstep to experience exceptional DJing.
3. Fashion Suddenly Reverts Back 25 Years
PLUR: Peace, Love, Unity, Respect. This is the motto of many ravers, one that was promoted heavily back in the early 90s and back in the days of mass warehouse parties. Sounds like a friendly atmosphere, right? This was also when baggy trousers, shit tonnes of neon, and bucket hats were in fashion. Yes, I know the latter are slowly creeping back onto a few heads. Even if your precious Gucci makes your hat, I don’t care. It looks like you’re going for a spot of late night fishing. This isn’t friendly, it’s just grim. Neon is obviously sat firmly in EDM’s driving seat: it’s only a matter of time before everything baggy forces its way back into our lives. Don’t go there. Just don’t go there.
4. Raves = Moshing and Cock Fests
Not being funny, but all forms of house come under the tag of dance music. Artists structure it in a certain way, so when it gets played out it sparks hysterical jumping and mass shape pulling. Some, who can only be described as twats, decide that shoving and punching is a good way to behave at raves and club nights alike. Surely this goes right against the whole PLUR thing the scene has adopted? Of course when these dopamine filled lads decide they ‘want some’, they often find they also can’t ‘get some’ due to the lack of a female contingent. If moshing, something typically associated with metal gigs which often have a high number of male attendees, is dragged into dance music, then of course you’re going to be surrounded by sausage (which isn’t a great situation if you reach the ‘horny stage’ of your MDMA trip). Since when did violence become associated with music that promotes community?
5. Even Producers Are Turning Their Backs On It
A lot of electronic artists are now declaring EDM as merely a form of entertainment, rather than being about the musical experience. Flume played the Dance Stage at Reading and Leeds 2014 (traditionally rock and indie festivals), and stated to
Digital Spy that he preferred playing to the crowd at Reading rather than dance festivals. “Festivals like [Reading] are playing to people who I want to be playing to, who I feel are better crowds” he said. He went on to add “Commercial EDM, the crowd is fucked up kids basically. They don’t care about the music…I prefer to play to people who actually give a shit.” The internationally recognised Diplo
has also displayed his detest, saying “It’s a bunch of Dutch DJs with the same haircut. You go see a dance stage at a fucking dance festival and I’m bored out of my fucking mind”.
Even
Avicii, known for his electro house sound, is finding fault with it. Speaking to The Guardian, the Swede declared “house music is losing all its melody as it becomes how dirty the drop is and how energetic it is. It loses touch with what music really is.” He then added that “it’s gotten to a point where everything sounds the same. There’s no longevity in what’s happening at the moment”. It’s no wonder he’s started experimenting with guitars and country music. Even the mighty Avicii thinks EDM is dying: you can’t argue with that.
John Kuzara
Read More: Is Chart Topping Dance Music Killing The Underground?
