Why is electronic dance music typically very simple?

[Amberience]

I never dance unless it's with two slices of bread around my cock to create a cock sandwich.

[adj]

Addendum:

And yet, we still have, via the more ancient, less sophisticated genetic elements still found within our DNA today, throwbacks to that less enlightened, darker period in human history, as can be evidenced in the comment above

[ATS]

You know I was thinking about this and most popular songs are pretty simple, not only electronic.

[maxhodges1]

You know I was thinking about this and most popular songs are pretty simple, not only electronic.

oh come on, I'm not a big fan of pop, but there are plenty of popular songs that are very good. Nirvana was popular, so was Jimi Hendrix. The Doors. Red Hot Chili Peppers. Radio Head, Nine Inch Nails. The Police. Michael Jackson and Madonna have even put our good songs.

I guess it spends on how you define simple. Popular melodies and chord progressions tend to be simple because they are easier to remember. But you can still have a simple framework and have sophisticated harmonic structures, arrangement, rhythm, and vocals...and catchy melodies.

Popular music also tends to be repetitious--repeating the chorus and repeating the title in the chorus as TTTT (Roxanne), T~T~ (What's love got to do with it), T~~T (Living on a prayer), etc). Again, it's so you remember it.

Songs are less memorable without these features thus less likely to become popular.

[tetraplan]

Has dancing ever really been an 'intellectual exercise'? I mean, what sort of dance would two physicists do during a discussion of quantum mechanical probabilities?

The dance of the Wu Li masters, of course.

Groet, Erik

[adj]

Has dancing ever really been an 'intellectual exercise'? I mean, what sort of dance would two physicists do during a discussion of quantum mechanical probabilities?

The dance of the Wu Li masters, of course.

Groet, Erik

+1

[opia]

New (revised) version of qusetion:
Why is it that beat-driven electronic dance music tends to be very simple in terms of harmony, counterpoint..etc. (NOT talking about IDM or stuff like Jarre, Tomita, Carlos..etc--I tend to see those as more experimental or avant-garde, not popular dance music). Could it be because electronic dance music simply sounds better when it doesn't incorporate complex harmonies, counterpoint..etc? Does the use of filters, effects..etc negate the effectiveness of harmony and counterpoint, or they are simply aspects of music theory that does not interest electronic musicians? Maybe electronic dance music has to be kept simple to keep that "vibe" and bogging it down with complexity will kill the dance feel?

it's been my experience that most people listen to dance music when they are dancing
lots of times they have gotten a bit drunk either because they are getting up the nerve to go out there and dance or they like getting drunk

they could care less about complex counterpoint harmonies at this stage
the simpler and more repetitive the music is the easier it is to remember what move to make next

don't even get me started on changing the time signature on a crowd like that

[RTaylor]

Has dancing ever really been an 'intellectual exercise'? I mean, what sort of dance would two physicists do during a discussion of quantum mechanical probabilities?

You've fallen prey to the modern myth that the sciences are somehow more intellectually challenging than the arts. {they work pretty hard at fostering that myth... it's not surprising that you've been taken in} There are other types of intellectual exercises. Not all of them require calculators.

Consider the years of practice that it takes to become a good ballet dancer, modern dancer, freeform dancer or tango star {For that matter, watch Flashdance}... the mind/body coordination and the balancing of the zillion and one factors that come into play. You might also consider the same factors that come into play in the martial arts and so on...

Dancing is that mating ritual that humans do -- somewhat more sophisticated than that of, say, the Preying Mantis, yet nonetheless motivated by the same primal instincts.

Depends on the dancer.

[adj]

Has dancing ever really been an 'intellectual exercise'? I mean, what sort of dance would two physicists do during a discussion of quantum mechanical probabilities?

You've fallen prey to the modern myth that the sciences are somehow more intellectually challenging than the arts.

We're not talking about 'the arts', we're talking about dancing to electronic pop music, which, if it is 'an intellectual exercise' where you come from, then let me ask you, how many Angels can you fit on the head of a pin?

{they work pretty hard at fostering that myth... it's not surprising that you've been taken in} There are other types of intellectual exercises. Not all of them require calculators.

Consider the years of practice that it takes to become a good ballet dancer, modern dancer, freeform dancer or tango star {For that matter, watch Flashdance}... the mind/body coordination and the balancing of the zillion and one factors that come into play. You might also consider the same factors that come into play in the martial arts and so on...

Now you're confusing physical agility, disciplined strength and eye-limb coordination with an intellectual exercise. In your rather non sequitor example, a cockroach walking on your ceiling has a much greater intellect than Jennifer Biel or Bruce Li or Stephen Hawking

Dancing is that mating ritual that humans do -- somewhat more sophisticated than that of, say, the Preying Mantis, yet nonetheless motivated by the same primal instincts.

Depends on the dancer.

Yes, if the dancer is from the planet Krypton, then yes.

[RTaylor]

Has dancing ever really been an 'intellectual exercise'? I mean, what sort of dance would two physicists do during a discussion of quantum mechanical probabilities?

You've fallen prey to the modern myth that the sciences are somehow more intellectually challenging than the arts.

We're not talking about 'the arts', we're talking about dancing to electronic pop music, which, if it is 'an intellectual exercise' where you come from, then let me ask you, how many Angels can you fit on the head of a pin?

The thread's about the relative complexity of dance music. Dance is an art form, as is music, etc, etc...

{they work pretty hard at fostering that myth... it's not surprising that you've been taken in} There are other types of intellectual exercises. Not all of them require calculators.

Consider the years of practice that it takes to become a good ballet dancer, modern dancer, freeform dancer or tango star {For that matter, watch Flashdance}... the mind/body coordination and the balancing of the zillion and one factors that come into play. You might also consider the same factors that come into play in the martial arts and so on...

Now you're confusing physical agility, disciplined strength and eye-limb coordination with an intellectual exercise. In your rather non sequitor example, a cockroach walking on your ceiling has a much greater intellect than Jennifer Biel or Bruce Li or Stephen Hawking

Not at all. Dance as well as the martial arts requires considerable mental discipline as well as considerable thought. {The same holds true for most if the humanities, philosophy, the inexact sciences, literature, etc, etc...} That's not exactly true of most of the stuff they play in clubs these days but it is true of many forms of dance.

Paste either of these into google and you'll get an idea: "martial arts mental", "ballet dance mental". Dance simply requires a different sort of "intellectual exercise". You can't possibly believe that dancing the lead role in any major dance piece doesn't require one to use a huge amount of intellectual muscle, can you?

This is just sort of interesting: http://dance.stanford.edu/syllabi/smarter.htm http://web.hep.uiuc.edu/home/g-gollin/d ... ysics.html

A cockroach walking on my ceiling would be dead, but most of that has to do with instinct, natural abilities and so on. If it were trying to do some sort of semaphore move or something and communicate the meaning of life to me it would be a bit different.

Dancing is that mating ritual that humans do -- somewhat more sophisticated than that of, say, the Preying Mantis, yet nonetheless motivated by the same primal instincts.

Depends on the dancer.

Yes, if the dancer is from the planet Krypton, then yes.

If the dancers intent is to get laid, get guys/girls to stare at their wiggling rump or do a striptease you're probably right.

If their intent is to express something, or work out some new move, see how close they can slam their head to the ground without a concussion, play a part or work off all of last week's angst... it's something entirely different.

[The Chase]

Asking why dance music is simple is like asking why tires are round

[vurt]

Asking why dance music is simple is like asking why tires are round

dancing is simple so that it fits around wheels?
im not sure about that chase...

[deaf dunderkwac]

I go round and round ...

[Igor 4000]

it's been my experience that most people listen to dance music when they are dancing

If this doesn't answer the original question, I don't know what will.

[adj]

Has dancing ever really been an 'intellectual exercise'? I mean, what sort of dance would two physicists do during a discussion of quantum mechanical probabilities?

You've fallen prey to the modern myth that the sciences are somehow more intellectually challenging than the arts.

We're not talking about 'the arts', we're talking about dancing to electronic pop music, which, if it is 'an intellectual exercise' where you come from, then let me ask you, how many Angels can you fit on the head of a pin?

The thread's about the relative complexity of dance music. Dance is an art form, as is music, etc, etc...

No it's not, it's about "Why is electronic dance music typically very simple?"

{they work pretty hard at fostering that myth... it's not surprising that you've been taken in} There are other types of intellectual exercises. Not all of them require calculators.

Consider the years of practice that it takes to become a good ballet dancer, modern dancer, freeform dancer or tango star {For that matter, watch Flashdance}... the mind/body coordination and the balancing of the zillion and one factors that come into play. You might also consider the same factors that come into play in the martial arts and so on...

Now you're confusing physical agility, disciplined strength and eye-limb coordination with an intellectual exercise. In your rather non sequitor example, a cockroach walking on your ceiling has a much greater intellect than Jennifer Biel or Bruce Li or Stephen Hawking

Not at all. Dance as well as the martial arts requires considerable mental discipline as well as considerable thought. {The same holds true for most if the humanities, philosophy, the inexact sciences, literature, etc, etc...} That's not exactly true of most of the stuff they play in clubs these days but it is true of many forms of dance.

Paste either of these into google and you'll get an idea: "martial arts mental", "ballet dance mental". Dance simply requires a different sort of "intellectual exercise". You can't possibly believe that dancing the lead role in any major dance piece doesn't require one to use a huge amount of intellectual muscle, can you?

Bollocks! It requires the same sort of "huge intellectual muscle" as pole vaulting, wrestling, or any sort of gymnastics. You're confusing 'mental discipline' with "a huge amount of intellectual muscle".

When the ballerina takes steroids to diminish body fat, increase muscle tone and to make her jump higher and spin faster and increase her stamina, is she also hoping for the added benefit of increased intellect?

She's a dancer. Complex dance? Yes, but she is busy coordinating complex physical movements, to a theme. She's following a movement map in her cerebelum. Hiphop does the same, regardless of whether it appears less sophisticated to you.

This is just sort of interesting: http://dance.stanford.edu/syllabi/smarter.htm http://web.hep.uiuc.edu/home/g-gollin/d ... ysics.html

A cockroach walking on my ceiling would be dead, but most of that has to do with instinct, natural abilities and so on. If it were trying to do some sort of semaphore move or something and communicate the meaning of life to me it would be a bit different.

You need to learn more about ballet -- Ballet is ALL about romance...

Dancing is that mating ritual that humans do -- somewhat more sophisticated than that of, say, the Preying Mantis, yet nonetheless motivated by the same primal instincts.

Depends on the dancer.

Yes, if the dancer is from the planet Krypton, then yes.

If the dancers intent is to get laid, get guys/girls to stare at their wiggling rump or do a striptease you're probably right.

So, it's "alien" to wanna dance and f**k? Most of the daily 'human condition' revolves around procreational activities, although apparently not so much in your particular 'sophisticated' neighbourhood.

If their intent is to express something, or work out some new move, see how close they can slam their head to the ground without a concussion, play a part or work off all of last week's angst... it's something entirely different.

Huh?

I think YOU'RE the one from another planet.