Examples of 'cutting edge' dance/electronic music?

[Davias]

The more I listen to the examples posted in this thread the more I realize just how limited the dance genre is when it comes to harmony.

Anybody got some examples of a dance track that explores things like going through several different keys in a single short track? I mean, Bach did this already 400 years ago.. surely it's time to explore melody and harmony a bit more, no? Or are we so stuck with the beat and keeping things simple?

I'm a real ass when it comes to melody and harmony, but maybe this (quite melodic) psy full on goa whatever trance track could fit the description ? I would like to hear your though about it

This song is still only in one key and uses only about 5 different chords with some inversions.

What I was talking about was basically going through several different keys within one song, meaning it's whole structure shifts so the dominant 5th changes together with the root note etc.

Cheers!
bManic

Ok thanks for pointing me out ^^ I guess is still have everything to learn about music theory

[xoxos]

I believe this is the future of dance music:

with all those reincarnated great grandparent punters being born nowadays, you'd be a fool not to get on this first, now!
http://www.xoxos.net/temp/ballroom_time.mp3

damn, a real black man!
*the stuff*

[xoxos]

heard a few neovox tracks, maybe not cutting edge as it's certainly psy, "contemporary" works for me.

[bermudagold]

so according to one of the dominant mags followed on this site it's all "bass music" now? And it is all being played together at all the festivals. so what is "edm" again?,...and exactly what can be played in what room again?...and who is allowed to dance in what specific way to it? So if electronic "trap" hip hop and "afro bass" and "reggaeton" and "dancehall" all get played together,..will people stop dancing? And if all of a sudden sexual dancing, and male/female pairing, and "peacocking", and moshing breaks out, will "edm" crowds run for the exits?...stop buying tickets?
This just shows me that these definitions and monikers are useless, especially edm for what it apparently actually means. The industry and the djs are just constantly looking for ways to drum up excitement to drive commerce in a flagging musical economy. Human nature wants to believe they are part of some type of movement, secretly in the know about something, celebrating small differences to self identify, feel a part of something,...often so they can look down on something else. I think at this point, it is extremely difficult to carve out a unique signature sound that really resonates as new, and I couldn't personally classify anything I've heard in this or the edm melody thread as cutting edge. So no matter the myriad of reason we slice and dice it, try to make it quantitative and scientific, and apply definitions and rules,....people will always make electronic music outside that, people will always dance to it,...and it will always get grouped together by the larger populace because it all borrows from each other and blends into each other on multiple levels. Just make whatever bleeps, blops, squeals, and splooshes you enjoy and let people dance to it. I think the whole electronica scene takes itself way to seriously.

http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/wha ... sic-574712

[xoxos]

Human nature wants to believe they are part of some type of movement, secretly in the know about something

i think it is perhaps often that human teenagers hope to find some kind of cultural transformation to give them hope that all of this bullshit culture will change.

course, they'll be needing some capital to keep up with the new releases and getting to festivals.

i'm not sure that humans would intrinsically prefer to be a part of a greater thing if they weren't oppressed by a populous vector. individuals i've met from other cultural paradigms don't seem to be big on joining up.

[jancivil]

these definitions and monikers
definitions and rules

there is a lot of language going on up above what actually happens. which is a deliberately restricted, as if forming normative behaviors for a clique or club, thing; a sort of enforcement of conformity. joining a gang.

only a certain range of tempi is acceptable, you breed rhythmic complexity out of dancing behind an ideology. you can decide that you can't move unless certain elements, quanitifiable->predictable and as described in language are provided.

it is taking an approach to language that's really appropriate for marketing, but these strange intellectual pretenses accrue from this, not just superfice but above that, lingo qua lingo.

[Davias]

After reading all this topic, I think I like only cutting edge music... Whatever that means. This is why I don't like parties were my friends are going and I don't like what I hear in parties I choose to go myself. And what I hear at home I like it a little bit, because it is my playlist but not so much because it only tends to what I would want to hear for real, so nothing is cutting edge enough for me

[ghettosynth]

it is taking an approach to language that's really appropriate for marketing, but these strange intellectual pretenses accrue from this, not just superfice but above that, lingo qua lingo.

Well, you are certainly the expert on intellectual pretense. Look, if you're not interested in the relationship between sound and dancing, ok, but, just because you have nothing to say about it does not mean that there is nothing interesting that can be said about it.

Here's the abstract of an interesting recent paper.

THE PRESENT STUDY AIMS TO GAIN BETTER INSIGHT
into the connection between music and dance by exam-
ining the dynamic effects of the bass drum on a dancing
audience in a club-like environment. One hundred
adult participants moved freely in groups of five to
a musical sequence that comprised six songs. Each song
consisted of one section that was repeated three times,
each time with a different sound pressure level of the
bass drum. Hip and head movements were recorded
using motion capture and motion sensing. The study
demonstrates that people modify their bodily behavior
according to the dynamic level of the bass drum when
moving to contemporary dance music in a social con-
text. Participants moved more actively and displayed
a higher degree of tempo entrainment as the sound
pressure level of the bass drum increased. These results
indicate that the prominence of the bass drum in con-
temporary dance music serves not merely as a stylistic
element; indeed, it has a strong influence on dancing
itself.

This should tell you at least two things: 1) There is interest in some research communities in understanding the connection between dancing as a response to music, and 2) That the sonic content of music DOES impact HOW people choose to dance.

Very low audio frequencies have interesting affects on humans. I suspect, in fact, that part of the recent interest in "Bass Music" is related to enjoyment and exploration of these effects. It was quite common to see kids in the Jungle room sitting in the bass bins. The linked article earlier pointed out that what most bass music has in common is significant audio content below 50 hz. Reproducing audio below 30hz at significant volume is challenging and the ability to do so well has improved recently but has always been an order of magnitude more expensive than reproducing higher frequency audio.

people will always make electronic music outside that, people will always dance to it

Thank you captain obvious. The problem with statements like this is that they're something like religious apologetics, they might make you feel good about your "understanding", but they explain nothing. It's quite easy to criticize someone else's hypothesis, it's a bit more challenging to actually come up with an alternative hypothesis yourself that is not also easy to criticize.

If you're satisfied with your understanding, then good for you. If you want to criticize mine, knock yourself out, just don't confuse an unsupported caricature of my argument with a rebuttal.

[BITWORD]

Bass Music

[bermudagold]

@ ghettosynth
relax dude no need to get antagonistic nor defensive
I'm actually a fan of your contribution in both of these threads and straight up said that.
That doesn't mean I have to agree with everything you think or say.
I haven't intended to caricature any of your positions other than to poke a lil fun while questioning what is plain for anyone to read in your posts in the two threads. Just because I didn't quote academic studies didn't make my offering unsupported. And as for offering an alternate hypothesis or rebuttal...there was no need....but I did offer as food for thought another point of view....that's what the link was for...did you read it?
Do I find it ironic that someone with the alias ghettosynth doesn't seem too interested in much of the synth music coming out of the world's ghettos...yes...but that's cool too
If you are happy with your understanding, and enjoy the narrow confines of it,..then more power to you. But dont expect everyone to want to live in that world with you or be insulted that it would bore some to tears, and then want to chastise them for it.
If any of that somehow offended you I apologize. Then again you could just follow your own advice espoused in your signature...peace

@ xoxox and jancivil
interesting points...more food for thought

[ZenPunkHippy]

I love the way people assume those of us who love dance music aren't capable of listening to or enjoying other music!

Brilliant! Bravo!

Now, back to the DOOF! DOOF! DOOF! DOOF!



Peace,
Andy.

[bermudagold]

I love the way people assume those of us who love dance music aren't capable of listening to or enjoying other music!

Brilliant! Bravo!

Now, back to the DOOF! DOOF! DOOF! DOOF!



Peace,
Andy.

c'mon man....how did you make that connection?
never said anything like that. Clearly that would be impossible, because tons of your "dance" music, maybe even the majority, borrows from other music....house, jungle, dubstep
thats the whole borrowing and blending construct I was trying to offer earlier that makes the whole impetus for exclusivity as opposed to inclusivity futile IMO. Coming from someone who loves music of all kinds, including electronic,...and has danced on every continent except one

[ZenPunkHippy]

c'mon man....how did you make that connection?
never said anything like that. Clearly that would be impossible, because tons of your "dance" music borrows from it....house, jungle, dubstep

The comment wasn't specifically directed at you, it's more of a general observation from this and other threads.

Peace,
Andy.

[bermudagold]

c'mon man....how did you make that connection?
never said anything like that. Clearly that would be impossible, because tons of your "dance" music borrows from it....house, jungle, dubstep

The comment wasn't specifically directed at you, it's more of a general observation from this and other threads.

Peace,
Andy.

thats interesting,..cause my observation has been that people think that way about those who love hip hop ...the danger in generalizations i guess
Not that it's in any way near enough data points for me to claim as representative,...My experience has actually been the opposite. The techno heads or ravers I have met actually have had more diverse music collections and pay to see live more artists per year, than the people I know who hate techno(edm/dance)....go figure....

[t3toooo]

edm,i'don't know when this term showed up,probably the last years,
also i don't know who created this term.
anyway i can't classify edm but i can say anything that is almost created electronically and danceable should fit in there.


then there is for example rhythm and blues,r&b,
same thing don't know who created that word but i guess it underscores the meaning much better than a general/diffuse term like edm,

btw,you can dance to r&b too.