Show me some melody in modern electronic music.

[Sendy]

Or you can get barefoot, put on some music that makes you feel good and dance in your living room or bedroom. You'll soon find out which music brings out the trance in you and which doesn't.

True enough, but I think it helps to be around other people. Otherwise, our inhibitions will not be challenged.

Peace,
Andy.

Good point. When I first tried it though I felt like I was being watched anyway lol. But dancing with others is the best. I really miss the house parties and scene in the 90's, lots of d+b tunes and very little chat, I'm usually the first on my feet even though I've struggled with shyness. Since I've moved away from London the few parties I've been to now are all sitting around and talking about stuff, which if you don't know most of the people in the room is pretty daunting as they're all talking about events, people and memes I can only guess at. And usually the result is an understanding that it's good that I'm out of my comfort zone but I can't wait until I can GTFO, lol

[bermudagold]

This track by Axis of Awesome (the guys who performed "4 Chords") sums up modern club music very well



Brilliant!

This and the four chords made my friday!...thanks for that
Here i was thinking these same things all this time and figuring it was just me

[ZenPunkHippy]

When I first tried it though I felt like I was being watched anyway lol.

Yeah, I know that feeling too ... WEIRD!

... all sitting around and talking about stuff, which if you don't know most of the people in the room is pretty daunting as they're all talking about events, people and memes I can only guess at. And usually the result is an understanding that it's good that I'm out of my comfort zone but I can't wait until I can GTFO, lol

It can be a bit cliquey at times!

This article from Vice magazine is a fun read. Some people didn't quite get it and took offence. But really ... they should lighten up a little ..

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/a-big-ni ... ance-party

The various characters identified in the article are spot on

Peace,
Andy.

[bermudagold]

Great stuff, I think that you've posted some of those before in another thread just like this one. Of course, that's only dance music for a very liberal interpretation of dancing.

It's true: the more interesting the music, the further you're moving away from a certain type of dancefloor. Although having said that, in the early days of dubstep most people said you couldn't dance to it. They said it was too slow, not really understanding that the dancefloor worked at 140bpm rather than the 70bpm that dubstep technically is. Now it (or some bastardised version of it) is the big thing on mainstream dancefloors worldwide!

Well yes, except, I'd replace "interesting" with "less danceable", but then we just have an uninteresting tautology. DnB had the same issue with danceability, frankly, I don't really think that it's ever been resolved with either DnB or dubstep. The really long term danceable stuff seems to lie between about 115 and 130 BPM. IIRC, I even think that I've cited some research on this in some other thread. Nonetheless, that's getting far afield.

All I was saying that the music that you presented is indeed interesting and not very danceable. Personally, though, I think that a lot of house music is also interesting and danceable. If you had said that the more rhythmically inconsistent something is, the less danceable, then I would agree.

I guess what I really mean is that I just can't wait for this dubstep phase to pass so we can move on to something that I loathe less.

great thread....seems like part of the problem is not just the definitions of melody, but the definition of dance and dance music. People dance all over the world to different cadences and rhythmic structures from a pretty wide variety of tempos. The common denominator is whether its the music itself or the emotions, cultural significance, or events that are tied to it, people are induced to move in a natural compelling way. So what is dance music?
I also agree with zenpunkhippy...a lot of cultural scenes involving music are more about the feel then the components.
Your post have eloquently articulated many truths so far, so I'm curious ghettosynth why you dont like dubstep and/or think it is undanceable? Aside from the transformers having sex skrillex type stuff, I've actually been surprised how much dubstep I've heard that is quite danceable to me unlike dnb. Although most of the stuff i like I've been told is "chillstep" or "liquid dubstep"?. It allows you to skank and makes you wanna bubble like the back of packed sweaty dancehall session. In fact a lot of it made me want to close my eyes and just bubble cause it had an emotional, spiritual, escapist quality ....which ironically reminded me of the best deep house I use to hear in chicago, new york, and baltimore

[vurt]

what is "bubbling"?

[ZenPunkHippy]

what is "bubbling"?

I think it's something to do with a "bong"

[highkoo]

I can confirm that bongs do bubble.
It is part of their normal functioning.

[vurt]

ah, so it makes you wanna get high.
fair enough, i kinda like it as a turn of phrase
never heard it before.

[musikmachine]

I thought it was similar to bogling. Is that what you mean bermudagold?

[vurt]

in your room bogling to aswad!

[codec_spurt]

what is "bubbling"?

Yes i..




Operator play the music that we love so well..
Everyone is feeling Irey far as I can tell.



They come around here, playing their bloody jungle music.

Irey.


Yes i.





Coz i man feel like bubbling...

[codec_spurt]

in your room bogling to aswad!

Oh i see, you knew about that too. Didn't realise you got the joke.



Must read all of thread before replying in future.

Still, great track.

[ghettosynth]

I'm curious ghettosynth why you dont like dubstep and/or think it is undanceable?

So, as I said, I think that dancability and tempo are linked and, for the most part, the tempos are either too slow or too fast depending on what one locks onto.

As far as why I don't like it, well, that might be an essay in and of itself. But, in short, I think that much of the style has evolved in the post-rave EDM events as concert era and I think that this has impacted the appreciation of subtlety. For me, most dubstep is un-interestingly in your face. This is just my opinion, however, and I don't want anyone to think that I'm asserting anything that could be described as "truth."

Aside from the transformers having sex skrillex type stuff,

Which I pretty much hate.

I've actually been surprised how much dubstep I've heard that is quite danceable to me unlike dnb. Although most of the stuff i like I've been told is "chillstep" or "liquid dubstep"?. It allows you to skank and makes you wanna bubble like the back of packed sweaty dancehall session. In fact a lot of it made me want to close my eyes and just bubble cause it had an emotional, spiritual, escapist quality ....which ironically reminded me of the best deep house I use to hear in chicago, new york, and baltimore

Yeah, I could be tricked into enjoying chillstep after a good house set, or if I found myself in the chillroom. I also like some of that for listening. Some of it is very reminiscent of groups like 808 state and orbital. On the flip side, there's a fine line between emotional and cheesy and it's a very easy line to step over. I have to be in the right frame of mind to endure the cheese.

I hear where you're coming from though, especially if you're talking about when you're tired from a lot of dancing, there's something appealing about subtle breakbeats and it can trigger a different sort of dancing where the synchronization aspect takes a back seat to conscious interpretation.

[highkoo]

un-interestingly in your face

Man, thats a good way to put it.

First, I am a fan of dubstep in general, although the more 'roots' stuff, and the newer it is, the more I hate it, apparently. But, Im ignoring the distinction here, because I think I know what kind of music you are probably talking about. And of course, Im just ranting about the all the new chaff. Theres always good stuff.

I was just on SoundCloud cruising around.
I will listen to some stuff that is fairly 'in your face', just to get a taste of it.

Sonically, I can find it pretty interesting, even when it is abrasive. Thats why I think I still listen. But, the arrangement that seems to go along with it is almost infuriating. It makes me angry.
They cant stick to a groove at all. Im realizing that now that in itself is a thing. They dont want to stick to a groove. Groove isnt a thing.
No idea is sustained for more than eight bars, maximum. No subtlety is maintained. So a track might hit on a couple of cool things. But, they are a couple out of fifty that only happen for a bar each.
It is exhausting and empty to listen to over a length of time.
I dont mind abrasiveness, but to what point? If its just there to be sustained at all costs, wtf? Every track sounds like a preset demo.

And the effect on me is is that I dont care, cuz it seems that they dont.
They might hit a good groove, and I think "Cool!", and then they drop into another unrelated loop two bars later, and I think "You silly bastards."

But I guess that all also describes some of my music too.

[ZenPunkHippy]

The problem with this modern dubstep (Skrillex ...) is that it seems to be enabling a very aggressive dance floor culture. I never, ever want to be at a dance party where this is considered normal: