Two and a half decades ago, when heavy metal began to gain a beer-belly, and rap started to get faster and restless, people decided to flock to the gardens of EDM. Electronic Dance Music showed that it was laidback and displayed very evidently in its actions that it held no intent on being heavy on the ears nor was it in a hurry to get somewhere.
Perhaps that laidback attitude and the pure love for creating ecstatic atmospheres with mere beats and blending diverse genres and vocals have got EDM to this place today - where other genres are eager to shake hands with this massive US$ 6.9 billion industry.
The thing about EDM is that it never stopped getting ahead. It was constantly on the lookout for newer possibilities. From mainstream house to trance it imparted its legacy toward the creation of other healthy subgenres like dubstep, techno, chillstep, hard style, drum and bass, electro, trap and then some.
A prime quality in house music is that there is no compulsion in understanding a signature. In the eras of rock and early stages of hip hop, there was extreme violence caused due to ego and jealousy. One artist just couldn't stand another. Even the fans in that league didn't have it easy. It was a tough time as one fan would have a problem accepting the views and interests of a person who followed another artist. The trend was built that way. Earlier, with fewer platforms and opportunities, the mindset was I am greater than thou.
EDM won where the other genres failed to try. EDM is considered to be the most amiable form of music. In terms of collaboration, no other music genre is able to dish out collaborations with other music styles the way EDM accommodates and cherishes. EDM has no qualms and has proved that it can successfully collaborate with other genres or artists of other music styles like jazz, contemporary, dancehall, blues, hip hop, rap, soul, reggae, and even rock.
EDM was the last to come, but the latest to stay. The acceptance is widespread. On the fields of EDM, the artists create, share, network and exchange a lot of music. That is what makes it such a beautiful planet. There is no competition. It is more like you do your thing and I will do mine and if we wish we both can jam up and do our own thing together. There is harmony and understanding and appreciation among the talent in EDM culture.
Unlike R&B, hip hop, rock, country, or pop music, EDM doesn't bank much on album sales. Fact be told, EDM is not big on album sales. EDM artists prefer playing LIVE mixes to their audiences in festivals and dance conferences than having to make money through the traditional format of album or record sales. Most of the income for the creators in the EDM spectrum comes from shows, the ever-growing music festivals, clubs, collaborations, and production.
If we have to take a look at the scientific value behind the marvellous magnitude that EDM has created, it is perhaps the very anatomy of the music's composure. Tony Andrew, owner and founder of Funktion-One sound system (labelled as the most advanced model of audio technology) states,
"Dance music would not be so successful without bass. If you think about it, we've really only had amplified bass for around 50 years. Big bass is only a couple of generations old. Before the invention of speakers that could project true bass frequencies, humans really only came across bass in hazardous situations--for example, when thunder struck, or an earthquake shook, or from explosions caused by dynamite or gunpowder. That is probably why it is by far the most adrenaline-inducing frequency that we have. Bass gets humans excited basically. Below 90 or 100 Hz, bass becomes more of a physical thing. It vibrates specific organs. It vibrates our bones. It causes minor molecular rearrangement, and that is what makes it so potent as a force in dance music. The molecular vibration caused by bass is what gives dance music its power. It is what makes dance music so pleasurable to hear through a proper sound system."
It is precisely this reason why EDM is such a beautiful confederation uniting people from across the world at some of the greatest music festivals like Tomorrowland, Coachella, Glastonbury, etc. Since EDM is feel-good music in itself, it is even better when it is shared - and with the alignment of space-sound ratios, vibrant and energetic artists, the people, and the blissful vocals it has turned out to be one of the most enjoyable, liveable, and sought-after music styles for this century (and we are hoping beyond).