What is 'Electronic'?

[CMB1888]

I always steer away from this section as I'm not really sure what sort of music this covers - I think I've got it wrong a few times.

Electronic seems to cover so many widely varying artists with really different appeal

Any chance of someone narrowing it down for me please?

[JonG]

Electronic seems to cover so many widely varying artists with really different appeal

I would say the same about rock, metal, jazz, classical, alternative...

Electronic music is largely defined by the technology used to produce it, much the way other genres are defined by their instruments. What the guitar is to rock things like synths, sequencers, samplers and computers are to electronic music. Because those items are the instruments. Electronic music has been around for some time, ever since there was an electric device made to produce music. I forget when exactly but it was in the early part of the twentieth century. It's largely influenced by classical. Then rock musicians starting using some of these electronic techniques in their music leading to things like krautrock and progressive rock.

It really got popular in the late 70's/early 80's when different styles of music like disco, rap, and industrial became inter-mingled and produced styles like techno, house and electro.

Most electronic music is meant to be danced to. There is a constant kick-drum, a bass-line and synths for the melody. It is single based, not album based. A lot of the artists produce music under many different aliases and different record labels. The songs don't always have the traditional song structure of verse-bridge-chorus-verse. There's no front-person to focus your attention on. They rarely play live. For these reasons it can be difficult for lay-people to approach electronic music.

I'm leaving out a lot but I don't want to go on for too long. This is a summary off the top of my head. Does it help?

This link should help as well:All Music Guide: Electronica

[CMB1888]

It does actually.

The thing that was confusing to me was that if the genre was defined by the technology used, rather than musical structure, then it seemed too wide-ranging to appeal to a particular musical taste.

However if you narrow it down to basically 'dance', then I understand it more as a genre.

I would also admit that I find it hard to take 'steeky beats' (a local derogative term for this type of music) seriously because of the seemingly typical listener - racer boys in corsas who go to Magaluf for their holidays! So this part of the forum intrigued me a little as I really hadn't realised that this was a type of music that could be taken more seriously than this.

The only music that I've really listened to and liked which seems falls under this genre is Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers - maybe Faithless as well.

If you had a couple of recommendations for current artists, I'd like to listen.

Thanks for the explanation

[trbc08]

Aphex Twin is pretty entry level for electronica/ambienty stuff. If you like that sort of thing, you might like the other stuff. I hear Squarepusher is pretty good too. Most of the electronic stuff I listen to is obscure old industrial bands from the 70's/80's and those have a more narrow appeal. Kraftwerk is not contemporary by any means (they were one of the first electronic bands) but their work is still relevant and amazing, so if you like the vintage electronics aspect of Battles you might like them.

[CMB1888]

Thanks - I don't really know what I'll like but I'll try these.

I have listened to Kraftwerk a fair bit - having been old enough to listen to them when they were contemporary. Back then I was also a huge Gary Numan fan (!)

[CMB1888]

- and Sparks - I loved Sparks

(my daughter has been listening to my old Sparks stuff over the last few weeks)

[JonG]

I didn't mean to give the impression that electronic music is only dance music. A lot of it is, but a lot of it isn't. The technology in electronic music makes it stand out - but like I said the machines are the instruments, and I believe most genres of music are partially defined by the instruments most commonly used to make them. It is also defined by the structure of the music. But there are many, many different sub-genres of electronic music. That's the case for every genre from rock to jazz. I think you're trying to think of electronic music in narrowly defined terms and then are confused when you're confronted with things that defy those terms.

Not all electronic music appeals to all fans of the genre. I certainly don't like a lot of it. Again, the same is true for all music genres. I believe you like rock, but do you like all styles of rock?

Some good cross-over artists are Daft Punk, Portishead, and Four Tet. The most well known of the artists I regularly listen to are Richie Hawtin and Ricardo Villalobos. Oh, and Matthew Dear. He is also some-what of a crossover.

[trbc08]

Oh yeah, I forgot Portishead... Bjork has some nice electronic stuff too.

[CMB1888]

I didn't mean to give the impression that electronic music is only dance music. A lot of it is, but a lot of it isn't.

I think you're trying to think of electronic music in narrowly defined terms and then are confused when you're confronted with things that defy those terms.

It's okay -I get it enough for my current purposes. I'm not too confused!

It's not so different from what I thought and I'm reassured by the fact that I've at least heard of most of the recommendations.

Don't worry I'll treat the music you love respectfully!

[Tiggi]

I was also a huge Gary Numan fan (!)

...And you had the temerity to call me out for using the word "thang" ??????

Good God, woman.....