I am rather lucky that I am able to attend many electronic music events every year. The problem is, attending these events means that I am witnessing firsthand a descent into repetitive, worn out sets. Unfortunately, as many other electronic fans can attest, this is a downward spiral that has been going on for quite some time. Too many DJs take the decks hoping to please the crowd, instead of displaying their own musical personality.
You used to go to events and hear the DJ unfold hidden gems, not play already over saturated tracks. What happened to the innovation? Is it too much to ask to be able to attend an event and not hear Martin Garrix’s Animals or a Clarity vocal? Sadly, it is becoming more and more apparent this is, in fact, too much to ask for.
Major electronic music events are just turning into lineups of washed up producers (note I didn’t call them DJs) playing the same commercial house “hits” over and over. The melodies get old, the vocals get old and the percussive two note drops get annoying.
This is not a new phenomena, but it is becoming too much to handle. There were a few hits along the way, Levels, Internet Friends etc., that were overplayed beyond belief. Now the same handful of songs seem to permeate major sets around the world, creating an obnoxious repetition. DJs need to expand their repertoire and leave the crowds’ comfort zones far behind. They need to play tracks that fit their style, their sound. Tracks that can define them. The overplaying of the same tracks is really starting to get out of hand. Instead of pleasing crowds DJs should be putting forth their own style.
It seems that the art of DJing is being thrown away for pressing play on chart topping tracks. It is sad really. The DJ set should be a piece of art, intricately formed and melded throughout the time at the decks. Instead, it seems each DJ comes up with one set and then play it for months on end. The same tracks, mashups and even in the same order, regardless of the location or crowd. In some sense it gives a feeling of comfort to the crowd, knowing exactly what the DJ will play. The throngs of people coming out to these shows deserve better, even if they don’t know it.
Now don’t take this as me being some whiny blogger just sitting here, pecking away at my keyboard telling you that the art of DJing is dying and there is no hope for electronic music, because there is. I care about electronic music and its direction and it kills me inside to see it going further and further down the road of redundancy. I am just stating my concerns about a growing problem. I am not sitting on my high horse telling you to stop listening to your favorite DJ because they played Animals in their last set, that’s not my point. There are still plenty of DJs out there that hold true to their musical personality, not abiding by whats hot on the Beatport charts. I pray that one day people will get bored of the big room “bangers” and, in search of something unique and new, discover the true DJs electronic music has to offer.
Fans and DJs are closely tied to each other in a relationship that guides electronic music. DJs will continue to play music as long as the fans are enjoying it. In order for electronic music to move forward one half of that relationship must push the other. So I say to both listeners and DJs alike, don’t be afraid of experimentation. Experimentation leads to discovery which, in turn, leads to the future of our music.
It is really annoying to see producers(“DJs”) play the same sets over and over. Originality has plummetted, but they don’t seem to care, just bring those tracks in front of any club(festival) without changing shit. That’s fuckin bad!
I totally agree new sounds and experiment!
Electronic music evolves in the underground, where Psytrance, and original House are still very much alive. This guy is right, today “EDM” is all about pleasing the crowd.
You find more originality at undergrounds than you do at bigger events.
This is what I noticed at the largest stages at EDC and I really hope this doesn’t become the main trend at EDM festivals.
SO TRUE. a lot of my favorite people are playing the “crowd pleasers” instead of their own things that I would love to hear. it makes me not even want to go to shows anymore.
I agree with this 100 percent. I think that if your payed to play at shows or festivals, your set should be like a window into your brain, where your fans can listen to the music you love, and not the shit that everyone else is playing.
I encourage all my EDM loving friends to read this! Very well put… Couple standout sentences “Is it too much to ask to be able to attend an event and not hear Martin Garrix’s Animals or a Clarity vocal? Sadly, it is becoming more and more apparent this is, in fact, too much to ask for.” “… and the percussive two note drops get annoying.” ” I am not sitting on my high horse telling you to stop listening to your favorite DJ because they played Animals in their last set, that’s not my point.”. @Tara Tabatabaei
Oh wait, nobody is going to go to those shows though.
Why is it that EM fans can’t seem to fathom an artist playing the same set for 6 months on tour around the world, like EVERY OTHER MUSICAL ARTIST ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET? I’m sorry if some poor music blogger has to suffer through listening to the same sets five to ten times while they are attending five to ten music festivals. If it is such a painful burden, why not go see something other than the mainstage for once in your life and hear different music by attending different artists? What logic is there in watching the same artists over and over while ignoring other you’ve never seen, and then complaining that you never hear anything new?
notice, wasnt pleased with shm last tour and their last set.. it was some bullshit imo. might as well just put an greatest hits album and play it to the crowd live..
Because you are going to the wrong festivals and seeing the wrong artists perform, simple as that. Go to Shambhala, hands down the best music festival I have ever been to. The music is new, underground and amazing not only from the headliners but from all the local artists who play. Not only that, but its probably the best party atmosphere on the planet. Friendly down to earth people and even the douchebags gain a little humility there. A true music lovers paradise.
Except Shambhala is literally only for bassheads.
one of the reasons i stopped going was because i was feeling what this article describes
Man do I love going to a Foo Fighters concert to hear the latest hit from Jason Mraz.
That is why I love Laidback Luke. His sets are way out of the comfort zone lol.
Want original and innovative sounds? Take a peek at Andrew Bayer’s discography and stop complaining about industry whores like Avicii playing “Levels” year after year.
this.
I’ll see you at Sham 🙂 My first time, I hear its like nothing you’ve ever experienced. I went to Paradiso this year but I’m expecting this to be a whole other level
Written perfectly. Too many DJs are not staying true to themselves and the music they once began producing. Unfortunately as you see more of these so called “EDM hipsters” coming into the scene you will be bound to see more DJs spinning the same shit to please this new crowd (this crowd is invading the scene in masses). It’s time they hang up their neon colored tank tops and go find out what made EDM, EDM. The innovative loops and samples, heavy build ups and crazy sick drops. If I hear “Clarity” one more f*cking time…I sware I am going to lose my mind, and not in the good way I like to from time to time.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151774868038534&set=a.422119508533.193782.17185558533&type=1&theater
That’s why I liked Avicii’s set at UMF this March.
He came on stage, played ‘Levels’ in the first 10 minutes and then went crazy with new music and collaborations. Many people were angered by the strange set, but then after a few weeks people started to understand that the fact they can say they heard ‘Wake Me Up’ live for the first time is worth more than saying that ‘Levels’ or ‘Silhouettes’ was crazy.
They’re not hipsters; they haven’t been here long enough. They’re the “EDM douche-bros.” It’s those idiots that came to “the scene” after thinking that that piece of sh*t LMFAO was electronic music. -_-
Yea A LOT of people hated him for that “country music stunt” but hey, at least he was actually trying to change it up. Also, did you notice how most of the people that were pissed off were the “douche-bros?” It was the same people who have NO IDEA about real electronica and whose only introduction to “the scene” was levels.
The problem is most people can’t differentiate between a producer (Avicii or Madeon) and a dj (A-Trak or Laidback Luke). Producers stay close to what’s topping on beatport. They will also most likely have an Ableton set predone and ready to press play. DJ’s are the ones who will have their own style and ability to put together a set based on what the crowd mood is like.
tl;dr: Producers and DJ’s are different. Yet they both play the style of music to the same crowd at the same events.
I totally agree with you guys ! What Avicii did at UMF was realy another level…He is a producer and he actually played his productions ! WTF guys the statement “People don’t dance nowadays, the just jump to the beat” , says it all . Where is the DANCE part really ? Produsers need to find that . Ok bangers and bigroom sounds we all like to hear but we should have the limits…Wake me up is , at least in my opinion gamechanging…So is “Get lucky” . Thinking out of the f@@king box is what we need right now ! This is the only way to improve the music we love .I can’t believe tha there is a true EDM Fan that wants to see his “music family” to become mainstream shit…Also not every produser is a DJ…It seems that the technical part is missing…
I first played “Levels” at Ambar, Perth on September 30th 2011. That sums it up.
Porter robinson by far the best dj in tbe world and my idol
Yeay, finally someone who calls them producers, not DJs, yeay! *clap clap* I mean I go to festivals to hear the music on a good sound system and to experience something. First, I want to listen to the producers’ tracks when they go on stage. When on Fri + Sat Dyro, Hardwell, Nicky Romero, Nervo, Vicetone, Nari & Milani, Steve Angello, DM & LM, Showtek, W&W… are performing, I’m expecting that they play their songs, but of course I don’t want to hear Animals every fuckin hour (what I’m very afraid of now hehe, thanks Jacob xD).
edm snob!
I agree with many of your points but put yourself in the place of those who are seeing the show for the first time, which is 99% of everyone in attendance; they come expecting to hear the songs that you’re complaining about.
Every smart DJ plays to the crowd, utilizing whatever tools (songs) necessary to make “the crowd” jump and scream in euphoria. No DJ should ever attempt to satisfy the expectations of one arcane fan, like yourself, at the expense of everyone else.
The big issue with EDM is that everything sounds so much alike; originality is rare. Song structure seldom deviates from a path so predictable that there is seldom any surprises. And no wonder, everyone is working with the same electronic tools. In the disco era of the 70s, and the dance rock era of the 80s, every act had a profoundly unique sound and identity, this is not the case with EDM and this must change.
There is so much to be excited about when it comes to EDM, finally, the culture is moving away from the narcissism and misogyny of HIP HOP and embracing songs about love and happiness again. Melody is returning to dance music. EDM is the music of a generation, it’s voice. It’s the soundtrack to the lives of Millennials and the experiences they are having right now as they come of age and embrace their potential.
EDM must stop being so narrowly defined. I have every expectation that the music will mature and become more than what it is, but for this to happen fans of EDM must accept that the music can exceed past its present limits and expectations and embrace a wide range of sounds. For example, the very first EDM song of great popularity was Donna Summer’s I Feel Love in 1977. It hit at the peak of the Disco era. It was so different from everything else at the time that it had a profound impact on all pop music, not just dance music; it represented an evolutionary leap. Where is 2013’s I Feel Love? Who are the breakout artists that redefine the genre and keep it alive and fresh?
Unfortunately, the genre and its artists seem in a state of stagnation. A listen to Serius XM radio’s BPM, or any other EDM channel, sounds no different today than it did a year ago, or two years ago. Does a Tiesto track today sound so much different than a Tiesto track from 2003? Or earlier? Not really. Innovation and evolution must occur or the EDM phenomena will never realize its full potential to become the dominate force in mainstream music for the next 20 years.
Artist must take risks. Not just with their music, but with their performances. At Winter Music Conference in Miami last year, I witnessed both Tiesto and Guetta at Club Liv at the Fountainbleu “press play” and fake performances. Each show was a $250 admission and at each show the audience was clueless that these EDM stars were playing a prerecorded set. Both continuously turned away from the console to glad hand VIPs while mixes took place without their making them happen. This level of disrespect for a paying audience has the potential to seriously damage EDM and must stop. DJs must perform their sets LIVE.
One thing is for certain… Dance music is here to stay, it never goes away. The question is… How long will we be dancing to EDM, and how much cultural influence will it have on our society? Only time will tell.
I think it’s important to draw a distinction between electronic music fans like ourselves and “the crowd”. “The crowd” is not interested in learning more about the underground scene or the roots of electronic music. They’re there for the party and they want to hear tracks they know. For them, this is just another trend that will die along with every other trend. They’re not real electronic music lovers in the same way we are. I don’t mean this in a music snob kind of way. I just mean that they don’t have the kind of connection to the music that we do.
So there’s no point in worrying about “the scene”. Their scene isn’t our scene, although there’s obviously some overlap which is where the friction comes from. Our scene will be alive and well long after “the crowd” has moved on to other things. In the meantime, let them have their fun. They don’t care what you think.
As for the DJ’s who play commercial hits over and over, they’re just riding the edm wave of popularity for fame and money. Besides, isn’t every DJ playing what the crowd wants to hear? Unless they’ve been booked at the wrong gig, even the most “underground” DJ knows he or she is playing to an audience that’s receptive to experimental music, so is that really any more of a risk? I understand that the difference is new/innovative music versus commercial hits, but they’re both playing what the audience wants to hear.
Bob Sinclar AT Digital Dreams Festival ENOUGH SAID! 🙁
Bob Sinclar AT Digital Dreams Festival ENOUGH SAID! 🙁
EDM died for me almost 2 years ago. Psy music took me in.
EDM died for me almost 2 years ago. Psy music took me in.
go to Movement in Detroit!
The same malakas who used to laugh and make fun of trance and house while calling them “techno music” are the ones at all these events…There’s no more build ups and the sets which were once intense journeys have become non stop bigroom fist pump bangers for 2 hours. Not to mention if I hear that god daamn chainsaw plugin one more time I’m going to lose it. Everyone is playing heavy heavy sets, it’s so redundant, no originality, thank god for people like Ottaviani, Aly fil who know how to play a real set.
EDM hipsters ruined the scene along with Swedish House Mafia Fanboys. I bet if you show these people an old Who’s who track or Angello & Ingrosso remix they would say it’s garbage too. End rant.
brb going to take pilgrimage to a Luciano and Ricardo Villalobos 24 hour dark, minimal set in the middle of the amazon jungle….
RADIO and Top 100 Dictates it is all no matter what – major venues pay DJs to play songs everyone is familiar with so that people can grow loving the venue, spend the money and spread the word virally – DJs get major dollar to play at POP venues to POP audience – it goes without saying its not the DJs that need to be more creative its the audience that has a choice to attend a venue where a major DJ will play a pop song that everyone plays or attend an underground venue to hear some new innovative stuff – yes Radio will shove down a shitty song into throats of kids by playing it 1000 times a day but eventually it’s up to the “educated” audience to decide and drive ratings – Music Business adjusts to what people like lately – hence the whole independent fuck a label movement has been growing – but for me as a DJ if I’m getting paid 100,000 a night to play a major venue to bunch of young college kids – I will damn sure incorporate everything that’s popular because I have to know already what my audience is going to like yet maintain a balance of marketing my innovation and creativity as a DJ.
dig deep, be true to your sound and do it for the love of the music.
I think the problem is that EDM festivals became the new mainstream music experience event for a whole generation. The people at those festivals want to hear what they know and if there is something new it hast to be similar to what they know. That happens when something becomes mainstream. The success formula is clear: create some high pitched melody with those unbelievable annoying standard synths and kill some time with it in order to get ready for the DRoOOOoP. For the drop throw a vocal in front and let a fat kick hammer on for quite some time => Beatport No1 Hit is done.
I personally love to create music and recently made this track I personally love to listen to in my car or at a lake and many friends like it but it simply will never get a chance to be listened by a broader audience since it is not the standard formula for creating beatport music.
For this deep house track I got like 200 plays but I’m sure if a big name producer came up with this it would have been played up and down at festival sites.
If you want to give it a listen and convince yourself, feel free to listen:
https://soundcloud.com/hit8run/miles-away
I see a lot of people agreeing and disagreeing, but DJs play what the crowd wants to hear. Maybe if the crowd didn’t want to hear it anymore, the acts would change their tune. I’m a sucker for a banger like anyone else is, but I’ll be damned if I shell out good money to see an act that I know won’t deliver. There is plenty of music to go around out there, instead of flooding the Main Stage, go to a tent with different music and try it on for size. If the main stage acts get less popular, than they will be forced to change the formula. I applauded EDC for their Sunday lineup this year for that exact reason. To those who knew them, Richie Hawtin, UMEK, and Carl Cox were huge names, but for this that didn’t they got a taste of something different. Long story short, if you’re sick of going to festivals and hearing the same thing…walk around a bit.
Great article! this has been on my mind alot recently.
I’d like to add to this. What’s up with the 1 hour sets? Also Why is there silence in between some sets during festivals now?
its going to eventually be the end of these big festivals, people wont keep getting scammed over and over again, people just are not as stupid as the promoters and fake dj’s think they are… people will get sick of hearing the same crap, its the same thing that killed the scene in the 90’s, no talent ass clown dj’s trainwrecking the same 9 o10 popular tracks, it will take it back to when festivals barely existed, just watch, I give it 5 years at best.
By far the best article about EDM and it’s movement.
Obviously the writer of this article doesn’t listen to very many live sets, the set that hardwell played at ultra was mostly new music. People should write articles on fact not by pulling bullshit out of their ass. I am constantly hearing new tracks being released. Jacob Marmor don’t write an article if you don’t know what you are talking about. Yes there are certain tracks that a dj will play during every single set but people want to hear the big hits. Who is going to go see someone play if its all new stuff that nobody has heard?
Well what if they put down beatport? I guess there will no basis anymore of a TOP TEN hits, and DJ’s and producers alike will be forced to select their own songs without any “references”.
It will change, ill make sure of it.
Who cares.
Love the new “douche-bro” term 😀 hope it gets popular