Editor’s Note: This article is going to rub a lot of people the wrong way, this time I don’t really care. I really hoped I wouldn’t be able to find another ten songs that sound literally the same, but unfortunately it took just under 10 minutes. Shouts to the Beatport Top 100 for putting them all in one place for me.
Before we begin, let’s have a little chat about this thing I like to call ‘genres’. Genres are typically employed to differentiate and categorize differing styles of music, which can help listeners grasp the basic stylistic themes and arrangements of an artist’s work. However, in EDM the genres of Progressive and Electro House seem to be one size fits all categories for 90% of dance music. Does it have a melody? Progressive House. Is it aggressive and catchy? Electro House. What if it has both? You call it.
Since we’re all about acronyms in EDM, I propose a new genre, ONFD: One Note Festival Drop. So let’s go ahead and pay homage to ten onfd songs that sound… exactly the same.
1. Tony Junior & DJ Ghost – Blow Up The Speakers (Original Mix)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118525023″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
If there’s subkick and reverb’ed Nexus synth arms race, Tony Junior & DJ Ghost are winning. Throw in a little trap-break and then it’s right back to it. This one is as predictable as a 9-5 job and Monday morning traffic.
2. Robby East & Oliver Heldens – Panther (Original Mix)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118853652″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Robby East & Oliver Heldens have proved that they can find at least two notes in their key worth playing. At first the nice little half-time melody makes it seem like this track is heading in the right direction, but all of that changes when it slams headfirst into monotony. Also, the fact that it took two artists to write this song is mind blowing.
3. The Partysquad & Mitchell Niemeyer – #Pantsdown (All Mixes)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/110710162″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
#Pantsdown doesn’t catch anyone alive with their pants down. It sounds like someone took the Epic Mashleg and dragged it out into a full four minute song. Half Animals, half Cannonball, fully boring. Next.
4. Hardwell & MAKJ – Countdown (Original Mix)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/114203961″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
The youngest number one DJ proves that he can make a track that sounds exactly like everything else. Not much to say here other than, why? I can’t really say that a dutch synth line followed by a percussive rhythm line is all that game changing.
5. Twoloud – Big Bang (Original Mix)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/113098368″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Sitting in the top-100, Big Bang actually deserves some credit. It has a really solid melody, probably one of the catchiest I’ve heard in the last few months. But then, it tosses everything it has going out the window and goes full Atom with a sub-kick.
6. Borgore feat. Waka Flocka Flame & Paige – Wild Out
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/113713187″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
This track could have been so friggin’ cool, it really could have. Wacka and Borgore yes please, generic festival drop, no thanks.
7. Qulinez – Archangel (Original Mix)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/118501337″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
The official description of this track says it all, and I quote – “Thick chord progressions lead into a huge distorted main riff accompanied by one of the biggest kicks we’ve heard in a long time! Mad!!!” Yep, it’s got a really big kick, just like every other song in this list. Songs like this are a writer’s worst nightmare to describe.
8. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike vs DVBBS & Borgeous – STAMPEDE (Original Mix)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/115578452″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Well, this tune sounds exactly like the next one. So there’s that.
9. DVBBS & Borgeous – TSUNAMI (Original Mix)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/105918462″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
I really only want to riff a bit on this tune for being almost virtually identical to STAMPEDE. I don’t think Tsunami is the worst ONFD tune but seriously, ALL CAPS. THIS SONG IS SO LOUD AND THE KICK IS SO BIG. Seriously though let’s not replace rhythm with triplets, there are other ways to make a catchy hook.
10. Jetfire – African Dreams (Original Mix)
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/114556421″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Well now, this one I had to save for last because of its absolutely ridiculous title and theme. African. Dreams. Half Lion King half big room, all ridiculous. Despite the mildly racist feel, it’s another generic drop with a massive detuned supersaw over a massive kick. It’s beyond description for the fact it’s so generic. Go outside and describe your sidewalk and try to give enough detail to differentiate it from my sidewalk. Yours might have some leaves in the gutter, mine has some dirt, in the end it’s still a boring walking surface.
Bonus Track:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/98770426″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
I believe with an article like this I have to maintain an air of fairness, so I won’t bash anything I can’t at least somewhat imitate. Here you go, four months ago I sat down in a coffee shop with a blown out pair of iPod headphones and an hour to kill. This is the resulting product. I am by no means a capable producer, I do it for fun whenever I get an idea and a spare moment, but I’m somewhat wishing I would have followed through on this one. Hell, even I could maybe have gotten this one some support who knows maybe even a charting spot. If I can do it in under an hour, how long is it taking the big dogs? Mash some keys, call it melody, add a completely unrelated drop, and then sit back and relax. Two Nexus presets + a big kick synthesized in Massive = chart topper.
I already know what people will say, “if you hate this why are you covering it?”
I do these articles to point out the parts of EDM which make me lose faith in the creative potential of our genre. You can’t tell a heroin addict to get help without mentioning the fact that they are indeed a heroin addict. We have a lot of creative and inspired people making a lot of boring tracks and that’s the saddest part about ONFD. So maybe we could get together as a genre and decide on one, maybe two, artists who get to make ONFD, because it wouldn’t take many more people than that to beat this dead horse to a bloody pulp.
I’ll be taking your hate mail all week at [email protected]
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/112931691″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
Needs more wub.
It’s kinda sad but if those songs are on the top Beatport it’s also because a lot of blogs like yours mainly promote those artists.
Its very interesting that a lot of major labels release those simple tracks. Wheres the creativity?
not all of these are one note drops and not all of them sound the same….. some are really bad but some these sound sooo good on a major sound system
That Muzzy one tho….. *is still laughing hard*
I hate that im seeing comments saying “Well it sounds soo good on a big sound system” The article is not written on what sounds good. Its written on the lack of creativity many very good producers are using in their songs. And the fact that this is still a major issue even 3 -4 months after the last “your EDM” article pointing this out is a huge problem.
i like that swing you took at Hardwell
“if you hate this why are you covering it?” …because someone had to say it. many of us have been bitching about how *everything* has that same big drop, big synths, and shiny synth strings during the breakdown. and when these articles come out (along with that “Epic Mashleg” track some clever dudes came up with a while ago), us music lovers go, EXACTLY!!!!!!! pieces like this will hopefully spark change. hopefully.
everyone saying it sounds better on a huge sound system…you’re stupid. That aside this is a huge issue that needs to change. Martin Garrix brought about all this with animal which is a lackluster song at best to begin with. As regards to stampede and tsunami, tsunami became the new animal and the vegas and like mike jumped on that bandwagon and create tsunami 2.0 or stampede. And has anyone heard wizards by garrix?…Animals 2.0…were fucked guys its not even festival season anymore and these songs are still coming out. I dont even know what im talking about at this point but these songs and producers need to stop being praised by all you people who think you know anything and everything about music. shit needs to change by the time festival season rolls back around or for all you true edm lovers out there get ready for more kicking and screaming from the 14 year old girl next to you raving about how stampede is her and her moms favorite song
Totally agree that the Borgore Waka track had a lot more potential, then Borgore slaps that commercial drop on the lunchbox and calls it good.
I think what you’ve done here is identified a trend in dance music. A few years ago it was ridiculous dubstep drops and now it’s this “festival kick.” I’m sure next year it’ll be something different. It’s like bashing all superhero movies for having lots of explosions and clunky dialogue; it’s just in the nature of the beast. When that formula has run its course and no longer satisfies the majority of audiences, movie producers will move on to something else.
You’re really going to talk about Dj Ghost who made Blow The Speakers probably before all of us were ever even BORN. The original Blow The Speakers which was made famous by Loiuie Devito’s Trance Sessions, another album series you probably know nothing about was using that” Nexus” sound before Nexus existed so……. I get where you’re going with this article , because it’s been written over 100 times before, just like ALL the songs you’re mentioning. So blog world, let’s not try to sound as “redundant” as ALL these songs.
Ok well…If those songs are where they are at obviously someone likes them?? Honestly, African Dreams is one of my favorites right now…idk wtf you were thinking putting that up there Brett, I understand the drop is like all the rest but this is one of those few tracks where the theme of the song actually comes into play. It gives you that feeling and excitement and adventure the way it’s meant to be. Drops aren’t hard to make in Big Room House, any person can grab a sample distort it if they want and buy a 10 dollar kick drum sample pack and there you go, you made a chart topping track. But what most of those people lack is the ability to put meaning and theme into the song. For Christ’s sake get an imagination and put it to use. African Dreams stays on topic onto the theme and the name it was given.
beaport top 100. i hate you. where’s a the musicality now? i want the melodies and real musicianship in music. not this garbage! escape from wonderland was a let down. i felt like i heard the same drop all night. wtf.
To say nothing of the clueless genre appropriation that’s been going on. Us Trance artists have been stuck here, watching a bunch of shmucks who have no particular interest in our genre, and don’t seem to have heard too much of it, steal all our big supersaws and fat synth sounds, toss them into a track without any of the emotion or personality that made the synths worth using in the first place, and then rob the track of all possible emotional depth by introducing a completely different, even more simplistic sound after the “drop.”
I’m not here to argue that all music should be super complex and heady, but really guys, if you give us a big epic melody, with massive fat chords that smack of 2004 era epic trance, at LEAST give us a chance to actually DANCE to that melody. It feels fucking GREAT to rock out to a really big melody. Don’t only give us the melody during the part where we stand still with our hands in the air.
Cause most people don’t see further than Beatport https://soundcloud.com/andy-malex/maxim-velpler-teaser-time
i like the second drop of one note festival song
Nice article. I would have include some recs though. Since we are pointing out the worst of the genre, unless we should be rewarded for our time with what’s good on the genre 😉
I like this article. Suggestion – 10 songs that sound like nothing else you’ve ever heard.
this author clearly does not understand techno music at all. but ok, i knew he was a twat when he gave borgore and waka a pass…
“10 YourEDM blog posts bitching about pop house”
Did you fall on your head when you were a wee little lad? This is all trap, of course it all sounds the same because its a terrible excuse for noise. I’d rather listen to the sounds of the brain seizure you posted a couple weeks back. This list should include every single trap song. -.-
A lot of these sound like breaks or a bridge into another recognizable song… They most definitely should not be their own songs… I generally find myself waiting in Hardwell’s mixes when his is playing…
No mention of the fact that most of these are from Spinnin Records?
it’s sad how boring it is
Its just a fad thats popular right now, eventually it will be something else but im sure people will still use some of these elements in there tracks, but I do agree about the whole melody argument. Its like either have a meaning full melody or don’t use a melody at all just use rhythm instead because 95% of big room / electro tracks don’t have good melody’s, they are just chords thrown together that don’t sound good. Thats why when I buy them I edit out the melody and replace it with a good melody. But the thing that bugs me the most is when someone like quintino comes up with a cool idea like “atom”. Then for the next 2 years everyone copys him and also the same with Ummet Ozcan who was even before the highly publicized Martin Garrix, and believe me or don’t “Makj” He has had the same style since ive known him for the last 2 years. And now you will see people start to copy him. And you cant talk shit on Makj – Springen. I play that track in my sets and its “The Hardest Track Out”. Also it depends on how you are branding yourself. Do You want to be a high energy dj / producer that wants to play good melodic sets with relevant drops that people will love, because we do want to keep the crowd dancing right? Or do you want to be a dj / producer that does what he thinks is good and plays to a much smaller audience. Im not saying that either is right or wrong, Im just pointing out that everything is perspective and opinion. And for the record even though you talk shit on these one note festival drops, they are pretty cool but I do agree that it would be good to not hear the same exact one every drop lol. If Ummet, Quintino & Martin were the only one producing these drops, then there would be alot less of these songs and they wouldnt clutter our dj sets with too many of the same sounding sounds by a galillion other producers that are just copy cats. Moral of the story try to be you and stay original 🙂
Its just a fad thats popular right now, eventually it will be something else but im sure people will still use some of these elements in there tracks, but I do agree about the whole melody argument. Its like either have a meaning full melody or don’t use a melody at all just use rhythm instead because 95% of big room / electro tracks don’t have good melody’s, they are just chords thrown together that don’t sound good. Thats why when I buy them I edit out the melody and replace it with a good melody. But the thing that bugs me the most is when someone like quintino comes up with a cool idea like “atom”. Then for the next 2 years everyone copys him and also the same with Ummet Ozcan who was even before the highly publicized Martin Garrix, and believe me or don’t “Makj” He has had the same style since ive known him for the last 2 years. And now you will see people start to copy him. And you cant talk shit on Makj – Springen. I play that track in my sets and its “The Hardest Track Out”. Also it depends on how you are branding yourself. Do You want to be a high energy dj / producer that wants to play good melodic sets with relevant drops that people will love, because we do want to keep the crowd dancing right? Or do you want to be a dj / producer that does what he thinks is good and plays to a much smaller audience. Im not saying that either is right or wrong, Im just pointing out that everything is perspective and opinion. And for the record even though you talk shit on these one note festival drops, they are pretty cool but I do agree that it would be good to not hear the same exact one every drop lol. If Ummet, Quintino & Martin were the only one producing these drops, then there would be alot less of these songs and they wouldnt clutter our dj sets with too many of the same sounding sounds by a galillion other producers that are just copy cats. Moral of the story try to be you and stay original 🙂
These songs are not designed for just sitting there listening to. They are party songs and festival songs. This is like writing an article about how much you hate the Macarena. If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it. Simple as that. Whether or not you personally enjoy what is considered ‘mainstream’ or a ‘festival drop’, there will ALWAYS be artists out there that meet and even exceed your expectations. So instead of pointing out all the music you don’t like, how about you give us some examples of what you think music SHOULD sound like? EDM is supposed to be a positive force and it really seems to be moving in the opposite direction…