9781422274361

ballooned in the past decade. From festivals to radio airplay, social media and even collaborating with A-list musicians, EDM artists are getting a lot of attention—and money—from all over the place.” EDM has a history that overlaps with other types of music, including disco, hip hop, funk, soul, rock n’ roll, and even classical and jazz music. The most engaging thing about electronic music is that anyone can create it, and it can incorporate any unusual or distinctive sound, including the sounds of daily traffic, nature, rain falling, or doors slamming. Some people instinctively love the way EDM urges their bodies and minds to dance and explore movement and sound. The sounds heard in electronic dance music don’t have to be created on computers or electronic devices. They can be produced using any type of instrument, including organic instruments like guitars, bongos, saxophones, or xylophones. These instruments are often recorded and then “mixed in” to other songs, sounds, or melodies on an electronic device like a computer using music creation software. One of the most exciting things about EDM is that anyone with a computer, smartphone, or other electronic device can download software that allows them to create music or mix existing music together to create an entirely new sound. Disco Origins of EDM Electronic dance music is related to the disco music popular in the 1970s. In fact, the continuous, strong dance beat of modern- day EDM (particularly the variant known as “house music”) is taken directly from disco. As creative musicians began to develop different types of music in the late 1970s, the original sounds of disco were used as the background for new beats and rhythms, played at parties in urban areas such as New York City. In those days, the vinyl record was the most popular format for recorded music, and DJs would use two turntables, or record

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