How do you get people into electronic music?

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piku_playground

Bluelighter
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Aug 29, 2009
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My friend and I are always trying to introduce people into electronic music. Primarily because we want to dance with friends and get people to open up a little more. Raves/festivals are fun, but if we could create some great experiences in the comfort of our homes that would be awesome. But it seems like too many people automatically assume that electronic music is just "techno" or repetitive music that you robot dance to :X.

The feeling of letting go and dancing is supreme euphoria, especially in the influence of certain drugs. We considered handing out mix CDs with two pills of e to people, but this may be a little risky. :) At parties, we have stealthily switched the music to something more funky when people are at a deeply drunken state of mind. I remember putting on Shpongle at this party around 2am. It was quite humorous to see this kid that is heavily into hardcore punk start bobbing his head to the music when he had no idea what it was. It is when people are in euphoric moods that it appears they open up to this stuff, not surprising I suppose.

Does anyone have experience with introducing people to electronic music and being successful? I know I may sound abrasive here, but I just really want to dance with people to good music. <3
 
I personally think that in order truly appreciate most forms electronic music, you have to see it live. There is just something about being that powerful baseline, live mixing and having several hundred people who are on the same wavelength as you. It's almost like it activates receptors in your brain that make you appreciate electronic music in a different way...

That's funny about Shpongle. I once put it on in the uni cafeteria where I was working, some people digged it, other were like "What's this stuff?" But a cafeteria and shitty sound system isn't the best place for Shpongle.

I would recommend getting people into electronic music by putting on "accessible" artists like Pendulum, late Infected Mushroom, Deadmau5 (if you can stand him that is), Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, maybe some other electro house and progressive house. Electronic remixes of Bob Marley work pretty good as well.

Just look for songs that "normal" people respond to. Things like High Contrast's - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Songs that sample catchy/famous samples. If you have stoners in your crew, put some songs about weed, I can guarantee they'll like it as long as the song isn't shit.

Also consider doing an E party once you get a small group of people who are cool with listening to electronic music. It'll be their graduation so to speak. :D

Peace!
 
Well you cant force someone to like anything.
Either they appreciate something or they don't.

If you want to introduce someone into a new type of music though try to ease them into it. If they like folk music, don't jump right into hardstyle. Start off easy with something along the lines of Royksopp or what have you.

You might also find that if you play what you like enough your friends might take a liking to it.
As they say "birds of a feather, flock together". You might have more in common with your friends than you think, it just hasn't been uncovered yet.

For the longest period of time i was really into hardcore/screamo style music, as were my friends. After i started to dabble with psychedelics my tastes in music changed to EDM. I slowly began listening to more and more EDM and my friends started to follow. Now i listen to mainly EDM as do my friends. Not to toot my own horn here, but the reason they're so into it now i believe has a lot to do with just listening to my music for a while, starting to like it, and getting into it themselves.

Now, i wouldn't suggest using drugs as a means to having your friends appreciate the music you do as thats not what im here to tell you, however i believe psychedelics really helped guide me and my friends into EDM (which im ever so thankful for!)

Hope this helped bro ;)
 
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burn2shine said:
you're not really seeing it live, it's just over a good system.
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The mixing. Most good artists are able to mix their songs to the point that it's almost a whole bunch of new tracks. Just compare the released Shpongle songs with the Shpongle DJ sets. And Shpongle live is even crazier. :)

And then of course, there is the powerful sound system...
 
Introducing people to electronic music and forcing drugs upon them is completely wrong IMO, these are the kind of people that end up getting into music for the wrong reason, FOR DRUGS. Not for the passion of the music. I have an always will go to parties and love music for the pure passion of the sound and interest in how its produced and obsession with synthesizers and drum machines. sure I have taken drugs.. but only as an additive to the night, to make me more alert and to make the night last longer etc.. but my passion for electronic music will always be the strongest driving force in my life.

For people to just "love" electronic music because of the drugs is just plain fucking wrong and it just affirms what the media like to puke in our eyes and ears on a daily basis.
 
insomnia said:
Introducing people to electronic music and forcing drugs upon them is completely wrong IMO, these are the kind of people that end up getting into music for the wrong reason, FOR DRUGS. Not for the passion of the music. I have an always will go to parties and love music for the pure passion of the sound and interest in how its produced and obsession with synthesizers and drum machines. sure I have taken drugs.. but only as an additive to the night, to make me more alert and to make the night last longer etc.. but my passion for electronic music will always be the strongest driving force in my life.

For people to just "love" electronic music because of the drugs is just plain fucking wrong and it just affirms what the media like to puke in our eyes and ears on a daily basis.
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Dude whether you like it or not, EDM and has always been associated with drug use. From the second summer of love to the global scene that we have today. I don't have anything but anecdotal evdience to back my point, but I am pretty certain that the majority of people who listen to EDM in a non-casual manner (no basshunter, or even new Infected Mushroom/Pendulum) use drugs.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't need any drugs to love my favorite producers/DJs. Nevertheless I enjoy using drugs when seeing their shows or even when I am just listening to their music at home. And I don't care what the media has to say about that. Most of them are just there to tell you what you want to hear, so until the vast majority of the people stop believing in the "Evil druggie died of an OD! Serves him right!" BS, things are not going to change.
 
Levecticus: I am not naive I know and fully understand that the electronic music scene is surrounded by drugs. Also respect that is a part of it.. I just dissagree that you should make someone take drugs to enjoy some music. If you don't like it straight, then you shouldn't pretend to love it when you're on drugs.
 
All my friends *hate* electronic music unless they're on drugs, lol. Which sucks because I <3 electronic music 24/7! Morning, noon, night, straight, high, awake, sleeping any bat-time any bat-place! Haha, so getting them to attend festivals and events with me (without the use of stimulants) is a challenge.. But when they get there and see the live show and experience the pure energy and awesomeness, I always remember that giant grin from ear to ear I see when they turn to me in the middle of a rave and scream 'fuck yeah dude' in my ear.. Haha..

<3
 
Thizzerfershizzer said:
Well you cant force someone to like anything.
Either they appreciate something or they don't.

If you want to introduce someone into a new type of music though try to ease them into it. If they like folk music, don't jump right into hardstyle. Start off easy with something along the lines of Royksopp or what have you.

You might also find that if you play what you like enough your friends might take a liking to it.
As they say "birds of a feather, flock together". You might have more in common with your friends than you think, it just hasn't been uncovered yet.

For the longest period of time i was really into hardcore/screamo style music, as were my friends. After i started to dabble with psychedelics my tastes in music changed to EDM. I slowly began listening to more and more EDM and my friends started to follow. Now i listen to mainly EDM as do my friends. Not to toot my own horn here, but the reason they're so into it now i believe has a lot to do with just listening to my music for a while, starting to like it, and getting into it themselves.

Now, i wouldn't suggest using drugs as a means to having your friends appreciate the music you do as thats not what im here to tell you, however i believe psychedelics really helped guide me and my friends into EDM (which im ever so thankful for!)

Hope this helped bro ;)
Click to expand...

I agree. Start with Born Slippy by Underworld, which is possibly the single "greatest hit" of electronica, and go from there. Soon they will be in tune with the music and you can switch to whatever style you want them listening to.

One major major difference between electronic music and shit "music" (sorry) is the length of the tunes. Rock is 2 minutes. A lot of electronic tracks last nearly 10 minutes and more, so it is a very different mindset. So start with things that grab the listener early on and aren't too long-lasting (the prodigy and Moby also come to mind) to get the listeners interested and then gradually you can go for longer tracks. At some point you can put on a 4-hour mixed set and no one will protest. Hopefully by that time everyone's done a few tracks of crystal MDMA and are rolling hard. ;)
 
I agree with whomever said it is best appreciated live.

I'll take a man or woman standing behind a set of decks and/or a computer, feeding a series of sounds into a set of powerful speakers over a bunch of kids playing guitar rock to five of their drinking buddies in the garage any day of the week.

I also love electronic music morning, noon, and night.

How do you get people into it? You invite them to an event. If they don't get it, then so be it. That leaves more room and fun for us I say!
 
I didn't really 'get' dance music until I took ecstasy for the first time. I was into commercial dance music in the early 90s (The Shamen, The KLF, The Prodigy etc etc), and I was into commercial trance music in the late 90s (Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten etc etc), but then in late-2000 I took ecstasy for the first time, at a certain London tech-house club. From there my obsession with electronic music started :)

Don't get me wrong - these days I listen to electronic music all the time - even whilst completely sober, but without that first time taking ecstasy, I wouldn't get electronic music like I get it now.

I've got loads of friends I'd love to take clubbing and introduce to ecstasy (and hopefully get them to appreciate electronic music), but there isn't any ecstasy in the UK these days, so sadly that just can't happen :(

piku - where are you from? - if you're from the US/Canada, you can presumably get ecstasy pretty easily. So if you can indeed get it, try to get your friends to a good club. There really is nothing like the atmosphere of a good club with a good soundsystem and good music. It may just blow their minds like it did mine :)
 
insomnia said:
Levecticus: I am not naive I know and fully understand that the electronic music scene is surrounded by drugs. Also respect that is a part of it.. I just dissagree that you should make someone take drugs to enjoy some music. If you don't like it straight, then you shouldn't pretend to love it when you're on drugs.
Click to expand...

couldnt agree more.
great post
 
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