The Limitations of Electronic Music

The whole argument seems rather moot until everyone involved agrees on the definition of "electronic" music. Shpongle's music is probably categorized under electronic music despite Raja Ram's flute solo part. And I have heard from others that Radiohead's music is considered as electronic music as well. Some of the piano pieces that I compose are made entirely from software. Is this considered electronic music?
 
not all EDM is totally made with machines either. producers incorporate guitars, pianos, etc. into their music. Hell most rock groups these days use djs and electronic music in their songs/live performances.
 
jihan said:
And I have heard from others that Radiohead's music is considered as electronic music as well.
Click to expand...


yeah i saw they were nominated for best "non rock engineered" album or some shit like that for this years grammy awards. I always thought they were a rock band myself?
 
radiohead is rock on their first 2, a rock with hints of electronica on OK Computer, and in the eyes of some electronica for kid a and amnesiac, hail to the theif is well hail to the thief

and please people i would love to like electronica music just as much as the other kinds i listen too, i would love to have a wider list of music that i listen to, so people just give me a few "essential" electronica albums and convert me

oh and by the way from what i know about electronic music, very little, i consider them much less musicians and more "architects" of music, building it not really playing it, i don't mean to say one is more talented then the other but through my knowledge (which is limited) i view them to be on completely different sides of the spectrum of the creation of music...
 
Squarepusher
Clifford gilberto (hes the fucking MAN)
aphex twin
u-zig
venetian snares
ak1200-fully automatic
r.a.w. - ultramix
r.a.w. - reddrums
r.a.w. - watch me shred
ltj bukem-mixmag live 3 (1995)
jungle sky-this is jungle sky
vinyltribe djs (zack hill, basskick, emi, brandon anthony) www.vinyltribe.com
dynagroove.com mixes
mark farina
heather
diz
johnny fiasco
The Herbaliser
Dj Krush


god you want me to keep going or do you just want to find me on soulseek and download them already?
 
Last edited:
man, EDM cannot have limitations... the only limitation is in the people who are innovating it...
 
Most people dont listen to electronic as a whole they listen to it as beats and consider it reptitive or pick a certain part and complain about it. Electronic music is partially the way you listen to it.

Music is sound and the sounds we use to make music have been covered for the most part. So, it all comes down to how you arrange those sounds in a new way and make them pleasurable to the ear and that is what makes it original music, electronic or not.
 
I see your argument and raise you Herbert.

All his songs are made from "real" instruments he plays, samples, and tweaks. So does that mean he is the ultimate because he is both human and machine?

*splodes*
 
o0psy Daisy said:


whereas a constant bass in electronic music is pretty standard. This is the nature of human vs machine: human (natural) imperfection vs programmed perfection.

Now, I know next to nothing about music production, but I do know that different software and different synths can out put amazingly original sounds. Humans still tell the machine what to do and how to do it, so I disagree with my father in that there is less emotion and creativity in an electonically made song (given that the song is genuinely good), but I do think that sounds can easily be duplicated thus the reason many tracks sound the same because there are only so many sounds that can be created using the machines.

What are your thoughts? Producers, take a hit!
Click to expand...


well most good producers randomize the velocity of drum/bass hits to give it a natural sound.

I think trance is a terrible way to introduce someone to "electronic" music, because it does all sound the same. Trance is like the ugly stepchild of electronic music.

With a skilled producer (musician) there are no limits, because not only are you the composer, but you also "invent" or construct the induvidual sound of every instument you program. It is traditional music that is limited, because it isolates music to only those with the manual dexterity and coordination to play live music, where with electronic you rely on just your musical abilities/ideas.

Traditional musicians fear music made w/ machines because it breaks down the barriers that were always in place between musicians and everyone else.

In america, we are also still suffering from the disco backlash, and homophobia, which has become the battle cry for the rock-n-roll world: "Its gay music" ect, ect.

But I dont think everyone will ever like it, and I wouldn't want it that way.
 
But I dont think everyone will ever like it, and I wouldn't want it that way.
Click to expand...

EXACTLY. I am quite fond of the fact that electronic music isn't the "big thing" here, and as far as I care the mainstream can keep its rock and jiggy hip hop artists for the future. I like electronic music (good electronic music) being confined to the few that truely love and understand it.
 
Is electronic music age specific do you think?

Do you guys see a wide range of people when you go to parties? Around here the age group of people at parties is 20-29 years old, but there are a significant amount of older people too, like 35-45 who full heartedly support the trance scene.

I think trance is a terrible way to introduce someone to "electronic" music, because it does all sound the same. Trance is like the ugly stepchild of electronic music.
Click to expand...


I won't debate you about the trance sounding the same issue, and I rather like the rest of your reply :) and I am definately NOT trying to introduce my father to psytrance... he hasn't got a choice :p (He's 53 by the way, and he likes classic rock, obviously, and new age and oldies.) THe funny thing is, my bro has taken him to hip hop/turntablist shows and it's great, and he's been to a bar where I played ambient music. After those shows, he said that he didnt like hip hop and ambient music "isn't really his thing" but I like how he takes interest into his children's musical life.

Daisy
 
of all the electronic music i have heard trance is to me the most bland crap ever, i imagine to someone with a more developed electronic music "taste" it would be far more interesting

Kurt the Jurk, I don't find electronic music "gay" in any way, it just doesn't turn me on like other things, I do LOVE it when the electronic and the physical/real are combined, I just find a certain "soul" lacking from electronic music
 
--brian-- said:
Sasha - Airdrawndagger. It sounds kind of like Radiohead's newer stuff, check it out.
Click to expand...


give credit where credit is due though, junkie xl (and charlie may as well i believe) did more production work on that album than sasha did.
 
software and machines can allow just about anyone to produce a bad imitation of any electronic music genre.. just as any guitar-bass-drums trio can produce a bad imitation of any rock genre.. i admit that the ability of software and synths to have preset sounds and rhythms means that producing bad music is somewhat easier than producing bad music with more traditional instruments.. producing good music in any genre, however, is very difficult.. i've spent ten years producing electronic music and am only now getting to the point where i'm satisfied (almost) with what i'm hearing. it can require just as many or more years of developing one's skills and techniques to reach a point of virtuousity with an electronic instrument as a traditional instrument.. and the creation of a track can take much longer.. look at boards of canada, who once spent two days in a scottish forest in the rain just to get a snare sound they wanted..

not to mention that most traditional instrumentalists only have to master one particular part of a song (ie, guitar, drums, piano, etc.).. electronic producers must understand how everything works - the bass, the percussion, the melody, the ambient/atmospheric elements, the mastering, the vocals, etc... it's a very rare rock musician who can successfully recreate every element of one of their tracks.
 
man, don't disrespect HipHop by putting it in the same bin with RAP, and POP music...

real HipHOP is as much, if not MORE important than ANY genre of music, and I am not even a big fan...

Real MC's and DJ's(read: turntablists) are more musicians and lyricists than anyone in the music industry...

guitar and drums are FAR easier to learn than GOOD turntablism... for Turntablism cannot be taught, and niether can good writing... it just comes from getting up and doing it. Point blank.
 
roliepolie said:
guitar and drums are FAR easier to learn than GOOD turntablism... for Turntablism cannot be taught, and niether can good writing... it just comes from getting up and doing it. Point blank.
Click to expand...


the man has a great point here. If anything is limiting, traditional rock music is. you are really narrowed in to guitars, drums, possibly some saxes or other odd intstruments, but with great synths and other electronic gear (both soft and hardware), the types of sounds created can be infinite. Just look at IDM, could music that abstract, creating so many different emotions, be created by a couple guys with guitars and drums? not likely
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top