Is electronic/dance music an acquired taste?
 

I was wondering this, because I notice that most people (on this forum, and in real life =P) do not like electronic dance music. On one end of the spectrum, you have rock and metal fans that dismiss it as "gay" music for "homos", and on the other end of the spectrum you have hip hop and pop fans that see it as repetative noise, paticulary the pop rap fans that I have to deal with whenever I go to my one friend's frat house parties.

Knowing this, I'm starting to see this whole genre as something that you have to acquire a taste for, at least in America anyway. I know it's very popular and hip in Europe and Canada, but seeing as how I live in America, it doesn't really effect me. Discuss.

Uhhh...I have loved it from the moment I first heard any of this music.

I don't know many people who call it g.ay music for h.omos...but if I did I probably wouldn't be friends with them anymore.

Yeah I don't blame you. Yet again, I love heavy metal and classic rock, so naturally, I'm gonna be friends with people who are fans of the music. I just hate how most people don't like dance music. I had an ex-girlfriend that listened to pretty much nothing but emo and hardcore, and she hated dance music, and got annoyed everytime I played it in the car. She was cute though, which is why I dated her. =P However, I'm going a little off topic here, so I'll leave it at that.

I think any style of music can be an acquired taste, depending on what you're exposed to early on. It just so happens that most people are exposed to pop/rock and hip-hop above all else.

growing up in Canada electronic music was most definitely an acquired taste. especially coming of age in the 90s. C&C Music Factory and DJ Chris Sheppard were and still are absolute garbage. not sure where you got the impression that it was very popular up here (it's not). there would be compilations that came out a few times a year like the MuchDance discs but for the most part it was always a niche thing.

unless you lived in one of the major cities 'electronic' music really WAS trash. it's not that i think the musicians or producers involved are bad at what they do but they choose to make thoroughly disposable releases. my sister is a perfect example of the average dance music listener, she'll have a bunch of store bought compilation discs and a few homemade mix albums of the most recent club favourites and won't know more than maybe 3 tracks names, has no clue on who produced or performed anything, and has absolutely no interest in finding any depth in what she's hearing.

I don't think Electronic music is so much an acquired taste as much as it is a genre that most people are completely ignorant about.
Most of these people you speak of, IWP, are people who think of Electronic music (for which they just call "techno") as 4-to-the-floor boom boom boom with high pitched squeal noises and a dude repeating a vocal over and over. They only know what mass media shows them, and it's usually the crappiest, most stereotypical Electronic music there is.
Those people rarely know about the diversity and skill and creativity available below the surface of the garbage they're exposed to. They probably couldn't name more than 4 sub-genres of Electronic. And unfortunately, these people are the ones you'll run into most.

I've been listening to Electronic for over 14 years and the stuff available under this genre is so vast and different and unexpected in all its different forms that I really can't believe that it's all an acquired taste just because it's created electronically.
I think people should do a little more research and spend a little more time and effort getting beyond this readily available crap that's shat out into visibility by default and they'll probably realize that the only thing that was an acquired taste was the garbage they've been force-fed all these years.

Well said, you two. You make me proud and keep me from having to type much. :beer:

For me it was an acquired taste, too. I was exposed to rock music first so that's what I liked. I would hear pop music in the 80s (much of it electronic) and consider it trash because it wasn't using "real instruments". :laughing:

Industrial really paved the way for me to access electronic music.

All music is an acquired taste, except Merzbow.

I don't think it's an acquired taste so much as a genre that people just don't know that much about (like Freebase mentioned). Most people who hear "Electronica" think of just the repetitive booming stuff and don't know how varied it really is. I used to be one of those people.

Basically, Freebase hit the nail on the head. Except I think he was being generous in saying most people could name 4 sub-genres of electronica. 2 maybe?? lol

Haha... oh it's not generous considering how many there actually are.

Maybe...or maybe I'm just hangin around with the wrong people.

:laughing:
That too.

____step, there's about 15 subs of dubstep right therrr.

There are a lot of __step sub genres, and not all of them have anything to do with dubstep. For instance, Techstep is a subgenre of Drum & Bass, and the word "step" has absolutely no correlation with the dubstep genre apart from the word "step" referring to the placement of a particular style (the preceding word) of a particular EDM genre.

In fact, Dubstep itself borrows the "step" idea from other subgenres that have used it before to describe certain subgenres originating from a hierarchy, and in Dubstep's case, it's Dub. The word "step" is usually just an indicator of the subgenre, and the preceding word is the originating genre OR the descriptor of the style whereupon the originating genre is assumed to be known. Like Darkstep, where Dark isn't a genre of music... but people know it as a descriptor of a subgenre of Drum & Bass.
But in Dubstep's case, the "step" is actually used as a descriptor, which is probably why it's confusing.

"Step" isn't even used 100 percent of the time. But in the cases it is, it's not always bound to a specific genre of Electronic.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

I actually mentioned this in my latest review! I didn't go into TOO much detail but in essence, electronic music was the first music I personally enjoyed and listened to on my own. I liked Dave Matthews, Counting Crows, David Gray and other stuff that my brother played but when I heard Hardcore for the first time I was sold and was the first genre I really wanted to discover and learn more about. I still love the first track I heard too



And yes. People really are ignorant when it comes to electronic music. They think it's all for clubs and when I say I listen to it all the time, almost exclusively, they look at me like I said I was a fan of Toby Keith. I don't try and really introduce people to it unless they seem interested because the stuff I like tends to warrant opinions like "eh it's kinda boring" and "does anything happen or is it like this the whole time" etc.

i grew up in the US and moved to the UK 10 years ago, and besides the charty/dance type electronica i was VERY ignorant of dance until i moved over here... if i wanted to go proper clubbing i had to wait till i was 21 and Seattle only had a couple clubs that were more or less 'techno' and mostly g-ay

It's just a completely different world over here in Europe with all my friends getting into clubs by the age of 16 (nowadays they are more strict and you have to be 18) with even small towns having a few clubs (rarely that good, but the point remains). I'd say a town in europe of 250k people has more clubs than Seattle does....Obv in london i have probably 50 very good clubs to choose from (go to about 10 regularly) - though many of the better big ones have closed or are stuggling - Matter for instance looks like it's closing and am worries as have tix to see Shinichi Osawa, Steve Aoki and Etienne De Crecy.

i'd say more of my friends here are fans of electronica more than guitar music even. so long story is it's much prevelant in Europe. All the major festivals are 1/3 or more electonica too, even the more indie type ones like Primavera in spain which is headlined by Pixies/Pavement, but has dance acts like Boy 8 Bit, Diplo, Fake Blood, Major Lazer, Moderat, etc etc - yes i'm going and can't wait!!).

Electronic pop music, no, I just loved it the moment I heard it, but something like industrial techno and darkwave took me a while. And once I got drunk and could freely(and very foolishly) dance to the music, I appreciated it more.

Edit:
And I didn't dance as foolishly as the patrons on drugs, so I still looked fly ;)

Putting all electronic music into one genre is like putting all guitar music into one genre

Electronic music may not be exclusively for clubs, but it sure makes them fun when a good dj comes around. I tend to get really into it and dance like an idiot after a couple drinks...but that just means I like the music. I'm usually a self conscious person, but that goes away with good music. Everyone should go watch Bassnectar if they get a chance...that guy tears it up.

Anyway, electronic music is the ultimate "you just don't realize what's out there" music. A little research and all the sudden you are smacked with waves and waves of really good stuff you never knew existed. Which makes sense because it is relatively easy to make electronic music.

i think most music is an acquired taste. how else can we account for regional trends? i'm from the US but i live in Europe, and i'm astonished by the popularity of electronic music here. in the US, the kids on busses with the sound-leaking ipod earbuds are pounding rap or rock. here, they pound Sasha. nnh-tss. nnh-tss. nhh-tss.

:laughing: man I hate that. Get some real headphones/earbuds or turn that shit down, morons!

I want to move to Europe. =(

An acquired taste... or not. I guess it depends on the listener's age too. Electronic dance music has changed a lot. For instance, these were two hits of the early 90's in several European (I mean, Continental) countries:


That "old school" is quite different from what is listened now.

I am a true Electronic music fan! Can't get enough of it!

I think It is......simple answer :3

i've only just started to really like electronic music, and like others have mentioned, I put it down to the fact that up until the last year or so i wasn't exposed to any sort of variety.

A really good friend of mine is a dj and from him I've found a lot of different artists and styles that I simply would have had no way of hearing otherwise. Some of my favorites so far are basement jaxx, cut copy, deadmau5, faithless, fischerspooner, and a few others. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that in the US and Canada, electronic doesnt generally get a lot of mainstream exposure, and the stuff that does is really narrow in scope. Which makes it difficult to really know where to even begin to search out some more interesting or varied types of electronic music.

I think its entirely dependant on where you live and what you are brought up with. Im in the UK and techno/dance msuic os part of the culture here, not so much in the US.

Though there are signs of underground dance music making inroards in the us.

RA: Growing pains: US dance festivals meet the mainstream

www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1284

nope, i loved it from the start.

yes, dance music is an acquired taste. it takes a little while to begin to really like it and appreciate it

People are quite simply lazy bastards in general and are far too scared to step outside of their comfort zone and that includes many on MB.

Electronic music has been around since the mid 60's and the technology and production techniques have been utilised many time since by multitudes of bands, producers and musicians but because of the proliferation of one hit wonders throughout the late 80's and early 90's who only used Electronic instrumenation, the whole scene has always played second fiddle to the classic 4/5 piece guitar combo that still supposedly prevails today.

What a crock.

Technology has entered the digital age and every other person is more than happy to play along with this until it comes to digital music unfortunately when it becomes a gimmick or talentless.

There is a crapload of digital only music but there is also a shedload of innovative, original digital music that deserves a listen.

If people don't like Electronic music then I am fine with that but there is merit in virtually every form of music. You just have to look.

electronic or dance music is an acquired taste?
 

just because its electronic doesnt mean its dance music. rock is dance music. swing is dance music. waltz's, rumba's and polka's are dance music.

is electronic dance music an acquired taste? yes and no (in my opinion). if you've ever had a lot of fun listening to electronic dance music its easier to appreciate it for reminding you of that time you had lots of fun. granted, "electronic dance" music often reminds people of doing drugs (usually of the "up" variety, at a rave). however, some people just like bass-y music that's easy to shake their ass to, whether its electronic or funk or rock'n'roll. lots of electronic music is bass heavy. some of its not. a lot of electronic music is not for dancing, more for chillin out at about 4:21

but i understand how people lump all electronic music into the kind of music gay guys like, ie: house, specificly what i call "diva house" (disco beat stuff with some diana summers sounding vocalist). but there's so many genre's of electronic music, there's house (which generally has a disco beat), and deep house (which is dark and moody) and "diva" house, and drum'n'bass (which is pretty macho or even thuggy, often with jazz or bossa nova beats), and jungle (which is a harder kind of drum'n'bass) and liquid (chill drum'n'bass) and ambient (like a movie score) and happy-hardcore (which is like overdosing on drugs - just noise in my opinion) and techno/electro (indie rock of electronic music) and candyraver trance (for kids on drugs) and acid jazz (for older people on drugs) and breakbeat (which has a particular beat pattern) and hiphop (which is essentially breakbeat with a rapper/vocalist) and downtempo (chillout music) and dubstep/garage/mashup (which is everything)...


and within each genre there's better stuff and lamer stuff. so yes its an acquired taste but "electronic dance" music varies so much it's tough to not find at least a few artists that you instantly like without acquiring the taste.

if you like non-electronic music but want to hear some electronic music that doesnt remind you of a dance club, try amon tobin, my favorite.

Music come music go i think the sound and not the style is more importent.

Depends on the sub-genre. I'd say dubstep might be considered an acquired taste.

i was really heavily into that scene in the late 80s, early to mid 90s

haven't really been keeping in touch with it

I'm salivating.


I'd say it was, my friends particularly hate being in my car because I'll play different types of electronica music each time. I've been friends with them for a long time and one is slowly starting to actually like the style of music I like. The rest are having absolutely none of it.

Funny, because dubstep is one of the more popular sub genres of electronic music in my area. That's usually all I'll ever hear in my city's rave scene anymore, well that, and drum & bass.

I think it is... Though, I didn't get into Electro style music until introduced... Clearly it seems to be meshing in with all genres now, but I kind of like it.. I enjoy all styles, and right now this one is in. It'll be interesting to see how musical taste develops over the next decade.

RWC-ReadyWhenCalled

Yeah Dubstep is HUGE right now. It just took off out of nowhere. I think the really weird genres like Noise, Power Electronics, and Hardcore/Gabber are very much an acquired taste and are destined to just be unpopular.

GABBER! That was my first love. My real love however is trance/techno. Also, dubstep is gash.

Oddly enough, I would think that for people that usually listen to the radio dubstep would be difficult to get into. For whatever reason, it seems to be easily the most popular style right now. Even the more ambient stuff taking cues from Burial is getting out there.

And what's gash? I dunno if that's good or bad I'm horrible with British and Scottish words :(