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I don't see any big dichotomy between vocal music and instrumental music, be it electonic music or any other form of music. About 50% of what I listen to is instrumental music and it's definitely more of a challenge to write good instrumental song. In vocalese, lot of poorly composed music is saved by first rate singer and well written lyrics. Sinatra could make the dullest song sound superb with his brilliant vocals.
With instrumental music, be it classical, jazz, rock or lounge music, I think it's important to have musical hooks to catch the listener's ear. Bach, Beethoven, Schubert & Mozart wrote concertos and sonatas with more musical hooks than the Beatles. Even an experimentalist like Stravinsky used musical hooks.
One of the challenges to instrumental composers of electronica is to get out of the drum and bass groove and write more music that has substance, instead of industrial noise. People will remember a techno song like Future Sound of London's Papua New Guinea fifty years from now because it transcends the drum and bass sound and it's truly a well written piece of music with lots of musical hooks.
__________________ There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff.
Townes Van Zandt
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