Where do you guys see electronic music heading?
 

I've been wondering this for a while now. I see people experimenting with a lot of new sounds, and I'm wondering what sort of things you think we may expect to see over the coming years.

One thing I've been seeing repeatedly, though its definitely not my preference, is a lot of electronic musicians using these extremely off key kind of unpleasant sounds, like with that Jack U and Justin Bieber song, where are u now? It's not just that one either, I keep hearing these really off sounding noises coming up in music. I'm not hating on it, I get where they're at it can give a really wonky driving sound. I am admittedly hoping we won't see more of that as time goes on though.

What about you though? What's going to be the next Build, Drop, and Bass?

(I may have worded this question badly, but I don't really know how to give better examples)

I would say Electric Daisy Carnival, Beyond Wonderland, and the like.

Down the toilet. The more popular it gets with everyone and their grandma trying to incorporate electronic sounds into their songs it's just going to decline. Leave it to the electronic artists who know what they are doing.

To the heavens!

I believe that electronic music will make more of a move toward hybridization - so much influence is coming from sampling and the sampling community that you can find pre-recorded sounds - most from a natural setting - in almost every newly produced EDM track (though house and electronic still remain primarily electronic). I believe this is a VERY good thing, adding natural tones or components to electronic music is simply a beautiful aspect that current artists trend with, such as Cashmere Cat, Mura Masa, Medasin, Diplo, and a ton more.

Cashmere Cat? The name alone makes me wanna hear 'em.

Edit: here they be:

Cashmere Cat - Mirror Maru



I'm sure I've heard that before. Somewhere.

Yes! Mirror Maru is a perfect example where Cashmere Cat uses some sort of pre-recorded sound as his percussion. The effect is something quite amazing!

As already mentioned, you're seeing the peak of the popularity of modern electronic music, which to most people is EDM. But electronic music itself, like most "genres," is so overarching that I don't really know how to answer your question in a general sense.

Since you mentioned Jack U and the new Bieber song, we've essentially seen the appropriation of electronic music and EDM into the contemporary pop format for the past few years. It's probably been a slower build than it may seem at this point in time, so who knows how long it will remain at the top. I think it's important to be aware that it's ultimately very subjective. Yes, you can use charts and radio play/music streams to gauge the overall popularity along with festivals, shows, etc., but music consumption is so fragmented today that I don't know how reliable that really is anymore. If it is still reliable, it certainly won't be for many more years.

I personally think electronic music is going to be adapted and injected into many different types of music. Whether this will be a good or bad thing, I have no idea. But, someone is prone to come up with something interesting. Pop music is definitely not the accurate measure of where electronic music is going.

I'd argue that's the way music is heading in general. I don't think we're going to see eras or waves of underground or new styles becoming popular in the same way we did in the 50s-90s. A lot of that was the result of independent underground musical communities forming because information and music was not globally accessible. You could go to different places in the U.S. and around the world and experience vastly different musical styles. That's a lot less common now that everyone can theoretically access everything. I'm not saying that people will not be more creative and create interesting blends of music and styles - people are doing that - but I think the days of genres or "musical movements," if you can even call them that, taking over the mainstream and reshaping the culture overnight are long gone.

I don't really understand how integration of electronic sounds would cause it to "decline" in general, or the assumption that just because someone plays traditional instruments means they can't learn to use digital or analog electronics as well.

if you're talking about the mainstream, wonky hip-hop and electronica inspired by acts like The Knife are going to be the next backdrop to popular artists. mark my words

Well, if you really look at all the variations of electronic music, we are running out of options. So I don't think it will evolve much further than it already has.

I remember about 10 years ago, Noise was becoming popular, and there were entire websites full of digital albums that were just noise. Like an entire album of just construction noise sounds, and an album of nothing but tree falling sounds, etc. There were even bands forming, where they didn't play music, but just hit their instruments and sometimes destroyed them, as a form of music.

I also remember back further, 20 years ago, many people were very opposed to anything electronic, and if they saw something was digitally remastered, they would act like it was trash. I would just laugh at them though, and then ask them what they thought a sound recording was. I would then ask them if they expected everything to always be played live?

Since the dawn of electronic music in the 60's and 70's to now, especially with the dawn of the internet making it easier than ever to be heard without making and shipping CD's, also combined with the fact that music software is now better than ever, so anyone can make their own professional music and songs, it should be obvious that there is no longer a need for record labels and it is now impossible to make a living by making and selling music.

Will.I.Am even mentioned in interviews that there is no future now in music, and he has been trying to move away from it. He just got lucky by starting early and having an interest in computers, and working with artists like Michael Jackson.

The new artist Grimes even mentioned in an interview that she never pays for music and she gets all of her music free by mp3.

And just about every artist in the last few years has mentioned that the only real money to be made in music is by doing tours, because the music alone doesn't sell anymore.

So I will make these predictions.

1. That real music instruments will eventually become obsolete and stop being produced. In time, all instruments will be replaced by computers that will make their sounds.

2. Tours and shows will eventually become obsolete, because most performers now just lip-sync or play with recordings, or put in a CD and press play while they jump around.

3. If shows still exist, they will just be anyone with their CD's playing their CD's, and probably with their holograms so it seems like they are really there.

Electronic music (or it's better to say just "music") is going in many directions at any time. There are dozens of genres, differences in local scenes and many other factors.Thousands of people explore their ways in music.

Things like Jack U and other commercial staff have more to do with business strategies of big media than with artistic movements.

I have heard said that Trance is dead, just as it was said about Rock.

I see it changing in different directions as artists imaginations takes it.

>There is nothing more therapeutic than driving while listening to very loud music<

Is this thread really old?

Electronic music has been mainstream for years, Blackbox - Ride on time, Capella, 2 Unlimited etc etc

Music flows and evolves, its a bit cyclic, I think its very dance and EDM at the moment, like you've mentioned its in a lot of commercial tracks, so I think that it will shift to a more bassy feel, RnB or garage may make a return, but probably under a different name

Everything else will tick a long in the background until its time to become popular again

I'm not convinced that real instruments will decline

Shows may decline, but only because the entire world is awash with them at the moment, and it will become too samey

Its not like its rare to go to a show or a music festival anymore, there are millions of them everywhere, you can go to one every weekend through the summer, and I think the novelty will wear off (or will it?!)

If VR shows become mainstream, they will give concerts new life. Artists will use fancy stationary studios which will allow more intricate design and interaction with audience.

Have there been any VR shows yet?

There have been some. At least I've seen 360 music videos. I'm sure this just a beginning of VR music performance, there's a lot to experiment with. Hope VR sets become more affordable and widespread soon.

Will it lead to saturation though?

I mean putting on a show at the moment can't be that easy unless you have thousands of fans and an insane budget to work with

But if anyone can just do a VR show from their PC then will the place become awash with them?

In much the same way that setting up a band before the internet would probably have been quite a difficult affair, compared to now where anyone can mash a tune together and put it on 30 different digital platforms.

Opens up access though, enables fans who wouldnt be able to attend a show (or don't want to) to be able to experience it!

VR will become more affordable, is it the Magic Eye company glasses that are pushing that kind of technology?

Well the 80's style is becoming more popular again in electronic.