Musique

A Little Intro

“Electronica” music has changed at an alarming rate these past years, from the 80’s New Wave music and old school house, to trance and jungle. There is a plethora of variations within this growing genre. This music does not appeal to everyone but still, it has a following all it’s own. Today, some varieties include: house, tech-house, hard house, progressive house, trance, tech-trance, hard trance, progressive trance, dark trance, goa, psy-trance, gabber, jungle, drum ‘n’ bass, hardcore, happy hardcore, breakbeats, big-beat, trip-hop, dub, and others that I cannot recall at this time. This wide variety of styles leads to endless possibilities for those who produce, remix, or DJ.

Some Opinions of Mine

Producing any of these types of music does not bring fame to most, at least to the general public. But they do become popular with those who regularly listen to this music, such as ravers ect. There are exceptions to this though, such as Alice DeeJay, who’s “Better Off Alone” receives regular radio play with other so-called “pop” music. This song has gained a quite a following. Others do not necessarily reach such success, but nonetheless are very well known for their abilities. Armand Van Helden, for example, is very well known in the house music community, but the general public has no idea such a person exists. Other incredible producers and DJ’s like Roger Sanchez, Todd Terry, Masters At Work, DJ Sneak, Doc Martin, David Morales, Boo Williams, Roy Davis Jr., Ian Pooley, Joey Beltram, Paul Van Dyke, Paul Oakenfold, and Daft Punk have had little exposure to the general public, in fact, the two latter are the only ones that have received public attention. But those who listen to “electronica” know them very well; they are all “superstars” in the “electronica” community. Others remain unnamed, as countless others exist. These I have named only count for mostly House and a little Trance, and that is simply an 1/8 of what exists. There was a time when general electronica was a bit mainstream. The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, The Prodigy, and Fatboy Slim are true “electronica” artists, because when one says "electronica" they usually mean Big-beat. This music was aimed for the general public and was well received. A few years ago they were somewhat popular, but I believe the fuss has died down. Big-beat is the most generalized form of “techno”. I personally do not like big-beat; it lacks personality and taste. But what can one expect from midwest american producers eh?

Where is this going?

Techno has gained a rather large following in the rave community. The whole rave experience revolves around the music. House and Trance predominate the scene, although some events are exclusively jungle or hardcore. Jungle is special in a way. It differs from other forms of techno in the sense that it relies solely on the drums for the beat. Jungle uses the drums and bass, with some samples for a little personality, while drum ‘n’ bass is exclusively drum ‘n’ bass. Drum ‘n’ Bass has gained a following in the UK, where the best junglists reside. The UK is known for it’s wide variety of styles within the entire techno music scene. Many of the best producers around come from the UK. Goldie, Grooverider, The Prodigy, and many others are from there. They also enjoy a certain status similar to that given to artists such as Eminem and Britney Spears. A dichotomy exists between the UK and the US. Over there, the DJ’s and producers get much, much more respect and praise than the DJ’s and producers do over here. But then again, in Europe, “techno” is the predominant music, which explains why the some of the best producers and DJ’s are from there. US DJ’s have most certainly noticed this and the UK certainly makes them feel welcome. Maybe some day we too can fully breakout into the general public, but then the “techno” music scene would become corrupted much like the “rock” scene has. Different opinions may exist, but as long as we can enjoy this wonderful music, whatever happens in the future is irrelevant.

It makes you feel good.

There is something for everyone with this genre of music. Some music will speed you up, some music will bring you down, but all of it will make you feel somewhat ethereal; it’s a wonderful thing indeed. This almost sounds like a drug, but it's far from it. Hardcore, drum ‘n’ bass, dark jungle, and trance will speed you up; I have gone 36 hours without sleep with only music keeping me awake. Psy-trance, some of the softer jungle, ambient, and drum ‘n’ bass will bring you down. Note how drum ‘n’ bass can either speed you up, or bring you down. Drum ‘n’ Bass is special like that. Some trance does sort of bring you down; some even literally puts you into a trance. Every style has a personality of its own. House is much like Drum ‘n’ Bass; it speeds you up and slows you down. But while Drum ‘n’ Bass’ effect depends on the song, House depends on the person. I know some people that cannot remain still when House plays, while others sit down when House is played. There are people that despise House, but those people are mostly speed freaks; they like hardcore and gabber. House is reminiscent of disco and has some Latin influences. This may explain for its great appeal.

For more info...

Please feel free to visit other pages on music. There, you will find a short summary and some recommendations for that music type. If you would like to add recommendations or would like to contribute in any way or just let out your thoughts on these pages, e-mail me