What Exactly Is Electronic Music?

Electronic music comes in all types of forms and speeds. Some forms are Jungle, House, Trance and Techno. Trance music is my personal favorite because of the beautiful melodies and build-ups. Jungle is a form of rap or "break" that has been sped up and mixed with all types of sounds. House and Techno are mostly the same; the only difference being that Techno tends to be harder and have more horn and whistle sounds. All of these forms have to be made or created with some sort of electronic device. You can’t use a trumpet to create House, you have to use something that involves wires- whether that be a computer, sampler, turntables or a synthesizer.

The Italian Futurist Manifesto was the first group to create a form of electronic music. They made noise boxes and machines that brought into existence the sounds of sirens, horns and whistles. This paved the way for the future of Techno music. It provided the tools that DJs need to incorporate sounds on top of the beat. After the invention of the noise boxes, Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry, two composers, introduced “sampling”, or taking clips of recorded sounds and making a song or new sound, into the world. Shortly after that, other composers started making a sophisticated type of electronic music. Without these people experimenting with noise and the use of sound, we would have never had an idea of dance music today.

Keyboards, synthesizers, samplers, turntables and even computers are the backbone of electronic music. A synthesizer is a type of keyboard that imitates the sounds of all types of instruments. When you hook up a synthesizer to a sampler or sequencer, (a machine that makes the drum beats) you can create your own tracks. Usually, DJs like to use analog synthesizers. They prefer these because you can get a more retro sound, like that of the 70’s. Other inventions that electronic music incorporate is the vocoder. With this device, you can alter the tone of your voice; whether you want your voice to sound like a chipmunk or a robot, this device can do it all. Who knows what people will think of next in the ever evolving world of electronic music.

Some people judge electronic music as, “not real music” or “really annoying”. I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but as a DJ, I would just like to say that electronic music, particularly Trance, can actually change your life and make you a better person. This music consists of positive vibes and energy. When you have a bad day, you can come home and put on a Trance CD and all your problems would be no more. Music like this is therapy and it opens barriers and boundaries like nothing else. It transforms your body into a different place where you have no problems and no worries. If you are a true electronic music fan than it’s like a drug. You can hear every single song and still want more. That is why I invite you to listen to take some time and try and experience this music.

Today, electronic music has become popular all over the world. Even India has a type of Trance music named after it’s area, it is called GOA Trance. People all across the globe are becoming DJs and putting out new dance tracks everyday. With the invention of the computer comes endless possibilities to today’s electronic music. It seems like anyone can become famous with electronic music today. All you need is a creative mind and you could be number one. Although, this music does take a lot of concentration and time to create. You can spend countless hours trying to create just one track and a full CD can take up to 2 years to create. The future of music is upon us and we will just have to wait and see what people will make of it

Bibliography

Farley, C.J, “Who You Calling Techno?”, Time, June 23, 1997, p. 72-74

Strauss, N, “A Brief History Of Electronica”, Rolling Stone, August 21, 1997, p. 50+

Shoemer, K, “Electric Eden”, Newsweek, February 10, 1997, p. 60-62

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