Who invented electronic dance music? The truth is that this music was around for many years, but it wasn’t until the late seventies that any of the big dance bands began to create or popularize it as a real genre. Still, no one in particular is in charge of inventing or even popularizing it. On the contrary, lots of people have come up with all kinds of theories in regards to who invented electronic dance music, too. Some of those ideas are definitely worth looking into.
In some circles, it’s been thought that DJs first developed it as a means to have less complicated music going on at a dance club. By “doing it right” and using a computer, the dancers could have all the effects they wanted without worrying about the complicated programming. It was only later, when the concept was “transformed” that DJ’s started playing beats that were recorded and mixed specifically for the dance floor. This is the beginning of electronic dance music – although many people disagree about when exactly that began.
Many people believe that it was the Jamaican dance breakers who brought the idea of mixing audio in a DJ set into the limelight. The early djs didn’t have the technology to mix tracks like this, so their only option was to play their favorite records over the stereo speakers. But by the late seventies, both parties had gotten together and created electronic dance music that was more fluid, more melodic, and above all, more fun to dance to. The first djs also took disco breaks and made them into their own original sounds.
When disco breakers and other FMV (frequency modulation) samples became available to DJ’s, they began to realize that they could take the sounds they liked and use them in their sets. This is where the idea of combining vocals with the tracks came from. Some disco music producers had the idea that it’s could sing over the top of a beat, adding an element of emotion to the track. Who invented electronic dance music producers?
In many ways, the original “disco mixers” were the DJs themselves. They recognized the potential that layering reverb and other sounds from one song to another could have. They saw how easy it would be to put one song on top of another and create something like a “trance.” Many people today still use these original sounds in modern DJ sets.
When asked who invented electronic dance music, many people will tell you that they are artists that came before us. The truth is, many artists started out DJ’ing at parties before going onto record. Many were schooled by DJs in the clubs they grew up in. Others got into it because someone told them that they “just didn’t have it”. These individuals developed an itch to be their own DJ and scratched it out on their own.
Today, it seems that everyone has a passion for electronic dance music and the styles and sounds that have developed. Everything from breakcore and IDbx to drum and bass has become popular. Even the world of classical dance is beginning to include EDM elements. What started as a small scene has now taken over the entire club scene. Even teenagers are buying up turntables and looking for ways to impress their friends and family.
If you ask a random person on the street who invented electronic music, you can more than likely expect some variant on the “DJs are the original creators.” While this may be true in some ways, the truth is that it is still up to the average Joe to decide what to listen to. DJs still have a long way to go if they are to ever rival the top DJs in terms of creativity and skill. Many people simply prefer one style of dance to another. As long as there are parties, there will be DJ’s playing music to suit any taste.