Electronica Music and Its Impact on the Music Industry - Essay Example

? ELECTRONICA MUSIC – OUTLINE Electronica Music – Outline Electronica Music and Its Impact on the Music Industry Central Idea: The beginnings of electronica as a music genre started when technological advancements in music instruments such as the introduction of electronic-based instruments and sound synthesizers in the music scene (Collins, Schedel, & Wilson, 2013; Mickley, 2011). This went well in conjunction with the rise of the disco or dancing as recreational activities by the younger generations, making electronica and other music genre that descended from it as staples of the electronic dance music revolution (Keith, 2012). While during the late 1990’s the popularity of electronica waned due to various factors such as it being over-hyped by some in the music industry, it did not disappear entirely as it became a famous genre for other areas such as in the advertising industry (Dunn, 1992; Taylor, 2007). Ultimately, within a span of a decade the elements comprising the original electronica genre were reborn within the recent music scene itself, as it became infused with other popular genres such as hip-hop, rap, rock, and dance music (Bogdanov, 2001). This helped the next generation of audiences in appreciating electronica’s legacy as one of the earliest predecessors of contemporary music today. Outline: I. The historical background of electronica as a musical genre A. Its origin 1. Originally in Hollywood movies for background music (Collins, Schedel, & Wilson, 2013) 2. Frequent use outside movies was in late 1960’s Europe, most notably in Germany (Keith, 2012) 3. Avant-garde music scene, futuristic and space-themed music (Dunn, 1992; Reynolds, 2007) 4. Influenced by classical music, altered to imply detachment from reality (Collins, et al., 2013) 5. Cultural purpose is to widen and increase what is considered to be musical sounds (Dunn, 1992) B. Historical development 1. Composers of early electronica a. William S. Burroughs (Keith, 2012) b. Klaus Schulze (Reynolds, 2007) c. Walter Carlos (Reynolds, 2007) 2. Performers of early electronica a. Tangerine Dream (Reynolds, 2007) b. Tomita (Reynolds, 2007) c. Can, Faust and Neu! (Keith, 2012) d. King Crimson (Keith, 2012) e. ELP (Keith, 2012) 3. Important changes in the electronica genre a. Trickling incorporation with traditional instruments (Collins, et al., 2013) b. Gradual acceptance of a wide variety of electronic instruments in commonly-heard music (Dunn, 1992) c. Increased use of electronic music instruments in the growing disco scene (Mickley, 2011) 4. Cultural-related development of electronica (Dunn, 1992) a. Evolution of technological advancement b. Availability of synthesizers, analogs and other electronic-based instruments c. Increased acceptability of electronica amongst listeners 5. Important genres that evolved out of electronica (Bogdanov, 2001) a. Electronic dance music (EDM) b. Funky Beats c. Dance-pop d. Techno e. Experimental Rock II. The cultural background of electronica A. Demographics 1. Listeners and audiences a. Late teens-early 30’s (Campbell, 2011) b. Near-equal mix of genders (Campbell, 2011) c. US, Europe (UK, Germany, France, Spain), Asia (India, Japan) (Mickley, 2011) d. People from middle or working class (Campbell, 2011) 2. Changes in the demographic throughout the genre’s history a. Expansion of geographic locations to South America, Africa, Southeast Asia (Mickley, 2011) b. Expansion to lower-working class and elites (Campbell, 2011) B. Performance context 1. Places where electronica is most often heard a. Disco scenes (Keith, 2012) b. Dedicated music festivals (Keith, 2012) c. Movies (Collins, et al., 2013) 2. Additional venues where electronica is performed a. Radio (Taylor, 2007) b. Television (Taylor, 2007) c. Places with large spaces (Campbell, 2011) 3. Cultural “rules” in electronica performance and appreciation (Campbell, 2011) a. Expect loud and/or repetitive music b. Clapping, dancing to the music, singing, as long as no disturbances such as riots happen C. Clothing styles and fashion associated with electronica as a music genre (Bowen, 2013) a. Futuristic-themed b. Flashy, shiny, or metallic outfits D. Dance styles associated with electronica (Reynolds, 2011) a. Disco or club dances b. Breakdancing c. Dance focusing more on hand movements than feet E. Words associated with electronica (Shuker, 2005) a. Electronic music b. Synthesizers/Analogs c. Background music/Ambient music F. Lifestyles associated with electronica a. Dance house or disco culture (Bogdanov, 2001) b. Drug-use (Reynolds, 2007) c. Non-conformity or resistance culture (Bogdanov, 2001; Dunn, 1992) d. Dance party/Rave party culture (Reynolds, 2012) G. The position of electronica in present-day American culture 1. At present not usually played or heard in its original format (Campbell, 2011) 2. An experimental genre (Mickley, 2011) 3. Present-day culture appreciates electronica as a forerunner of modern music (Campbell, 2011) III. Electronica’s musical background A. Melodies often heard in electronica 1. Repetitive melodies (Campbell, 2011) 2. Various notes, mostly fast (Collins, et al., 2013) 3. Vocals can be accompanied with electronica background music (Reynolds, 2007) B. Common electronica rhythms 1. Electronica’s signature rhythm is fast and quick (Collins, et al., 2013) 2. Importance of rhythm (Bogdanov, 2001) a. Fast rhythm allowed electronica to be synonymous with dance music b. Fast rhythm makes electronica energetic C. Important musical instruments in electronica 1. Melodic instruments a. Electronic guitars (Dunn, 1992) b. Electronic keyboards (Dunn, 1992) c. Unadulterated or altered vocals (Collins, et al., 2013) 2. Percussion instruments a. Drums, drum machines (Bogdanov, 2001; Dunn, 1992) 3. The use of synthesizers to add texture to music (Dunn, 1992) D. Lyrics often associated with electronica (Campbell, 2011) 1. Lyrics often come second in electronica, rhythm comes first 2. If electronica songs have lyrics, these often speak of neutral subjects or of non-conformity to society 3. Electronica focuses more on the music, lyrics are more often excluded in most electronica songs IV. Other avenues for the development of electronica A. Advertisements (Taylor, 2007) 1. Composing electronica specifically for advertisements 2. Boost in sales as the result of using electronica B. Re-invention of electronica 1. Artist collaborations a. Singers featuring DJ’s in collaborative efforts (Mickley, 2011) 2. The use of some or most elements of electronica in composing and mixing new songs a. Electronic instruments (guitars, drums, keyboards) (Mickley, 2011) b. Synthesizers and turntables (Campbell, 2011) C. The rebirth of electronica into a new audience generation 1. Current genres associated with electronica (Campbell, 2011) a. Hip-hop b. Rap c. Dubstep d. Electronic dance music 2. Audience reception (Reynolds, 2011) a. Popular songs at present include one or more elements of electronica b. There is a wider reception of electronica-fused music around the world V. Conclusions References Bogdanov, V. (2001). All music guide to electronica: The definitive guide to electronic music. Ann Harbor, MI: Backbeat Books. Bowen, C. (2013, July 30). Metallics trend confirmation: Electronica princes daft punk & karlie kloss for American Vogue. Retrieved from Plascon Trends web site: http://plascontrends.co.za/metallics-trend-daft-punk-karlie-kloss/ Campbell, M. (2011). Popular music in America, 4th ed. Boston, MA: Schirmer. Collins, N., Schedel, M., & Wilson, S. (2013). Electronic music. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Dunn, D. (1992). A history of electronic music pioneers. Art catalog: Pioneers of electronic art. Linz, Austria. Keith, J. (2012, April 10). The history of electronica. Retrieved from Feature - Pulse Radio web site: http://pulseradio.net/articles/2012/04/history-of-electronica Mickley, G. (2011, December 16). The history of electronica music. Retrieved from Ezine articles web site: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-History-Of-Electronica-Music&id=6763152 Reynolds, S. (2007, April 22). Kings of the cosmos. Retrieved from The Guardian – Observer Music Monthly web site: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/apr/22/features.musicmonthly7 Reynolds, S. (2011). Energy flash: A journey through rave music and dance culture. Berkeley, CA: Soft Skull Press. Shuker, R. (2005). Popular music: The key concepts. London: Routledge. Taylor, T. D. (2007). The changing shape of the culture industry; or, how did electronica music get into television commercials? Television & New Media, 8(3), 235-258. Read More