Image via Complex Original
Here at DAD, we consider ourselves knowledgeable about the EDM scene as a whole. And while we welcome acts that help elevate dance music as a genre of music and a culture, we can't overlook the tiring trends of both DJs, critics and fans alike (present company included).
We have to know our history or we're doomed to repeat it, and DAD would rather not sit through some of these situations for another year. Here are some of the trends that we wish to leave in 2012.
Drugs and Drug Culture
One stigma that dance music cannot escape is that of "pilled-up ravers" are running wild. You can't help it; rave culture has a long history with drugs, with MDMA being the main culprit. While we're not anyone's parent, we can't ignore the fact that Madonna talking about "molly" during last year's Ultra Music Festival, coupled with Hot Topic's "Sex, Drugs, and Dubstep" t-shirts, help glorify the very drugs that help cripple the scene's credibility. And when you add the mounting number of overdoses at clubs and festivals over the country, especially with the under-18 set, we hope that this trend doesn't grow during EDM's rise.
Cheating
Be it pre-recording their sets, cheating to get ahead of DJ Mag Top 100 lists, or fake views for YouTube videos, the race to get ahead has artists taking a number of backdoors to the top. And don't even start talking about the ghost-producing phenomenon.
In the end, what does it really accomplish? Is there any real substitute for good, honest work?
Flo Rida & Pitbull
We understand: you guys know how to write big hooks, and have latched onto the EDM sound to elevate your careers. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it; at least let us hear some more captivating rappers providing lyrics to big room beats.
Trap Remixes of Every Song
DAD loves trap, and we don't deny it. And a trap remix of the 007 Theme can put a smile on our face. But no one needs a trap remix of something that's already drenched in 808s to begin with, or trap versions of every song on the Billboard charts.
Clones
We will never understand how some producers' respond to hearing a successful track is by trying to make something that sounds just like it. That's not to say you shouldn't be influenced by your peers, but there's no reason for your work to sound just like theirs. The last thing we need is a batch of unoriginal tunes cluttering the charts.
Debates on DJing
While the on-going debates about "pressing play" and "pushing buttons" can be entertaining (and educational), the people that are supposed to be enjoying the sets (read: us) are more worried about loving the songs being played than what you're doing to play them. If we see you having fun, we're having fun.
Now that's no reason to phone your sets in, but after a while, you're arguing points that the people paying to see you aren't deathly concerned with.
Wack DJ Sets
What really troubles us can be the advances in technology... wait, hear us out!
How easy is it to get high quality music on the Internet? How easy is it to purchase a laptop and Serato? There are legions of fans who decide on a whim to become DJs, but don't take the time to study the art.
It's a lot more than just beatmatching; if you can't read a crowd or understand how to build a set, what are you even up there for?
Declaring Genres Dead
There's a huge difference between a sound like dubstep not being in the limelight and dubstep being totally deceased. EDM and it's many scenes are global, and if your particular city isn't playing a certain style, or you hear more electro house than dubstep, there's no reason to sensationalize it's status. We guarantee a quick Google search (or perusal through DAD) would show you that said style of EDM is alive and well.
Uneducated Fans
Dear new EDM listeners: We know how it is. You get into dance music through one amazing song, and you want to hear that song when you hit up a rave, which is perfectly reasonable. What you shouldn't do is stand around looking confused (or bored), waiting for something you're familiar with. Enjoy the journey that the DJ is taking you on, and if you do hear something that sounds familiar, you win!
And there are a number of resources including, ahem, the site you're on right now. DAD encourages you to hop on the Internet and search for mixes with the song or style you're in love with. You're bound to discover tracks that are just as great, or producers who will excite you just as much as the one you're loving.
The Overuse of Trap-A-Holics Samples
We know where you found it; in the same .zip file that every other producer did. It makes sense that 2012, the year trap blossomed, everyone utilized the drops that made the Trap-A-Holics mixtapes so unique. Truthfully, once Flosstradamus dropped their "Original Don" remix, that batch of drops should have been retired.
