Putting the electric back in EDM
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When analog recording was reaching its pristine pinnacle in the 1980’s and 8bit sampling technology was just getting affordable, electronically created dance music began pumping through massive speaker cabinets in dark warehouses throughout Detroit and Chicago.
Now jump 23 years into the future - analog vinyl records, once the sole medium for distributing dance music, are now nearly extinct - the dance music scene has moved from underground parties into prime-time venues with commercial zest - hundreds of thousands of brands and imprints flood the marketplace - and everyone is a DJ. It seems that the only thing that has not changed, to a great extent, is the music itself - although 23 years of musical evolution and digital technology has honed the sound to a razor’s edge. So, what’s next?
It appears, as of late, that the sound of electronic dance music in general has hit a nostalgic root. Looking to breathe a little more style into their music, both bedroom and professional producers alike from across the globe are scrambling to get their hands on the original equipment that started it all. Rummaging through pawn shop backrooms, garage sales, and Ebay, producers are feverously digging for early analog and 8bit digital gold from brands such as Oberheim, Akai, Ensoniq and countless others. These rare acquisitions can give a producer an edge to their sound - and a possibly a spring in their step.
So, what can we expect over the next 23 years?
I’ve got a fairly good idea - but we will save that conversation for another time.