Edm?

[JaF]

I'm a bit confused about EDM as a genre. Out of nowhere I started seeing it here in Japan and I thought it just meant what it sounds like and thought, "Well that covers just about all things doesn't it," but would "pop edm" but a more accurate way to describe it in terms an older person would understand? Or would units like Daft Punk or older albums like Donna Summers be considered EDM?

[Jester]

Its a term to prevent americans getting confused *ducks*

[robbyluca]

EDM stands for Electronic Dance Music. So EDM should be anything that's electronic music that you can dance to. Some pop would be considered EDM. I would also say Daft Punk makes EDM. But I mean, there's sub-genres, and you can get more specific. I would never make a playlist called "EDM". I would do a House playlist, Dubstep, Pop, Hip-Hop, Progressive House...

[JaF]

I'm aware of the sub-genres but confused why I'm seeing all these DJs saying they hate EDM, like isn't that what you're playing?

[soundinmotiondj]

It's because this is too hard to pronounce.

[ImNotDedYet]

EDM has taken on the meaning, at least in the US for the "top 40" house - progressive/electro/big room/beatport top 10 type songs.

And as an American, I agree with Jester.

[JaF]

Thanks. Now I understand.

[Patch]

"EDM" is not a genre. It is a generalisation.

REAL genres ARE NOT sub-genres of "EDM".

It takes ZERO effort to proclaim yourself an "EDM" fan.

[Soul Bait]

The term EDM is a product of festival culture. Promoters needed a term to lump together all the DJs they bring and decided since all the DJs drop electronically produced beats that people dance to, hey, let's call it electronic dance music! Because really, there's nothing else the different genres share. Trance, house, dubstep, drum & bass, techno, etc. all have different cultures and sounds and the only way promoters managed to lump them all together to make as much money as possible is strip down all their different histories and cultures and present us with a stupid and meaningless term that means fuck all.

But a lot of people refer to electro, big-room house as EDM, because that's the mainstream sound of festival culture.

[JaF]

Up till this year I never saw it to be honest and now when I see a list of DJs some will list what they play as house or techno like one would expect and then right next to them will be a DJ and EDM so I was just trying to understand why. Thanks for the info.