By Gerson Arzuaga
Electronic dance music is my passion. Whether it’s listening to it on the way to work, grinding out a new project on Ableton Live, or going to shows: EDM is my happy place. There is something about an exhilarating build up leading up to a filthy drop that vitalizes my inner chi.
Let’s talk about some of the different genres I like:
Trap: This genre in EDM is a little different then the trap most of rappers talk about. Trap originates from southern hip hop and from artist like Gucci Mayne. The term trap comes from trap houses, places where sketchy activities take place. In the EDM scene, artist like RL Grime and Yellow Claw took it to a whole new level. Trap music is very broad but always includes a typical beat pattern and a massive amount of BASS.
House: Rad dudes like it, hot chicks like it, it is what is always played at any typical music festivals. The origins of house music are not as clear as the origins of trap but it started when a new club called “The Warehouse” mix disco and European type beats around 1977. There are many sub genres of house like deep house and electro house and some of the world’s top DJs made their way to the top with platinum record house tracks. You can catch headliners like Tiesto, Hardwell and Avicii playing house at major festivals near you.
Moombahton: The end result of putting house and reggeaton together, moobahton is the Latin version of electronic dance music. Moombahton takes you to a beach party out in San Juan, Puerto Rico where everyone is having a good time. Salsa-esque beats can be heard in moombahton and it will have you dancing like a Latino without any hesitation.
Dubstep: Skrillex, that is all.
Anyways… Okay, umm, hmm? Go ahead, yes you… guy in the back raising his hand…
Where can you listen to these amazing ear-deafening sounds, you ask?
Well you see, there are these things called raves. Raves are one of the most magical places in all the land. When walking into one of these endorphin filled concert halls, you will be overwhelmed/confused by young people wearing barely anything and ready to go party. As you walk in further (through the masses) you start hearing a most intriguing sound getting louder and louder. You see lights flashing by and wonder what the big fuzz is about. Then you get to see a corner of it and then BAM, you see it all. The stage is filled with large screens that create connecting visuals. Lights and lasers illuminate the entire room. A normal guy is up in the middle of the stage with a MacBook pro and a couple CDJ’s (digital turntables). Strobe lights flash at three-thousand flashes per second; just enough not to give you a seizure (warning if you have epilepsy you probably want to wear double eye patches). These aspects combined will have you losing 80 pounds by the time you leave because you won’t be able to stop dancing your little heart out.
WARNING: The drug scene is prevalent here, but lately I have been to a few raves completely sober. I suggest going to raves with sober friends and sticking with them. I am guilty of it, but as I get older, I am getting disgusted by people who use raves as an excuse to get fucked up. Just go for the music and the show, which is the real reason for why I go to raves.