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Nice read, nice to see how different music scene is in US. EU is much more electronic music orientated, and D.J.'s here are quite different, yet same, they do

Nice read, nice to see how different music scene is in US. EU is much more electronic music orientated, and D.J.'s here are quite different, yet same, they do the exactly the same thing this article describes. Just watch this repetitive, yet awesome 3 minute buildup, leading to total madness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5-b33rhevQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5-b33rhevQ And that's just first clip that comes to mind.

linkmotif 9y ago
I wish everyone in that crowd would look inwards, at themselves and at the power of their own imaginations, creativity and exploration instead of at that guy on the stage, who, to me, is doing something very predictable and boring. Something about crowds like this is really depressing to me. It must be that I don’t see the beauty in this at all, and see so much beauty and potential elsewhere. What I see here is the same thing I see in all of these things: a nice melody, a creeping crescendo, the audience really enthused about it for reasons I don’t understand at all, because the result is predictable: the beat drops and everyone goes wild.
- liveoneggs 9y ago
  I think you need to be in them
  - linkmotif 9y ago
    I’ve tried, drugs and all. Drugs are great. The whole inexplicable cult of personality hero worship thing, not so much.
    - menacingly 9y ago
      There's a big difference between hero worship and just choosing to be entertained. It doesn't somehow diminish the creative capabilities of the people in the crowd to take part in the shared enjoyment of someone else's.
- brndnmtthws 9y ago
  People are free to enjoy what they want to enjoy. Perhaps try not imposing your pretentious higher meanings on random people you don't know, and you'll feel less depressed.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - linkmotif 9y ago
    People are, indeed, free to speak in tongues and shake and worship Jesus or Mohammad or Satan and I’ll still find all those things depressing.
- empath75 9y ago
  Well— they’re really enthused about it because this is many hours into a long set, and they’re all on drugs. It’s a sunrise set at Ibiza. The thing about dance music is that the art being produced there isn’t the music—it’s the crowd, and if you aren’t out there sweating your ass off, turning strangers into friends and having the best night of your life, of course it makes no sense. And also, a lot of them are being creative. There’s a lot of creativity in the scene— in how people dress and how people dance, if nothing else.
  - linkmotif 9y ago
    I’ve tried here and there. Drugs and all. The drugs are fantastic. The groups, not so. I think large groups oriented around a person—who, and this is the key I guess, who’s not doing anything interesting—just hurts me a little.
    - empath75 9y ago
      Yeah when I first started going clubbing was before the whole superstar DJ thing really took root. To me it should always be about dancing first, so I get that.
    - 3131s 9y ago
      Haha, I'm with you -- that's why I do drugs alone. I also see nothing special about the music in the clip above, albeit more interesting music would be drowned out by such a big crowd. It bothers me because there is other non dance-oriented electronic music that is much better IMO, but people tend to only associate club / rave stuff with electronic music.
      - linkmotif 9y ago
        I’ve done drugs at raves and every time I slip outside and just talk and hang out with people. The rave seems fake to me, in the sense that people are trying to get something out of it that’s not there, like church. Sure, you can convince yourself that church is a spiritual experience that gives you meaning and belonging, but it seems fake to me. Emphasis on “to me.” Doing drugs alone is great, too!
- rpdillon 9y ago
  My perspective changed a lot when I started thinking about how to write a song that has that effect on a large crowd, or assemble a set that has the right elements of calm and intensity to illicit the reaction people are there to have. Suddenly, it seems less inevitable, and more like art.
  - linkmotif 9y ago
    Thanks. I can imagine that is the case!
- freetime2 9y ago
  For what it's worth, I agree with you. When I was younger I went to a lot of shows with my friends. Not so much electronic music, but jam bands - which share a lot in common in terms of drugs, extended jams, festivals, etc. I liked the drugs, and I liked the music, but something about the experience of going to shows often left me feeling completely empty. When I was young and looking to find my way in life, I think that music was sold to me as something that should have been very profound and meaningful. And without a doubt I knew plenty of people who pretty much dedicated themselves to the "scene" - dressing a certain way, talking a certain way, holding certain beliefs, and traveling all over to see a handful of bands play in different cities. But despite putting in no small amount of effort to fit in, it just wasn't for me. At one of the last shows I went to in college, I remember being at some huge sold out stadium for a Phish concert and feeling like I was witnessing mass hysteria. I think my negative experiences were more a reflection of my own lack of direction and naive beliefs at the time than anything else. I was looking to get something more valuable out of the experience than it could ever possibly provide. Also... I'm sure the drugs also had an effect on my mood. I've been to shows since, with no expectations beyond catching up with friends and having a fun night out, and had a good time. I also have tons of respect for the performers - all of whom are talented, work hard, and have probably made sacrifices in the pursuit of their passions than I have in mine. But that uncomfortable feeling of sameness in the crowds and that sense of mass hysteria is always still there for me. Kind of like people speaking in tongues, or rioting in the streets when their sports team wins or loses. I guess I'm just more a small gathering kind of person.
  - linkmotif 9y ago
    > that sense of mass hysteria is always still there for me. Kind of like people speaking in tongues, or rioting in the streets when their sports team wins or loses Thank you. I was going to mention these things, because they’re how I feel about these gatherings as well. Just replace a charismatic preacher with a charismatic DJ. It feels the same to me. The charismatic preacher has fallen out of fashion these days, so instead of someone shouting quotes from the Bible and telling everyone to repent, here the DJ drops the same old beat and for some reason the crowd goes wild just the same. It’s all about that sense of belonging, it seems, that people get from these experiences, but I can’t get that from an experience that feels like mass delusion. I posted my comments expecting lots of downvoting but was hoping to find at least one or two people who knew what I was saying. Thank you!
- buttcoinslol 9y ago
  Perhaps there is time for quiet introspection and also having fun on a dance floor. Here's the thing: many activities that do not interest you are far more complex and interesting than they appear on the surface.
  - linkmotif 9y ago
    Dancing is great. It’s a magical thing that’s common to just about every culture on the planet. But that’s not this, IMO.
empath75 9y ago
The DJ isn’t doing anything there, though. That’s just the breakdown of the four tet remix of Eric Prydz — Opus. He’s just playing it straight. To really understand what an edm DJ does you need to listen for an hour plus. It wasn’t that breakdown that made the crowd explode like that, it was the hours and hours of music building up to it. I used to be a trance DJ and when I was preparing for a gig, I would build a two-hour set around two or three moments. I’d find a couple of records that I knew would get a big reaction and I’d basically treat them like a jewel that I had to find the perfect setting for. Every other song I played was about building up tension and contrast for those moments. If I had a track with a big vocal in the breakdown, I’d be sure to lead into it with nothing but non stop instrumental tracks with few or no breaks in the beat, playing repetitive songs to build up tension so when it finally opened up into a recognizable melody and lyrics people would have this huge feeling of release and I doubt most of them even knew why. There was nothing better than getting a crowd to jump up and down and scream when you knew they would do it. It was like casting a spell. If you’re not obsessive about dance music and haven’t tried djing, it’s really hard to appreciate what a DJ does and how hard it is to really move a large crowd. It’s not just about playing good songs. I used to think it was and cleared dance floors playing nothing but really popular songs when I first started. It took me two years of being a bad DJ before I really started to figure it out.
- pavel_lishin 9y ago
  > The DJ isn’t doing anything there, though. That’s just the breakdown of the four tet remix of Eric Prydz — Opus. He’s just playing it straight. I think that's the problem with trying to explain this stuff. I don't go to shows like this; to me, a DJ clicking "next" in iTunes is indistinguishable from someone practicing a craft. I just don't know enough, and I think a lot of other commenters in here don't either.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
  - beamatronic 9y ago
    A good indicator is no visible electronics other than headphones, turntables and a simple mixing board.

linkmotif 9y ago

I wish everyone in that crowd would look inwards, at themselves and at the power of their own imaginations, creativity and exploration instead of at that guy on the stage, who, to me, is doing something very predictable and boring. Something about crowds like this is really depressing to me. It must be that I don’t see the beauty in this at all, and see so much beauty and potential elsewhere. What I see here is the same thing I see in all of these things: a nice melody, a creeping crescendo, the audience really enthused about it for reasons I don’t understand at all, because the result is predictable: the beat drops and everyone goes wild.

liveoneggs 9y ago
I think you need to be in them
- linkmotif 9y ago
  I’ve tried, drugs and all. Drugs are great. The whole inexplicable cult of personality hero worship thing, not so much.
  - menacingly 9y ago
    There's a big difference between hero worship and just choosing to be entertained. It doesn't somehow diminish the creative capabilities of the people in the crowd to take part in the shared enjoyment of someone else's.
brndnmtthws 9y ago
People are free to enjoy what they want to enjoy. Perhaps try not imposing your pretentious higher meanings on random people you don't know, and you'll feel less depressed.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- linkmotif 9y ago
  People are, indeed, free to speak in tongues and shake and worship Jesus or Mohammad or Satan and I’ll still find all those things depressing.
empath75 9y ago
Well— they’re really enthused about it because this is many hours into a long set, and they’re all on drugs. It’s a sunrise set at Ibiza. The thing about dance music is that the art being produced there isn’t the music—it’s the crowd, and if you aren’t out there sweating your ass off, turning strangers into friends and having the best night of your life, of course it makes no sense. And also, a lot of them are being creative. There’s a lot of creativity in the scene— in how people dress and how people dance, if nothing else.
- linkmotif 9y ago
  I’ve tried here and there. Drugs and all. The drugs are fantastic. The groups, not so. I think large groups oriented around a person—who, and this is the key I guess, who’s not doing anything interesting—just hurts me a little.
  - empath75 9y ago
    Yeah when I first started going clubbing was before the whole superstar DJ thing really took root. To me it should always be about dancing first, so I get that.
  - 3131s 9y ago
    Haha, I'm with you -- that's why I do drugs alone. I also see nothing special about the music in the clip above, albeit more interesting music would be drowned out by such a big crowd. It bothers me because there is other non dance-oriented electronic music that is much better IMO, but people tend to only associate club / rave stuff with electronic music.
    - linkmotif 9y ago
      I’ve done drugs at raves and every time I slip outside and just talk and hang out with people. The rave seems fake to me, in the sense that people are trying to get something out of it that’s not there, like church. Sure, you can convince yourself that church is a spiritual experience that gives you meaning and belonging, but it seems fake to me. Emphasis on “to me.” Doing drugs alone is great, too!
rpdillon 9y ago
My perspective changed a lot when I started thinking about how to write a song that has that effect on a large crowd, or assemble a set that has the right elements of calm and intensity to illicit the reaction people are there to have. Suddenly, it seems less inevitable, and more like art.
- linkmotif 9y ago
  Thanks. I can imagine that is the case!
freetime2 9y ago
For what it's worth, I agree with you. When I was younger I went to a lot of shows with my friends. Not so much electronic music, but jam bands - which share a lot in common in terms of drugs, extended jams, festivals, etc. I liked the drugs, and I liked the music, but something about the experience of going to shows often left me feeling completely empty. When I was young and looking to find my way in life, I think that music was sold to me as something that should have been very profound and meaningful. And without a doubt I knew plenty of people who pretty much dedicated themselves to the "scene" - dressing a certain way, talking a certain way, holding certain beliefs, and traveling all over to see a handful of bands play in different cities. But despite putting in no small amount of effort to fit in, it just wasn't for me. At one of the last shows I went to in college, I remember being at some huge sold out stadium for a Phish concert and feeling like I was witnessing mass hysteria. I think my negative experiences were more a reflection of my own lack of direction and naive beliefs at the time than anything else. I was looking to get something more valuable out of the experience than it could ever possibly provide. Also... I'm sure the drugs also had an effect on my mood. I've been to shows since, with no expectations beyond catching up with friends and having a fun night out, and had a good time. I also have tons of respect for the performers - all of whom are talented, work hard, and have probably made sacrifices in the pursuit of their passions than I have in mine. But that uncomfortable feeling of sameness in the crowds and that sense of mass hysteria is always still there for me. Kind of like people speaking in tongues, or rioting in the streets when their sports team wins or loses. I guess I'm just more a small gathering kind of person.
- linkmotif 9y ago
  > that sense of mass hysteria is always still there for me. Kind of like people speaking in tongues, or rioting in the streets when their sports team wins or loses Thank you. I was going to mention these things, because they’re how I feel about these gatherings as well. Just replace a charismatic preacher with a charismatic DJ. It feels the same to me. The charismatic preacher has fallen out of fashion these days, so instead of someone shouting quotes from the Bible and telling everyone to repent, here the DJ drops the same old beat and for some reason the crowd goes wild just the same. It’s all about that sense of belonging, it seems, that people get from these experiences, but I can’t get that from an experience that feels like mass delusion. I posted my comments expecting lots of downvoting but was hoping to find at least one or two people who knew what I was saying. Thank you!
buttcoinslol 9y ago
Perhaps there is time for quiet introspection and also having fun on a dance floor. Here's the thing: many activities that do not interest you are far more complex and interesting than they appear on the surface.
- linkmotif 9y ago
  Dancing is great. It’s a magical thing that’s common to just about every culture on the planet. But that’s not this, IMO.

empath75 9y ago

The DJ isn’t doing anything there, though. That’s just the breakdown of the four tet remix of Eric Prydz — Opus. He’s just playing it straight. To really understand what an edm DJ does you need to listen for an hour plus. It wasn’t that breakdown that made the crowd explode like that, it was the hours and hours of music building up to it. I used to be a trance DJ and when I was preparing for a gig, I would build a two-hour set around two or three moments. I’d find a couple of records that I knew would get a big reaction and I’d basically treat them like a jewel that I had to find the perfect setting for. Every other song I played was about building up tension and contrast for those moments. If I had a track with a big vocal in the breakdown, I’d be sure to lead into it with nothing but non stop instrumental tracks with few or no breaks in the beat, playing repetitive songs to build up tension so when it finally opened up into a recognizable melody and lyrics people would have this huge feeling of release and I doubt most of them even knew why. There was nothing better than getting a crowd to jump up and down and scream when you knew they would do it. It was like casting a spell. If you’re not obsessive about dance music and haven’t tried djing, it’s really hard to appreciate what a DJ does and how hard it is to really move a large crowd. It’s not just about playing good songs. I used to think it was and cleared dance floors playing nothing but really popular songs when I first started. It took me two years of being a bad DJ before I really started to figure it out.

pavel_lishin 9y ago
> The DJ isn’t doing anything there, though. That’s just the breakdown of the four tet remix of Eric Prydz — Opus. He’s just playing it straight. I think that's the problem with trying to explain this stuff. I don't go to shows like this; to me, a DJ clicking "next" in iTunes is indistinguishable from someone practicing a craft. I just don't know enough, and I think a lot of other commenters in here don't either.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- beamatronic 9y ago
  A good indicator is no visible electronics other than headphones, turntables and a simple mixing board.