This Halloween brought something especially scary. It wasn’t the cancellation of Christmas, nor was it a nuclear holocaust. Neither of these things happened; instead, we got some terrible news out of the U.K. Apparently, EDM is dead!
According to The Independent and Liam Howlett of The Prodigy, British music is better off now that EDM is dead. The British producer also mentioned his apparent love of rap, saying that it impressed him. Their rap scene has apparently replaced the EDM scene, which is no doubt impressive, but sad nonetheless.
British dance music was only getting better. It had so much to offer, so much to live for. Gosh, there’s such a rich history behind the recently deceased UK EDM scene. Its legacy is impressive; from groundbreaking new genres to legendary festivals like Creamfields, the UK has an impressive array of electronic sound.
Remember the first time you heard dubstep?
Remember Caspa and Rusko? Remember singing along to the wubs and low frequencies? A little over a decade ago, dubstep’s first forms began to take hold in the UK underground. Years later, some of the sounds pioneered by artists like Skream, Benga, Joker and many more, would lead to a revolution.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIUoO4PvLPo]
Brostep artists like Excision and Skrillex found their inspiration from UK dubstep. Modern producers like Zomboy, KOAN Sound and Doctor P have developed dubstep into a whole new beast. But their brand of bass hasn’t stopped there; dub is only one contribution to the broader dance music scene, and it shares its origins with many other contemporary sub-genres.
Drum and bass was always perfect shuffling music
D&B came out of early British rave and jungle scenes in the 1990s. It’s about as old as some millennials, and it’s also as iconic. The fast-paced genre has broken from its humble underground beginnings into something worldwide.
Artists like Pendulum, Rudimental, Andy C, Netsky, and Delta Heavy all represent the UK in their own way. They’ve produced sounds and beats that have earned their place in our hearts as favorites. Even Aphex Twin, an iconic electronic pioneer, has been known to produce drum and bass at times.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2UA0VG-wms]
But the underground doesn’t stop at gnarly bass and tight drum machines. Some of the biggest innovators in UK EDM has its origins in club settings that have traveled the ocean to be there. The UK has built upon sounds that have started elsewhere but truly came into their own on British soil.
House is more than just a building, you know
House music became a thing in the 1980s, but acid house began to thrive across the pond. The UK saw a real appreciation for acid house on its own soil, where the unorthodox sound developed a new flavor. It was the beginning of a revolution in the UK, where rave-focused genres began to grow.
Old school illegal warehouse parties were all the rage back then. Nowadays, house has transformed into a beautiful flower, with each petal being a unique style. Feed Me’s music is incredibly diverse, and Calvin Harris has become one of the hottest names in dance music. Chris Lake, Carl Cox, Duke Dumont and half of Maximono all hail from the UK.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkvOpw7eUsY]
If EDM is dead in the UK, then it’s nothing short of a tragedy. They’ve given some of the biggest innovations in dance music and have driven some of the best sound developments to date. Their scene has been nothing short of a gift to the world of EDM, and their loss would be a tragedy. Here’s to at least another couple decades of groundbreaking music coming out of the UK!
Do you think we’ll see more EDM innovation out of the UK, or do you think their scene is done for? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook!
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