Seth Troxler is a very opinionated music producer and DJ in the electronic dance music scene. Recently, Troxler was asked to be a key note speaker at the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) for a segment called “Seth Troxler Tells It How It Is.” During that speech, Troxler shared his views on the differences of EDM and the underground scene. Most importantly Troxler thinks these two cultures should remain separate.
We are different cultures, and we should stay different cultures. The underground is stronger than ever, and it can never [be] defeated… And after all the commercialization of the past few years, I think people are really coming back to the idea of real truth in music, the deepness of that. That’s what will sustain it in the future.
Seth isn’t wrong with his gripes about how the electronic music scene has been presented in the American market and around the world (heck, we have some of our own opinions about it), but we are thrown back that he would actually support a segregated music scene. Should we only listen to rock and roll because that is the supposed truth in music to one person’s view? Furthermore, should we only listen to classical music because that is considered by some to be the original form of music? The answer is a resounding no. The truth is that if we confine ourselves to one genre of music, we are robbing ourselves of that special spice of life: variety.
Every genre of music has its pop side and underground side. One of the great things about these two areas is that one feeds the other. Pop music brings in the listener by introducing them to that general culture. Sure, there are some less than stellar acts and even some tools in each culture. But something amazing happens when someone starts exploring a music scene they are new to: they begin to explore the underground. So, it seems you cannot have one without the other. Disliking music merely because it’s popular is not a good enough argument for your case. On the other hand, if it’s terrible music, then you’ve got an argument.
Do you think that Seth Troxler is right? Should these two cultures remain mutually exclusive?
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