MBET Senior Projects - Thesis Cover Page

Dance Music: The Long Lasting and Far Reaching Effects of a Genre

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A Senior Thesis

Presented to

The Faculty of the Department of Music Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology

The University of the Arts

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In partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree of

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

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By

Trent Schindler

May, 2019

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Since the beginning, dance music has seen itself take the shape of, and transform into, a variety of molds. Detroit brought about techno - Chicago, house –and New York, garage (Reynolds, 2016). These hubs, with their own unique musical methodologies, would, like any ecosystem, spawn those who would thrive under their structure, or perhaps in this case, the lack thereof. This, in turn, would be the breeding ground of dance music and its legends. These legends, such as Carl Craig, Kraftwerk, and Derrick May, would not only help to develop something that would become bigger than anyone could have imagined, but they would indeed, like the ecosystem they were molded from, help to spawn, either directly or indirectly, a new breed of dance music altogether (Reynolds,

2016). This new breed would be pioneered by the likes of the Swedish House Mafia, Eric

Prydz, and Avicii to name a few. All of these great dance music pioneers and legends have, in turn, influenced me and have put me on a journey to develop, create, and produce my own variation of their craft. They have effectively molded me into the artist I am today, causing me to adventure into the origins of the music and technique and, without their innovative spirit and technical exploration; I would not be navigating this path.

It was in 2011, the first time I had ever heard dance music. A life-long friend of mine beckoned me over to his computer, exclaiming the greatness of the track he had on hand, one he had recently heard on Monstercat Records, a YouTube based record label. As he played the track, I felt a certain energy and pace in the music, something that was fresh, and brand new to me altogether. Unbeknownst to my friend, and to myself at the time, this newfound musical experience would become an obsession, driving me both toward new

2 genres and artists, but also back to the origins of the music where the sounds and the experiences were cultivated.

Similar to that of the scene in the 80’s, I found myself bewildered with the abundance of genres with their own unique scenes and perspectives . I was wildly navigating through the scene, finding myself listening to ambient techno, drum and bass, house, and so on, never really finding the opportunity to gain perspective, partially due to my lack of musical comprehension (Reynolds, 2016). At the same time, I was gaining a better understanding of dance music as a whole. The vast array of effects and synths created a beautiful irony, as the result of the music itself was simple: Groove. Groove was something that was subtle and formless. It captured my attention immediately. An artist that encapsulated groove so well was Avicii.

Not long after my introduction to the dance music, I found myself gravitating towards Avicii’s intoxicating, house-based sound. Avicii’s ability to illicit groove, while employing the “four on the floor” beat was something so simple, yet underrepresented in my musical sphere (“Principia Electronica”, 2012). Furthermore, Avicii was the first dance artist I ever heard that utilized digital sampling. Sampling, of course, was not something unique to Avicii. Music producers and DJs in the seventies and eighties, such as Carl Craig, would utilize this medium to transform their compositions, however, Avicii was my introduction to the technique (Reynolds, 2016). This informal initiation would change the way that I viewed music both as a listener and creator. Sampling allowed for the dispersal of traditional musicality, in replace of something perhaps more edgy and complex.

Although difficult to grasp at first, this discovery affected me tremendously. No longer did music have to be created by those trained through classical means. It became something

3 that was immediate and perhaps messy and unconventional, but creative and groove filled nonetheless. This expanded my concept of musicianship as a whole. Another dance music act that expanded my outlook and understanding of dance music was the Swedish House

Mafia.

Understudies of the likes of Daft Punk, Carl Craig, Kraftwerk, Derrick May, and more, the Swedish House mafia effectively were the representation of a new persona to dance music, drawing on a diversity of influences, such as the aforementioned, while also expanding dance music’s identity. Not only did their music reflect the origins of the genre, as much of their early work resembled that of the late eighties drug-filled Chicago, Detroit tech-house club scene, but it also represented a new direction of dance music altogether, one that would have lasting effects on me to this day (“Electronic Dance Music”, 2016).

The Swedish House Mafia were predominantly the driving force behind my decision to pursue music as a career, rather than something that occupied my free time. They expanded the idea of who a dance musician was, and could be. They ostensibly added a

“rock and roll” personality to the genre, becoming larger than life within the scene. They also definitively changed the way that I viewed music as a whole. Their huge choruses, aggressive synth based productions, and almost bipolar vibe selections, allowed for me to understand what was possible within my own creative process. I often felt as though I had to make records encased within a certain mold, never stepping outside of it for fear of criticism and rejection. The Swedish House Mafia’s dark, club based productions conversely mixed with essentially their commercial iterations ostensibly broadened my musical outlook. Another Swedish producer closely linked to the Swedish House Mafia,

4 Eric Prydz, too helped broaden my musical perspective, and through his musical ethics, taught me a lesson that has stayed with me since.

Swedish House Mafia’s close relation to Eric Prydz, the once fourth member of the

Swedish House Mafia, also allowed for me to venture into new musical territory. Although their music essentially stems from the same influences, Prydz is predominantly a techno based DJ and producer, much like the dance music forefathers mentioned earlier. His long, dirty sets, complicated Kraftwerk-esque synthesizers, and dancy melodies, almost perfectly embodies the entirety of my musical influences mentioned (Dayal and Ferrigno).

Most importantly, Eric Prydz made dance music his own, regardless of the opportunities he had to do otherwise. Eric Prydz instilled in me the essence of what earlier dance music legends set out to do, which was make something unique, and their own. This lesson has stuck with me throughout the entirety of my musical journey thus far, and, amongst the many lessons I have acquiesced from my influences, none are more pertinent than just that.

Dance music icons, such as Derrick May, Carl Craig, and Kraftwerk, spawned the initial blueprints for what would become one of the most consumed genres to date. They, in turn, were integral parts in the creation of artists such as the Swedish House Mafia,

Avicii, and Eric Prydz, artists that have shaped the way that I digest, create, and produce music altogether. Without their complex creations and innovative musical methodology, there would not be individuals, such as myself, who view music in such a way today. I devote my time and effort towards this genre in hopes to affect it in such a way that resembles that of the effect of its forefathers.

5 Bibliography

1. Dayal, Geeta, and Emily Ferrigno. “Electronic Dance Music.” Grove Music Online. Oxford

Music Online.

2. Hajdu, David. “Principia Electronica.” New Republic, vol. 243, no. 19, Dec. 2012, p.

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search.ebscohost.com.catalog.library.uarts.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=843041

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3. Matos, Michaelangelo. “Electronic Dance Music.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 23 Nov. 2016, www.britannica.com/art/electronic-dance-music.

4. Reynolds, Simon. Generation Ecstasy: into the World of Techno and Rave Culture.

Routledge, 2016.

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