How To Like Electronic Music?

[DSC]

A bit of a spin-off/continuation of my Radiohead thread. I talked about how much I disliked the band over there, and how much I just couldn't grasp what was so good about them. And I realized one of the reasons is because they are part of a genre of music I always despised: electronica. I just don't understand it. And you see, I WANT to. What is the point in not being able to enjoy something? Wouldn't it be good if I could add a gigantic amont of new material to my playlist? Wouldn't it be better to love more instead of hating more? 

 

And thats what I'm asking. How exactly do I learn how to like this genre?

[Chopkinsca]

I dunno, just listen to a bunch of it? Electronic music is a huge mass of genres. You can't force yourself to like any types of music.

[Antkibo]

Electronica is an umbrella term for a lot of genres and I don't like most of them. In fact, I am not the best guy to offer recommendations on this, but I love Daft Punk, and I think they are very accessible.

 

Daft Punk's first album Homework is a good example of house -- a genre with very repetitive drums and bass lines, which allows you to enter "in the zone." My favorites songs there are Da Funk and Around the World. I believe focusing on the bass and the drum parts and tapping along is a great way to enjoy those songs.

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

When I was a kid, however, I was a big fan of DJ Tiësto. He's deep into house now, but he is best known for his contributions to the trance scene -- a genre of big buildups and drops. I love Adagio of Strings (a cover) and Lethal Industry. This genre is all about waiting for the explosion.

Spoiler

 

 

 

Of course, there are more accessible genres like synth-pop, which retains the usual structure of pop (duration, form, etc.), but features synth-based instruments. This is the genre most people associate with "electronica." I recommend Axel F., Synth Wars (from a Regular Show), and, what I consider THE song of all electronica, Popcorn -- a cover from the M&H Band, in fact. You see, Popcorn is akin to those jazz classics that everybody covers.

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

Aaaaaaaand back to Daft Punk for its more mainstream release as of yet, Random Access Memories. The album features disco-based music heavily, but also some deep and thought-stirring tracks, which are more instrumental-like. Of the first set, listen to Get Lucky, Give Life Back To Music, Fragments of Time, and Instant Crush. From the second one, try Touch, Within, and Beyond.

Spoiler

 

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by Antkibo

[45th Parrallel]

If you're into metal like your comments in the previous thread suggest, genres like Industrial and EBM might suit your tastes more. I'd suggest early KMFDM, Front Line Assembly - Millennium and Youth Code, With Millennium actually sampling riffs from popular metal albums of the time.

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

[TenenteZashu]

If this can be considered eletronic music I guess

 

[elend]

Very easy. It's all about finding something that you like from the very first listen and then slowly build from there. You don't have to. Sometimes it just happens.

 

Maybe you like this?

https://pilotpriest.bandcamp.com/album/original-motion-picture-soundtrack

[Annunakitty]

I don't listen to a ton of electronic music, but yeah it's a very broad genre that encompasses a lot of different styles.  I think it's a little like rock or metal in that there's definitely something for everyone in there, you just gotta have the curiosity to try.  The first electronic artist that really hooked me was Amon Tobin.  He did the soundtrack for Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, and his albums Supermodified and Out from Out Where are full of slick, atmospheric songwriting with tons of varied tones, with maybe more of a darker edge that you might like if you are into metal:

Spoiler

 

 

1 hour ago, Yukarin said:

If you're into metal like your comments in the previous thread suggest, genres like Industrial and EBM might suit your tastes more. I'd suggest early KMFDM, Front Line Assembly - Millennium and Youth Code, With Millennium actually sampling riffs from popular metal albums of the time.

Toss Ministry in there too.  And maybe Rob Zombie; A little while back I went back and listened to his later stuff after writing him off as basic and his stuff is actually pretty decent.

 

Also I don't like Radiohead either but it doesn't have anything to do with electronica components, but rather that Thom Yorke's is the punchable face of voices :P

[Nekr0s1s]

- want some modern stuff in an 80's wrap? try looking up the likes of Kavinsky or Lazerhawk.

 

- if you're into breakbeat/big beat or whatever, i'd suggest The Prodigy. (at least from "The Fat Of The Land" all the way to "No Tourists". The earlier albums are more techno-sounding) The Crystal Method, as well as The Chemical Brothers are also worth a look.

 

- i also like some J-Pop, which has some electronic music elements in it, too. look up for Kotoko and/or Ayumi Hamasaki.

 

Some tips that might be helpful

 

- How tolerant are you when it comes to repetition? for example: i'm struggling to get into drum n bass because it see there isn't much beat variation and most songs are too long (5 min. or more).

 

- Are you fine with vocals or would you rather prefer some instrumental stuff?

Edited December 29, 2020 by Nekr0s1s

[Serum]

These days, electronic is a very vague descriptor. It doesn't just have to be the milquetoast boots-and-cats stuff you hear at EDM festivals. It's an umbrella term that describes hundreds of sub-genres. The reason it's such a big sphere is that "electronic" really just boils down to "any music largely constituted by synthesizers." Synthesizers can be used to make millions upon millions of sounds, from dubstep wubs to jazz melodies. You can utilize synthesizers just about anywhere. So I would say the best way for you to get into electronic music would be to find a subgenre of it that blends synthesizers with a genre that you already know that you like. For example, if you're a metal head, you may like artists like Noisia, Prodigy or Celldweller

Edited December 29, 2020 by Serum

[Silhouette 03]

I personally prefer 80’s styled electronic music to modern electronica.Maybe try Gunship if you like vocals,Carpenter Brut if you like a darker tinge, Dance with the dead for a variety of themes or lazerHawk.

I’ll leave these here if you’re interested.

 

 

[Doomkid]

It’s one thing to be able to appreciate the love/effort that goes into something, but trying to “force yourself” to like something seems misguided. I’m glad you have an open mind to it, but sometimes things just don’t resonate with certain people and there’s no shame in that, so long as you don’t try and force your tastes onto others. The other responses here may be more useful to you, but sometimes the shoe just doesn’t fit, you know?

[xX_Lol6_Xx]

IDK, I started to like electronic music by hearing many known artists (for example TheFatRat, 7obu, Elektronomia, Jim Yosef, Alan Walker, etc.) and then listening some random music. You just have to search and eventually you'll find the song or the genre that fits you. In my opinion, it's like playing video games, if it calls your atention give it a try and see if you like it.

Edited December 29, 2020 by :[Lol 6]:

[DNSKILL5]

Electronic music is a vague term honestly. You can tell everyone already has a different idea of what it is and isn’t. To me, if you don’t like it, then you don’t like it. Nobody is going to kill you for it. I’d suggest easing into it by finding an offshoot of a genre you do like that has electronica mixed with it. For example, if you like metal music, you may enjoy KMFDM. They are fairly electronic-metal driven, especially since around the 90s. They’re considered industrial-metal, but it’s still fairly electronic and they use synths and samples quite extensively. 
 

 

I’d also recommend Laibach. They’re pretty all over the place from album to album, never sticking with one distinct sound for too long, but their album WAT is probably their closest to dedicated electronic music... video isn’t official btw, has clips from other music videos of theirs, but I couldn’t find the song elsewhere. 

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by Gerolf

[spineapple tea]

You don't really have to like it. If you wanna get into it, I'd just suggest listening to some of the suggestions here.

[durian]

As I recall from the other thread, you like heavy music; there's a lot of incredibly heavy electronic music, so maybe try some of that? Here's something with a bit of metal to ease you in:

 

 

And some more:

 

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by durian

[Spie812]

Since "electronic music" refers to such a vast, impossibly wide variety of completely different sounds, the key is to listen to as many different sounds as possible until you find something that suits you. Contrary to what some others here have said, there is absolutely something out there that you can enjoy because there are quite literally infinite different styles to listen to. But what's the easiest way to listen to as much variety as possible? It can be a pretty daunting task, and finding a decent playlist that doesn't favor certain genres too much can be a challenge.

 

From personal experience, I'd like to recommend these playlists. They feature primarily Japanese DTM artists and do favor certain styles (esp. hardcore and trance variants), but they still have the greatest variety of any playlists that I have found to date. Here you'll find everything from generic club music to weird experimental stuff. I still feel like this barely scratches the surface, but it's a good start at least.

 

BOFXVI: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLToEAU-XAmLwVWm0Ph0aGgmohvKsCd9UY

BOFXV: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXa5uNWUHqV1Yy8lUxD8csj4rMZU8hI_7

BOFU2016: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHudcbglbfzyLrizxpqTRSVisVZYhwu2M

Edited December 29, 2020 by Spie812

[P41R47]

7 hours ago, DSC said:

A bit of a spin-off/continuation of my Radiohead thread. I talked about how much I disliked the band over there, and how much I just couldn't grasp what was so good about them. And I realized one of the reasons is because they are part of a genre of music I always despised: electronica. I just don't understand it. And you see, I WANT to. What is the point in not being able to enjoy something? Wouldn't it be good if I could add a gigantic amont of new material to my playlist? Wouldn't it be better to love more instead of hating more? 

 

And thats what I'm asking. How exactly do I learn how to like this genre?

do you know why its called Creamfields?

 

Everyone comes with a white line in his head after that ;)

 

On a serious note. Its hard to understand.

I too thought ''Electronica'' was kinda boring and repetitive.

But then, one day, i was at a party, just a little drunk, on that state you are just happy before going down, and David Guetta's ''Love is Gone'' started sounding. I was coming from some kind of break up, and i was happy that all was already ended, so those lyrics, those beats, woah, they really do me.

Next thing i remember is me dancing non stop at those amazing vibes and having fun like no other night.

 

After that, i get a liking to dance, and when all my friend go to dance clubs just to get laid, i was always at the dance floor, leaving my mark on the floor with all my sweating.

Night life is not that bad. Its a moment we all live, a moment when breaking what we know about ourselves is the priority.

And so, i come transformed.

I didn't went ever down the white line road, but its not necessary to go down it to enjoy electronica.

Daft Punk's Discovery first half is a great introduction to the genre.

 

Know that inside the label ''electronica'' there are multiple subgenres, as in METAL.

 

First Daft Punk's ''HomeWork'' album is made mostly of House Music, a sample kind of music with a more funky or lounge vibe.

Second album, ''Discovery'' is mostly lean more into the Synthpop, but it has IDM.

Daft Punk's ''Human After All'' is their most complex sounding work, and their most philosophical, too. Its mostly made of Electro-Industrial cuts, and is also the soundtrack to one cool movie Daft Punk made.

Daft Punk's ''TRON: Legacy'' is a full flewed soundtrack, but their fourth album, too. I like it vibe, even when there is no hit song per ce.

Then, their last album, ''Random Access Memories'', take the electronic out of it, and leave two funky monsters on their place with just little snipets of their older Electronic attitude.

 

A few months back i replayed A.L.T. and one of the midis is a rendition of Fatboy Slim 's ''Right Here, Right Now'' and it has a really atmospheric vibe of realicing some unknown secret, that i needed to go with the FatBoy Slim's Big Beat genre to relive that. Now, the song ''Praise You'' and it guerrilla performance video are my way to feel a little bit better every day :)

 

Then you have some outputs that lean onto the heavy side, or even the punkier.

I really like HORSE The Band, and this song just really make it for me.

 

 

Edited December 29, 2020 by P41R47

[D4NUK1]

I really like because it's make me act like in automatic, if the rythm flow well, may even make me dance and nod my head while working.
There's some of electronic music that it's on my playlist.

 

The last one it's more dark and slow placed, but still flow better, in my way, it's one of my favorites music generes.

[Matias]

I used to be a metal elitist and held a very similiar view points of despising other genres as you do, the problem (talking from my experience) is that most or atleast many metalheads have very narrow and closed-minded view on music even if they are not to the point of elitism.

 

If you go to music thinking you are going to hate it you are never going to like it, taking a more open minded approach to music, especially from different genres you usually listen to is crucial. Also different music styles are judged based on different qualities, if you find yourself comparing two completely different types of music to each other you have completely wrong mindset. It's good to understand that you don't have to like something but you also don't have to hate it. You can also appreciate music that you would never listen to your own time, do i find myself listening to classical music? no... but i sure as hell am impressed by it everytime i stumble upon it. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong disliking something or even hating specific types of music or bands as long as you gave it a fair chance, it's also important to not hate a entire genre because you didn't like the first artist you heard in that genre.

 

I rarely listen to metal nowadays and mostly listen to underground/indie rap artists. That might sound weird that i went from exclusively listening to metal to listening to metal handful of times a year. I still like that stuff but i found something i generally enjoy more, but i still consider Judas Priest one of the greatest bands of all time.

 

as for electronic music it's just like every other genre,  extremely wide and you are going to find subgenres you like and others you hate.

 

You have gotten some good recommendations already such as igorrr, drumcorps and Dance With The Dead. I'm going to throw couple here myself

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by Matias

[hybridial]

23 minutes ago, Matias said:

I used to be a metal elitist and held a very similiar view points of despising other genres as you do, the problem (talking from my experience) is that most or atleast many metalheads have very narrow and closed-minded view on music even if they are not to the point of elitism.

 

That's probably true of some people, I have a different view point I guess, I pretty much only listen to, hell, even saying metal is too broad. I would put it I listen to bands that just play what resonates with me. I have no problem just hearing a lot of things but when it comes to what goes into my proper listening library, I'm just looking for something really specific. I'm not that bothered about most things in music either way, I guess like with movies and games there's some I'll take a disliking too but most of the time I just don't care. There's no point forcing what I find to be innate, instinctual almost with my reaction to hearing something and knowing if its of interest to me or not. 

 

So I can't really even relate to the topic title at all. I guess just saying, it's not elitism with everyone who isn't listening to every genre under the sun, I'm just not motivated to in anyway. 

[insertwackynamehere]

A lot of people mentioned industrial acts like Front Line Assembly, as a good approach vector based on your taste.

 

One thing to note is that if you like their stuff, and this really goes for any electronic music act you like, you should look up them and their members on Discogs. In their case, you’ll see many founding members have other projects including Delirium, Conjure One and Fauxliage.

 

The reason I mention this is because as someone who listens to a lot of trance I actually know those 3 acts better then FLA which is just a group I know the name of but couldn’t identify. But when you get into the habit of Discogs-ing acts or artists you like, you’ll see how much overlap there is between the actual individuals behind the acts. This can help you find other tracks you may like by the same people using a different alias or explore a persons other acts that deviate in sound from what you normally listen to but may be a good branching out point. For example, Conjure One and Fauxliage are like Island-y chill out with a darker edge, and Delirium is like perhaps chillout music for Goth kids, I don’t even know how to classify, but they sort of get swept under the broader “trance and trance-adjacent chillout Balearic” umbrella which is how I know them.

 

Anyway this isn’t Front Line Assembly specific, it’s just an example of something very common in the broader genre of electronic music. I think it’s born out of the reality that electronic music is studio driven and also has a “face” sometimes which is a DJ. So you have a different sort of culture then band-driven music, and it pays to see who is behind the act that is billed as the artist because there is a nice web to untangle of individuals responsible which can lead to discovering new things you like if you find one thing you like. Once again Discogs.com is the best place to do this research, they have everything with aliases and acts cross-referenced.

 

Also if you do end up liking industrial, one of my favorite industrial tracks as a trance listener is the Severed Heads’ track Greater Reward. It’s very atonal on first listen but now it’s stuck in my head forever. A lot of the less cheeseball electronic music has that effect, although I still enjoy cheesy stuff too. The outro to that track actually became a house/trance sample on the track Liberation which is a house track from the 90s that was later remade as a trance track from the early/mid-2010s. Which is another thing you’ll see a lot in certain genres, call backs to old tracks or riffs or samples.

[DSC]

Everybody here seems to think metal is the only genre I like... Just to clarify, there is a reason Pink Floyd is my profile pic! Don't be afraid to suggest some prog rock influenced stuff too:)

[Matias]

@hybridial I never said that it would be true to all people who only like metal and i never said that there is anything bad for liking one specific type of music. I even mentioned that i have a type of music i like to listen to most of the time. It's just observation of myself and many of the metalheads i have interacted with, i also know many people who only like metal music and are nothing like an elitist.

 

1 hour ago, hybridial said:

it's not elitism with everyone who isn't listening to every genre under the sun

Never suggested that either

 

I thought these were obvious from my original comment, maybe i used wrong wording or something

[hybridial]

@Matias I wasn't insinuating that you said anything wrong, I just wanted to add my perspective to it. 

[Matias]

@hybridial Okay, fair enough! I just wanted to be sure people don't take my comment the wrong way. Always great to have other perspectives

[P41R47]

48 minutes ago, DSC said:

Everybody here seems to think metal is the only genre I like... Just to clarify, there is a reason Pink Floyd is my profile pic! Don't be afraid to suggest some prog rock influenced stuff too:)

Let there be light for you, my friend ;)

 

Also, different kind of Electronic music, not only leaning to the dance floor, elaborated into different moods and styles.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by P41R47

[insertwackynamehere]

1 hour ago, DSC said:

Everybody here seems to think metal is the only genre I like... Just to clarify, there is a reason Pink Floyd is my profile pic! Don't be afraid to suggest some prog rock influenced stuff too:)

I was wondering that lol, I just followed suit but thought “why does everyone think this? Maybe from other threads or something”

[Annunakitty]

3 hours ago, DSC said:

Everybody here seems to think metal is the only genre I like... Just to clarify, there is a reason Pink Floyd is my profile pic! Don't be afraid to suggest some prog rock influenced stuff too:)

In that case, may I suggest Maserati?

Spoiler

 

I guess they're more prog than electro but is a good taste of what you might find if you dig deeper

[Dubbag]

 

[Chopkinsca]

You can also jump into the dark end of the pool. Oh of course it is age-restricted. The artist is Suicide Commando if you want to know what you are getting into by clicking.

 

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by Chopkinsca