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Forums - Drums / rhythms / programming
Subject: dance music trends
Viewing all 31 messages - View by pages of 10: 1 2 3 4
Original Message 1/31 18-Nov-99 @ 12:26 PM - dance music trends
What are the current tempo ranges for the styles of dance that each of you are familiar with and how are they changing? What types of dance music are on the way out and where are we going in terms of popularity?
Message 2/31 18-Nov-99 @ 04:53 PM - RE: dance music trends
I would say jungle 80-180BPM maybe, though most seems 2 weigh in at 175; house 130-150 depending on the style likewise garage (not too sure on that, 2 b honest). In England, that great behemoth that is known as trance has finally landed 5 years after the rest of Europe and it seems 2 b taking over bigtime along with the perennial favourite, house. I dont have any problem with that, its just not really my thing. I think the decline in poularity as far as d+b goes has levelled out in the UK now, and only the true beleivers r supporting the scene but, worldwide it seems 2 b blowing up which is cool as fuck, I never thought I`d c the day even people in the North of England would start feeling it, let alone the rest of the world..............ok, I`m waffling again aren`t I?....time to stop (and have a lie down)......
Message 3/31 18-Nov-99 @ 06:35 PM - RE: dance music trends
original 'trance' has been around for along time tho - big global scene & local - big network
Message 4/31 18-Nov-99 @ 07:06 PM - RE: dance music trends
Hip-hop/Rap= 75 to 90 bpm
Funk= 90 to 120 bpm
House/Garage= 120 to 150 bpm
Jungle= 160 to 180 bpm
Gabba=180 to 220 bpm
Just a rough guide to bpms from a dance drummer perspective.
Where it's going? Who knows what's next. Since moving to the UK I've found it impossible to tell because of the "flavour of the week" music scene and the heavy bias towards UK music. When I was living back home (Toronto) I found it fairly easy to get a balanced view of the future of the popular music scene. Probably because we sat right in the middle of the UK scene and the US scene. I feel right out of touch with being able to make predictions.
Funk= 90 to 120 bpm
House/Garage= 120 to 150 bpm
Jungle= 160 to 180 bpm
Gabba=180 to 220 bpm
Just a rough guide to bpms from a dance drummer perspective.
Where it's going? Who knows what's next. Since moving to the UK I've found it impossible to tell because of the "flavour of the week" music scene and the heavy bias towards UK music. When I was living back home (Toronto) I found it fairly easy to get a balanced view of the future of the popular music scene. Probably because we sat right in the middle of the UK scene and the US scene. I feel right out of touch with being able to make predictions.
Message 5/31 19-Nov-99 @ 12:44 AM - RE: dance music trends
It's really tough to say. I mean Speedbass can be anywhere from 150 to 200+ bpm. Slow abstract noise breaks are getting more popular, but you can use them polyrythmicaly in the same manner that original jungle started. It's going wherever anyone wants to take it. We all have the power if we so choose. Take it back from the media, and those who exploit you. Make your own paths.
Ape
Ape
Message 6/31 19-Nov-99 @ 01:52 AM - RE: dance music trends
I'm not going to answer the BPM question because its kind of ridiculus...make a track, set the tempo until it feels rights...I mean...there are no rules to the genres, only subjective perceptions of what sounds make something tech-house instead of house and when house becomes "deep" ...
Anyway...as to the trend thing...
I live in Detroit and am selectively frequent at parties here (that is, I've been in the scene long enough that I won't go to a party every week...I actually only choose the good ones...)
Happily I'm still hearing a lot of hard techno (from Swedish to the Jeff Mills varieties) and some slightly slower, more housish (but definitely not tech-housish) "pumping techno" ... Adam X was here a couple of weeks ago and he put on a fucking good "pumping" set and Niel Landstrumm did a very interesting hard set...
In the harder areas, I've noticed a strange jungle/hard techno fusion that I'm glad to see. Let me explain what I mean by that....
This jungle-tech is a fusion in that it is still four to the floor (or often 2 times 2) but it abandons the House kick in favor of a rat-a-tat stream of low percussions which mix organically with the rest of the rhythms...and the rhythms are what resemble jungle... They aren't like, detailed etchy, funky beats, but still very intricate and beyond what we usually call straight techno (see Richie Hawtin's new album)...
And then there's that plague of Trance... ick... keep that shyte away from me. At every middle-of the road party (in quality) there is a token west-coast Trance DJ (because no one from Detroit would have the balls to do it) and the younger kids/newer kids seem to actually like it. Thankfully there is still
an enthusiastic REAL techno audience that will sweat inside a warehouse for someone like Adam X or Neil....
Anyway...each time I come home from a party I get pissed at everything I've made and think "once again I've lost the cutting edge" ... So many records come out each week its like...damn...I gotta really get my brain going....where do *I* think that this shit should be going? What aren't they doing? How can I avoid the old stand-by beats?
Can anyone sympathize? I KNOW I'm not the only amateur on here and I'm willing to admit that *I* was a groove-box kid turned on a couple of years ago...Fortunately I've moved on!
John Acquaviva, Stacy Pullen and Charles Feelgood tomorrow, baby...System 3 year...
anyway...that's my rant...ttyl
Anyway...as to the trend thing...
I live in Detroit and am selectively frequent at parties here (that is, I've been in the scene long enough that I won't go to a party every week...I actually only choose the good ones...)
Happily I'm still hearing a lot of hard techno (from Swedish to the Jeff Mills varieties) and some slightly slower, more housish (but definitely not tech-housish) "pumping techno" ... Adam X was here a couple of weeks ago and he put on a fucking good "pumping" set and Niel Landstrumm did a very interesting hard set...
In the harder areas, I've noticed a strange jungle/hard techno fusion that I'm glad to see. Let me explain what I mean by that....
This jungle-tech is a fusion in that it is still four to the floor (or often 2 times 2) but it abandons the House kick in favor of a rat-a-tat stream of low percussions which mix organically with the rest of the rhythms...and the rhythms are what resemble jungle... They aren't like, detailed etchy, funky beats, but still very intricate and beyond what we usually call straight techno (see Richie Hawtin's new album)...
And then there's that plague of Trance... ick... keep that shyte away from me. At every middle-of the road party (in quality) there is a token west-coast Trance DJ (because no one from Detroit would have the balls to do it) and the younger kids/newer kids seem to actually like it. Thankfully there is still
an enthusiastic REAL techno audience that will sweat inside a warehouse for someone like Adam X or Neil....
Anyway...each time I come home from a party I get pissed at everything I've made and think "once again I've lost the cutting edge" ... So many records come out each week its like...damn...I gotta really get my brain going....where do *I* think that this shit should be going? What aren't they doing? How can I avoid the old stand-by beats?
Can anyone sympathize? I KNOW I'm not the only amateur on here and I'm willing to admit that *I* was a groove-box kid turned on a couple of years ago...Fortunately I've moved on!
John Acquaviva, Stacy Pullen and Charles Feelgood tomorrow, baby...System 3 year...
anyway...that's my rant...ttyl
Message 7/31 19-Nov-99 @ 10:46 PM - RE: dance music trends
This site explained some of my other questions concerning tempos and past trends. Interesting stuff. I'm still feelin sketchy about the current trends tho. I guess that it's hard to get the big picture on this because we are so spread out. What style is most prevalent in your clubs now?
Message 8/31 21-Nov-99 @ 12:22 AM - RE: dance music trends
Here's something interesting...I've been jotting down tempo's for all my d'n'b albums and it definitely looks like things are going up in tempo. You could almost draw a straight line between 95 and 98. (At least with the 80 or so songs I calculated). My averages: 1996: 163bpm, 1997: 165bpm, 1998: 166 bpm, 1999: 172 bpm. Looks like we may have taken a bigger jump this year. Another interesting thing is that earlier drum 'n' bass was all over the place in tempo and now it's much tighter. Tempo's seem to vary no more than 2 or 4 bpm on compilations. Now how can we just say that everyone is dialing the tempo in until it 'feels right'. Do labels ask the musicians to keep the tempo within such a small range? Given the past trend, I'd say were headed for about 175bpm next year. Some of you may think that this is a waste of time to think about but if the trend is this visable then it must mean something to the media. Now go ahead and beat me with sticks.
Message 9/31 21-Nov-99 @ 01:22 AM - RE: dance music trends
Funny you should say "current trends". A few years ago when Drum 'n' Bass was non existent, was called Jungle or Jungle Techno in them days, i used to mess around with an Amiga with 4 tracks of samples. In them days, the music was about 140-150 bpm, but me i was speeding my breaks well into the 170's. And i remember my friend who is a producer now was saying Nah man, that's too fast!! I said to him Bollox, that's how it should sound and look at the current speed of Drum n bass now.
History lesson for ya
History lesson for ya
Message 10/31 21-Nov-99 @ 08:14 AM - RE: dance music trends
Labels dont ask musicians 2 keep things in a certain range; most labels have their own style and so they sign the tracks and artists that complement that. As far as BPMs being similar - all goes back 2 the dj really dunnit?
Message 11/31 21-Nov-99 @ 11:19 AM - RE: dance music trends
most of my older d+b records are slower..yes...even if just a little bit.
i like 45's on 33 (some) pitched up to +6or7 or so...fun hard slowish beats..also i have started noticing some stuff that is like that to begin with..nice sounds
i like 45's on 33 (some) pitched up to +6or7 or so...fun hard slowish beats..also i have started noticing some stuff that is like that to begin with..nice sounds
Message 12/31 21-Nov-99 @ 01:48 PM - RE: dance music trends
As far as the narrow range of tempos is concerned, I don't know if it's just to please DJ's cuz I have plenty of dance albums that cover ranges of like 55-140. Now what's it about d'n'b specifically that gives us albums ranging only from 163-165? The d'n'b DJ mixes I have are the same tempo from beginning to end but I'm talking about the more general stuff like comps. I dunno just seems like d'n'b genre is very narrowly focused...but not in a bad way. Just thinkin out loud.
Message 13/31 21-Nov-99 @ 02:06 PM - RE: dance music trends
Uhhhhhh.................there is actually a fair amount of half speed D+B out there and some stuff that weighs in around 155 as well.............Jungle has always operated at the higher end of the tempo spectrum and its just evolution really - look at house music, the tempo of that has gone right up since the turn of the decade. As far a BPMs being similar, it makes life easy 4 the dj cos it makes it a lot easier to get the pitch right of the tune u wanna mix in - if u gotta tune rollin` at +4 the tune u mix in will tend 2 normally fall at the right speed almost dead on one of the other pitch markings (+2,+3 etc.). Not always, but often.
Message 14/31 22-Nov-99 @ 01:23 AM - RE: dance music trends
Have you heard of a band called Hive? I got turned on to them by hearing this song called Fallout (94 bpm) on their first album. It's real dark atmospheric breakbeat, like most of the rest of the album. Anyway so hoping to get more stuff like it I got their next album called "Devious Methods" and it turned out to be D'n'B. They are very experimental and do this chopping the tempo in half all over the place. Makes for a very interesting and dynamic style that I havn't heard too much of elsewhere. It's not for everyone but really worth a listen if you come accross it. I'd like to know of some of those 'half tempo' D'n'b bands/albums you are refering to. Well I guess I didn't make myself too clear on the whole tempo issue cuz it didn't seem to provoke the anticipated response. I'm not too good at explainin myself. Some of these responses did inspire me to try a few new things tho.
Message 15/31 22-Nov-99 @ 12:15 PM - RE: dance music trends
...Justice has done some 1/2 speed cuts and one of the GLR sisters labels delves into the 80-120 range.....
Message 16/31 25-Nov-99 @ 05:53 AM - RE: dance music trends
Dancemusic's getting faster and faster and at some point it'll have to slow down again . But yeah, It's the DJ who dictates speed and where the trend is going. After all he started it back in the mid eighties when he said: "Hang on. Why I am playing Stock Aiken Waterman. It sucks. I'll make my own music!". Got himself an 808 and the rest is history. Since then we've nodding or sweating to house, techno, new beat, balaeric, rave, trance, progressive, garage, jungle and finally French house. Meanwhile hip hop was always doing its own thing. There's gotta be a dozen styles I didn't mention. Fill in the blanks if you will. And styles are important to keep track of dance music. Since the artist's name and the melody aren't important at all, we need labels put on the constant flow of new ideas. What's the next style? You guys decide! What you and me are making in our small budget studios could be the next dance floor bomb........ one thing for sure the DJ rules and he's here to stay. Hey Fresh... half beats.... sounds wicked.... like to check it out.
Message 17/31 25-Nov-99 @ 08:20 AM - RE: dance music trends
Then don't miss "Increase The Beats Volume 2" from Thrive Records. It's a compilation with 11 slow breakbeat tracks by well known artists that are incredible. Tempos mostly about 90. Can't describe it. Dark, organic, dreamlike, full of bottom end. I love it. Cool artwork on it too.
Message 18/31 25-Nov-99 @ 11:46 AM - RE: dance music trends
Check the stuff thats coming out of the "Nu-Breaks"(?) scene in the UK. Some of its kinda jungle at house tempos and some of it leans more towards electro...........
Message 19/31 25-Nov-99 @ 05:42 PM - RE: dance music trends
R-tek, you're talking about nuskool breaks. Bad shit, me boy. Things are speeidng up and slowing down as well. Check out Super Collider, Head On. Slow, deep shit. No joke. A new direction in sound. Normally I'm not into vocals, but... well you just have to hear it. There's other stuff, too. Electro seems to be moving faster tan it ws five years ago, at least the Detroit stuff, but then look how fast the old po-ectro stuff was back in the day (showing my age here). I don't think it's so much a case of bpms, as much as mastering the medium, and using it more to it's full potetial (if there is such a thing) to accurately convey a feeling, fro one being to another. In the case of dance music, it's usually (hopefully) some sort of funky feeling. Fuck the rules and the trends, that's waht I say. Make your own trend. Diversity is a good thing. Don't worry about trying to predict what the cutting edge will be, and making it. You are your cutting edge. How sharp will you be if you just follow others?
Ape
Ape
Message 20/31 25-Nov-99 @ 05:52 PM - RE: dance music trends
Ahhhh..."Nu-Skool...". Knew it was something like that.....
Message 21/31 28-Nov-99 @ 01:30 AM - RE: dance music trends
Hey let's create a new music trend right here on the net.
Ane suggestions for a name? How about Dotcom.
It' goes a little something like this: Bommchittikataboomchiboomchittikata....
Sorry got a bit carried. Actually it could happen. Music created over the net in little forums like this. And sold the same way. Just a thought.
Ane suggestions for a name? How about Dotcom.
It' goes a little something like this: Bommchittikataboomchiboomchittikata....
Sorry got a bit carried. Actually it could happen. Music created over the net in little forums like this. And sold the same way. Just a thought.
Message 23/31 01-Dec-99 @ 07:17 AM - RE: dance music trends
Cool site Pongoid. Kinda like www.ss7x7.com. Nice toy.
Speaking of links - for the latest releases go to www.satelliterecords.com. The listening booth is an awesome source.
Speaking of links - for the latest releases go to www.satelliterecords.com. The listening booth is an awesome source.
Message 24/31 05-Dec-99 @ 10:02 PM - RE: dance music trends
Nothing personal, but folks behind the counter at both the satellite store in Boston and especially NY need to pull their heads out of their fucking assholes and not hold their noses so high in the air when somebody walks through their doors asking for help to find music to their liking. That goes for just about every person at both shops. Mail order and other stuff, the attitude might be different, but the elitist bullshit has got to go. It's shit like that that just makes me glad to go to distributors and just pick their shelves, pay less, and not get attitude. I am quite far from alone in holding this view of satellite's counter people. It's a real shame, because from time to time the NY shop has extremly dope shit, and could be moving loads if those fucking snobs would just get off of their little trips and showed somebody where to look for a particular style of records, and who's putting out the sound that the customer has described, regardless of the counter persons personal tastes and preferences. It's not like the kids that work there don't know the music, but it's just not fashionable to like that stuff or whatever. Out the fucking door with that shit. Would rather support mp3 than that shitty attitude. Please forward this to the counter people. They need to hear how many artists that they are hurting with such behavior. Again, please don't take this as a personal assault, you're probably a pretty cool person, and at least open minded enough to check out speedbass. That's cool. Glad you liked the site.
Ape
Ape
Message 25/31 05-Dec-99 @ 11:53 PM - RE: dance music trends
KRISGOT!! hell yeah, i am down with making some new music over the net! what type of sounds are you looking for. i am very open minded and some what creative. i love doing triped out shit, like an orb, aphex twin, orbital, jungle synth thing, with ambient noise all around...
dj sage
ps, my email is not working at the moment. connection server fails
dj sage
ps, my email is not working at the moment. connection server fails
Message 26/31 06-Dec-99 @ 03:33 AM - RE: dance music trends
Pongoid. Never been to the stores. And don't worry, man. Not planning on buying mail order from them, either. I'll tell you a little secret, though. I've met that attitude in dance music stores everywhere. It's almost policy to behave that way. It's as universal as car shops ripping you off. And have you noticed, the less the clerks know the more arrogant they are. Best thing to roll with the punches find a guy who has time, tell what you like and keep seeing him every time you come in. Then he'll know your taste and will help you out. But yeah it's a bitch for sure.
Sage. I'm doing small pop tunes now, which I will remix later. Yeah ambient's great..... let me know your server is up.
Sage. I'm doing small pop tunes now, which I will remix later. Yeah ambient's great..... let me know your server is up.
Message 27/31 06-Dec-99 @ 11:57 AM - RE: dance music trends
Pongoid - I face that kinda shit virtually everywhere I go. Ironically, the only place where I get smiley faces and good attitudes r D+B specialists, the shops that sell a bit of everything I have 2 give a wide berth. I cant even go 2 the only half-decent shop that sells jungle in my hometown anymore cos I got sick of them trying 2 pass off all the off-centre warped and scratched copies 2 me; pretending I`m invisible when I get 2 the counter while they draw the tunes 4 all the house and R+B bods behind me and then when I finally get them 2 draw the tunes so I can listen 2 them at one of the listening booths at the counter, I have 2 listen 2 them slagging jungle off through the open back cans..........
I`m sure no-one really wanted 2 hear that rant, but that shop was going under at the start of the 90`s and then Hardcore blew up and it saved their big, fat, hairy arses and it hurts that they now wanna turn their backs on us.
I`m sure no-one really wanted 2 hear that rant, but that shop was going under at the start of the 90`s and then Hardcore blew up and it saved their big, fat, hairy arses and it hurts that they now wanna turn their backs on us.
Message 28/31 06-Dec-99 @ 04:56 PM - RE: dance music trends
Yeah, the oddest thing is that at least for the sounds I like, I often know more about the music, the artists, the composition methods, the tools, and the politics of the labels I'm looking for anyway when I walk into the shops, which makes it so much more odd when they look down their noses at me, like 'I'm a DJ who has all the access to whatever I want to mix, as soon as it comes out. Who the fuck are you?' and then I just shrug to myself, all the while thinking: 'Fuckin asshole. I make the shit that you and your kind get your ego trip off of playing for other people. What a dickhead! If you only fuckin knew...'. Who's with me on that one? Fuckin DJ's. Not all, mind you, but most at the shops at least. Now, back to trends... Such a tough one that, because most of the music you hear played out is already months to years old, unless it's made on the fly, live, so we as performing electronic musicians are the trend, and all else follows. Records take weeks to months to put out, and usually by the time they're out, the artist has evolved (hopefully) to the point that the the sound has changed and that realease is actually dated (at least to the artist). The general public overlooks that so easily as do DJ's. Haha. The joke's on them. I hope you're all laughing to yourselves by this point. I know I am. Maybe that comes off sounding like I'm an arrogant prick, but I think that all of these people who are worried about the 'now' sound should be worrying more about the 'me now' sound. Thoughts?
Ape
Sorry, Krisgot. Thought you worked for satellite. Glad you don't.
Ape
Sorry, Krisgot. Thought you worked for satellite. Glad you don't.
Message 29/31 06-Dec-99 @ 05:32 PM - RE: dance music trends
Some d+b is even YEARS old by the time it gets released - cos of this whole dubplate bullshit that allows the same old grab the money and run djs 2 stay on top of the game by having tunes only a handful of other people have. I mean, my mixing skills r adequate, no more; but give me all them fucking dubs and I could rip up any dancefloor.....its just bullshit, thats why I wanna make the music
Message 30/31 06-Dec-99 @ 10:41 PM - RE: dance music trends
krisgot, my server is up. I have meet some very friendly help(good help too) at the record in houston called chemistry records (their djs put some awesome shows on too, after dark production), but that could just be a texan thing. cuase everyone around here is pretty friendly y'all, uh huh.
Sage
Sage
Message 31/31 07-Dec-99 @ 10:24 AM - RE: dance music trends
You must remember who the Satellite stores were started by.. That fuck Scott Richmond is the most backward person ever. His partner (who's name i will leave out)is much more sensible, but i've seen Scott bug & pout in the store because he couldn't get more of a certain record until next week. Also they make certain to treat their employees like shit, so keep that in mind. Now i've never been to the boston store but it's owned, or at least was started by the same guys, so...
Heh...they keep porn in the bathroom in the new york store..
Heh...they keep porn in the bathroom in the new york store..
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