The History of Dance Music
Walk down any city street on a late weekend evening, be it in New York, San Francisco, London or Paris, and you are sure to feel the contagious rhythm of dance music. Dance music actually has a long history and has played an enormous role in the development of pop music in the 21st century.
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What is Dance Music?
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Dance music is a genre of music that is specifically tailored for dancing. It uses very strong beats and usually employs electronic instruments. It is very catchy, usually with a strong 4/4 pattern and simple vocals. Today, dance music has many sub-genres, but it is usually divided into two types: house and techno.
Electronic Instruments
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According to Projecta.net, the development of electronic instruments began decades before dance music emerged on the scene. In 1874, Elisha Gray, one of telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell's friends, invented the harmonic telegraph, an instrument that used electromagnetism to cause vibrations, which in turn made interesting sounds. The next influential discovery was the theremin, invented by a Russian named Leon Theremin, which was used in the Beach Boys' song "Good Vibrations" in 1966. In 1968, Wendy Carlos and Robert Moog recorded "Switched on Bach," an electronic album featuring the works of the classical artist Johann Sebastian Bach. Many other classical artists of this time were also experimenting with electronic music.
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1970s
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The 1970s saw the emergence of disco music, which greatly influenced dance music. In 1974, the German band Kraftwerk released its most influential album, "Autobahn," which was entirely electronic. In Jamaica, electronic music was also on the rise, with the invention of "rock steady" music.
Early 1980s
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In the 1980s, DJs in Chicago began to combine electronic music and disco music. The result was what is now known as House music, and it is called House because it used to be played in warehouses, as noted at Internetdj.com. Frankie Knuckles was very influential in this new movement, and other innovative House artists included Jesse Saunders, Jamie Principle, Farley "Jackmaster" Funk and Marshall Jefferson. House music's primary feature is the use of the 4/4 kick drum, giving it a steady, easily danceable beat. House music became even more popular as the 1980s progressed, and much growth occurred in the gay clubs of New York.
Late 1980s
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Techno music evolved from House music a bit later in the 1980s. The techno scene was prevalent both in the U.S. and Europe, and much of its development occurred overseas. Techno music was much more technical and mechanical than House music and used a new machine called the Roland TB 303 to create an interesting electronic sound. Combined with the steady beat of House music, this new advance really took off in 1988, when Virgin Records released one of the first techno compilations. Some influential techno figures include the producers Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, Derrick May and Jeff Mills.
1990s to the Present
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The early 1990s saw the development of "body music," or "electronic body music," which primarily occurred in Europe and Asia. As noted at Anus.com's comprehensive glossary of dance music terms, body music broke free from the often strict 4/4 beat, using strange and uncommon beats. It also introduced the practice of musical distortion, or the use of strange sounds usually generated by electronic machines. Body music was highly influenced by the punk movement and combines elements of basic dance music (house or techno) with those of punk. Some of the most famous of these artists include Ace of Bace, La Bouche, Air Liquide and Sven Vath. In the U.S., body music was also on the rise, with bands such as Crystal Method and Deee-Lite. The 1990s also saw the emergence of other important sub-genres of techno and house music, such as Ambient House, Intelligent Dance Music, or IDM (think of Moby), Transglobal Dance, Big Beat and Trip-hop. The possibilities of electronic music are endless and are still being explored today.
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