Diplo has always been one of the quiet geniuses of present-day music. One who is never afraid to stray off the beaten path and strives for innovation. His collaboration, Major Lazer, which is comprised of Diplo, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire, Diplo continues to stretch electronic dance music’s boundaries. Major Lazer’s live shows have become more or less a spectacle filled with shirt twirling, stage diving, and of course twerking. Diplo has worked to set Major Lazer apart from the throngs of other dance music producers and DJs. Because as he told Huffington Post, commercialized dance music is getting, well, boring:
There’s not a lot of face to it. It’s a bunch of Dutch DJs with the same haircut. You go see a dance stage at a fucking dance festival and I’m bored out of my fucking mind. That’s not going to last very much longer, because kids see that it’s the same shit every single time.
Diplo also went on to speak about the major labels in electronic music and the way they see the electronic music scene, comparing them to his own label, Mad Decent.
…labels have no idea what’s going on anymore. They just want to jump on EDM dick — shit that sucks because they don’t feel the music but think it’s happening. We are in these streets.
It seems that the up and coming labels that cover smaller, more bizarre genres are actually more successful. Mad Decent is a label that is completely internet based and rode a massive wave of success with Baauer’s Harlem Shake:
We are a label that exists on the internet, so when something like that (Harlem Shake) happens, we know how to incubate it and make it go crazy…There are no rules to running a label anymore. We have, like, seven people working for us, but Interscope (Major Lazer’s old label) probably didn’t even have a record as big as ‘Harlem Shake’ last year and they have thousands working for them.
I strongly believe that these statements from Diplo are valid. He has an impressively accurate finger on the pulse of the music scene, both in the pop realm and in electronic music. I am happy to see Diplo standing up for what he believes is right and I applaud him for that.
Source
I’ll agree that labels don’t know shit, but the kids are still enjoying themselves out there. I can’t remember a time that I was bored at a show, and yea Major Lazer shows are insane, but everyone is different, some people won’t do what Diplo does and vice versa.
Were you at the show at the Pageant? It was so sick
keep it indie. avoid commercialized music. keep music evolving.
I don’t know what Diplo is talking about. I just saw him at Major Lazer’s set and they were playing bro-fisting material–EDM buildups and drops, plenty of 808s, and frat dudes wanting to hear the Harlem Shake on loop. If Major Lazer or Diplo wanted to be progressive, they would have sticked with Major Lazer’s actual material than giving what frat dudes want most.
this is just a snobbish take on music.. almost everybody these days is into edm, at least a bit with their sound, even if they are into hiphop production. I think the stereotypical house and dubstep might be stale but younger artists are now getting their shine and coming out with different techniques and honestly, festivals is where you are going to hear mainstream tunes! I’m bumpin 12th planet remixes and really into the Foreign beggars/UK scene… maybe in america it’s dry but a LOT of european music production definitely has a different melodic feel to it, instead of simple tracks to twerk to like Diplo’s “express yourself” which really blew up unexpectedly but I don’t think would have without the video concept. ANYHOW, the music is stale, but the art, lifestyle, and it’s ability to bring people together wont die. ever. EDM has given so many dancers and promoters, DJs and producers… tons of jobs. What has Hip-hop done for the world? Yeah I’m sick of these tiesto looking mofos and nicki romero looking dudes but hey, that’s them… I’m not tripping. if you think music is so stale or boring, why don’t you spice it up Diplo? Why don’t you do something about it instead of promote your funny sounding Mad Decent label… so much talk but what are you going to do about this “boring scene”. I challenge Diplo to hit beatports top 1 spot this year in a moombahcore or electro song. Ain’t going to happen unless it’s because of his fanboys.. much respect for the usher beat you made though. Still want to see him get to #1 on the charts for years before he talks crap like this.
Be wary of the Beatport top 10, not all music that has been placed there deserves it.
lol the stage isn’t the same every time cause kids poppin mollies left and right lol..
did you listen to his ultra set? he did play harlem shake but it was a crazy remix and most of the songs he dropped aren’t really fratbro material
True.. Maybe it’s not that he’s bored of the scene but makes boring edm music. We are a reflection of our perceptions.
He’s just “Expressing Himself”. Spot on.
If you look around, the general attending audience at a show contains a greater portion of people now who have no idea what it takes to mix, or if the DJ on stage IS even mixing. Some artists get caught playing pre-recorded sets and the crowd is still going crazy except for the veterans who can tell what a fake performance is.
Educate the newcomers. Show them what a real set is.
Look at Deadmau5s’ take on having his back to the crowd, LED screen that the crowd can see, and can play a live set WHILE showing the crowd every action (it’s a hybrid project he was working on).
Then look at artists like Daedelus who shows the crowd his monome and what he is doing, AraabMuzik (over-sampling people, but meh) with the two MPCs live, Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 1977, and other actual performers. People need to innovate their routines and educate the masses.
“It’s a bunch of Dutch DJs with the same haircut.” LOL that is a 100000% true!
Yep, everyone remember when that girl took her pants off on stage in STL? Best moments of my life, ever.
If you base anything off the huffington post you should kill yourself.
If you base anything off the huffington post you should kill yourself.
Respect!
Truly you can’t challenge Diplo and his words. He started from very little from working to subway to making Mad decent. But that’s not what makes his opinion matter a little more. Now I totally agree with you on artists perspective on their music and doing what they do, but that’s not what Diplo is going at here. He is specifically jumping at the culture of EDM and wishes it to change. After watching Major lazer’s performance at cochella, i understood what he really meant. It’s not for the music, but what people do with it. The music can be great and nicky romero type tiesto whatever, but truly Diplo had a point that Mad Decent really handled Harlem shake well. He tries to get at the music and the compassion given to it, not the music itself.
Express yourself was a great track though!
Gene Kang Think about it man, as a DJ you have to play to the crowd. Big festivals are going to get more mainstream music, where if you get a hold of a set he spins at smaller venues or on Diplo and Friends you’re going to get a much more diverse tune selection.
Most of the DJ’s and Producers at the festivals are European or from another non-American country. So America having “dry” music isn’t the problem. The thing that I see ruining it are the “festival bangers” (there are some decent songs that fall under this classification though) that have the generic build ups and drops that lead into a completely melody-lacking and repetitive. I have a lot of respect for Diplo & Mad Decent; the label releases some pretty fresh and unique music fairly often.
Lemme preface this by saying that I’ve been into the American EDM scene since the late 90’s. Done a lot of traveling just to see famous European DJs spin in small American bars, to handfuls of people. I’m a huge DnB fan and watched it birth Dubstep with all the gut-wrenching horror of an expecting father in the OR…
Anywho, Diplo is one of the most exciting, versatile and innovative producers I’ve ever heard. He’s a renaissance man if there ever was one. #1 on Beatport ain’t shit. It changes every couple hours. Hell, Beatport didn’t even have Daft Punk’s new single for sale, till 3 days after it dropped. Diplo got #1 on the Billboard with Climax, which has been heard by billions… How many EDM producers can say that? Not only that, he manages to cross genres and connect with other artists like no one else in the EDM scene ever has. Why? Because he loves every kind of music and you can hear the influences in his music and mixes.
A lot of EDM doesn’t make you wanna dance, and this is DANCE music right? 4×4 beats get old fast. Especially when they’re backed by the same old Rhodes Organ synths and sweeps. That’s all he was saying.
did you read what you wrote before posting? being in the beatport top 1 just means a bunch of mainstream fans (or sheep i should call them at this point) are buying your song because it sounds like every other song out there. it has very little to do with being good anymore. most tracks do not belong in the top 1 let alone the top 10. the reason diplo isnt going to have a top 1 beatport track is BECAUSE his tracks are so different than everyone elses so this is actually completely contradicting what you are saying. diplo IS spicing up the scene. he IS bringing somehting different. what other edm show can you go to and have dancers and hamster balls. NONE. he’s single handedly saving this scene and giving it exactly what it needs – a breathe of fresh air.
This is the first time I’ve ever completely agreed with a comment. I’ve loved Diplo’s music ever since I was 13 years old, but his comments weren’t needed. All he’s done is made a few thousand fans lose some ‘love’ for his label. I hope he gets to the top of the Beatport charts BEFORE he makes comments like this. It doesn’t matter whether or not he started from the bottom, everyone does. He needs to respect other producers regardless of whether or not he likes their music.
(I do agree with him on the same haircuts though. They ALL look like those little foosball men, haha!) 😛
meh just his take on things, there is other scenes then the dutch house he speaks of (that was like 5 years ago if not longer) the scene is going to move on, it just might not be the same style and I’m all for it. I do think its interesting his point on Mad Decent compared to Interscope, something to really think about the industry is changing because of the internet and that’s not necessarily a bad thing!
Man, I’ve been trying to get onto the Mad Decent label for some time now. They’re not listening to my music at all. I love their take on music – it NEEDS to change or it’s going to get stale really fast. I’ve taken that philosophy and applied it to my own music. There is no doubt that other artists are doing this as well. Some people take ‘EDM’ too seriously. It’s not meant to be serious, it’s there for your enjoyment. If you don’t enjoy a certain song, there is always the option to listen to something else.
Anyways, I know I’m going to get shit for this but I have sent my music to countless labels, all of which haven’t heard my music. In the past month, I’ve gotten about 70 new fans and I’ve been producing for 7 years. If you’ve read my comment thus far, give this song a listen and if you liked it, follow me on SoundCloud. It’ll help us indie producers out and that small action will lead to great things in the future.
https://www.soundcloud.com/stockloc/zomboy
One thing that really bothers me about the EDM scene is these fucking goons in the crowds that just want to stand around on the floor when people are trying to actually dance, not just jump up and down or not even jump at all. You can tell who the die hards are and who aren’t, but I guess none of that matters to anyone anymore. Diplo knows what’s up, I don’t see anyone else coming out with anything that stands out as much as his music.
@[206876966045195:274:Electro KIID]
come on! Mayor Lazer is VERY COMERCIAL! underground music keeps on doing its thing and getting to the ones with more refine taste….who even cares about the harlem shake? that didn’t went massive for the music, it went huge for just the people uploading there “do crazy ass dance” videos! want to listen good edm look for border community and you wont get BORED!
im with you here. i think its diplo’s D who everyone should climb down from. the harlem shake is garbage. u r right, the scene in the US is stale. im from philly, and ive went to who knows how many partys of his. i now live in são paulo and i really think there is some great things happening down here in EMD. oooh, and diplo is a culture vulture.
why would u wanna ‘spice up’ stale bullshit. it’s not progressing anything, if you don’t like the way shit sounds make your own, it’s just an opinion.
So true! But Im such a sucker for them all…
I would love to see Diplo hit top 50 on Beatport even hahaha. There’s a reason his last show I went to was free lmao.
Totally agree with Diplo. I was so in Love with the Electro House Genre for Years, but now when I search for new Tunes on Beatport, every Track sounds the same, that is absolute boring.
I agree diplo is talented and innovative, be he is too negative about our music culture. And yet, he happily profits directly from this new music movement. He was being cynical about what he called “Coachsmella” last year, saying he was over it, and whaddya know, hes back at coachella this year performing major lazer.
maybe look a little further than beatport!
Diplo say’s thing’s like this but is happy to put out stuff like the”harlem shake”. or pose in picture with Skrillex or Steve Aoki. I think someone is contradicting themselves.
Clearly this guy is more concerned about the people spinning the records rather than the music itself. Not sure about the rest of you but I go to these shows to hear great music, not see the DJ up there bopping his head/fist pumping as he mixes those records. It is all about the environment and sharing these great times with people you have never met. “Twerking”? Seriously…let’s just cut to the sex appeal and weirdness, that always sells…What happened to going to these shows/fests for the fucking music? Low blows about a type of people that have this music in their soul (Dutch) and their haircuts? Yowza, now this is just getting comical. If Diplo doesn’t want to be bored, then don’t fucking go to thes types of shows/fests period! Not everyone can have this exquisite fucking taste in music apparently. For someone who complains about haters, he sure talks a lot of fucking shit.
Btw, last year’s Chicago block party was a gay ass bust. Yes, our types get crazy. This is why Chicago is not on the Mad Decent Block Part 2013 tour. Figures.
How? They have released 4 free EP’s and their music style provides a lot more diversity then say for example Hardwell.
How? They have released 4 free EP’s and their music style provides a lot more diversity then say for example Hardwell.
Hasn’t it always been like that? There’s good rare stuff, made by truly passionate people, and bad ubiquitous shit, made by people who merely chase after commercial success or who are simply not very skilled.
Hasn’t it always been like that? There’s good rare stuff, made by truly passionate people, and bad ubiquitous shit, made by people who merely chase after commercial success or who are simply not very skilled.
Why do Americans insist on calling Electronic music EDM….
Definitely agree with what you are saying, and I checked out your track and really liked you. Your biggest problem is not in your sound, but in how you market/present yourself, what your image and reputation are, and how well you sell yourself and your work in this industry…
Perhaps Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ release has spurred these comments… EDM “is in its comfort zone”. “It’s not moving one inch,” Thomas Bangalter complained. “That’s not what artists are supposed to do.”
People need to do something fresh n’ new and if using analogue synths with a catchy Nile Roger’s guitar riff is the way forward then other artists should use this as an incentive. Look at the 80’s for fuck sake!
“The genre is suffering an identity crisis: You hear a song, whose track is it? There’s no signature. Skrillex has been successful because he has a recognizable sound: You hear a dubstep song, even if it’s not him, you think it’s him.”
All you need now to make music is a laptop and a good pair of headphones… wheres the fun in that? What happened to getting a group of musicians together, having a jam and collaborating?
James Martínez ‘Sole Trader at Havana, Cuba’
If anybody uses the word EDM again I’m going to jab myself in the eye with a pen. It’s the gayest Acronym for a genre of music ever. Fucking Yanks
“very commercial” as opposed to what? I’ve never heard Major Lazer on the radio
Major Lazer get radio play in the UK.
since when does EDM ever play on major radio stations in north america? Unless it specializes on EDM, which few do, unless you have like sirius. But ML first album was quite out there. It was a lot more dancehall-y and strange in that regard. However, the new record, while good, is quite commercial. They played on Jimmy Fallon’s show, it features flux pavilion, laidback luke (ironically a dutch house dj/producer), and a remix from skream. It’s a lot more electronic in sound. Definitely more commercial. Not to say its bad, though. But it isn’t a revolutionary album as everyone claims to be.
Tigrans Right Get a Proper Marketing Scheme Up. I’m sure you got some buddies who muck about in photoshop and draw, my guy did the logo you see to the left for 30$ And it’s gonna be on 2000 stickers along with all my social media websites, and where to hear the music. The stickers are cool cause I had an old logo you can find here and there across the country which is pretty cool (people love stickin shit up)
Pass those around at shows get to know other promoters and dj and just stick with it if thats what you want
Unless Another Ash Pomurri, thinks you’re the next TIm Berg (Acvii) These days EDM Upstarts have to Produce/Mix/Master/Promote/DJ/Manage ect…
But I liked your music
Tigrans Right Get a Proper Marketing Scheme Up. I’m sure you got some buddies who muck about in photoshop and draw, my guy did the logo you see to the left for 30$ And it’s gonna be on 2000 stickers along with all my social media websites, and where to hear the music. The stickers are cool cause I had an old logo you can find here and there across the country which is pretty cool (people love stickin shit up)
Pass those around at shows get to know other promoters and dj and just stick with it if thats what you want
Unless Another Ash Pomurri, thinks you’re the next TIm Berg (Acvii) These days EDM Upstarts have to Produce/Mix/Master/Promote/DJ/Manage ect…
But I liked your music
EDM.
Just Diplo thinking he is better than everyone else….. Again. Anybody else get a stuck up snob vibe from him?
Yeah Diplo and Major Lazer get played on Mexican stations too. But I rarely hear him/them in the U.S.
Nice Comment. Made sense.
Haha if you don’t produce, or aren’t in the business, you don’t know, you’re just a consumer buying into the shit he’s talking about, which is subsequently why you may disagree. Struck a personal Chord. That’s exactly why he said what he said, the truth. Diplo is Diplo for a reason. Listen.
He knows what he is doing and has been growing massively respected from people who admire music that comes from his heart. Everyone has their opinion and it’s OKAY!
Dude get off your own dick…shut the fuck up..you seriously seem like such an egotistical ass hole and someone I would not want to be around…Keep it up with your elitist empire and cool your jets bro…You ain’t that cool…
and you jumped on the bandwagon of trap and moombah so don’t even talk like you are some original badmon…
A bunch of quotes with no context other than what the article chooses to give seems fishy to me. Not saying that Diplo isn’t a douche (That’s not for me to say, I’ve never met him) but I don’t think this is a fair avenue for judgement. Read the HuffPost piece these bytes are from, he expands on the points he makes really well.
who is diplo
This is interesting. But I knew this was going to happen eventually. I have been producing and spinning electronic music since the 90s. With this explosion in the U.S. the labels are all about it now. The same thing happened when hip hop crossed over and became huge.
they get airplay here too .. “now”.. not 2 years ago. it’s not a bad thing when ppl become succesfull. Just check all the stuff he did over the years, producing, dj’ing, the mixtapes (fabriclive and top ranking), major lazer.. He sets himself apart by producing Quality Music as opposed to the trend-of-the-day 4/4 stuff, not afraid mixing other genres etc.. He takes risks, but has a good ear and taste.. Quite a contast with the play-it-safe boring swedish/dutch guys imho .. (to each his own of course)
Because it’s an abbreviation?
*yawn*
EDM is becoming boring because, the people writing it are doing so to pander towards specific audiences and gain ‘hype’ and such so they can play large shows to lots of people and make lots of money. It’s bullshit.
Until people start writing music for the pure enjoyment of making art again it’s going to stay this way. It has nothing to do with the way labels distribute music, or the way it’s listened to at festivals. In my opinion it’s related to people writing boring music.
If you don’t believe me, (and you’re a producer), think about how exciting it was to just mess around in your DAW when you first began, to now, where you open up your sequencer and think something along the lines of “Hm, so how can I write a #1 (insert genre here) banger today!”.
Dude. You’re pretty successful as it is, aren’t you? At least on the underground side of things.
Dude. You’re pretty successful as it is, aren’t you? At least on the underground side of things.
I’m with ya, Bill. As someone who’s simply trying to make music that… speaks to me somehow, it’s very very difficult. Whenever I try to create “EDM”, I certainly have the ability to do it, but I don’t have the patience for it. It just bores me out of my mind–and I’m almost positive that has to do with the “examples” I’m listening to that are “supposed” to inspire me. So in my meager attemtps to create electronic music, I try not to let the current trends or “how do you create this sound”s drive me. I want it to come from and be uniquely me, somehow. I still haven’t figured out how to do that with electronic music, but I’m working on it. You, Bill, seem to have found that “uniquely you” sound early on. I still think Haas Effect is the best electronic music album I’ve ever heard, and it still sounds just as fresh and brilliant now as when I first heard it. It’s very inspriational for a guy like me. I have my own strengths in music, for sure, and I can do several things that most people can not do, but I really admire those who can do things _I_ can’t do, and those people are invariably people who create from a place inside themselves, with passion and excitement for what they are doing. The bulk of today’s EDM, while sometimes addictive and cool, is not the kind of music _I_ want to create. I’m still working that out. I admire you Bill, for managing to create a voice with your music that is somehow uniquely your own no matter whether others like it or not. I fear that’s something that will take me a lifetime to pull off… if I ever do. But it won’t stop me from trying.
there will always be 1st gen. producers who experiment and 2nd gen who mimic.
typically the mimicking bunch do not understand the essence of the experiment and layer their lack of musicality and technicality to create something that sounds similar but is a bit more poppy and comprehensive to the general masses
Daniel Kemp read this jiggs?
im not saying they are not good on what they do and there music, and there is nothing wrong on becoming successfull after years of hard work but they have already success like Nick mentioned shows, promotion colabs, their show being more crwod surfing, doing crazy stuff on stage more important than music…but saying EDM is Boring, is what i dont agree…..
“edm” is a nice way of saying brogressive
dude, you are on a website called “youredm” LOL
How funny I thought the new major lazer was boring as fuck. The only thing good on it is the engineering and the fullness of the Drum sounds.
write from your heart
mainstream edm is boring at best, and unlistenable at worst… but there is heaps of talent putting out good music in the less hyped areas of dance, like IDM for instance. there’s no heart in trying to cash in on bandwagons, music comes from the heart – it’s no surprize you have to dig deeper than the top10 charts to find the paydirt.
i’ve been reading a lot about this subject lately, waiting for some kind of crescendo-implosion of the whole mess. electronic music reduced to about 3 sounds and one rhythm.
Phil Matthews from my experience he’s a douche hahah i saw him at Aventura mall in FL and ask him if he was dip and all he said was fuck yea i am and coldly walked off
Kinda cocky to take credit for Harlem Shake like they were the ones who made the video go viral. Please, get outta here with that.
Genius REALLY?
I think dj blend is better than this douche and that’s not saying much.
You should google Sibot a bit. Local South African producer / performer. Had his latest EP released on Jeffries (Mad Decent sub label) – he also uses drumming pads and all that live. Incredible performances!
Agreed, it’s Electronic Music and nothing else….no D is needed, you can dance to everything dummies
DNB.
Drum and Bass will put all of this twitchy bullshit to shame. No boredom to be had there. Check out Ammunition Recordings for hard hitting neuro, Lifted Music and Hospitality for other facets and liquid.
I’m actually a huge fan of Mad Cat Recordings… kind of sad Diplo had to stoop that low though. Mad respect for hustlin, no respect for generalizations.
-__-
it’s completely commercial, funny that this are actually coming from one of the guys who are making the biggest load of crap in Dance and turning it into a joke. He’s as underground as he is a monkey. Music for 14 year olds.
Can’t wait until the hype is gone, the hiphop artists go back to their mansions and the live nations of the world try to grab the next big thing.
thaank you.
This article is unbelievably boring too!
@[127848613977300:274:Dan Guidance], gimme some Tips. Juno is a Horrible Site.
“I liked EDM before it was cool”.
remixremixremixrecycledsoundsrecyledtunes. this is the epitome of what he’s trying to discuss.
Its only boring because most people are too dumb to appreciate quality music. Put Amon Tobin, Eskmo, Tipper, Bassnectar downtempo set etc at these retard massives and people would leave. Why? because they just cannot handle the complexity of music like this. And unfortunately the money ain’t where the great music is.
I like David Guetta.
I like David Guetta.
He makes some good points. I saw Diplo about a week ago and his shit was really turned up! it didn’t seem all repetitive like everyone else.
KOAN sound