“EDM,” as it is most commonly referred to, is undergoing a change. To many, it’s not a noticeable one. The main stages at major festivals are still filled to the brim with cookie-cutter generic sounds that cater to the basic audience, but they should not be blamed for that. Festivals are in the business of selling tickets and popular acts get the job done.
The change that I’m talking about is bubbling up beneath the surface. In a recent interview with UKF, Savant says, “We need these big EDM cheese masters! Someone has to push things to the breaking point when we’re like ‘ah fuck we need some grunge again!’” I’ve mentioned this cycle before in an article focusing on Seth Troxler.
However, Britt Julious at Chicago Mag feels that EDM is over. His argument stems from the assertion that EDM “is most frequently associated with the American version of dubstep (otherwise known as “brostep”).” And sure, in his own misguided way, he’s right. The brostep sound has fallen tragically to the wayside as, Julious points out, Skrillex – one of the men responsible for popularizing the sound (though Caspa and Rusko were the true originators, lest my own knowledge be criticized) – is now finding great success in the duo Jack Ü and creating pop-friendly tracks with the likes of Justin Bieber. Unfortunately, Julious’s other comments in the article belie his own true bias and mistaken knowledge. 
“[…] even Lady Gaga has abandoned ship.”
Lady Gaga’s latest album does not signal the death of EDM.
The fact of the matter is that EDM is a growing industry to the tune of nearly $7 billion worldwide. The fact of the matter is that there’s a new breakout producer every month who’s trying to switch up the status quo. No matter what Mr. Julious experiences in his small little corner in Chicago, the fact of the matter is that EDM is really just getting started.
Read the full article at Chicago Mag here.
