So talk to me about Dance

[simonthecyclist]

These days I have to take loads of pills AFTER a night of dancing cos my knees and back cant take the pounding.

The amount of ibuprofen I knock back these days is astounding...but great for easing all the aches and pains

Discovering 3 weeks back that I still 'have it' when it comes to dancing like I used to when I sued to do a wee bit of podium dancing...quite a few years ago I will say...was brilliant. And all it took was a free night of filthy electro techno at Audio. Not being able to sit/walk easily without my knees being in utter for pain for nearly a week following was...on the other hand...NOT like it used to be in my uni days

[Mardy]

yeah, you know room for everything and all that, lot of old old old stuff on this thread, sure I love Underworld, Orbital, Fluke etc, but it's the sort of equivalent of someone asking for some new music and us giving them something from 20 years ago. Sure the history, the progression and the chronology is important, but there's some great, vital stuff being made now.

I was talking to some mates the other day, and we were all pretty much agreed that LCD Soundsystem's 'The Sound of Silver' is one of the best albums of the last 10 years any genre. Worth a purchase this weekend.

[Mardy]

Don't be like this...

[disasterplan]

'Dance music' as a term is about as specific as 'rock and pop'. You've gotta find the style you like and go from there. Starting off with the big names people have mentioned already is always good - you will find a lot of the things that define good rock/pop songs are there in the more popular electronic acts as well - a hook, a beat, a melody... in some ways it is indeed a totally different world but in others it's all music, they still write tunes and they still use instruments, if you get what I mean.

[Mardy]

'Dance music' as a term is about as specific as 'rock and pop'. You've gotta find the style you like and go from there. Starting off with the big names people have mentioned already is always good - you will find a lot of the things that define good rock/pop songs are there in the more popular electronic acts as well - a hook, a beat, a melody... in some ways it is indeed a totally different world but in others it's all music, they still write tunes and they still use instruments, if you get what I mean.

[ukslim]

I'm not a dance music person, infact, in god knows how many years since there's been a dance stage/village at Glastonbury, any time I've been in that area, I've felt a bit nervous, a bit edgy, you know? I'm an indie kid, well, 40, but going on 25. I like my guitars, and songs. I'm sure a lot of you can appreciate that. But, I'd LOVE to understand a bit more dance music. I don't get the genres really... give me a "Dummies" to Dance music. Some stuff to try maybe. Please

[Buddhafish]

If you're coming from an indie backgoround then you might want to try out listening to some breaks first, as the beats are not strictly 4/4 straight to the floor, and therefore less intimidating if you don't know where to start.

Check out;

Krafty Kuts

Plump DJs

Stanton Warriors

Far Too Loud

Fukkk Offf

A Skillz

Elite Force

Deekline and Wizard

Try them to start off. And if your feet don't start moving I'll be amazed.

Edited April 10, 2010 by Buddhafish

[Buddhafish]

I'd also recommend going to Beatport, and listening to the samples of tracks in their charts - there are loads of tracks you can listen to to get a feel of the styles and genres out there - you may find you instantly connect with dubstep, or deep house, or psy-trance, or minimal etc etc.

Beatport

[4AssedMonkey]

Funny this. Sounds a lot like me as I used to be a bit of an Indie/Rock kid and quite narrow in my musical taste. Then I had a drive to Switzerland with a load of mates going mountain biking for a week and had the night shift with a mate of mine who stuck his iPod on shuffle. A track came on that absolutely woke me up and blew me away. "Who the f**k is that?" I asked. "High Contrast" says Tommy "I'll stick the album on" Fantastic. Turned out that Tommy was an absolute mine of information on all kinds of music but lots of dance and DnB - most of it stuff that had been nowhere near the mainstream and really, really good.

I suppose that like any genre in music, the stuff that you see on MTV/hear on Radio 1 is the tip of an iceberg and quite often the tip that's bollocks. Underneath there is always some hidden gems for everyone.

Oh, and I'd recommend High Contrast to anyone. Tough Guys Don't Dance and High Society are class albums. I was gutted last year as he played at Glasto and I didn't realise until it was too late. Hope he makes an appearance this time.

[Mardy]

I'd also give ninjatune a go

http://www.ninjatune.net/home/

Mr Scruff, Kid Kioala and all of that. Wonderful stuff

they do a solid steel podcast http://www.ninjatune.net/solidsteel/

and of course, it's 15 old but the Coldcut Journeys by DJ is still an absolute f**king masterwork

[Jack Attack]

Mr Scruff, Kid Kioala and all of that. Wonderful stuff

[ukslim]

If you're coming from an indie backgoround then you might want to try out listening to some breaks first, as the beats are strictly 4/4 straight to the floor, and therefore less intimidating if you don't know where to start.

Edited April 10, 2010 by ukslim

[LittlemissC]

I find the dance village just too much in conflicting sounds - the old style of one large tent is far better. The tents are too open and you can hear feedback from other tents all the time.

The slam tent at T has it just about right, IMO, and would love that concept at Glasto - that and a few tented bars around it, especially some chill out one.

I would suggest trying Sasha at the Glade

[Buddhafish]

I think you have a very blinkered view of indie, if you think it's all four-to-the-floor.

I'd say someone from a folk/rock/indie/soul/pop/blues/funk/disco background is going to have most trouble with:

• The genres with the simplest beats - it's not unheard of to have nothing but a kick drum on every on beat and a hi-hat on the quavers.

• The repetition - sometimes 5 minutes of minor variations on the same 1 bar loop

What I'm saying is, someone steeped in other music will be thinking "what the hell's going on; the beat is so simple; there's no melody; there's no verses or choruses; what am I meant to fix onto?".

The more complex styles of dance music -- with more structure, more sophisticated beats, sometimes even lyrics, etc. is actually likely to be less intimidating because it's more like "traditional" music.

Stuff like (easy example) Orbital *does* have verses and choruses, or something akin to them.

So they might find the more complex dance music easier to handle. Bear in mind a lot of those more complex beats are sampled from, or strongly influenced by, disco and funk.

If it's not 4/4 (or a 'compatible' time signature; 2/2, 12/8 etc), I'd be tempted to argue it's not dance music, even if it's performed on electronic instruments in an area called the 'Dance Village'. The punters will fall over if they try to dance to something in 7/8 or 5/4. If one 3/4 song gets played in the dance tent over the whole weekend, I'd be surprised.

[ivan]

I'm not a dance music person, infact, in god knows how many years since there's been a dance stage/village at Glastonbury, any time I've been in that area, I've felt a bit nervous, a bit edgy, you know? I'm an indie kid, well, 40, but going on 25. I like my guitars, and songs. I'm sure a lot of you can appreciate that. But, I'd LOVE to understand a bit more dance music. I don't get the genres really... give me a "Dummies" to Dance music. Some stuff to try maybe. Please

[ukslim]

No, I meant dance music can be intimidating if it's all 4/4.

[Wanderlei]

I love it how even dance music fans say you've got to be off your head to enjoy it lol.

[Mardy]

I love it how even dance music fans say you've got to be off your head to enjoy it lol.

[ivan]

Where's the difference between that and guitar bands like the Grateful dead. At the time, people wouldn't have dreamed of listening to Jefferson Starship, Pink Floyd or any acid rock band without necking class As. Look at footage of say Pink Floyd in 1968 at Alexandra Palace or wherever it was, look at the Kool-Aid Acid Tests, look at Woodstock, everybody then thought they had to be off their tits to enjoy it. They're wrong, pretty much, but that misconception is hardly unique to dance music.

[Niblet]

For the first time in 2 and a half years I went to a club (Matter) in London last week...whoa...the crowds have changed somewhat!

[MikeyB37]

I got into dance via the indie link

Stone Roses

Primal Scream

New Order

Edited April 10, 2010 by MikeyB37

[staggerlee]

So you gotta take pills to enjoy dance?

Edited April 10, 2010 by staggerlee

[Block of Mud]

Here's some good stuff to try probably take the nervousness away too :

[Kyelo]

best place to start is with the Premier League

Chems

Orbital

Leftfield

Underworld

Prodigy

Daftee Punkee

Faithless

(Fatboy...sort of)

[whisty]

There's some good acts in the Dance tents, doesn't have to be the Pill music you go there for. I've seen Roisin Murphy, Sugardaddy, Hercules and Love Affair amongst others. Last year was a bit flat for traditional music tho.