Why Live Instrumentation and EDM Belong Together

I have been a follower, fan, and participant in the EDM scene since 2007, when Daft Punk’s headlining spot Friday night of Lollapalooza changed my view of the Music Industry forever. The stage production was spectacular, and paired with the radiant energy from the overflow crowd, led to perhaps one of the greatest live experiences of my lifetime thus far. Something about the atmosphere captivated every single person in attendance. It was a completely immersive experience of lights, rhythmic beats and synchronous visuals. This sort of production is much more common now a days, and its capabilities are endless. The only problem is that the music in the scene is becoming less creative and more repetitive, and these shows seem to be focused on the stage production way more than the music. Only a few years ago, I saw another Lollapalooza set which redefined my view of live music once again. The Bloody Beetroots, an ultra famous French DJ-duo, performed a set with their band “the death crew”. They played all there hits with all live instrumentation, and the energy was so raunchy and mind-blowing it up-lifted the crowd into an over-heated-riot-like-frenzy. Blinding strobe lights disoriented the mass of people, while banging drums and shredding guitar riffs cranked out EDM style in an unbelievable and unforgettable performance. I left that show once it was over, and had to sit down to recover and reflect about what the hell just happened. They essentially showed me the future of what live instrumentation and electronically produced music will be. The warm, familiar analog sound from timeless beloved instruments, coupled with the capabilities that electronic music provides open a new realm of music and performance. I still fully believe that electronic music can be interdependent of live instrumentation, there are some incredible minds and artists in the scene who’s deep technical understanding of their tools allow them to translate anything their mind creates into digital format. However, I think in the near future more bands and instrumentalists will look to incorporate elements of Electronic Music in the near future. Undoubtedly a new exciting element that continues to shape the way we have created music over time.