The state of commercial dance music

[Spin Doctor]

Obligatory disclaimer

Yes I know there is a lot of absolutely dire cheesy crap released these days which isn’t fit to be recycled let alone listened to…

/Obligatory disclaimer

However, this past year I think there have been a number of really good commercial dance tunes; the sort that you see on MTV and hear on radio 1. What’s all the more striking is that most of these are not particularly cheesy sounding despite their commercial success. For example:

Fedde Le Grand - Put Your Hands Up For Detroit (Club Mix)

Alex Gaudino - Destination Calabria

Mason - Exceeder

Armand Van Helden - New York

Camille Jones vs Fedde Le Grand - The Creeps (Club Mix)

Calvin Harris - Acceptable In The 80s

The Egg - Walking Away (Tocadisco Remix)

This is a good thing for dance music in my view. :thumbsup:

[Max Kane]

I'm not tryin to sound too cool for school here but I really do despise each of those tracks listed.

The only one that has anything about it, imo of course, was Exceeder & even that was massively over-rated

[Gregg]

Bob Sinclar - World Hold On was a wicked track last year in Ibiza, as was Love Don't Let Me Go

I'm sick to death of Put your hands up for Detroit, but I do like the Creeps.

I have found myself listenin to Radio 1 a bit more as well during the day.

[Simcut]

I'm not a big fan of some of those tunes, that Creeps one f***ing irritates me, as does this sudden craze for tunes like Fredde Le Grand and Creeps.....

[Spin Doctor]

They have all be overplayed, but that is how things are in commercial music regardless of genre. If people are to be introduced to dance music for the first time with these sort of tracks, I don't think they're bad options at all.

[Max Kane]

People who are getting into dance music now don't seem to get into things the same way, they listen to the commercial pap played on mainstream radio & the worst channel in the world MTV Dance & simply follow up artists such as Cascada (have I got that right) & all these god awful Clubland compilations.

The more underground sound of dance music right now is very healthy probably due to the fact that the commercial dance music market is veru saturated.

For example 'Black Is The Colour' would have been a monster hit about 5 or 6 years ago easily going top ten, but despite all of the whoring that Anjuna did in tryin to get it played on radio & commercial avenues it got nowhere & they were forced to release it a couple of weeks back. This was probably due to the fact that this sort of music doesn't appeal to the masses that much anymore as they are quite happy with their dance remixes of sh*t RnB etc

[Briggsy]

I've always been annoyed when people say that something is cheesy just because its had commercial success. Just because something is commercial, it doesn't make it cheesy.

All of the above tunes are commercial, but not cheesy - although they're all fairly crap to be honest apart from Exceeder - but as Tom said, it was massively over-rated.

To me, the likes of DJ Sammy, Flip & Fill, Scooter, etc are cheesy - they're produced with no aim other than to gain as much money as possible from kids that kind annoying music to be cool.

The likes of Darude - Sandstorm, Storm - Time to Burn and Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 aren't cheesy - they are commercial.

It annoys me when DJ's that played the likes of Sandstorm, Time To Burn and Kernkraft 400 suddenly stopped playing them and suddently started slating them as soon as they hit the charts, because they're "too cool" to play them. They're hypocrites.

If I like something, i'll play it - regardless of whether they're commercial or underground. I don't care if its been played a billion times on the radio, or never had any radio exposure at all. I DJ for my love of music, not for my ego. I can't just sawp genres like some DJ's do just because its the "in thing" - I play Trance and Techno - always have, and always will do. When those genres die, i'll hang up my headphones. I'm not just gonan switch to Electro just because everyone else does.

Commercial and/or Cheesy music does have its place though - it pulls many people in to dance music, clubbing and DJ'ing, and eventually, when they get more into the scene and find their style that suits them, they move onto credible music and perhaps into DJ'ing.

[sam_drfc]

Obligatory disclaimer

Alex Gaudino - Destination Calabria

This is the most cringeworthy of all the tunes. The vocals are a big turn off.

[Quadrant]

I have a kind of love / hate relationship with some of those tunes. I'd still rather wallow away and pull out my old house stuff though.

[Moonman]

I've always been annoyed when people say that something is cheesy just because its had commercial success. Just because something is commercial, it doesn't make it cheesy.

All of the above tunes are commercial, but not cheesy - although they're all fairly crap to be honest apart from Exceeder - but as Tom said, it was massively over-rated.

To me, the likes of DJ Sammy, Flip & Fill, Scooter, etc are cheesy - they're produced with no aim other than to gain as much money as possible from kids that kind annoying music to be cool.

The likes of Darude - Sandstorm, Storm - Time to Burn and Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 aren't cheesy - they are commercial.

It annoys me when DJ's that played the likes of Sandstorm, Time To Burn and Kernkraft 400 suddenly stopped playing them and suddently started slating them as soon as they hit the charts, because they're "too cool" to play them. They're hypocrites.

If I like something, i'll play it - regardless of whether they're commercial or underground. I don't care if its been played a billion times on the radio, or never had any radio exposure at all. I DJ for my love of music, not for my ego. I can't just sawp genres like some DJ's do just because its the "in thing" - I play Trance and Techno - always have, and always will do. When those genres die, i'll hang up my headphones. I'm not just gonan switch to Electro just because everyone else does.

Commercial and/or Cheesy music does have its place though - it pulls many people in to dance music, clubbing and DJ'ing, and eventually, when they get more into the scene and find their style that suits them, they move onto credible music and perhaps into DJ'ing.

bang on. I actually like that new Booty Luv "Shine" single too. The T&F vs. Moltosugo mix is actually quite nice - in fact i REALLY like it. It's commercial yes, but not cheesy.

I see myself primarily as a house dj, and i do edge more toward the commercial side, nay, dare i say Funky House, basically because prog does nowt for me and i think sometimes its a bit up its own arse. I want to dance and make people dance, not sit back stroking my chin discussing things like what synth was used to create that sound or whatever. I like what i call "a fun factor" to my tunes i.e there is a nice hook/vocal to sing along to.

although some underground tunes ARE THAT GOOD they do cross over. This can't be helped, if it's good, it's good. It's that simple for example - Azzido Da Bass "Dooms Night" Timo Maas remix - now is this classed as underground or commercial tune? It's not really hooky enough to be commercial, but it cant be underground as it got to number 9 in the charts?

[Aza]

Deffo agree with Briggsy there...

I don't mind the non vox of Fedde le Grande

[JasonB]

I've also been the commercialist buyer rather than the strictly underground type (whihc by looking at my discogs collection will proves this), i have howeer bought over the years some underground stuff.

I think the current state of dance music commercial & chart wise is very healthy regardless of weather I like the tracks or not.

I agree with playing what you like whenever wetaher its cool too or not , if it makes you happy.

[Moonman]

Thought i'd update this rather start a new thread.

That new Super Mal feat Luciana "Bigger" [Eye Industries] track is very very good too. All the mixes of it are, which makes things difficult as, like the old Bodyrox single, makes it difficult to decide which one to play. That said, the vocal ruined the Yeah Yeah track, however, it gave it the recognition it deserved.

But this new track is hot, i cant stop listening to it, and for once, it's the vocal that makes the tune; sure its not lyrically deep. The vocal and backing compliment each other very well. Love it, top stuff.

[Briggsy]

Azzido Da Bass "Dooms Night" Timo Maas remix - now is this classed as underground or commercial tune? It's not really hooky enough to be commercial, but it cant be underground as it got to number 9 in the charts?

Back then, a lot of tracks that weren't very commercial still had good chart success - because there wasn't a lot of commercial tunes around. Hi-Gate - Pitchin' got to number 9, Darude - Sandstorm got to number 10, and Zombia Nation - Kernkraft 400 even made it to number 1!

If those tunes had came out in 2006, they wouldn't have even made the top 40 in my opinion - they'd have remained low profile, and the over-commercial stuff that we have now would have appealed to the kids instead. It just shows just how much the music industry has changed in 7 years!

7 years ago, Armin was still an up and comer, Eddie Halliwell was unheard of, Jules was world number 3 and at the peak of his career with two radio shows, and PvD, Tiesto and Ferry Corsten were all just breaking through by making their name as producers. Fergie was also a highly-rated up-and-comer with a bright future predicted.

Now, PvD, Tiesto and Armin dominate the top three in the world, Jules has lost some popularity - and he's been overtaken as headliner on flyers by Eddie Halliwell - and Fergie hit his peak early, had three good years at the top, and is now struggling as a C-lister. I never ever saw that one coming 7 years ago!

[JasonB]

Supermal is ruined by her bloodey 'chavvy' as I call em vocala, just as bad as hers on Yeh Yeah, although I don't mind her on Vive La Difference suprisingly.

[Justin Haze]

To me, the likes of DJ Sammy, Flip & Fill, Scooter, etc are cheesy - they're produced with no aim other than to gain as much money as possible from kids that kind annoying music to be cool.

The likes of Darude - Sandstorm, Storm - Time to Burn and Zombie Nation - Kernkraft 400 aren't cheesy - they are commercial.

It annoys me when DJ's that played the likes of Sandstorm, Time To Burn and Kernkraft 400 suddenly stopped playing them and suddently started slating them as soon as they hit the charts, because they're "too cool" to play them. They're hypocrites.

If I like something, i'll play it - regardless of whether they're commercial or underground. I don't care if its been played a billion times on the radio, or never had any radio exposure at all. I DJ for my love of music, not for my ego. I can't just sawp genres like some DJ's do just because its the "in thing" - I play Trance and Techno - always have, and always will do. When those genres die, i'll hang up my headphones. I'm not just gonan switch to Electro just because everyone else does.

Amen to that Briggsy!

[Robin]

Commercial dance is a neccessary evil sadly. It paves AND pays the way for more serious producers/artists. Granted we all know a commercial track when we hear it but it still has some artistic value. Whilst the majority here view commercial dance as being lowest common denominator, we shouldn't forget that music like this provides the soundtrack to the weekends and lives of an awful lot of people. Who are we to judge what music people enjoy listening and dancing to when they go out to enjoy themselves? A lot of people will purely just want a track with a slamming kick drum and a very memorable hook and vocal line to sing a long to having necked a fair few WKD's etc. I don't think the people who listen and buy commercial dance think it's cool per say, its more of a musical way of letting off steam and simply enjoying themselves. It is actually very hard to produce a polished commercial dance track believe it or not!

DJ's who slate records once they've crossed over will always exist, its the nature of most DJ's out there, especially the one's who have no A&R experience. Something to also consider is that specialist DJ's will often stop playing a record once it's crossed over because it has entered a different arena therefore does not need the support of the specialist DJ. It is a DJ's role to find new and upfront music, some of which may cross over into a wider public arena. In the current climate, its anyone's guess as to what will cross over and what won't. I never once imagined I'd be one of the people to get Marco V's 'False Light' on the R1 daytime playlist, an essentially underground banging electro track.

What may be seen as being commercial in this country may not be a commercial entity in Europe/Asia/USA/Australia/Africa etc but we have to accept that dance music is popular ergo it fits into the catagory of pop! All the biggest pop tracks over the past 15 years have all had a dance drum pattern to them owing to the principal that a steady 4/4 kick drives the track along and creates the most steady rhythmic beat for all and sundry to lock themselves into.

[JasonB]

Nicely said there guv! if I can decipher it all

Given the AATW stuff scouce ouse clubland tripe does just that gives something happy an uplifting to sing along to , hence why every installmnet sells by the bucketload.

Hell isnt that what sells dance music, memorable hooks,and vocals etc!!

So yes what he said above muchos, twice and thriced and niced.