October 2024 – CRAVE Guitars Writing: An Introspective Inquiry

Prelude

Yo good peoples. Welcome once more to the virtual hamlet of non sequitur‑ville, population c.1. You may have noticed my annoying application of asinine alliteration and my tendency toward meandering narrative prose (duh!), so perhaps it’s some sort of disorder worth looking into. As hinted at previously, CRAVE Guitars is deliberately changing things around a bit this month. Nothing like a bit of variety, eh? You may well be grateful of a short(er) article after several recent rather lengthy and convoluted tomes, so I’m content to oblige on this particular occasion.

At the time of publication, autumn is wending its inexorable passage towards winter, so here’s a snippet of classical pertinent poetry to get you in the mood for some further flowery philology.

“There is a harmony in autumn,
and a lustre in its sky,
which through the summer is not heard or seen,
as if it could not be,
as if it had not been!”
Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792‑1822)

Is it just me or do most sensible people wish for a world free from bellicose brutality? If only sensible people ran the world. If only the message would get through to said belligerent barbarians seemingly devoid of any form of reasonable moral compass. War = Bad. Peace = Good. Simple. The relevance, use and impact of words and their ability to generate positive change will become clear… eventually… I promise.

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world” – John Keating (1927‑)

This time around, I thought I would spend a few moments of superficial but personal self‑analysis, something that I normally feel very uncomfortable about. Perhaps that’s the stereotypical reserved Brit syndrome, I don’t know. I rarely discuss myself, especially in the first person, so this is a very unusual post. While I might refer to this topic somewhat flippantly and to some extent facetiously, it turns out that, perhaps, the author presents somewhat of an enigma and a conundrum.

This exploratory examination is also probably something that will be of little interest to many readers so, if you want to quit at this point, that’s absolutely fine. Thanks for looking in. However, as this change of approach will impact on CRAVE Guitars business‑as‑usual output for a (hopefully short) while, it probably warrants a bit of explanation. If the idiom that ‘those who can’t write, write about writing’ holds water, well, here is all the evidence required for condemnation. Sadly few images this month, only thousands of words.

“If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write” – Martin Luther (1483‑1546)

Writing (courtesy Suzy Hazelwood)

What I write

This article is something like the 84th since I started CRAVE Guitars’ online presence back in 2014 (more on that next month). Apart from the extended ‘hiatus’ (2020‑2023), articles have been published at the rate of one a month. I don’t actively engage with any other form of writing other than to keep a personal daily journal and the unavoidable daily communications.

As a professional bureaucrat for over three decades, I wrote a great deal of business documents, briefings, academic learning materials, strategic and business plans, project and performance management reports, speeches, presentations, etc. etc. All very ‘real’ and original in their own way; nothing particularly enjoyable or satisfying though. My frustration with organisational writing is that it was all ephemeral and didn’t make any noticeable difference to humanity, at least not directly. Looking back, there was no legacy of lasting change and nothing to show for all the hard work that went into it. Nothing ‘me’. The discipline, though, did teach me how to write but only in a structured, formal way. I would hate to think all those years of ‘training’ were for nought.

“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do” – Thomas Jefferson (1743‑1846)

For nearly the past decade, I’ve been writing about my near‑lifelong craving (sic!) for vintage guitars. Why? I love ‘em. Plain and simple. To me, they are an ‘amour-fou’ (an obsessive passion). Writing about vintage gear has (generally) been rewarding. It started with features on my own vintage guitars before branching out into features on brands, amps, effects and, latterly, bass guitars.

Over time, writing also extended to blog articles and that broadened out even further to include many other related topics – to a greater or lesser extent. Now, I’m writing about writing about vintage guitars et al. The next stage, as we’ll see later, I’ll be writing about writing about writing, all of which is getting just a bit circular, a bit like the mythical Ouroboros (NB. an ancient Egyptian and Greek symbol depicting a serpent consuming its own tail).

Ouroboros (courtesy Coppertwist Wu)

I will return to the topic of vintage guitars in due course; I’m just taking a pause from the risk of getting stuck in a barrel or dredging a rut (as well as mixing metaphors for fun, another annoying trait – apologies). I need to come up with another, different obtuse angle… or even a cute angle (lol) on vintage guitars, hopefully something not done by others.

“If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading” – Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480 400BCE)

Article writing about vintage guitars is one thing and it supports the CRAVE Guitars ‘brand’. However, I would like to do something different. Something non‑factual, something light and frivolously engaging, something that bestows some lingering fascination and perhaps something to stimulate debate. The value of the arts lies in its ability to provoke an emotional reaction, rather than simply to represent reality in some way. Discuss…

“Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality” – Edgar Allan Poe (1809‑1849)

I could write about many subjects other than vintage guitars and music. I have several other keen interests, although none quite as all‑consuming. However, generally speaking, writing about other disconnected things on this platform would divert focus away from vintage guitars and music.

Language is an interesting area of study. In many ways, language is like music, to be played and crafted into something ostensibly magical. Like music, language can be composed either well into a thing of beauty, or badly into a reprehensible ugly mess. I am fascinated by words and the way in which we can construct the vernacular in novel (sic!) ways. This might explain why I use a broad vocabulary in a discursive, arguably prolix, way. Why use one common word when several obscure ones will do (sorry, Mr. Jefferson)? Languorous language is rejected and embellished English rules Britannia, at least this tiny corner of it. One is not attempting to be ‘too clever by half’ (NB. A ‘Britishism’ used in, ‘The Interpreter’ (1958) by George J. Whyte‑Melville). Honest guv’nor. At least my particular portion of precisely practised poetic prose is entirely first hand. No plagiarism and no AI here.

“All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down” – Friedrich Nietzsche (1844‑1900)

Latterly, I have been hampered by issues of copyright over images. For instance, I would really like to take a look at guitars as they have appeared in the visual arts throughout history (fine art, popular culture, film, etc.). However, to do that really requires images of the artworks to support the narrative. Without images, such an article (or series of articles more likely) would be utterly pointless. As a non‑profit entity, I cannot publish images without permissions and royalties, thereby rendering the entire concept moot, null and void before it even gets off the ground. Sigh.

“Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way” – Ray Bradbury (1920‑2012)


Why I write

A more difficult question requires a moment of introspection. I sometimes wonder what motivates people, me included, to write. Thus far, a good enough answer eludes me. One thing might be that I just feel compelled to write (not convinced). Another might be a wish to leave some sort of tangible record (if not possible to do so in other ways). Yet another may be that I simply enjoy the writing process (again, not convinced), regardless of whether anyone actually takes much notice. I have tried to estimate the audience and it is likely to be no more than a handful in total. In the end, it seems I can’t not do it (excuse the double negative).

An issue with writing for a virtual platform is that it could be wiped out entirely in an instant, never to be recovered, even if anyone wanted to resurrect it. Recently a malicious incident at my Internet Service Provider caused a near‑catastrophe; fortunately, everything was recovered after a few difficult days. Alternatively, once I end my tenure on this planet, CRAVE Guitars’ documents will disappear overnight. Forever. So much for a lasting legacy, eh?

So… if the absolute readership level is so trifling, the only possible conclusion I can reach is that article writing seems to be an immense amount of hard work and effort for such a small audience. Does that actually matter? Which brings me back to thorny question of why I bother. Perhaps the change of direction for a while might help to aid such contemplation. Perhaps it may be time to review my ‘return on investment’ and divert some effort from feature and article writing into another personal pet project, just for a while. The slowdown in acquiring vintage guitar gear also points in that direction.

“There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are” – W. Somerset Maugham (1874‑1965)

Is it just that I’m just a bad writer? I hope not and I trust someone would have the courage to tell me if the content was genuinely awful, either in subject matter or narrative style. It seems, though, that I need to have some sort of restless creative outlet, something to relieve the intense pressure cooker raging in my chaotic cranium.

All in all, not a very deep analysis so far. There must (must there? Really?) be some other reason why I feel the urge to put fingertip to keypad and compose unfocused prosaic narrative for other folks to consume. Just a thought? How does one go about measuring competence in a subjective field such as writing?

Which brings us onto my idiosyncratic writing process. Pretentious? Undoubtedly. Profound? Perhaps, occasionally. Original? Is anything original these days? Entertaining? I would like to think so. Pointless? I hope not. I attempt to carve and mould my own distinctive style, rather than copy the approach taken by those far better at it than I will ever be. My unusual technique has developed into something weirdly eccentric and eccentrically verbose. I know that. I can’t help it. An eclectic style can certainly be divisive. Readers will probably either love it or hate it – no middle ground. I cannot, however, be apologetic for the facts. Sorry folks.

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing” – Benjamin Franklin (1706‑1790)


Why I do not allow comments

Apologies for hobby‑horsing for a moment. Time for a little biased judgemental opinion. You may have noticed that CRAVE Guitars’ does not allow comments on blog articles. Like most dudes with a massive superego and crippling self‑doubt, I am inherently super‑sensitive and have an innate fear of criticism and rejection.

I invest a considerable amount of time and effort in researching and writing monthly articles, probably 7‑10 full working days per article. So much so, that I am not prepared to submit my efforts to ridicule by acerbic trolls who put absolutely zero time, effort and intellect into being confrontational for no other reason than they can. I am willing to forgo the occasional positive comment in order to evade many negative ones. I welcome constructive criticism but I will not lay myself open to ignorance, reactionary contempt and derision.

Anti-social media has sadly become a vitriolic battle ground for the disgruntled to promulgate their abhorrent brand of ‘free speech’ (Musk et al take note). In the ‘free’ world, it may be a right to express one’s opinion but true rights carry significant moral responsibility in order to balance out deviant extremes. Freedom is not about being able to do and say whatever one wants with impunity. ‘Free speech’ is not a poorly conceived unilateral entitlement, it carries with it weighty conscience and considerable consequence. Hard fought for freedoms are a privilege within tolerant societies and should be cherished and nurtured, not abused on a whim.

“Virtue is persecuted more by the wicked than it is loved by the good” – Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480 400BCE)

Don’t get me wrong, I am a staunch anti‑censorship advocate but, let’s be honest here, that isn’t what these self‑appointed critical pseudo‑moralists are all about. These self‑styled evangelists want selective liberties that support their prejudiced dogmas and insist on selective suppression of anything that does not accord with such partisan doctrines.

I do not shy away from genuine, healthy debate (whether ‘intellectual’ or not) but I abhor confrontation, especially pointless assaults based on indoctrination or proselytization. It is even worse for disagreements on petty principle to be played out visibly in the public domain. I’ll leave all that contemptuous cacophony of cruelty to self‑opinionated ‘influencers’ and ‘celebrities’ and their trite, trivial tantrums.

Neither do I wish to commit far too much of my life wasting time and effort on people who have no special interest in the subject matter. If someone really wants to get in touch, they can – the e‑mail address is at the bottom of every page on the web site. All I ask for in any communication is authenticity, integrity, dignity and respect. Everything else will be summarily blocked and deleted.

People, eh? Not a fan. ‘Nuff said. (NB. A colloquial idiom and contraction of ‘enough said’, implying the end of discussion, first documented in 1778 by playwright Henry Brooke)

“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple” – Jack Kerouac (1922‑1969)


Deep Thinking

Apologies folks, we’re going on a quick diversion for a trifling titbit of cognitive psychology. That’s the discipline which helps us to understand how humans obtain, process, store and use information. It is about perception, memory, language, attention, creativity, intuition and reasoning. Don’t panic! It will make sense. The idea of deep thinking is not new, Greek philosopher Socrates (c.470‑399BCE) suggested that we reflect on and question the world around us.

Having tried many times over many years, it seems that I am totally incapable of diving deeply into my own internally‑focused thought processes to resolve who I really am, what I really need and why I am the way I am. I simply cannot ‘find’ myself, using common parlance. My inner psyche remains concealed from me. Yet, I seem to have little difficulty contemplating universal unknowns, suggesting an external focus. Perhaps, I thought, it was worth investigating what’s going on.

“Creativity is intelligence having fun” – Albert Einstein (1885-1955)

The author’s dipolar struggle may explain a lot while also raising many questions. It appears, for want of an emotive label, to make me a ‘conflicted soul’. This is not a medical or psychotherapeutic prognosis, simply an entirely amateur observation. However, it triggered some shallow yearning for insight. For the list‑o‑philes out there, this is one of only two this month. Enjoy.

Twelve traits of deep thinking people include:

  1. Introverted – Reserved and quiet. A loner who doesn’t seek social interaction and actively avoids contact with people. Reclusive
  2. Observant – Say less, observe more. Pausing before reaching a conclusion. Not easily swayed by popular opinion
  3. Quirkily humorous – Silly, juvenile, witty, comical and often self‑deprecating, often misunderstood
  4. Avid reader – Thirsty for knowledge with an innate need to learn more and expand understanding
  5. Forgetful – Overlook trivial social obligations and daily chores, as these things don’t much matter. Easily distracted. Tendency to overthink. Hard to relax
  6. Intensely curious – Highly inquisitive. Never bored. Question assumptions. Interested in BIG issues. Passionate for learning and knowledge. Embracing of ambiguity and complexity
  7. Forward planner – take time to think about the future and where to fit in (or not). Strategic and not detail oriented
  8. Problem solver – Analyse patterns, identify potential obstacles, build innovative approaches and develop potential practical solutions
  9. Socially awkward – Dislike many culturally accepted norms, roles and expected behaviours on a daily basis. Meaningful conversations matter, not small talk
  10. Fiercely independent – Highly self‑reliant, content with solitude as a conscious choice. Doesn’t seek contact with, or dependence on, others
  11. Creative – Artistic, imaginative, inventive, original, resourceful. Interested in the new and different (NB. ‘new’ implies ‘different’ by default)
  12. Empathic – Emotionally sensitive. Compassionate and understanding, able to see both sides of a situation. Open minded

I check at least 13 out of the 12! So, does that make me a deep thinker? I genuinely don’t think so. What I do know, though, and this the point, I don’t think like other people. I never have. What does this actually mean in the real world? How long have you got? It also might explain why I don’t know what to do when (if!) I ever grow up. I fear that I will (have to) grow up one day. It may account for my aberrant behaviour, delusional thought processes and deviant misanthropic attitude. I said this was going to be short, so the answers to these querulous questions are possibly best left for another time and place. If at all. Ever. Don’t hold your breath.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its reason for existing” Albert Einstein (1885-1955)


Ambitions and aspirations

I am long past being driven, self‑seeking and ambitious. That was my decades‑long professional life working for ‘the man’, thankfully now behind me. Now, it is (largely) up to me what I do. My post‑employment lifestyle doesn’t accord with ruthless go‑getting, not that I ever had a game‑playing ‘killer instinct’ anyway. The rat race (NB. The term rat race dates back at least to 1783, used to describe a literal race between rats, now used as a metaphor for a pointless and relentless, competitive struggle) is now for others to endure. I still have lofty aspirations. Probably deluded ones but aspirations nevertheless. Doing something that matters is a key stimulus.

The one thing that I would like to achieve is to be a better human bean. Failing that, I would like to play guitar better and learn the language of music. Failing that, I would like to write better. It seems important to me to have my work valued and appreciated – for some sort of external validation (not very Zen). In addition, for some reason I really cannot glean, I yearn to leave some form of lasting legacy behind; a simple mark on the universe rather than the total obscurity of being just one anonymous, invisible momentary placeholder in the 8+ billion transient souls on this infernal rock of ours. Basically, I do not want to be forgotten – as if I’d never existed.

“Fiction is an improvement of life” – Charles Bukowski (1920‑1994)

That’s it in a nutshell. That’s not too much to ask is it? Probably. So what? A knotty question that leads me neatly onto…


This is IT – The Distortion Diaries

If, by this point, you are wondering where all this is going, it is now time for the ‘BIG REVEAL’. I have hinted that I would be changing my approach for a (hopefully) short period of time and that there was a genuine reason for doing so. Now is time to divulge my poorly premeditated plan. The result is… ‘The Distortion Diaries’.

Last year (2023), I wrote a first draft of a fiction novel. As already mentioned, I wanted to do something different. Something imaginative and original, not factual and not opinionated. I intended to undertake a first edit earlier in 2024 and to expand the content considerably during the summer and be going through a second, harsh edit around now. Unfortunately, other unavoidable activities and my diligent approach towards research and writing CRAVE Guitars articles has prevented me from sticking to the plan. With everything else going on, something had to give. Capacity is finite and there simply wasn’t enough of it to dedicate to a novel as well. Such a venture requires better than that.

So… the aim is to make a bit of space and time to do some of the focused work on the novel. Writing fiction is quite different from articles and presents a new discipline. It isn’t something that can be picked up and put down on a whim. It takes lengthy periods of comprehensive concentration. If the novel is ever going to reach fruition, it implies a bubble of space and time in which to do it.

“Description begins in the writer’s imagination but should finish in the reader’s” – Stephen King (1947‑)

When I started writing ‘The Distortion Diaries’, I intended it to be a fictional part‑biography of a wannabe musician. However, very early on, I realised two key things. The first key factor was that the subject matter on its own could not avoid cliché – it would be utterly predictable and therefore probably exceedingly dull. The second key factor was that such a story would be very short unless there was a significant amount of irrelevant, boring filler (to be avoided!). So the shape and style morphed into something completely and utterly different. Once I’d had the epiphany, everything fell into place. Like the CRAVE Guitars name, the title, ‘The Distortion Diaries’ has multiple meanings.

The Distortion Diaries’ could now be described as a rom-sex-com-music-bio-mystery-drama-thriller-fantasy about man’s eternally favourite tripartite – sex, drugs and rock & roll (not necessarily in that order). Oh, and the meaning of life (42, according to author Douglas Adams), as well as a coming of middle‑age saga. That is a very broad ‘genre’ mash‑up. It could potentially prove to be a disastrous mess, even with careful handling.

The Distortion Diaries’ will carry a strong ‘Parental Advisory’ warning, for two reasons. One is that parents should probably not read it. Another is that it is extremely explicit. The latter is something that authors try to suggest rather than be overt. Why? I find political correct avoidance of fundamental human motivations and behaviours exasperating and represent a centuries‑long unwritten rule just begging to be broken, whether people like it or not. Nobody forces someone to read something, it is an entirely discretionary activity. If you don’t like it, go and read something you do like. Your choice.

“Words can be like X‑rays if you use them properly they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced” – Aldous Huxley (1894‑1963)

The Distortion Diaries’ is very different from your average high street and supermarket pop novel. Neither is it ‘pulp fiction’ (NB. Popular grimy and lurid genre novels printed on cheap paper, called ‘pulp’, dating from the early 20th Century). This ‘epic’ work is written intended for universal consumption and represents an uncompromising condensation of mainstream mundanity, intense sexuality and serendipitous happenstance. The Distortion Diaries is a colourful tale about the monochrome lives of plain ordinary people with a controversially unorthodox denouement. Let’s not get carried away, ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ this is not. Sorry ‘bout that.

“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story” – Frank Herbert (1920‑1986)

The story eschews traditional three‑act structure and attempts to avoid bland ‘creative writing’ clichés. Neither does it fall into the beatnik‑style stream of consciousness one‑act structure. It does, however, attempt to tell a straightforward story while also trying (hopefully) to subvert expectations. The only formulaic concession is its adherence to a well‑trodden linear, episodic diary‑type structure (the hint is in the title folks!).

Who is my writing inspired by? No‑one in particular. Just good writing in whatever form. Who is my writing like? I would never be so vain as to venture comparison. Who is The Distortion Diaries written for? Everyone (adult) and no‑one. I guess I wrote it for myself. Why should anyone read it? Difficult one. Perhaps someone seeking a temporary, idle distraction from the hard realities of birth, life and death. What do I like to read? A very diverse range of fictional works with few particular commonalities. Moving on…

“Words have a magical power. They can either bring the greatest happiness or the deepest despair” – Sigmund Freud (1856‑1939)

The novel’s synopsis is a crucial summary that tests from the outset whether there is anything worthwhile to the concept. The following outline is intentionally vague and ambiguous. If too much is given away in a ‘teaser trailer’, it won’t hold any surprises later on.

The Distortion Diaries.

Terry plays in a band. He doesn’t have a Girlfriend. He hasn’t had a Girlfriend for some time. Terry has a dreary job in IT. He lives alone with his feline overlord. One day, Terry decides to document his wretched existence in a journal. Rather than the journal reflecting and recording Terry’s dreary life, the journal begins to change it. A Lot. Is Terry’s life pre‑determined by fate or is his destiny in his own hands? Only his journal knows.

Based on a false story”

Intrigued? I hope so. Even I was pleasantly surprised how it turned out, even in rough first draft form. No profound insights into existential enquiries on this occasion. Let’s be clear, this is not serious literature; it is purely for entertainment purposes. Light and fluffy it certainly ain’t though.

“What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure” – Samuel Johnson (1709‑1784)

Mock‑up cover artwork has already been designed, although I feel it’s a bit premature to publish at this juncture, as it may change drastically. Sorry folks. Hopefully, I’ll drop that if/when there is a future update.

‘The Distortion Diaries’ AI Art

I guess it could have been called, ‘The Karma Chronicles’ but I prefer the chosen title. Just to set the record straight, it is NOT in any way autobiographical. The fact that I play guitar (badly) and I am owned by a cat is neither here nor there. As a ‘writer’, I do occasionally steal the ‘good stuff’ from my own repertoire, so there may well be the odd choice phrase from CRAVE Guitars’ articles appearing in the script.

At some point, I will have to produce a more detailed ‘pitch’ that summarises the content but that will come once the task of expanding the narrative, fleshing out the characters and editing the full novel for coherence has been completed. I think the ‘pitch’ is important, as it provides an important reality check during the process. If the ‘pitch’ doesn’t work, the whole thing won’t work. Simple as that. I hope to finish writing and editing the novel in 2025. No pressure then.

“The first draft is just you telling yourself the story” – Terry Pratchett (1948‑2015)

Ideally, I would like to go against the norm (nothing new there!) and self‑publish this little vanity project of mine. I have absolutely no idea how to go about self‑publishing or even if it possible, let alone feasible. Then there are the not‑inconsequential issues of distribution and sales. That, though comes much later. Currently, there is nothing to deliver and peddle. So, first things first.

The trick, if there is one, is to find a way to build an identity that cuts through and stands out from the thousands of other works churned out every day, week, month and year. CRAVE Guitars hasn’t succeeded yet (sadly), so it is clear that there is absolutely no chance of a breakthrough by simply existing these days. If anyone has any bright ideas or can help bring this assignment to fruition, please let me know.

Readers may have noticed over the last decade that I do not seek fame and fortune. I keep my private persona very much out of the limelight and I try to remain intentionally anonymous. For this reason, ‘The Distortion Diaries’ (if it ever enters the public domain) will appear under a nom de plume (the pseudonym has already been decided, to be revealed at a later date). I shall endeavour to remain an enigma hiding behind the keyboard’s shadow.

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed” – Ernest Hemingway (1899‑1961)

I did contemplate publishing ‘The Distortion Diaries’ in serialised form on the website. I decided against it for three main reasons. The first is that a purely fictional tale doesn’t really ‘fit’ with the CRAVE Guitars ‘brand’ – basically it has nothing to do with vintage guitars. Even if the novel’s protagonist is a guitarist, the stretch is too far to make sense. The second is that it is, as mentioned above, extremely explicit, which isn’t what I want CRAVE Guitars to be known for. The third is that the duration of a serialisation would side‑line all other subject matter for a couple of years, which I am not really prepared to do. However, if it is ever published, I am sure that I won’t be able to resist promoting it here.

If, as forecast by my overly well‑telegraphed lack of confidence and low self‑esteem, I don’t get anywhere with writing and publishing it as a novel, I may decide to abridge it and publish sanitised excerpts on the web site. It would not be an ideal outcome but possibly better than it being lost in the infinite void of forgotten and cancelled dreams, like the noblest endeavours of so many other wannabe authors.

“Words do not express thoughts very well. They always become a little different immediately after they are expressed, a little distorted, a little foolish” – Hermann Hesse (1877‑1962)


20 Questions

What follows is a mock ‘interview’ with the author of ‘The Distortion Diaries

  1. Will ‘The Distortion Diaries’ ever be published? Probably not but I hope so.
  2. Will it be an international best seller? Definitely not.
  3. Awards worthy? Not a hope in hell – and I’ve been there.
  4. Required academic reading? Hah‑ha! You’re kidding, right?
  5. Will it be worth a punt? Our protagonist insists on that being the case.
  6. Is it sordid and seedy? Yup, for sure, for sure. Full of sleaze and exploitation.
  7. Unhinged? Not even close. Bad things do happen but so do good things.
  8. Is it edgy? It depends on the reader’s perspective. I try to manipulate ideas, as well as to challenge assumptions and undermine preconceptions.
  9. Is it controversial? Hopefully it will generate credible debate. And criticism. Lots of criticism.
  10. Will it offend people? It is not intentional but, inevitably, someone will always find something to complain about.
  11. It sounds divisive? Like Marmite. Lots and lots of Marmite.
  12. What’s all this about ‘distortion’? It has multiple meanings. You’ll have to read it to find out.
  13. Is it a feel good or feel bad story? It doesn’t matter, as long as you feel something.
  14. Isn’t it just the same old tortured muso type, struggling in a tired pop music industry cliché, overcoming the odds? I haven’t read every genre saga but I don’t believe that it is overly derivative. Nothing is truly original these days.
  15. Will readers learn anything about the human condition? If they are open‑minded, possibly. The male experience is woefully under‑represented in contemporary fictional literature. This may help to address the imbalance.
  16. What message is it trying to convey? Whatever the reader wants to deduce.
  17. Will there be other stories or sequels? Who knows? I don’t. I have some ideas for a cunning spin‑off though.
  18. If you had to use just one word to sum up the story, what would it be? Compelling.
  19. How will people be able to read it? To be determined. It’s too early to say.
  20. Who would you like to direct a movie of the story? Irrelevant. It’s never going to happen.

I personally do not seek social recognition or even the prospect of it. However, I would like to think that the product of my creativity might one day be admired. That would be a bonus rather than a rationale. Simply a desire to stimulate thoughts through my work and the knowledge that such thinking exists, albeit ephemerally. My satisfaction and reward comes in the execution of the process to the best of my ability (good or bad). I may write the story that no-one will ever read. However writing it is my achievement and my only necessary reward. Any success would constitute welcome deferred gratification. Very Zen.


Final thoughts on the power of words

I started off by saying that words have the power to generate positive change. Well… CRAVE Guitars’ features and blog articles haven’t really achieved that, have they? So, will The Distortion Diaries change the world? Sadly, it won’t. However, in the meantime, it might generate some harmless satisfaction and gentle fulfilment as a diversion from our otherwise mundane existences.

Closing the loop started at the top of this article… Should I attempt to change the world? Yes, absolutely. We all should do our bit to promote a better civilisation, society, communities, families and ourselves. We should not accept anything other than peace. We are, after all, partly responsible, even accountable, for how things are today, tomorrow and all the days thereafter. Future generations will scrutinise what we did to our planet and species.

“So, I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell: ‘I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!’ – Howard Beale (character in the film, ‘Network’ (1976), played by Peter Finch).

Together, if the collective will is there, a united movement for a better world can achieve greatness. Easily said, hard to accomplish. It is way too easy to abrogate our moral and ethical duties, and look to others for blame, redemption and salvation. The lame “it wasn’t me, I didn’t do it” argument is simply not good enough.

“I didn’t do it, nobody saw me do it, you can’t prove anything” – Bart Simpson

Great words, carefully chosen can help to bring about great things. There are not enough vocal advocates for good. There are fewer vocal advocates who have the means for good. There are even fewer vocal advocates with the will and the means for good.

“An idea that is developed and put into action is more important than an idea that exists only as an idea” – Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480 400BCE)

Poorly chosen words can do a great deal of harm, as can carefully chosen words of bad people. Most of the rhetoric we hear from those in positions of power today is largely negative and critical. Propaganda obscures the truth such that we no longer know what truth is. War has never brought peace, only cataclysmic carnage. Only diplomacy through sincere words can stop war and deliver lasting reconciliation.

“Whatever words we utter should be chosen with care for people will hear them and be influenced by them for good or ill” – Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480 400BCE)

You may say that such a simplistic stance is all a bit of ‘pie in the sky’ (NB. a phrase coined by itinerant immigrant labourer Joe Hill in 1911 to describe unrealistic goals), and an outmoded hippie pipe dream (NB. a 19th Century phrase referring to the dreams experienced by opium pipe smokers). You may say that such hope is just delusional romanticism and impossible wishful thinking? Guilty as charged. One has to have hope in a better humanity, otherwise we are all doomed. Time to change, then.

“I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act” – Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480 400BCE)


CRAVE Guitars’ Album of the Month

As I’m changing things around a bit, there is no relevant reason for this month’s selection. So… what was the first ever album you bought for yourself, with your own money? Well, the simple answer to that question for me was…

Pink Floyd – Meddle (1971). ‘Meddle’ was the 6th studio album by the English progressive rock band Pink Floyd. It was released in November 1971 on the Harvest record label in the UK. The first side of the album comprises 5 tracks including the opener, ‘One of These Days’, while the second side is a single, epic 20 minute track, ‘Echoes’. The cover art is a strange photo of a submerged ear, designed by Storm Thorgerson at Hipgnosis, the trendy design studio of the time. Hipgnosis was famous for creating other Pink Floyd album covers, as well as artwork for other famous rock bands of the time, such as Led Zeppelin, Genesis and Yes. To me, ‘Meddle’ marks a watershed between early Floyd and later Floyd, as well as a personal transition from pop music to serious ‘real’ music. A coming‑of‑age LP in you like.

Pink Floyd – Meddle (1971)

Why was this album my first? DJ John Peel played the album in its entirety on release on his late night show on Radio One in the UK. I hadn’t heard anything like it before and it ‘blew my mind’ (man!). I guess most people have that ‘one’ album that changed their life. ‘Meddle’ was that one for me. I just had to own a copy. It still stands the test of time today.

“Music is the universal language of mankind” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807‑1882)


Tailpiece

Well, there you have it. That turned out longer than I’d anticipated and took more time than I had allowed for. I haven’t made much time or space for writing fiction so far. Sigh. Note to self… be more succinct, pithy, brief, concise, epigrammatic, etc. Second note to self… use less tautology.

So, a new perspective and a new side venture for CRAVE Guitars. Not a core CRAVE Guitars activity but a definite spin‑off. ‘They’ say there is nothing like a bit of variety, so a change in style and content for a few articles can’t be a bad thing in my opinion. Right? Remember, you heard about, ‘The Distortion Diaries’ here first. Write on.

You may have noticed that I regularly splatter the odd quote throughout CRAVE Guitars articles. These aren’t just random asides for no reason; they are relevant to the exposition and, hopefully, add some essential colour to an otherwise monochrome pallet of words. This month, the selection of quotes is particularly pertinent and, I hope, a little thought‑provoking. If only my meagre, mediocre mind could articulate such inspiring ideas in so few words.

To quote actor Patrick McGoohan’s character, No. 6 in ‘The Prisoner’ (1967‑1968) TV series, “Be seeing you”.

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “I would rather be an anonymous genius than a well‑known idiot”

© 2024 CRAVE Guitars – Love Vintage Guitars.

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September 2024 – Get Up And Dance To The Music! Part II

Prelude

Hello there plentiful peaceful people. Welcome to autumn 2024, with the sultry summer sunsets fading behind us into hazy reminiscence once again. As the American band Earth, Wind & Fire celebrated in 1978, here we are in, ‘September’. “Hey, hey, hey! Ba‑dee‑ya, say do you remember?” Once it’s gone, it’s gone and all we have left is in the here and now. Make the most of now, I suggest. What we will be in the future is what we do now. As one sage dude put it much better than I can…

“The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There’s only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment” – Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480‑400BCE)

Furthermore, a message to all the immoral hegemonic oppressors intent on senseless conflict and unnecessary destruction out there, here is another titbit (NB. tidbit in the US – from 17th Century English ‘tyd bit’) of astute advice from the sagacious spiritual leader.

“Better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace” – Buddha

This month’s article is a little different. Firstly, it is Part II of a longer piece and I didn’t want to leave a long break between the parts. Then, secondly (NB. ‘secondly’ usually comes after ‘firstly’, after all, so the numbering is essentially superfluous) because I want to make some time and space for something else (to be announced in due course). This means that Part II is being published in early September, rather than the usual distribution deadline at the end of the month.

As I mentioned at the conclusion of last month’s article, I felt it was better to split this genre article on dance and dance music into two articles which are easier to digest and, together, form a coherent whole. The first part covered a period from pre‑history to the 1950s. This article picks up directly where the last one left off, from the 1950s onward. To cap the article off, there is a casually speculative look into the future of dance and dance music.

If you want to reprise or access Part I of this article for the first time, you can read it here (opens in a new tab):

August 2024 – Get Up And Dance To The Music!: Part I

Rather than go for a protracted preamble, as is my usual wont, pointlessly reiterating material from Part I, let’s get straight down to business. Time to get your Funk on!

Night Clubbing (courtesy Leif Bergerson)

Modern Dance and Dance Music

By this heading, I mean the underground, mainstream and popular dance music scene in whatever form, from the birth of Rock & Roll to the current day. These seven decades represent the main section of the article.

The rest of this article will concentrate on sixteen modern dance music ‘genres’ in an attempt to encompass the majority of popular styles. The approach I’ve taken is unorthodox and arbitrary but some structure is needed. Each genre could probably deserve an article in itself, so substantial omissions have been necessary to condense the remaining material into Part II. Where subjective generalities and assumptions have been made, they inevitably lead to some factual errors/inaccuracies, as well as omissions. Sorry ‘bout that. So… without further ado, let’s jump in with two left feet and Rock & Roll…

“We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once” – Friedrich Nietzsche (1844‑1900)


Rock & Roll (1954‑1964 – Peak 1958):

Rock & Roll is popular dance music originating in the 1950s, recognisable with its heavy beat and simple melodies. Song structures were usually based around the established twelve‑bar blues format and usually played on guitar, double bass, and drums (and occasionally piano) to produce catchy danceable tunes.

Rock & Roll emerged from a fusion of Jazz, Blues and Country influences in the mid‑1950s. Black Rhythm & Blues (R&B) and white Country music were cited as key components, including a splash of Gospel and Folk for good measure. It is perhaps surprising that the watershed of modern popular music that rock & roll represented arrived so late into the 20th Century.

Rock & Roll saw the emergence of the previously ‘invisible’ teen culture, which included fashion, music, language and attitudes. The cultural influences of early Rock & Roll songs dealt with youth‑related issues such as cars, school, dating, hairstyles and clothes. For the first time, teens were demanding to be listened to and to be taken seriously, rather than condemned as juvenile delinquents by typically conservative moral guardians.

While the origins of Rock & Roll date back to earlier decades, as far back as the 1920s, and the term ‘rock and roll’ had been used before, it is widely thought that American radio DJ Alan Freed promoted the popularity of African/American R&B music, calling it ‘rock and roll’. This time the name stuck.

Two key songs triggered the Rock & Roll era, ‘That’s All Right’ by Elvis Presley and ‘Rock Around The Clock’ by Bill Haley & His Comets, both recorded in 1954, the latter used in the film, ‘Blackboard Jungle (1955). The rest, as ‘they’ say, is history.

Several other American films portrayed the Rock & Roll zeitgeist including, ‘Concrete Jungle’ and Rock Around the Clock (1956). In addition, the film, ‘American Graffiti’ (1973) encapsulated the coming‑of‑age scene, set in 1962. Other films set about demonstrating the insubordinate side of youth culture during the 1950s including, ‘The Wild One’ (1951) and ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ (1955). All reflecting and, in turn, contributing to societal change.

On 3 February 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. The tragic event was nicknamed ‘The Day the Music Died’. After that seismic shock, Rock & Roll declined and other genres emerged such as Surf, Soul, Pop, Folk Revival, Garage Rock and Psychedelic Rock.

Dance styles inherited by Rock & Roll included east coast swing, west coast swing, the jive and the jitterbug. ‘New’ dances that came with Rock & Roll included the twist and the hand jive.

Rockabilly was a sub‑genre used to describe predominantly white singers adopting black vocal styles with lighter, often acoustic instrumentation including Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Bill Haley, Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly.

Related genres: Jazz, Blues, Country, Folk, Gospel, Rhythm & Blues, Pop, Doo Wop, Surf, Skiffle, Rockabilly, Soul, Folk Revival, Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock

Artist examples: Bill Haley and His Comets, Elvis Presley, Chubby Checker, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Duane Eddy, Eddie Cochran, Ricky Nelson. Gene Vincent & His Bluecaps, Jackie Wilson, Pat Boone, Big Bopper, The Everly Brothers, Dion, Bobby Vee, Richie Valens, Del Shannon, The Platters, Lonnie Donegan, Buddy Holly, Cliff Richard, Connie Francis, The Coasters, Marty Wilde, Neil Sedaka, Billy Fury, Bert Weedon, Bobby Darin, Roy Orbison, The Ventures, Brian Hyland, Sam Cooke, The Shadows, The Drifters, Booker T & The MG’s, Gene Pitney, The Swinging Blue Jeans, the Chiffons, The Beach Boys, Tommy Steele


Soul (1960‑1982 – Peak 1968)

Soul is a music genre that originated in the African/American communities across the USA in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Its earliest roots lie in traditions associated with enslaved people working in the cotton fields. Soul’s formative influences lay in Gospel, Jazz and Rhythm & Blues and became popular as a form of lively dance music. Soul made good use of prominent horn and rhythm sections, accompanied by powerfully emotional vocal delivery. During the Civil Rights Movement era, predominantly black Soul artists were sought after and promoted by famous record labels such as Motown (Detroit), Stax (Memphis) and Atlantic (New York). Segregation issues firmly connected music with radical societal change. Soul therefore reflects and promotes the importance of African/American culture in the US at the time. Many Soul songs were about love and relationships while others focused on political black consciousness.

The Stax record label (‘Soulsville USA’) led the way in promoting multi‑racial music at a time of tension, protest and segregation. The Motown record label came to define the sub‑genre of Pop Soul. Soul dominated the US R&B singles chart in the 1960s, with many singles crossing over into American and British Pop charts. Song writers and producers such as Holland‑Dozier‑Holland made the ‘three minute’ Pop song such a positive and commercially successful phenomenon. Atlantic Records promoted and popularised Soul, signing up legendary artists like Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles.

As Soul began to decline by the end of the 1960s, it was superseded by Psychedelic Soul and Progressive Soul, then by Funk and, later on, by Disco. Soul, though, didn’t disappear, it diversified into regional variants of Soul that adapted to local geographical tastes, including Memphis Soul, New Orleans Soul, Chicago Soul and Philadelphia Soul, the latter becoming known as the ‘Philly Sound’.

A key performance platform for Soul artists was the American TV programme, ‘Soul Train’, which promoted many popular African/American Soul, Funk and Disco dance music acts. Soul Train aired for 35 years from 1971 to 2006 with an impressive total of 903 episodes. In 1985, there was a short‑lived UK version, also called Soul Train. Producers, artists and audiences alike made dancing an important part of the programme.

Dance styles associated with 1960s Soul include the Harlem shuffle, the boogaloo (NB. the dance, not the extremist political movement) and the perennial west coast swing.

During the 1970s, slick production and commercially‑oriented Pop saw so‑called Blue‑Eyed Soul (i.e. white) artists come to the fore in both the US and the UK. Another popular and enduring working class Soul trend from the UK is Northern Soul, along with the dance that went with it, stomping.

Contemporary R&B tended to take on the mantle of many Soul artists in the 1980s and thereafter. Soul saw another major rejuvenation in the 1990s with a sub‑genre called Neo‑Soul, which fused retro traditional Soul and Contemporary R&B with Hip‑Hop, making use of modern digital studio production techniques.

Related genres: Gospel, Motown, Rhythm & Blues, Jazz, Big Band, Contemporary R&B, Neo‑Soul, Hip‑Hop, Pop, Psychedelic Soul, Progressive Soul, Funk, Disco, Deep Soul, Southern Soul, Blue‑Eyed Soul, Pop Soul, Samba Soul, Memphis Soul, New Orleans Soul, Chicago Soul, Philadelphia Soul

Artist examples: Sly & the Family Stone, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ike & Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Joe Tex, Three Degrees, The Jacksons, Otis Redding, Michael Jackson, Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight, Ray Charles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Al Green, Hot Chocolate, Quincy Jones, Teddy Pendergrass, Isaac Hayes, Same & Dave, Lou Rawls, Gil Scott‑Heron, Smokey Robinson, Luther Vandross, Edwin Starr, Amii Stewart, Jimmy Ruffin, Lou Rawls, Curtis Mayfield, Labelle, The O’Jays, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, Four Tops, The Temptations, Billy Preston, The Chi‑Lites, Sade, Thelma Houston, Ben E. King, Wilson Pickett, Ann Peebles, War, Hall & Oates


Funk (1968‑1988 – Peak 1976)

Funk is a dance music genre that originated in African/American communities in the mid‑late 1960s. Funk developed from Soul as well as Black R&B and Jazz influences. Musically, Funk refers to a style of aggressive urban dance music that rose to popularity, coinciding with the splintering of Soul.

The main focus of Funk musicians was to create a rhythmic, danceable musical style. The traditional elements of song writing, lyrical melody and standard chord progressions were replaced by a strong rhythmic groove provided by bass and percussion, giving tracks a hypnotic, danceable ‘feel’. Funk embraced many jazz traditions including the use of extended guitar chords, brass sections and intricate, syncopated drum patterns.

Funk, especially when performed live, makes extensive use of collective improvisation by jamming and ‘getting down with the groove’ based on strong basslines and groovy ‘chicken scratch’ guitar riffs. Funk created an insistent, locked‑in hook, on which dance moves were easily co‑ordinated. Rhythm was king. Percussion, often influenced by Afro‑Cuban styles plays a big part in creating and embellishing the groove, with an emphasis on the first beat of the bar (‘The One’), developed by James Brown (the ‘Godfather of Soul’) with his band The Famous Flames.

While Sly Stone introduced a psychedelic element to Funk, George Clinton and his bands Parliament and Funkadelic defined a whole sub‑genre called P‑Funk, which relied on psychedelic and whimsical elements with elaborate stage shows featuring extravagant otherworldly themes.

In the 1980s, Funk diversified and, like other forms of dance music, was heavily influenced by the use of analogue synthesizers, resulting in a sub‑genre known as Synth Funk. In the 1980s, the sexually expressive aspects of Funk were popularised by the likes of Rick James and Prince, attracting some notoriety. Funk heavily influenced Hip‑Hop, which often sampled Funk songs of the 1970s.

Dances associated with Funk include the robot, the funky chicken, tutting, popping & locking, the camel walk, the mashed potato and the good foot.

Pioneering instrumental records rooted in New Orleans R&B helped define the Deep Funk sub‑genre. Ghetto Funk is a modern take on the original Funk era of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Ghetto Funk fuses the rhythms of classic Funk with modern electronic beats and digital studio production. Like its ancestor, Ghetto Funk is about getting down and groovy, featuring funky basslines, soulful samples and an up‑beat, up‑tempo vibe. Ghetto funk artists combine retro funk samples with modern electronic beats, creating something that is both nostalgic while being fresh and contemporary. Funk remains a popular dance genre today.

Related genres: Soul, Psychedelic Soul, Afro Funk, Jazz Funk, P‑Funk, Synth Funk, Disco, Pop, Dance Pop, Rock, Metal, Acid Jazz, Ghetto Funk, Nu Funk, Funk Rock, Funktronica, Avant‑Funk, Funk Metal, Hip‑Hop, G‑Funk, New Orleans R&B, Deep Funk

Artist examples: Funkadelic, Parliament, George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, Rick James, Prince, Average White Band, Brand New Heavies, The Brothers Johnson, Cameo, Commodores, Curtis Mayfield, Miles Davis, Fat Larry’s Band, The Gap Band, Isaac Hayes, The Isley Brothers, The Meters, Tina Turner, Tower of Power, Mtume, Shakatak, Vulfpeck, War, Jamiroquai, Grace Jones, S.O.S. Band, Aaron Neville, Roy Ayres, Herbie Hancock, Fatback Band, Kool & The Gang, Earth Wind & Fire, Bruno Mars, Ohio Players


Disco (1975‑1989 – Peak 1979)

Disco is a dance music genre that emerged in inner‑city America in the late 1960s and the thriving, vibrant urban nightlife scene of New York City, particularly the borough of Brooklyn. Simultaneously, Disco was also flourished in Philadelphia. Disco’s sound is simpler than Funk, typified by four‑on‑the‑floor 4/4 time signatures providing a strong beat, syncopated basslines, lush string and horn sections, analogue synthesizers, and staccato rhythm guitars.

Disco is an abbreviation of Discothèque (NB. a French word meaning, ‘library of phonograph records’), which were the nightclub venues playing this new form of dance music. One such nightclub on Broadway in midtown Manhattan, NYC became (in)famous for its celebrity Disco scene, Studio 54, which opened in 1977 in a former theatre and opera house dating back to 1927.

Discothèques weren’t a new thing by the 1970s. The first discothèques mostly played swing music in the 1940s. In 1953 the ‘Whisky à Go‑Go’ in Paris, France incorporated a dance floor with coloured lights and two turntables so records could be played continuously without having a gap in the music. It wouldn’t be until the early 1970s that the modern Disco scene emerged from the underground to widespread mainstream success between 1974 and 1977.

Disco nightclubs used powerful, bass‑heavy, sound systems, which became a key component in the Disco club experience, as were disc jockeys (DJs) that seamlessly mixed the music for eager audiences. Fashion included sequined dresses for girls and bell‑bottom flares for boys. The iconic and ubiquitous mirror ball (or ‘disco ball’) is forever entwined with the Disco scene, usually mounted on the ceilings of Disco venues. NB. Mirror balls were not a new thing to 1970s’ discos; they were patented in 1917 and were widely used in nightclubs during the 1920s.

Disco (courtesy Edoardo Tommasini)

The Disco subculture of the 1970s experienced a significant drug problem, particularly ‘party’ drugs like cocaine (blow) amyl nitrite (poppers), amphetamines (speed) and Quaaludes (a hypnotic sedative known as ‘disco biscuits’).

Disco was seen as a reaction to, and a rejection of, west coast hippie counterculture and the prominence of blue collar American Rock music. It was also seen by some as a symbol of liberal permissive gay culture and a hotbed of recreational substance misuse.

The film, ‘Saturday Night Fever’ (1977) cemented Disco music, fashion and subculture into the public consciousness. This classic was supplemented by other major films, including ‘Car Wash’ (1976), ‘Xanadu’ (1980), ‘Can’t Stop the Music’ (1980) and ‘Flashdance’ (1983).

One of the key innovations of Disco was the pioneering use of the Disco remix and the 12″ single. These enabled DJs to experiment and create new tracks (or versions thereof) for nightclub use. Another innovation was the ‘white label’ record, which were records produced in very small numbers to test crowd response in dance clubs. The plain white label was used so that DJs would have no pre‑conceived ideas about the music or the artist name. White label recordings have since become highly popular with House and Hip‑Hop DJs. In the early 1990s, Techno and House artists created tracks pressed on 12″ white labels, which proved easy to sell at dance music record stores. Further innovations included the use of electronic drum machines and sequenced synthesizers.

Several dance styles became strongly associated with Disco, including the bump, the hustle, the Watergate, the disco dance, the YMCA, the snap and the bus stop. Disco also adopted the funky chicken from Soul.

Disco may have many similarities with Funk by focusing on the rhythm and beat to provide a strong basis for danceable music. However, when looking beneath the surface, they are very different animals. Funk relies on syncopation, improvisation and intricate rhythms. Disco is more straightforward but with the same aim – to get people onto the dance floor. Maybe Disco might not have emerged without Funk to provide the groovy foundation for dance music.

Euro Disco is a sub‑genre that emerged on the European continent following ABBA’s success at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974. This fostered other sub‑genres such as Euro Pop and Eurodance.

One very strange and unique offspring of disco music was the roller disco, with ‘dancers’ wearing roller skates (quad or inline) and appropriate fashion styles, circulating a dance floor or ice skating rink to popular disco music. The peak of the short-lived roller disco craze was in the late 1970s. While the fad faded dramatically during the 1980s, roller disco perpetuates with occasional revivals and still has a small but fanatical following.

Disco declined as a major trend in popular music in the US following the infamous Disco Demolition Night held on 12 July 1979. Disco Demolition Night was a Major League Baseball (MLB) event held at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. At the climax of the event, sandwiched between a double‑header of matches between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers MLB teams, a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field. The event attended by around 50,000 people ended in a pitch invasion and a riot. Disco Demolition Night was a backlash from rock music fans and anti‑gay culture factions, led by Chicago ‘shock jock’ and anti‑disco campaigner Steve Dahl. The explosive highlight was accompanied by macho bigoted chants of ‘Disco Sucks’ and ‘Death to Disco’. In the aftermath of Disco Demolition Night, the popularity of Disco declined significantly in late 1979 and 1980, with record labels, stores and DJs preferring to use the generic label ‘dance music’. Disco’s demise and legacy led directly to the evolution of new forms of nightclub dance music such as House and Techno.

In an attempt to ditch Disco’s camp, cheesy image and to revive and rejuvenate its fortunes, Nu‑Disco emerged in the UK during the 1990s. Nu‑Disco is a modern take on 1970s and 1980s Disco, characterised by funky basslines, groovy rhythms, and slick digital studio production. Like its predecessor, Nu‑Disco is a genre that is intended to get people back on the dancefloor and bopping to a new generation of beats. During the 2020s, a modernised Disco sound has given a new generation of dance artists and fans a contemporary update on a classic dance genre, firmly rooted in modern club culture.

Disco still has a massive following and has seen several revivals over time during the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. It has also heavily influenced many dance music genres since the 1970s. It seems that Disco doesn’t suck and certainly isn’t dead.

Related genres: Soul, Funk, Pop Soul, Euro Disco, Eurodance, Post‑Disco, Nu‑Disco, House, Deep House, Techno, Post‑Punk, Rave, EDM, Boogie, Italo‑Disco, Hi‑NRG

Artist examples: The Bee Gees, Chic, The Jackson 5, The Trammps, Tavares, Heatwave, Imagination, Earth Wind & Fire, Kool & The Gang, Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, The Village People, Boney M, KC & The Sunshine Band, The Real Thing, Teena Marie, Tina Charles, Shalamar, Carl Douglas, Leif Garrett, Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King, Love Unlimited, Odyssey, Ottawan, The Real Thing, Rose Royce, Sister Sledge, Sylvester, Chaka Kahn, The Gap Band, Patrice Rushen, Indeep, Yvonne Elliman, Candi Staton, Lipps Inc, Anita Ward, Billy Ocean, George McRae, The Hues Corporation, Giorgio Moroder, Jesse Ware, Dua Lipa, Alcazar, George McCrae, Baccara, Frantique, The Crusaders


Pop (1959‑1991 – Peak 1967)

Pop in its widest sense is a broad umbrella term for anything and everything in popular music. Not all popular music is Pop. Pop, though, is popular music. Go figure. However, defining Pop as a genre is not straightforward. Even sources suggest that its meaning is different depending on time and place, although there is consensus that Pop as a commodity appeals to the broadest audience base. Pop had been around since the advent of radio and TV, covering many morphing genres and styles in the process. Pop was reinvented in the 1960s off the success of Rock & Roll and Soul. Some (erroneously) suggest that Pop and Rock from the 1960s as interchangeable.

Pop focuses on catchiness, melody, rhythm, lyrics, and hooks and is regarded as readily available and largely ephemeral (i.e. disposable). Many Pop records were good for dancing and many dance records were good for Pop. Win‑Win. Make no bones about it, Pop was and still is Big Business. Capitalist commercial interests drive Pop music, enabling mass production, marketing, distribution and accessibility. Measures of success were market sales and chart position. Key Pop song writers and producers in the UK included Stock Aitken & Waterman (SAW, a.k.a. The Hit Factory).

Standardised commercial Pop songs tended to be short, around the three‑minute mark, based around the traditional intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-break-chorus-outro structure. Numerous Pop songs were written by professional writers and played by studio session musicians, rather than the artists that fronted them. Manufactured boy bands and girl groups were typical creations of the Pop industry.

As Rock emerged from the mid‑1960s, Pop didn’t go away, being ever present on radio and TV, featuring playlists that cycled hit singles to sustain popular (and commercial) interest. By the late 1970s, the origin of Disco would push the boundaries of Pop and took dance music in a different direction. It wasn’t until the 1980s that Pop would come to the forefront of dance music again.

One of the key milestone sub‑genres of electronic dance music was Electro. Electro makes much use of drum machines such as the Roland TR‑808 and analogue synthesizers. Electro was, perhaps the most influential genre development in Pop music in the 1980s. Following the implosion of Punk c.1980 and the growth of New Wave, New Romantic and Post‑Punk music, Synth Pop rapidly became dominant, eagerly announcing ‘death of guitar music’. Electro made full use of music technology and music videos took the MTV crowd by storm.

Another key sub‑genre of Pop is Synth Pop. It was a style of Pop that emerged in the 1980s, features catchy melodies, electronic instrumentation, and a strong Pop sensibility. Synth Pop combines the warmth of analogue synthesizers with infectious, memorable hooks. Synth‑Pop artists mix electronic beats with melodic lyrics, creating tracks that are both danceable, listenable and unforgettable.

Synth Pop would be reinvented for the 21st Century with the retro‑inspired Synthwave sub‑genre that pays nostalgic homage to the retro music of the 1980s. It is characterised by analogue synths, ‘ear worm’ melodies and a forward looking yet vintage vibe.

Popular music dances include the Macarena (thanks Los Del Rio!), The hokey pokey (hokey cokey in the UK – thanks Larry LaPrise!), the cha‑cha slide, the locomotion, the tootsee roll, the time warp (from ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ film) and the peppermint twist.

Related genres: New Wave, New Romantic, Post‑Punk, Dance Pop, Europop, Eurodance, Synth Pop, Synthwave, J‑Pop, K‑Pop, Krautrock, Future Bass, Electro, Teen Pop

Artist examples: The Beatles, Abba, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, Bananarama, Beats International, Mel & Kim, Daft Punk, Deee‑Lite, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, The Pussycat Dolls, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Grace Jones, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Gloria Estefan, Billy Ocean, Hot Chocolate, Heaven 17, Thompson Twins, Erasure, Eurythmics, Boney M, 2 Unlimited, Ace of Base, Robyn, Black Box, Aqua, Roxette, Technotronic, Whigfield, Vengaboys, Dead or Alive, Paul Hardcastle, Scissor Sisters, Basshunter, Shakira, The S.O.S. Band, Billie Eilish, Charli XCX, Bomb the Bass, N‑Sync, Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child, Spice Girls, Boyz II Men, Jessie Ware, Dua Lipa, Drake, Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, BTS, Pitbull, early Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, Gary Numan, Boyzone, Take That, Taylor Swift, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Lorde, Prince, Pink


Club Music (1975‑today – Peaks, 1995 & 2024)

Club Music, perhaps, represents the quintessential modern dance music and deservedly so. It is the place where innovation in dance music has been most prominent and prolific in recent times. The cultural significance of ‘clubbing’ is truly massive. The vibrant cornerstone of dance music culture has been massively popular for decades now. While Club Music as an ‘umbrella’ term that covers much of the same ground as EDM (see below), there is a great deal of convergence and overlap, such that the boundaries are blurred almost to non‑existence at times.

Nightclub (courtesy Yiming Tang)

While it might seem strange that major dance music genres like House, Techno and Trance don’t feature as headings in their own right, they have been grouped together here because these genres drove the nightclub scene for several decades. Can you imagine a great underground or glitzy nightclub without these three genres being a crucial element of the music? Can you imagine what it would be like to have these three genres being successful without the existence of groovy nightclubs? The answer (at least to the author, who spent a great deal of time seeking out cool nightclubs in the UK and Ibiza from the 1980s to the 2000s) is that there is a vital co‑dependency between nightclubs and club dance music.

Some specific dance styles arose in the nightclub scene, including the Vogue, which also hit TV screens via MTV playlists. While there are some dances associated with genres from this point on, a great deal of modern social dance from the 1980s onwards may best be described as ‘freestyle’ or ‘freeform’, i.e. doing whatever one feels like to the music being played in the moment. No rules, no boundaries, no limits, just get down on the dancefloor and move to the groove.

House music is a highly influential dance music genre deeply rooted in Chicago during the early 1980s. House evolved from Disco and is based on electronic beats with infectious rhythms, strong basslines and soulful melodies, set to an insistent ‘four‑on‑the‑floor’ 4/4 time signature and a beat of around 115‑135BPM with a common standard of 128BPM.

Born from underground clubs, the name is thought to come from ‘The Warehouse’ nightclub in Chicago where DJ Frankie Knuckles (‘The Godfather of House’) performed DJ sets. House incorporates elements from Pop, Disco, Funk, and Soul and hit the mainstream around 1986.

While many dance moves were inherited from Disco, notable dances associated with House music include jacking, footwork, house stepping and lofting.

Key sub‑genres of House include Deep House and Progressive House, both intended to take the listener on a musical journey. Deep House is a key sub‑genre of House characterised by its chilled, soulful vibes, often featuring warm basslines, jazzy chords and soothing vocals that encourage listeners to groove and relax. Progressive House is known for its melodic and gradual build‑ups and euphoric drops.

Tech House is a logical amalgam of, erm… Techno and House from the late 1980s onwards. Tech House bridges the gap between the active dancefloor and passive listening. Other notable fusion sub‑genres of House include Ambient House and Electro‑House

In the late 1980s, House heavily influenced the formation of Balearic Beat that became SO popular in Ibiza Island dance clubs, super clubs, lounge bars and the underground Rave scene in the UK.

Bass House influenced the emergence of Dubstep and inspired the wave of Electropop artists in the 2000s, as well as many other forms of EDM in the 2010s and 2020s.

Techno is a genre of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit in the late 1980s influenced by rising interest in House and Electro. Techno is characterised by repetitive (some say relentless) beats and hypnotic futuristic vibes that range from deep and atmospheric, through challengingly complex to fast and pounding. Typical Techno tempos are c.120‑160BPM. Unlike House, Techno has a more mechanical and ‘cold’ sound, embracing synthetic sound design and a robotic rhythmic style. Techno is an experience, designed to make you lose yourself on the dance floor. Techno soon spread from the USA to the nightclubs of the UK and Europe.

Dances associated with Techno have an international feel including, hakken, jumpstyle, Melbourne shuffle, vogue and tektonik.

A sub‑genre of Techno is Minimal Techno, known for its stripped‑down, repetitive rhythms and emphasis on mood changes. Minimal Techno is all about, erm… minimalism and creating an enthralling dancefloor atmosphere through simplicity and groove.

When it comes to post‑club parties, Ambient Techno was the ideal comedown, fusing the hypnotic quality of Techno and the more soothing Ambient music. At the other end of the spectrum, up‑beat Techno went on to influence Rave and Future Rave.

Trance music developed in Berlin, Germany in the early 1990s and became particularly popular in the UK, Belgium and the Netherlands. Trance is known for its uplifting melodies, ethereal breakdowns and energetic beats. Trance – as the name suggests – is intended to transport listeners to euphoric, hypnotic and transcendent states, making Trance a favourite at festivals and underground raves before hitting the mainstream. Trance endured into the 2000s with the proliferation of sub‑genres, thereby diluting the original. During the 2010s, Trance declined significantly with the dominance of EDM.

Trance made heavy use of the Roland TR‑909 drum machine (introduced in 1983 as a successor to the TR‑808) and analogue synthesizers. Tempo was relatively fast, around 130‑160BPM. Trance was heavily influenced by House and Techno before it became ‘a thing’ on its own.

The genre (Trance) and the venue (raves) are often linked to the widespread use of the drug MDMA, better known as ecstasy (tablet) or molly (crystals), a psychoactive empathogen which reinforces the hypnotic effect of Trance music and creates a (false) state of rapture and emotional social communion. Psychedelic forms of Trance became hugely popular in dance club destinations such as Ibiza (Ibiza Trance) and Goa in India (Goa Trance).

Dance moves associated with Trance include the trance stomp, the galactic glide, the melodic spiral and the echoing echoes. All sound suitably psychedelic.

Trance varied in sub‑genre, with Dream Trance, Uplifting Trance and Euro Trance, while more extreme sub‑genres of Trance include Tech Trance and Hardstyle.

Another staple of Club Music is Garage, a sub‑genre that originated in Britain in the form of UK Garage, influenced by Contemporary R&B and Hip‑Hop. Garage is characterised by its 2‑step beats, soulful vocals, and smooth, danceable rhythms and Garage House became popular in clubs. In turn, Future Garage and UK Bass took the form into the 2000s. UK Garage also became influential in the development of Dubstep and Grime.

The Juke (a.k.a. Chicago Juke or Footwork) sub‑genre arose in Chicago in the late 1990s is associated with dance battles and showcases dancers’ impressive footwork (duh!) skills. The tempo of Juke is fast, at c.160BPM.

Club DJ (courtesy Gaby Tenda)

At the height of the dance boom, music was heavily promoted by club and radio DJs who made themselves household names, including (amongst SO many others) Pete Tong, Calvin Harris, Carl Cox, Danny Rampling, David Guetta, David Morales, John Digweed, Eric Prydz, Erick Morillo, Fatboy Slim, Ferry Corsten, Frankie Knuckles, Judge Jules, Paul Oakenfold, Paul van Dyk, Roger Sanchez, Richie Hawtin, Sasha, Sven Väth, Tiësto, Tony De Vit and Robert Miles. Without the turntable skills of experienced club DJs, dance music would not have had the success it has had over several decades. Several top DJs also dipped their toes in music writing and recording.

The popularity of club music decreased significantly from the mid‑2000s with a lack of innovation and a malaise of interest from audiences. This sense of ennui led to the rise of EDM as a saviour of club dance music from the 2010s onwards.

Related genres: Pop, Disco, Funk, Electro Disco, Electro, Electroclash, Electro Swing, Electro Pop, House, Techno, Trance, EDM, Rave, Deep House, Ambient House, Electro‑House, Balearic Beat, Acid House, Euro House, Micro House, Hardstyle, Progressive House, Progressive Electronic, Industrial Techno, Bleep Techno, Acid Techno, Ambient Techno, Dub Techno, Progressive Trance, Tropical House, Ghetto House, Footwork, Juke, Tech House, Bass House, Hard House, Slap House, Minimal Techno, Ibiza Trance, Goa Trance, Dream Trance, Uplifting Trance, Euro Trance, Tech Trance, Garage, Contemporary R&B, Hip‑Hop, Grime, Dubstep

Artist examples: Soul II Soul, Frankie Knuckles, Madonna, Faithless, Inner City, Robin S, Bob Sinclar, Sasha, Jeff Mills, Goldfrapp, Sunscreem, C+C Music Factory/Clivilles & Cole, Tiësto, Reel To Real, Sash!, Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold, Todd Terry, UNKLE, Felix Da Housecat, X‑Press 2, Eric Prydz, Deep Dish, Basement Jaxx, Roger Sanchez, Artful Dodger, Gorgon City, Deadmau5, Camelphat, David Guetta, Calvin Harris, M People, K‑klass, Moby, Ian Van Dahl, David Morales, Ultra Nate, Kosheen, Fatboy Slim, Snap!, Apollo 440, Coldcut, Audio Bullys, Bodyrockers, Seb Fontaine, Technotronic,  Katy B, Jeff Mills, Charlotte de Witt, Craig David, Artful Dodger, MJ Cole, Underworld, Louie Vega


Dancehall (1979‑1999 & 2010‑2020 – Peaks 1983 & 2013)

Dancehall is Jamaican music that evolved from Reggae and Deejay in the late 1970s and early 1980s. While Reggae‑derived dance music may seem out of place here, don’t rule out the influential Jamaican vibe so summarily.

Dancehall was stripped down Reggae with a focus on Deejay (rapped) vocals over pre‑recorded electronic rhythm tracks, rather than live backing musicians. Another difference from the political and Rastafarian themes of Roots Reggae is that Dancehall used sexually explicit lyrics (‘slackness’), misogyny and violent themes attracting negative criticism and notoriety. Dancehall has a wide variety of tempos; most sitting around 80‑120BPM with a DJ standard around 102BPM.

Dancehall changed radically in the mid‑1980s when producers increasingly employed new digital studio techniques, a sub‑genre known as Digital Dancehall emerged. Long before Hip‑Hop made the practice commonplace, Dancehall regularly sampled earlier genre tracks. In the early 1990s, Dancehall developed a more aggressive and less melodic style called Ragga. The style and content of Jamaican Dancehall and Ragga heavily influenced early American Rap, Hip‑Hop and Contemporary R&B, as well as Dubstep.

Dances associated with Dancehall include, the skank (a traditional reggae move), the bogle, the butterfly, willie bounce (?!) and the gully creepa.

Another sub‑genre of Reggae and Dancehall is Reggaeton, a genre that originated in Puerto Rico in the 1990s. Reggaeton fuses reggae and Latin rhythms with Hip‑Hop and electronica. Reggaeton is characterised by its infectious beats, catchy hooks and often explicit lyrics.

Related genres: Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Roots, Deejay, Ragga, Digital Dancehall, Nu Reggae, Soca, Rap, Hip‑Hop, Dubstep, Reggaeton, Contemporary R&B, Dub

Artist examples: Sizzla, Buju Banton, Sean Paul, Bounty Killer, Ini Kamoze, Barrington Levy, Cllint Eastwood, Ranking Joe, Tapper Zukie, Dillinger, Trinity, The Lone Ranger, Shabba Ranks, Eek‑A‑Mouse, Yellowman, Shaggy, General Levy, King Jammy, Ninjaman, Frankie Paul, Bobby Digital, General Saint, Cocoa Tea, Chaka Demus


Hip‑Hop (1979‑today – Peaks 1993, 1999 & 2022)

Hip‑Hop (with or without the hyphen) as a subculture and art movement has its roots in in block parties of African/American communities of New York City, particularly The Bronx c.1973. Originally, it was known as Rap and then Disco Rap, but the broader term Hip‑Hop has become the de facto title for the genre. Hip‑Hop is known for its bare bones rhythmic beat patterns and poetic spoken vocal delivery rather than strong melodies and sung vocals. Most Hip‑Hop tempos vary around the 80‑115BPM mark.

Much of Hip‑Hop’s roots can be traced back to Jamaican Reggae and its Deejay, Dancehall and Ragga sub‑genres. Hip‑Hop also adopted Soul, Disco and Funk samples to enhance the genre’s appeal in predominantly black urban communities. Hip‑Hop subculture revolved around a number of key characteristics; MCing/rapping, DJing/turntable scratching, breakdancing and graffiti/street art. Other characteristics emerged such as Beatboxing and Instrumental Hip‑Hop (minus rapping).

Hip‑Hop expanded rapidly during the 1980s migrating from New York and Boston across the continent breaking through into commercial success in the process. Once Hip‑Hop reached the West Coast of the US, particularly Los Angeles, the gang‑related, anti‑authority and violent themes of Gangsta Rap quickly gained popularity c.1988 and became seen as a reaction to, and rejection of, the east coast’s Hardcore Hip‑Hop. Despite Gangsta Rap’s reputation of glorifying guns, violence, sexual exploitation and drug‑use, it continued to gain popularity in the harsh life experiences of deprived black urban communities. Several high profile murders of Hip Hop artists plagued the 1990s, including Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Biggie Smalls).

A sub‑genre of Gansta Rap, G‑Funk emerged in the 1990s and adopted a less aggressive, less confrontational posture. G‑Funk spread across the mid‑west and southern states, increasing Hip‑Hop’s popularity with both black and white audiences. Hip‑Hop continued to diversify into Crunk, Snap and Trap, becoming less political and more nihilistic in the process. Going full circle, there was a re‑emergence of New York Hip‑Hop around 1994. Hip‑Hop became mainstream and in‑turn influenced the genres that had influenced it, including commercial Pop. Hip‑Hop has expanded to include Urban (a.k.a. Urban Contemporary Music), Contemporary R&B and Instrumental Hip‑Hop.

The key street dance style associated with early rap and Hip‑Hop was breakdancing. Breakdancing has grown significantly in popularity from its roots as an American street art performance to being an international sport at the Olympic Games. Called just ‘breaking’, the dance/sport made its debut at Paris 2024.

Breakdancing (courtesy of Beatriz Braga)

In addition to breaking, other dances associated with Rap and Hip‑Hop include popping & locking, krumping, jerkin’ and tutting.

Related genres: Reggae, Deejay, Dancehall, Urban, Gangsta Rap, Experimental Hip‑Hop, Instrumental Hip‑Hop, Trip Hop, Hardcore Hip‑Hop, G‑Funk, Nu Metal, Crunk, Snap, Trap, Drill, Techno, House, Deep House, Trance, Electro Disco, Progressive Electronic, UK Garage, Glitch Hop, Rap, Disco Rap, Pop Rap, Beatboxing, Southern Hip‑Hop

Artist examples: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, The Sugarhill Gang, The Beastie Boys, Run‑DMC, Dr Dre, Usher, Eminem, LL Cool J, 2Pac (Tupac Shakur), Nelly, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Beyoncé, House of Pain, Coolio, A Tribe Called Quest, Kelis, Neneh Cherry, Cypress Hill, D12, Busta Rhymes, Tone Loc, Bubba Sparxxx, The Black Eyed Peas, N.W.A., Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls), Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Naughty by Nature, Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Ice‑T, Kendrick Lamar, Nas, Wu‑Tang Clan, Kanye West, DJ Shadow, K7, Jay‑Z, The Streets, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, MC Hammer, OutKast


Rave (1986‑1994 – Peak 1988)

The term rave in connection with dance music has a long history, being used to describe wild beatnik parties in the 1950s and Mod parties in the 1960s. Party animals became known as ‘ravers’. For many, the Rave dance music scene was the most important paradigm shift in youth counter‑culture since Punk in the mid‑late 1970s.

During the 1980s, for some, discos, nightclubs and popular Club Music were not enough. In the mid‑late 1980s, psychedelic dance music originated in Acid House music parties in Chicago, USA. Word spread quickly and Acid House caught on in UK clubs, warehouses, private and free parties. As the genre name Acid House implies, the music was often associated with recreational drug use. Raves began in Manchester, England (nicknamed ‘Madchester’ in context) and then later in and around London (generally inside the M25 orbital motorway). The iconic Haçienda nightclub in Manchester was opened by the Post‑Punk band New Order and Factory Records. A film, ’24 Hour Party People’ (2002) portrayed the chaotic Madchester scene. Further films aimed to capture the essence of the rave phenomenon and its recreational drug frenzy including, ‘Go’ and ‘Human Traffic’ (both 1999).

Non‑standard Rave venues included homes, warehouses, industrial estates, basements and outdoors in forests. In the late 1980s, the word ‘rave’ was adopted to describe the underground subculture that grew out of the Acid House movement. Rave also became associated with psychedelic Rave parties held in Ibiza. Rave became massive, varying in size from a few thousand up to mainstream events as large as 25,000. Underground, i.e. illegal, Raves were the subject of much media hype, political rhetoric and heavy‑handed police crackdowns. Such hysteria led to a heightened awareness of, and attraction to, rave events for predominantly young, socially excluded anti‑establishment adherents willing to take risks with the law. Illegal rave venues were kept secret in an attempt to avoid police attention. Rave music became popular on UK pirate radio stations in the 1990s, adding to the mystique.

Rave (courtesy Harrison Haines)

Rave isn’t a genre with a definable sound of its own; it represents more of a pleasure‑seeking, indulgent lifestyle with widespread use of recreational and hard drugs. It is more of an umbrella term for a range of dance music genres popular at Rave events. Music featured at Raves included Acid House, Breakbeat Hardcore, Happy Hardcore, Drum & Bass, Post‑Industrial, Breakbeat and Electronica. Rave‑oriented tracks were mid‑tempo, generally around 130‑140BPM.

Acid House, born in the mid‑late 1980s, is known for its sound created by the iconic Roland TB‑303 synthesizer. Acid House is closely related to the early Rave scene and is characterised by its propulsive 4/4 time signature and psychedelic aesthetic. The familiar ‘smiley face’ emblem became an iconic part of the Rave and Acid House scene of the late 1980s.

Acid House Smiley Face
[Image: Acid House Smiley Face]

Dances associated with Rave include, running man, jump style, apple picking, liquid move, the stomp, glowsticking and gloving.

Rave strongly influenced sub‑genres such as Big Beat and Breakbeat, with their strong, heavy beats and complex and dynamic electronic drum rhythms, which combines EDM with Funk, Rock and Hip‑Hop. In turn, Big Beat and Breakbeat have been highly influential in the development of EDM. Rave’s diverse range of dance genres inspire high‑energy dance styles known for their hedonistic, exuberant, in‑your‑face sound and dynamic arrangements. Rave and its subculture live on, with a wide range of organised Rave festivals in many countries across the globe, far beyond its humble origins.

An off‑beat genre that was closely associated with the post‑club comedown parties was Trip Hop, which developed in Bristol, England with bands like Portishead, Massive Attack and Tricky making big waves from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Trip Hop is an experimental variant of Breakbeat, incorporating influences from Jazz, Soul, Funk, Reggae, Dub and Hip‑Hop. Trip Hop heavily influenced the growth of Intelligent Dance Music (IDM).

Related genres: Post‑Punk, Neo‑Psychedelia, Acid House, Acid Techno, Alternative Dance, Big Beat, Breakbeat, House, Electro, Hardcore Techno, Industrial Dance, Drum & Bass, Trance, Acid Trance, Dubstep, Balearic Beat, Deep House, Chillout, Downtempo, Nu‑Skool Breaks, Future Rave, Funk, Rock, Hip‑Hop, EDM, Breakbeat Hardcore, Happy Hardcore, Post‑Industrial, Trip Hop, Dub, IDM

Artist examples: The Shamen, The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Orbital, Underworld, Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, Fatboy Slim, Infected Mushroom, Eat Static, Groove Armada, The KLF, Death In Vegas, Humanoid, A Guy Called Gerald, Shpongle, Stereo MC’s, Utah Saints, 808 State, Leftfield, All Saints, New Order, Altern‑8, Bassheads, Praga Kahn, Pete Heller, Martina Topley‑Bird, Portishead, Massive Attack, Tricky, Sneaker Pimps, Björk, Coldcut, Hallucinogen


Drum & Bass (1993‑1999 & 2020‑today – Peak 1994)

Drum & Bass, or just D&B to its many admirers, is known for its fast‑paced breakbeats, rolling basslines, and intricate electronic drum patterns. D&B combines elements of Acid House, Techno, Breakbeat and Hip‑Hop of the early 1990s, resulting in a high‑energy intense dance music experience. The up‑tempo nature of D&B regularly reaches 160‑180BPM or more. The DJ standard for D&B is a heady 174BPM. The fast tempo required D&B dancers to exhibit great stamina, frequently aided by drug use. D&B has experienced a number of peaks and troughs of popularity over time. D&B went on to influence the development of Dubstep and IDM.

Dances associated with D&B include, x‑outing and skank stepping.

While not strictly D&B, but bearing some similarities to it, Jungle, with its origins in the UK, is a high‑energy genre known for its fast‑paced breakbeats, heavy basslines, and reggae influences.

Neurofunk is a sub‑genre of D&B that emerged in the mid‑1990s, known for its complex, futuristic and experimental sound. Neurofunk introduced a unique approach to the genre, characterised by intricate basslines, glitchy studio effects and a darker atmosphere. Other related sub‑genres include Hardcore and Liquid Drum & Bass.

Related genres: Breakbeat, Big Beat, Jungle, Techno, Acid House, Neurofunk, Hardcore, Trance, EDM, IDM, Liquid Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Darkstep, Drumstep, Breakbeat Hardcore

Artist examples: Everything but the Girl, Chase & Status, Pendulum, Machinedrum, Sub Focus, Finley Quaye, Squarepusher, Amon Tobin, Goldie, Roni Size


Alternative Dance (1985‑2010 – Peak 1991)

Alternative Dance (a.k.a. Indie Dance or Underground Dance) is a broad catch‑all for dance‑inspired music by artists generally not associated with a defined dance music genre. Alternative Dance frequently but not exclusively incorporates synthesizer‑based rhythms derived from dance music within the context of Alternative Rock and other related genres. Alternative Dance first developed in Manchester in the UK during the early 1980s Post‑Punk movement with bands like New Order mixing Synthpop and Electro‑Disco. Alternative Dance, under the guise of Post‑Disco, was increasingly popular during the 1990s.

You may not immediately connect genres such as Indie, Grunge, Alternative Rock and Hard Rock with dance music. However, many Rock et al bands have embraced the groovy, foot‑tapping nature of dance music and incorporated influences into their own fusion‑style music that can be eminently danceable. In turn, many dance artists have sampled or collaborated with Rock et al artists to produce club‑friendly versions of classic rock tracks. This cross‑pollination has proved fertile ground for those involved and has created some interesting dance‑oriented versions of otherwise un‑danceable tracks.

Various dance forms have been associated with the genres that fit under the label Alternative Dance include, the shoegaze shuffle, the synthpop sway, the new wave nod, the trip hop trip, the Manchester wiggle and the Björk bounce.

Related genres: Alternative Rock, Grunge, Indie, Neo‑Psychedelia, Acid Jazz, Indietronica, EDM, Synthpop, Electro Disco, Post‑Punk, Shoegaze, Acid House, Nu Rave, Synthwave, Darkwave, Ethereal wave, EBM (Electronic Body Music), Hip‑Hop, Trip Hop, Instrumental Hip‑Hop, Psychedelic Trance

Artist examples: New Order, Primal Scream, Happy Mondays, Galliano, The Brand New Heavies, Morcheeba, Red Hot Chili Peppers, White Lies, The Hurts, Dynamic Syncopation, 9 Lazy 9, Mr Scruff, Amon Tobin, DJ Vadim, The Irresistible Force, Kid Koala, Coldcut, Luke Vibert, Fink, Funki Porcini, DJ Food, Hexstatic, The Cinematic Orchestra, Ashley Beedle, The Herbaliser, Jaga Jazzist, Caribou, LCD Soundsystem, Young Fathers, Manitoba, Broadcast, The xx, Saint Etienne, Jesus Jones, Hot Chip, Holy Fuck, M83, Tom Vek, Public Service Broadcasting, Reverend And the Makers, Big Audio Dynamite, Sugarcubes, Crystal Castles, Dubstar, Space, Howie B, Björk, Amorphous Androgynous


Balearic Beat (1986‑1994 & 2006‑2023 – Peaks 1990 & 2014)

Geographically, Balearic refers to a chain of islands in the Mediterranean off the east coast of Spain, home to Ibiza Island, one of the dance capitals of the world. The origins of Balearic Beat date back to a time when English DJs vacationing in Ibiza made use of their skills at parties, which became increasingly popular, particularly with holidaying celebrities. This trend then spread to tourists visiting the White Island to experience sun, sea, sand, sex, drugs and dancing. Balearic Beat has come to represent a dancefloor influenced sound conjuring up images of the warm sunsets and sunrises of Mediterranean beaches – and the hedonistic, drug‑fuelled dance parties that took place between dusk and dawn. Drug use is commonplace in Balearic dance music culture, including MDMA, amphetamine, cannabis, cocaine, LSD and ketamine.

The word Balearic here is used as an umbrella term for a wide range of Mediterranean vital vibe venues including Ibiza (and Formentera) and beyond. Other ‘Med’ (in more ways than one!) party destinations include Mykonos (Greece) and Magaluf (Majorca, Spain). These clubbing alternatives are largely regarded as second rate Ibiza wannabes. The scope does, by loose association, include other clubbing travel destinations outside the Mediterranean such as Goa (India) and Playa de las Américas (Tenerife). It is a bit of a tenuous link but it is used here for expediency.

Balearic Beat covers a range of music genres and is characterised by its relaxed atmosphere, laid back beats and R&B influenced swingy percussion, with its slow and heavy tempo at around 90‑110BPM. Influences include African Music, Hispanic American Music, Italo‑Disco, Eurodance, Soul, Funk, Reggae, Ambient, Downtempo, Chillout and Dub.

Ibiza Island led the way with its range of top notch, trendy nightclubs such as Pacha, Space, Amnesia, Privilege, Es Paradis, Eden, DC10, Octan, Underground and Swag. More recent is the emergence of Ibiza Super Clubs such as Hï, Ushuaïa, Lío, Cova Santa and Ocean Beach Club. The author’s favourite was Amnesia.

Ibiza lounge parties were the norm from the late 1980s and 1990s at the likes of Café del Mar, Café Mambo and Kumharas, all on the San Antonio Bay sea front. Venues in the island’s interior included Bambuddha Grove and KM5 up to the 2000s. After a decade of decline, Ibiza has seen a resurgence in the late 2010s and early 2020s with a rejuvenated EDM scene.

There aren’t specific dances that go along with the Balearic Beat, so freestyle is a common way of enjoying the island grooves. However, shuffling, swaying & twirling, and moves inspired by Latin dances such as salsa and samba fit the bill.

Goa Trance is characterised by hypnotic beats, ethereal melodies and a psychedelic atmosphere. Originating from Goa, India, Goa Trance gained global popularity for its mind‑expanding sound. Goa Trance often incorporates cultural and spiritual elements, intended to create a transcendent experience for listeners, often assisted by use of mind‑altering psychedelic/hallucinogenic drugs like LSD (acid), mescaline (peyote), psilocybin (shrooms) and DMT (dimethyltryptamine – the so‑called ‘God molecule’) to create altered states of consciousness.

A sub‑genre deeply connected to the heady Goa Trance scene is Psytrance, with its hypnotic beats, intricate soundscapes, and psychedelic influences. Psytrance immerses listeners in euphoric, transcendent otherworldly journeys.

Another Goa sub‑genre is Psybient, which is a fusion of psychedelic and ambient music. Psybient is characterised by its dreamy and otherworldly soundscapes and intended to immerse listeners in sonic voyages, often inspired by nature, local culture and psychedelia. Psybient became a favourite in club chillout spaces and festivals for relaxation and introspection. A popular close relative of Psybient is Ambient Dub for chilling out.

Related genres: Soul, Funk, Trance, Techno, House, Dub, Afrobeat, Italo Disco, R&B, Hispanic, EDM. Chillout, Downtempo, Psytrance, Psybient, Psychedelic Trance, Goa Trance, Ambient Dub, Neo‑Psychedelia

Artist examples: ATB, Robert Miles, Chicane, Monaco, Ibizarre, Juno Reactor, Solar Fields, Tosca, Electribe 101, Deep Dive Corp, Mylo, Darude, Nacho Sotomayor, Gaudi, A Man Called Adam, Aim, Jean Jacques Smoothie, Fragma, Jakatta, Bent, Spiller, Hallucinogen, Astral Projection, Infected Mushroom, Klaxons, Culture Beat, Sueño Latino, Daddy Yankee, Stardust, John Talabot, 1200 Micrograms


Downtempo & Chillout (1990‑2008 & 2022‑today – Peaks 2001 & 2023)

Downtempo (a.k.a. Downbeat) and its close relative Chillout are genres that emphasise slower tempos (around 60‑110BPM), relaxed beats, laidback vibes, atmospheric soundscapes and soothing melodies, often without a discernible beat.

Downtempo and Chillout are often used interchangeably and, to be honest, there is not a great deal to distinguish them other than perhaps their degree of rhythm and/or beat. Downtempo actually means ‘slow beat’. They are both used as broad terms for contemporary ‘easy listening’, which isn’t exactly helpful. Influences include, Ambient, Reggae, Electronica, Jazz, New Age and World music. Many admirers use Ambient Dub for meditation and mindfulness.

Chillout is a term derived from the ‘White Room’ at the Heaven nightclub in London in 1989 where DJs played Ambient and Ambient House music as a place to chill out or relax from the more intense tempos of the main dancefloor. These dedicated breakout areas became known as ‘chillout rooms’. Chillout is also often used in lounge bar settings and as background music. Due to market saturation, Ambient House declined in popularity during the early 2000s but has seen a big resurgence in the Covid‑hit 2020s.

Downtempo and Chillout encompass various dance music subgenres, including Trip Hop, Ambient House, Lo Fi Hip‑Hop, Psybient, Chillwave, Ambient Dub, Reggae, Nu Jazz and Ambient.

Related genres: Hip‑Hop, Trip Hop, Instrumental Hip‑Hop, EDM, Dub, Ambient Dub, Ambient Electronica, Ambient House, Ambient Techno, Ambient Trance, Progressive Electronic, Deep House, Nu Jazz, Breakbeat, Psybient, Chillwave, Lo‑Fi Hip‑Hop, Balearic Beat, Electronica, Jazz, Rock, New Age, World, Reggae, Ambient, Vaporwave

Artist examples: Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, Aphex Twin, The KLF, Fishmans, Thievery Corporation, Bonobo, Boards of Canada, Mr Scruff, Tycho, Nightmares on Wax, Ibizarre, Moloko, Innocence, Royksopp, London Grammar, The Beloved, St Germain, Air, Zero 7, The Orb, Smoke City, The Art of Noise, William Orbit, Helios, The Future Sound of London, Dirty Vegas, Bicep, Deadbeat, Jon Hopkins, Brian Eno, Moby, Sofa Surfers, The Dining Rooms


Dubstep (2006‑2020 – Peak 2012)

Dubstep is a dance music genre that originated in London, UK in the early‑mid 2000s. Dubstep is characterised by its sparse beats, heavy basslines, syncopated rhythms, and explosive drops, making great use of synthesizers to create its epic soundscape. Dubstep fuses elements of Reggae, Hip‑Hop and Rock with dance music beats, creating a powerful and often aggressive sound.

Dubstep has its roots in Dancehall’s beats, Drum & Bass’s drops and in Dub’s digital studio effects. For a dance music genre, Dubstep tempo has a relatively slow 70‑100BPM, making use of ‘half‑time’ rhythms, a characteristic of the genre. Dubstep is often closely associated with Grime, which appeared at around the same time with a faster tempo of around 140BPM.

Dance moves associated with Dubstep include, the wobble shuffle, the bass drop stomp, the rewind spin and the drop & flutter.

Just as Downtempo and Chillout stemmed from Balearic night clubs, bars and lounges, a sub‑genre of Dubstep is Chillstep, which emphasises melodic and slow ambient elements. Chillstep is known for its calming and ethereal sound, often incorporating female vocals. Like Downtempo, Chillstep is ideal for unwinding and relaxation.

Future Bass, with its lush emotional melodies is a sub‑genre that became prominent in the 2010s. While it is influenced by Dubstep and Trap, it adopts a warmer, less abrasive style that made an important connection between Pop and EDM.

Future Garage is a dark, minimalistic sub‑genre pioneered by Burial that combines elements of Garage, Dubstep, and House. It’s characterised by its sparse intricate rhythms, sampled vocals, and a highly atmospheric vibe. Another derivative of Dubstep is UK Bass with influences from IDM, Footwork and Techno.

While Dubstep and its derivatives remained popular into the 2010s, it has largely returned to its underground roots.

Related genres: EDM, Drum & Bass, UK Bass, UK Garage, Future Bass, Future Garage, Grime, Breakstep, Electro House, House, Brostep, Chillstep, Reggae, Trip Hop, Hip‑Hop, Rock, Dancehall, Dub, Trap, IDM, Footwork, Techno, 2‑Step

Artist examples: Burial, Skrillex, Katy B, Sub Focus, James Blake, Labrinth, Magnetic Man, Modestep, Excision, SBTRKT, Skream, Kode9, DMZ


EDM (1980‑1989 & 2010‑today – Peaks 1995, 2010 & 2023)

It is hard to believe but it was way, way back in 1980 that English musician, singer/songwriter and record producer Richard James Burgess, a member of the jazz/rock band Landscape, coined the term Electronic Dance Music, a.k.a. EDM.

The term EDM, though, didn’t really come into its own until its boom in the 2010s. Prior to that, it was a loose description of music that was, erm… electronic and danceable. Duh! Today, EDM has attempted to corral and coalesce a wide range of dance music genres into some broad categorisation. Prior to the 2010s, dance music was associated with discrete genres and sub‑genres. Post‑2010, EDM has attempted to become the main descriptor and exemplar of everything electronic dance. As such, it is arguably not a genre in its own right. However, keen‑eyed readers will also have noticed that other groupings described here, like Pop, Club Music, Rave and Balearic Beat are similar in the way they try to bring separate genres and sub‑genres together under broader, more meaningful headings.

EDM’s roots lie in the second half of the 1970s when Electro Synth Pop and Hi‑NRG arose in the wake of traditional dance genres like Soul, Funk and Disco. MTV was a prime catalyst for surge of interest in early EDM. House and Techno took on the mantle in the 1980s with the widespread adoption of digital technology and the crucial adoption of the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) industry standard communication and control protocol for electronic musical instruments.

The next step in the EDM journey was with Trance and Eurodance. With the advent of the Internet, electronic dance culture became global with forms of electronic dance music becoming prevalent in many countries. EDM covers a wide range of tempos from the slow 60‑90BPM right up to the insane 240BPM of Speedcore, meaning plenty of choice for ravers, club‑goers and passive listeners.

So… is EDM a genre in its own right or is it simply a method for grouping a vast array of electronic dance sub‑genres into a convenient package for consumers? You decide.

As EDM is an expansive heading for diverse dance genres, the same goes for EDM dances, so it is no surprise then that EDM doesn’t have dedicated dance moves but borrows from the genres it represents including, shuffling, jumpstyle, gloving, liquid dancing, tutting, the Melbourne shuffle, popping & locking, voguing and cutting shapes.

Related genres: Electro, Hi‑NRG, Acid House, Drum & Bass, Future House, Minimal House, House, Trance, Techno, Acid Techno, Bleep Techno, Detroit Techno, Minimal Techno, Garage, UK Garage, 2‑Step, Pop, Dance Pop, Synth Pop, Dance Punk, Alternative Dance, Breakbeat, Drum & Bass, Trance, Acid Trance, Ibiza Trance, Psytrance, Psybient, Dub, Dubstep, Eurobeat, Europop, Eurodance, Mutant Disco, Nu Disco, Balearic Beat, Acid Breaks, Big Beat, Deconstructed Club, Jungle, Footwork, Freestyle, EBM, Future Bass, Future Rave, Grime, Trap, Bouncy Techno, Hard Dance, Miami Bass, Wonky, Dance Pop, Slap House

Artist examples: Landscape, Coldcut, Daft Punk, Deadmau5, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Major Lazer, Armin Van Buuren, Paul Oakenfold, Disclosure, Rudimental, Years & Years, Digitalism, Example, Justice, Professor Green, MØ, LFO, Felix Da Housecat, Ferry Corsten, Clean Bandit, Moby, Madonna, Paul Van Dyk, Tiësto, M83, System 7, The Aloof, The Groove Corporation, The Dust Brothers, React 2 Rhythm, Charlie XCX, Billie Eilish, Igloohost, Space, Faithless, Avicii, Alesso, Flume


IDM (1992‑today – Peaks 2001 & 2009)

IDM (an abbreviation of Intelligent Dance Music) is an electronic dance genre emanating from the 1990s and drawing inspiration from House, Techno and Drum & Bass. IDM artists aim to challenge conventional electronic dance music tropes including a cursory dismissal of the traditional ‘four‑to‑the‑floor’ forms of EDM. IDM artists wanted to take a more experimental approach to creating dance music. Ironically, a large proportion of IDM is intended for listening, rather than for dancing.

IDM is characterised by intricate rhythms, odd time signatures and unconventional song structures. IDM has been criticised for its somewhat ‘highbrow’ – some say elitist – approach to the art. The use of the word, ‘intelligent’ is seen by many as condescending. IDM has certainly pushed the boundaries of what consumers can expect from electronic music, inviting listeners to engage on an intellectual level, rather than a purely physical one. Some critics suggest that IDM as a concept is patronising of more popular genres of popular dance music. IDM has, however, achieved significant success from fans looking for something a bit different from the norm.

Experimental Dance is a sub‑genre that is an integral part of IDM, intended to defy conventional classification, often challenging the limits of traditional dance music forms (and test the audience’s tolerance). Experimental Dance is a genre that inspires innovation and sonic exploration, embracing unusual rhythms and esoteric sound design. Experimental Dance artists go out of their way to subvert listeners’ preconceptions by creating eccentric, avant‑garde compositions that invite scrutiny and stimulate creativity. Many audiences find Experimental Dance hard to access and difficult to engage with.

Like with EDM, IDM covers a broad range of music sub‑genres, so dances and dance moves are also varied and derivative, including, freestyle, glitch dancing, liquid dancing and popping & locking.

Another popular derivative of IDM is a more traditional approach taken by Nu Jazz, diversifying IDM with a broader range of influences with an emphasis on ‘feel’, ‘groove’ and use of jazzy samples, largely absent from core IDM. Nu Jazz had elements reminiscent of EDM and has helped to bridge the gap between the two.

Glitch Hop is a sub‑genre emanating from the late‑1990s that combined IDM with pared back Hip‑Hop influences, particularly Instrumental Hip‑Hop. Glitch Hop is characterised by its use of ‘glitchy’ (duh!) studio effects and techniques, including cutting, skipping, repeating, chopping, and bit‑crush reduction of recorded samples.

Wonky is another sub‑genre of IDM that combines Dubstep and Hip‑Hop influences arising from around 2009. Wonky (the hint is in the name) is defined by its off‑kilter and unstable mid‑range frequencies using un‑quantised (non‑synchronised) and offbeat Hip‑Hop rhythms at Dubstep‑style half‑time tempos. The name Wonky allegedly arose as a result of the observed effects of ketamine on users’ ability (or not) to dance.

Related genres: EDM, EBM, Glitch, Wonky, Techno, House, Drum & Bass, Breakcore, Glitch Hop, Footwork, Experimental Dance, Nu Jazz, Hip‑Hop, Instrumental Hip‑Hop, 2‑Step, Hypnagogic Pop, Lo‑Fi Pop

Artist examples: Burial, Four Tet, Caribou, Autechre, Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, Sauarepusher, Mouse on Mars, Orbital, Actress, Amon Tobin, Apparat, Biosphere, Higher Intelligence Agency, Clark, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Cylob, 9 Lazy 9, Faulty DL, The Field, Floating Points, Flying Lotus, Jon Hopkins, Kid606, Lemon Jelly, Moderat, Oneohtrix Point Never, Plastikman

“Dancers are the athletes of God” – Albert Einstein (1879‑1955)


The ‘Best’ Dance Songs of All Time

For all you list‑o‑philes out there, according to the prestigious Rolling Stone Magazine in 2022, they listed the ‘Top 200’ dance music songs of all time. Here are is their Top 20:

  1. Donna Summer – I Feel Love (1977)
  2. Daft Punk – One More Time (2000)
  3. Chic – Good Times (1979)
  4. Frankie Knuckles and Jamie Principle – Your Love (1986)
  5. Indeep – Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life (1982)
  6. Shannon – Let the Music Play (1983)
  7. Robyn – Dancing on My Own (2010)
  8. On the House and Marshall Jefferson – Move Your Body (The House Music Anthem) (1986)
  9. Robin S. – Show Me Love (1992)
  10. Disclosure (feat. Sam Smith) – Latch (2013)
  11. Madonna – Vogue (1990)
  12. Kraftwerk – Trans‑Europe Express (1977)
  13. First Choice – Let No Man Put Asunder (1977)
  14. Adonis – No Way Back (1986)
  15. James Brown – Get on the Good Foot (1972)
  16. Rihanna (feat. Calvin Harris) – We Found Love (2011)
  17. Beltram – Energy Flash (1990)
  18. New Order – Blue Monday (1983)
  19. Prince – Controversy (1981)
  20. Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head (2001)

Going back a little, to 2011 in fact, Rolling Stone carried out a readers’ poll of the ‘Top 10’ dance music songs. Here’s what actual punters came up with.

  1. Daft Punk – One More Time (2000)
  2. New Order – Blue Monday (1983)
  3. The Beatles – Twist and Shout (1961)
  4. Justice – D.A.N.C.E. (2007)
  5. Madonna – Vogue (1990)
  6. The Isley Brothers – Shout (1959)
  7. Michael Jackson – Thriller (1983)
  8. Deee‑Lite – Groove Is In the Heart (1990)
  9. Chic – Le Freak (1978)
  10. Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive (1977)

I don’t know what you think of that. Personally, I don’t agree with much of it but that’s not really surprising, as everyone will have their own unique opinion and favourites, which is why I’m not criticising the findings of others. The results presented above are what they are, though; that’s what Rolling Stone came up with.

Suffice to say that my personal selection would be substantially different. For what it’s worth, here are my ‘Top 50’ dance music tracks (only one per artist, in date and then sort‑of alphabetical order).

  1. Chic – Le Freak (1978)
  2. Funkadelic – One Nation Under a Groove (1978)
  3. Earth, Wind & Fire – Boogie Wonderland (1979)
  4. Michael Jackson – Off The Wall (1979)
  5. Anita Ward – Ring My Bell (1979)
  6. The Brothers Johnson – Stomp (1980)
  7. The Gap Band – Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me) (1980)
  8. Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart (1980)
  9. Kool & The Gang – Celebration (1980)
  10. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five – The Message (1982)
  11. Rockers Revenge – Walking On Sunshine (1982)
  12. David Bowie – Let’s Dance (1983)
  13. New Order – Blue Monday (1983)
  14. Rick James – 17 (1984)
  15. Paul Hardcastle – 19 (1985)
  16. Happy Mondays – W.F.L. (Wrote For Luck) (1988)
  17. Technotronic – Pump Up the Jam (1989)
  18. C+C Music Factory – Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) (1990)
  19. Bomb The Bass – Winter In July (1991)
  20. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Summertime (1991)
  21. Prince – Cream (1991)
  22. Stereo MC’s – Connected (1992)
  23. Ini Kamoze – Here Comes the Hotstepper (1994)
  24. Everything But The Girl – Missing (1995)
  25. Massive Attack – Karmacoma (1995)
  26. Faithless – Insomnia (1996)
  27. Orbital – Satan (1996)
  28. The Prodigy – Firestarter (1996)
  29. The Orb – Toxygene (1997)
  30. Ultra Naté – Free (1997)
  31. Beastie Boys – Intergalactic (1998)
  32. Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You (1998)
  33. Aim – Cold Water Music (1999)
  34. ATB – 9pm (Till I Come) (1999)
  35. Basement Jaxx – Red Alert (1999)
  36. Fatboy Slim – Right Here Right Now (1999)
  37. Groove Armada – I See You Baby (1999)
  38. The Chemical Brothers – Hey Boy Hey Girl (1999)
  39. Leftfield – Phat Planet (1999)
  40. Moloko – The Time Is Now (2000)
  41. Spiller – Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) (2000)
  42. The Underdog Project – Summer Jam (2000)
  43. D12 – Purple Pills (2001)
  44. Kosheen – Hide U (2001)
  45. Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head (2001)
  46. Roger Sanchez – Another Chance (2001)
  47. The Rapture – House Of Jealous Lovers (2002)
  48. X-Press 2 (feat. David Byrne) – Lazy (2002)
  49. LCD Soundsystem – Daft Punk Is Playing At My House (2005)
  50. Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor (2008)

That’s 5 from the 1970s, 12 from the 1980s, 22 from the 1990s and 11 from the 2000s. None from the 2010s or the 2020s (yet). That represents a fairly typical distribution pattern and one that probably isn’t far from dance music popularity by year/decade either. The 1990s was also the decade that the author was most into dance music and nightclubbing, so that may account for it. 1999, it seems was a good year (7).

I’m not sure what each of these 50 tracks all released during a 30‑year period between 1978 and 2008 say about me or my musical taste. However, I would be happy to have these as a compilation for a ‘desert island’ holiday soundtrack. Some are pretty predictable and some are a little more esoteric. Nothing extreme in there, though. To me, collectively they all sum up a positive attitude towards life.

“This existence of ours is as transient as autumn clouds. To watch the birth and death of beings is like looking at the movements of a dance” – Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama – c.480‑400BCE)


The Future of Dance and Dance Music

As usual, speculation about the future is fraught with risk of completely missing the mark. However, let’s give it a go with a few thoughts of random conjecture.

The future of dance will rely not only on the ‘live’ nightclub and festival scenes but also by Internet‑based streaming services that focus specifically on curating dance music playlists, curated by respected DJs, producers and artists. Physical media will see a resurgence and will catalyse a revitalised interest in the past.

Mainstream dance music is likely to feature strongly on future festival circuits. This isn’t new. However, major dedicated dance music events are likely to increase in both number and size. There will be greater crossover and cross‑pollination between dance festivals and traditional multi‑genre festivals, thus increasing the number of ‘genre stages’ within larger festivals.

Dance continues to influence many non‑EDM genres and there will be many more artists including dance music tropes into their material. Dance music will continue to diversify and, while there have been scant recent genre developments, the horizon is just waiting for something new and fresh to get people up and dancing. Innovation is needed and there is a growing sense that something big is brewing somewhere in the underground to propel dance music forward once again.

The change from coherent album releases to a focus on ‘bite‑size’ soundbite single tracks, as has been a typical trend over the last decade will continue to be the case and will be even more so in the future. However, the underground will see the opposite, with a determination to stick to the core essentials that made the dance phenomenon so spectacular in the first place.

As it ever was, the underground will prove to be the experimental breeding ground for what will, one day, become familiar. While the mainstream continues to dilute extremes, the underground will push the boundaries of what has come before – harder and more intense at one end of the spectrum and to amorphous ambient styles like Vaporwave at the other – and that will, over time, infiltrate the mainstream to keep the genres evolving.

‘Live’ DJ performances will push the visual aspect of sessions, making their shows more immersive and captivating. Now that COVID is largely a thing of the past, live artist performances will help to revitalise gigs from local pubs all the way up to large arenas and to more creative virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR) gigs.

Digital and analogue synthesizers will continue to develop and enable new sounds and styles to be created. Recording and production technology will enhance music creativity and technology will enhance distribution and access, including personalised playlist curation.

We can no longer think of dance and dance music being the sole preserve of the American, UK and European artists – it is a global scene and the cross‑cultural influences will increase and help to diversify dance and dance music.

If you respect what the Grammy Awards organisation says, they put forward eight trends from 2022 that they forecast would help to define the future of dance music:

  • House Infused Pop
  • Artists Respected The Roots
  • Women Took The Techno Reins
  • The UK Came Through
  • Tech‑House Went Further Mainstream
  • EDM Nostalgia Lived On
  • TikTok Made Dance Hits
  • Rave Was Recontextualized

Nostalgia will become an important part of the future of dance music. It may seem contradictory that one is looking back in order to look forward. Many dance music genres have been remarkably enduring and, as newer generations come through, they will be looking for something new but also discovering some of the best of the past. New genres will supplement existing ones, rather than replace them. Creative artists will surely plunder some of the past and incorporate into something completely new and fresh.

Recording technology will continue to have a major impact on dance music. From the early days where large bands used expensive and finite studio space to record Rock & Roll, Soul, Funk and Disco to the bedroom producers of today using Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) and plug‑in modules to produce infinitely variable tracks in both EDM and IDM. New technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data will be used to create sounds and structures hitherto unheard of. One watches with interest to see what comes next.

“Dancing can reveal all the mystery that music conceals” – Charles Baudelaire (Poet, 1821‑1867)


Final thoughts on Dance and Dance Music

SO… There you have it. The author’s ‘wonky’ (sic!) look at modern dance music trends. The fascination comes in older genres not disappearing but being complemented by newer forms. This incremental approach to dance music evolution has enabled it to adapt to and reflect the needs of ever‑changing audiences across the globe.

Dance and Dance Music is not dead. Far from it. Admittedly, it needs a regular injection of creative inspiration to keep it up‑to‑date and relevant, something that has been missing for a few years now. Dance music will endure and it will continue to reinvent itself over and over and over again. Part of the human condition is to dance and to listen to music. It is an ‘and’, not an ‘or’. That co‑dependency isn’t going to change any time soon.

Music will have to adapt to social change and society will be reflected in the music it engages with, including dance music. Whatever you are into, don’t hesitate, just go with the flow and ‘Get Up and Dance to the Music’, as Sly & The Family Stone encouraged us, way back in 1967. Let’s be clear, dance and dance music won’t save the world, sadly, but it can make it a better place to live. Humanity will not thrive without dance music being an integral part of life’s positive, joyful experiences.

Dance events don’t seem to be losing popularity, with dedicated festivals and holiday party destination venues like Ibiza being perennially attractive for hedonistic youth. DJ Fatboy Slim (a.k.a. Norman Cook) held his infamous ‘Big Beach Boutique II’ free open air event held on Brighton Beach in southern England on 13 July 2002, attracting in excess of 250,000 attendees (organisers expected no more than 60,000!) and brought the south coast city to a standstill. The author was actually there and it was truly overwhelming, scary and, frankly, dangerous. However, it set the bar for what one DJ and a BIG crowd can do.

One little thing the author misses is the CD Single. Particularly for dance music, CD Singles regularly provided 12” (even though a CD is 4.75” – 12” refers to its vinyl equivalent) alternative (re‑)mixes of familiar club or dance pop tracks. Some remixes were less interesting while others gave an insight into the art of remixing of tracks for night club consumption. I suppose that streaming services and compilation albums could fill that gap but they don’t seem to do it in the way they did in the 1990s.

While the author is no longer able to participate in nightclubbing, I still listen to the music that made nightclubbing great fun. I genuinely miss the nightclub environment, the smoke, the dark, the lights, the high sound pressure levels and pounding bass and the sheer energy of the club goers (and, of course, the stunningly gorgeous young women!). I must admit a tendency towards House and Trance genres, as well as the whole Downtempo/Chillout/Ambient Electronica/Dub genres that go with them. The author spent a number of delightfully blissful summers on the White Island of Ibiza lapping up its natural splendour by day and the vibrant music scene by night.

Like with other genre articles in which I’ve been interested, this article has demonstrated both the amount of dance music that I already own as well as discovering and hunting down new (to me) dance music. Music exploration is great fun. I whole heartedly recommend it and worth the inevitable odd dud.

I must admit that I am not into traditional social, regional folk or classical dance/dance music. My heart lies in the here and now, with the vitality and vibrancy of modern dance music. As with other genres, I am also on the discovery trail to see what is out there to find. New is good.

That’s it, the future of Dance and Dance Music looks promisingly strong and transformative. One thing is for sure, it ain’t going anywhere anytime soon. As the title of this article suggests; it is time to get up and dance to the music. And thus it should be forevermore.

“Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought” – Yip Harburg (Song writer, 1896‑1981)


CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album of the Month’

Unbelievable to think that this month’s honour goes to an album that is already 17 years old! This choice is because, perhaps more than most other albums since the millennium, it conjures up a synesthetic image of sound. To me, it evokes a preternatural vision of a rain‑soaked, neon‑diffused, deserted city scape. One could imagine sitting in solitude listening subconsciously to ‘Untrue’, looking out on the sodden dystopia through a misty haze of condensation on the inside and kaleidoscopic water droplets on the outside, longing for something intangible and lost. Can you feel it? Hell yeah.

AI Cityscape

Burial – Untrue (2007). ‘Untrue’ is the second studio album by British electronic artist and music producer Burial (a.k.a. William Emmanuel Bevan). It was released in November 2007 on the Hyperdub record label. If any album demonstrates how far 21st Century dance music has evolved since Rock & Roll, this album is probably part of the evidence I’d put forward. Let’s start with the duplicity. This is dance music you can’t really dance to. ‘Untrue’ falls into several (or no) easy genre boxes depending how one is feeling. However, if one has to categorise it, it falls roughly into Future Garage, Dubstep, Ambient and 2-Step or even IDM. The reason it has been chosen is that it was truly ground breaking at the time.

Burial – Untrue (2007)

There are many other contenders for this accolade including great albums from the likes of Four Tet, Bonobo, Boards of Canada, Jon Hopkins, Actress and Aphex Twin. There is just something so immersive, so surreal and so influential about Burial’s ‘Untrue’, that it takes the top spot this month. Albums like this only come along perhaps once a decade.

“Fine dancing, I believe, like virtue, must be its own reward” – Jane Austen (Author, 1775‑1817)


Tailpiece

Right, that’s the end of another gargantuan 2‑part article delving into dance and dance music. One trusts that it was in some way enjoyable and the intermission didn’t cause too much inconvenience. I learned something in researching and writing and I hope you did from the results too. Well, I and my dual port lower leg extremities are off to trip over on the dancefloor and make a total ass of myself. You know it’s gotta be done.

From next month, I plan to change things fundamentally for a (hopefully) short duration. Why? I’m not telling. Yet. You’ll have to come back to find out more. Intrigued? Let’s see. The next article is some way off now, at the end of October. Hope to ‘see’ you then.

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “Act as a beacon for good and stand up for what is right, so that others can see for themselves the best way ahead”

© 2024 CRAVE Guitars – Love Vintage Guitars.

 

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August 2024 – Get Up And Dance To The Music! Part I

Prelude

Hi y’all mellifluous musical maties. Here we are at the end of August 2024 and rapidly heading once again toward the wintry Christmas season. Yikes! The end of the month means that it is time for another arguably articulate article from your modest meanderingly‑minded author (soz – I got my alliteration addiction in early this month!) We all need a bit of energetic positivity in our lives to counteract the collective downsides of our dysfunctional existence.

You may recall that, since my ‘comeback’ to writing after a near 3‑year hiatus in August 2023, I have so far indulged in a look at three genre‑related topics. These were Dub Reggae (August 2023), Ambient Electronica (September 2023) and Heavy Metal (June 2024). These have been punctuated by other subject matters to mix things up a bit. If you feel so inclined you can access those articles here (each opens in a new tab):

Dub Reggae Revelation

Adventures in Ambient: Music of Another Dimension

Heavy Metal: A Periodic Table

So, for this and next month’s articles, I’m returning to another musical genre that fascinates me. The title above kinda gives the game away. Yep, folks, it’s back to another bit of genre unravelling with a difference – we are taking an in‑depth look at the evolution, current state and possible future of dance music. During writing, I realised that it was going to be WAY too long for an ordinary mortal to absorb in one sitting, so I’ve had to split it into two parts. Part I takes us from pre‑history to the mid‑1950s while Part II next month will bring us up‑to‑date and take a look into a speculative future.

“The dance is the mother of the arts. Music and poetry exist in time; painting and architecture in space. But the dance lives at once in time and space” – Curt Sachs (Musicologist, 1881‑1959)

Get Up And Dance To The Music (courtesy Pexels)

Scope

If you are in any way familiar with CRAVE Guitars’ musings, my main interest in music history dates roughly from the birth of Rock & Roll through the current moment in time and with tentative hints at possible futures. Recognising that dance and dance music didn’t appear fully formed in the mid‑1950s, one also has to look further back into pre‑history, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, classical times and the rise of contemporary dance after the end of World War I (WWI), all of which provide the soundtrack to the activity known as dance music. While this earlier history isn’t the real focus of the article, it does provide a useful context.

In modern times, following on from explosion of Rock & Roll in the 1950s and the expansion of popularity of Soul and R&B in the early 1960s, something phenomenal happened. It could be argued that two related but quite discrete genres made today’s dance… well… so toe‑tappingly danceable. We are talking ‘bout Funk and Disco. These innovations in irresistibly groovy music is where this article really kicks into gear in Part II. The gamut of dance and dance music is so massive that even two articles seem insufficient to do it fair justice.

“Every music – except dance music, which is for dancing, I suppose – is for the spirit of the human being, and not for the body” – Klaus Schulze (1947‑2022)

It wasn’t only the hippie peace & love counterculture that came to the fore in San Francisco around 1967. It was back in 1967 that Californian Sly & the Family Stone recorded their second studio album called, ‘Dance to the Music’, including the hit single of the same name, both released in April 1968. Sly Stone used the album to promote his beliefs about peace, brotherly love, and anti‑racism, while appealing to a broader pop audience, Sly’s Psychedelic Soul album and single laid the foundation of what would soon become Funk. A milestone was thus laid and it seemed an apt title to semi‑appropriate for this month’s genre article headline.

Sly & The Family Stone weren’t alone, there were other influential Psychedelic Soul artists like The Temptations and The Four Tops around the same time. Following Funk’s awkward birth in the late 1960s, it would soon be reinforced by artists like the Jackson Five and James Brown. All these artists integrated choreographed dance moves into their live and recorded musical performances. Dance music would soon become unstoppable.

The main focus of this article will be delving into the sweaty world of dance music that followed. From the 1960s and 1970s Funk and Disco developed through a broad range of dance (and danceable) music, culminating in what has become generally regarded as EDM (Electric Dance Music) and its more cerebral (?!) counterpart IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) in the 21st Century. While dance music is now widely regarded as belonging to the umbrella Electronica genre, it wasn’t always thus. Far from it, in fact.

“Love is a lot like dancing; you just surrender to the music” – Pierce Brosnan (Actor, 1953‑)

One of the distinctions about modern dance music is that some tracks draw significant acclaim while the rest of an artist’s catalogue may be completely ignored. Such is the DJ’s power to commit (or permit) ‘death on the dancefloor’. The proportion of ‘one hit wonders’ in dance music is quite high, as is the attrition rate for tracks not on trend and therefore not getting exposure they otherwise might have deserved. Similarly, there is a proliferation of various artist dance music compilations that tend to exaggerate this particular characteristic. Focus on the few familiar and relegate the rest.

As with the author’s previous genre articles, there is a heck of a lot of subjectivity about genres and artists within a fundamentally flawed model of arbitrary categorisation. Omissions and inclusions are inevitable. I am certain that both the methodology and outcome will be criticised and challenged. Fair enough. I am, however, unapologetic for putting my approach out there for scrutiny.

Also, as with all my other articles, this is not an academic thesis; the intention is to entertain, rather than educate, although I hope there is something new, thought‑provoking and of interest herein.

As with other genre articles, genres and sub‑genres have been capitalised for clarity and convenience, rather than being typographically and grammatically correct. A great deal of research went into this article – all hard work – no AI shortcuts here.

Right. Time to get into the groove. Let’s hot step onto the virtual dancefloor.

“Do it big; do it right; and do it with style” – Fred Astaire (1899‑1987)


What is ‘Dance’?

Dance, usually accompanied by some form of rhythmic backing, originated in early pre‑historic human communities (and therefore undocumented). We can suppose that dance was used to communicate with spirits, intimidate competitors, celebrate victories, mourn losses and to bind tribal/social relationships. Dance has changed beyond all imagination and adapted to societal change over the millennia, through many different ‘phases’ or ‘eras’. Dance and dance music endures in a diverse range of forms to the current day. Each new genre innovation complements, rather than replaces, what went before, thereby growing appreciation over time.

While it may be obvious, it is worth a quick definition (or two) of ‘dance’ for clarity:

  1. As a verb, to dance means ‘to move rhythmically to music, typically following a set sequence of steps’.
  2. As a noun, dance is ‘a series of steps and movements that match the speed and rhythm of a piece of music’.

There you go. Now we have a general vague idea of what dance is, how does it manifest? Whether it’s an elegant slow waltz, joyous foxtrot, graceful ballet, catchy country line dance, raving at a festival, headbanging in a heavy metal mosh pit, embracing passionately in a ballroom, writhing sensuously in a dark nightclub, jigging at a Celtic céilídh, boogying to funk, voguing at the disco, following cultural tropes in a tradtional folk dance, swinging to jazz, jiving to Rock ‘N’ Roll, moonstomping to Jamaican Ska or dad dancing at a wedding, it really doesn’t matter a jot. Dancing is an integral part of our diverse and colourful human condition. What you dance and how you dance doesn’t matter; the act of dancing seems to be a fundamental part of what it means to be a human bean.

“Dancing is like dreaming with your feet!” – Constanze Mozart (1762‑1842)


Why Dance?

Dance music is unusual in that it serves an actual purpose other than the music in and of itself. Dance is prevalent in every country and predates human history, so there must be a common bond that unites humans in this unnatural form of movement and outward expression. Dancing is predominantly a social activity; other than practising to perfect a skill, it is rarely, if ever, done in isolation.

People have probably been dancing as long as humans have existed as a sentient, cognitive species. Dance has been, and is, inherent in every human civilisation. Dance does, however, vary depending on time and place. Such pervasive prevalence does beg the question of why humans have felt the imperative need to dance over many millennia in every part of the world.

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music” – Friedrich Nietzsche (1844‑1900)

Dance music has one and only one primary function, which is to get humans to move physically in time to the music being played. Beyond movement, we also listen to dance music because the rhythms engage some primordial need to match the beat, as well as to communicate and express emotions but that’s not really the point.

So, why do we dance? Dancing is a physical activity that triggers the brain’s reward and pleasure centres, and bestows a feeling of elation and euphoria. Dancing enhances our emotional, mental, spiritual and physical well‑being.

Dancing is a heuristic skill, learned through doing. Some are good at it, others less so but most of us do it to one degree or another, even if it just matching patterns of movement to music by tapping a foot or drumming fingers to the rhythm.

“Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are great because of their passion” – Martha Graham (choreographer, 1894‑1991)

As we grow and learn, dance helps us sense our surroundings, respond appropriately to external stimuli in a safe way and to build physical and psychological experience. Neuroscientists are taking an increasing interest in dancing and its potential health and well‑being benefits.

Some dances are used to tell stories or to confer allegorical meaning. Like many other forms of artistic endeavour, dance music can be used to provoke a physical and emotional response from a willing participant.

 “We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create the dreams” – Albert Einstein (1879‑1955)


Music – the Basics

We really don’t need to go into the fundamentals of music here. The topic has been pretty well covered in previous CRAVE Guitars articles. In January 2017, we looked at ‘Why music affects us in the way it does’. We also took a 14‑part look at ‘The Story of Modern Music in 1,500+ Facts’ from March 2019 to May 2020. In those 15 articles, one should be able to establish a solid foundation on the musical context side of things. These articles are all available via the CRAVE Guitars website for those that might like to explore the topic further.

In very broadest terms, and apologies for a sweeping generalisation to make a rather vague point, music can exist in the absence of dance, while dance is normally dependent on music. In contemporary times, a great proportion of dance music tends to rely on rhythm and beat, rather than melody or harmony. The definitions of dance above both count on ‘rhythm’ and therefore dance music relies on instruments that emphasise rhythm. Early dance rhythm and beat were provided by percussive instruments, rather than devices that produced musical notes, which probably developed much later. Chanting and/or singing would often accompany persistent drumming.

“No matter what culture you’re from, everyone loves music” – Billy Joel (1949‑)

For clarity, another couple of helpful musical definitions:

  1. Rhythm is defined as, ‘a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound’.
  2. The beat is defined as, ‘the basic unit of time and the rhythmic pulse that gives a piece of music its tempo and flow’.

Like dance, music is a way of establishing social cohesion, a form of ‘tribal’ social structure that, through innumerable generations of tradition, has persisted over the generations up to today. Dance music is a genre of music that exists primarily for dancing and secondarily for listening. As the author gets older (sadly, I don’t care for this ageing lark one iota), the balance between dancing and listening has moved irrevocably along a continuum from the former to the latter. Having said that, I still enjoy listening to dance music and I dance in my mind, if not with my body.

That’s enough generality and presumption for now. Time to delve a little bit deeper, as long as you have the stamina. Next up, it is time to link dance and music together.

“Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul” – Plato (c.427‑348BCE)


Music and Dance

Dance music is either live or recorded music that has been composed specifically to enable or accompany the art of dance. Dance doesn’t stand still (sic!), it is a progressive form of expression that continues to evolve across its manifold forms.

Dance music, like other forms of music, has the ability to affect the soul and evoke profound emotional responses. Dancing can therefore be considered an inward and outward expression of the human spirit. Dancing is generally a joyous activity that is not normally engaged in when one is feeling depressed, angry, ill or anxious.

Possibly, the most important element of dance is music, and it is rare, at least in modern times, for dance of any kind – social, theatrical, performance or religious – to develop without some form of musical or percussive accompaniment.

“I’m dancing to the music of the madness inside me” – George C. Wolfe (Playwright, 1954‑)


The Science of Music and Dance

There are anthropological, sociological psychological, physiological and medical science behind the act of dancing.

Neuroscience explains that dancing changes the physiological structure of the brain in unique ways. It has long been understood that music has a positive effect on mental health. Likewise, dancing also engages overlapping brain networks, including common regions involved in perception, action, movement, and emotion. Dance connects the brain’s cognitive processes to motor functions of the body.

An additional benefit is that the physical activity improves co‑ordination, stamina, balance, fitness, muscle tone and weight control. Both music and dance stimulate the release of serotonin and endorphin hormones, which act on the pleasure and reward centres of the brain. Both hormones act as natural remedies, which are known to reduce anxiety and to work as a natural anti‑depressant.

Psychologists suggest that there are additional health and wellbeing benefits to dance and music. Dancing enhances motivation, mental acuity, improved behaviour, mood and social bonding. Dancing positively affects cerebellar functioning and cognitive processes. Dancing enables people to congregate socially, to belong to a like‑minded community and to share a common purpose, thereby helping to overcome feelings of exclusion, isolation, introversion, shyness and loneliness. Psychologists even extrapolate their findings so far as to suggest that dance is essential to human survival as a species. Maybe that sounds a bit far‑fetched but, who knows, they may be right.

Dance is sometimes used today as a form of therapy. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) and Dance Movement Psychotherapy (DMP) involve the psychotherapeutic use of music, movement and dance to support intellectual, emotional, and motor functions of the body by examining the correlation between movement and emotion.

Neuroscience suggests that music stimulates a wide range of regions across the brain simultaneously, including faculties such as memory, emotion, movement and reward. Through repetitive overexposure, the brain uses deep encoding to store into, and recall from, memory things like lyrics, melody and movement. Deep encoding in the brain results in what we commonly call ‘familiarity’ and helps us to repeat actions in order to experience previously experienced rewards. The brain tends to remember emotional events more effectively than non‑emotional events. Deeper emotional processing of a stimulus facilitates deeper encoding in the mind leading to stronger, more evocative memories. This effect tends to be strongest between the ages of about 10‑30, resulting in what we call long‑term nostalgia and reminiscence during later stages of life.

Muscle memory, or motor learning, is the ability of our bodies to remember and repeat specific dance movements without conscious thought. Repetition creates a fixed design of the dance steps being learned. The pattern of movement is then stored in the brain so that the dancer doesn’t consciously need to process each move.

It is not just the brain’s auditory cortex processing sound when listening to music, people remember better because emotion‑related areas in the brain are also being activated. Emotions are evoked when listening to music because it stimulates more than one part of the brain. The brain’s motor regions are also stimulated, meaning that people remember movement associated with music and recall wanting to dance along to it.

In addition, the physical exertion of dancing reduces the health risks of a sedentary and indolent lifestyle. Anthropologists and sociologists refer to the process of social synchronisation as ‘collective effervescence’. All good then.

“Dance music is like a virus: it has affected so many different genres” – Avicii (1989‑2018)


The Science of Music, Dance and Sex

Dance also has a strong sexual element. Dance BPMs (Beats Per Minute) of around 120‑130 tend to correspond to the rhythm of human sexual motions. History suggests that the connection has always been present. Before the 1920s, traditional dance sexuality was present but largely implied and unspoken. The ‘flappers’ during the post‑WWI 1920s brought sex and dance out into the open.

Since Rock & Roll erupted in the post‑WWII boom of the mid‑1950s, puritans and moral conservatives have denounced modern popular dance music as ‘the devil’s music’, heralding depravity and debauchery resulting in the breakdown of established austere social structures. For them, the end definitely seemed nigh.

Once the contraceptive pill acted as the catalyst for the sexual revolution and the women’s liberation movement during the 1960s, the links between music, dance and sex became inseparable. The cannabis, speed and acid‑fuelled peace and love hippie counterculture of the late 1960s took promiscuity to its most liberal, orgiastically permissive level. Since the 1970s, sexual dance seems to have become accepted as a way of life and no longer a noteworthy (or newsworthy) issue.

There is a wealth of research to support the argument that music, dance and sex are closely related. Neuroscience suggests that there is an evolutionary link between music and sex. In the same way that Charles Darwin suggested that bird song is a function to attract mates, he also posited that music has evolved with corresponding changes in human sexual courtship and display behaviours. Darwin called the effect of music on sexual behaviour and social bonding as, ‘sexual selection’.

Experimental psychobiology asserts the notion that music serves a reproductive function. Chemicals used in neurotransmission associated with the human brain’s ability to process music are also present in the brain’s instinctive process of sexual attraction and sexual performance. Neurobiology is developing a greater understanding that music and sex may have common effects on the brain including hormonal stimulation such as pleasure and reward systems.

Research has indicated that music and dance has the potential to:

  • Diminish or relax sexual inhibitions
  • Enhance sexual arousal by elevating the mood
  • Indirectly enhance sexual arousal and pleasure by reducing stress
  • Reduce concerns about body image or performance
  • Enhance confidence
  • Enhance the focus on the sexual act
  • Heighten the sense of partner bonding and intimacy
  • Create a synchronicity between the musical and the movement rhythms that aids sexual performance and satisfaction

There you have it, music and dance can act as a powerful aphrodisiac and there is a logical rationale behind what we intuitively know be the case. Time to get it on!

“When the music and dance create with accord…their magic captivates both the heart and the mind” – Jean‑Georges Noverre (Ballet dancer, 1727‑1810)


The Economy of Dance Music

Dance music is important to the global economy. MIDiA Research suggests that the global valuation of the dance music industry rose to $11.3 billion, a 16% net increase over its pre‑COVID pandemic levels.

The IMS Business Report claims that the dance music industry grew 34% in 2022 based on dance music data from the previous year. Live music performance is the industry’s biggest driver, showing that revenues increased 65% over the previous year to $4.1 billion. When looking at events, EDM genre’s share of festival circuit bookings rose 6% year‑on‑year to 39% of total festival bookings. Impressive.

In addition the supply chain up and down stream is also crucially important, the contributory value of which is much harder to determine. Everything from music teaching, musical instrument and gear manufacturing, studio recording and production, logistics and distribution, merchandise, second hand market, etc. etc. It is safe to assume that there is an overall economic multiplier effect.

A recent study by the Journal of International Marketing hypothesised that recreational dance influences productivity and performance in the workplace due to employees’ higher intrinsic motivation and subjective wellbeing, as well as lower absenteeism.

“I play a lot of hard, uncompromising dance music; it can be anything from dance to rock to reggae” – Peter Hook (1956‑)


The History of Dance and Dance Music Eras

There have been a number of dance ‘eras’ over the millennia. So, let’s start with a broad description of dance music over human history and then we’ll dig a bit deeper to see what is really going on today. The history of dance and dance music is massive and highly complex, reflecting and influencing the cultural and social evolution of human civilisation. As with a similar approach taken to the Heavy Metal genre, the 6‑era model used here is the author’s arbitrary construction.

Part I of this article covers the first four eras covered below. Part II, next month, will cover the last two eras.

Era #1 – Ancient Times

  1. Prehistory: Dance and music have been intertwined for as long as Homo Sapiens have been around (approximately 300,000 years), although there is little or no documented evidence to support the assumption. Dance has been an integral part of human development, indicated by cave paintings such as the Bhimbetka rock shelters in India, dating back around 10,000 years.
  2. Ancient Civilizations (3100BCE‑395CE): In antiquity, Egyptian dance was integral to religious rituals, spiritual worship and social celebrations. Ancient Greek societies used dance in theatrical performances and social gatherings, evidenced by images on Greek vases depicting dancers and musicians. In Ancient Rome, dance was used in religious ceremonies, political events and social gatherings.

Era #2 – Middle Ages to the Renaissance

  1. Medieval Period (500‑1500CE): Dance in medieval Europe was often associated with religious and folk traditions. The earliest Western dance music that we know can be reproduced faithfully includes medieval dances like carols and estampie.
  2. Renaissance (15th‑16th Century): The Renaissance period saw the rise of formal European court dances, such as the 16th Century slow processional dance, the pavane and the physical galliard, which were performed widely in England, Portugal, France, Spain, Germany and Italy.

Era #3 – 17th to 19th Centuries

  1. Baroque Period (1590‑1750): Dance became more formalised with the prominent development of Ballet in the French noble courts. The classical music minuet was used for a popular social dance of the same name.
  2. Classical Era (1750‑1829): The ballroom waltz emerged in Austria and Germany, alongside other nationalistic dances like the mazurka and polonaise from Poland.
  3. Romantic Era (1800‑1850): Ballet continued to evolve, with famous works like ‘Giselle’ and ‘Swan Lake’ emerging during this period.

Era #4 – 20th Century (First Half)

  1. 1900s and 1910s: The early part of the Century saw the rise of modern dance, with pioneers like Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham breaking away from classical ballet to explore new forms of artistic expression through dance. Ballroom dancing gained popularity, and dance music became a significant part of social life.
  2. 1920-1940s: Dance music saw a major post‑WWI boom with the rise of Jazz, Swing, Tap and contemporary dance. Big band music became popular in the period before WWII broke out.

Era #5 – 20th Century (Second Half)

  1. 1950s: Following WWII, the cultural explosion that accompanied the Rock & Roll phenomenon became the dominant dance music from the mid‑1950s.
  2. 1960s: The late 1960s saw the emergence of, R&B, Soul and Funk. The use of electronic alongside traditional instruments began to influence music creation and production. Artists began experimenting with analogue synthesizers and complex studio recording techniques.
  3. 1970s: The mid‑late 1970s Disco movement reinforced dance as an integral part of mainstream popular culture. Artists pioneered electronic dance music, influencing a diverse range of genres like Hip‑Hop, Techno and House.
  4. 1980s: With the wide availability of synthesizers, sequencers and rhythm machines EDM sub‑genres such as Synth Pop and Europop began to develop, resulting in diversification and experimentation with dance styles. In discotheques and nightclubs, genres like House, Techno, Trance and Garage began to dominate dance floors.
  5. 1990s: The appeal of Rap and Hip Hop in the 1990s saw the growth of urban street dance, such as breakdancing. EDM coalesced and evolved with groove‑centric genres such as House and Techno becoming a staple in nightclubs and (both legal and illegal) raves.

Era #6 – 21st Century

  1. 2000‑today: EDM rose to become a global phenomenon and dominant force, with numerous subgenres and a significant presence in mainstream music. Dance music continues to evolve reflecting changes in technology, culture, and social trends. The rise of social media and digital streaming has also played a significant part in popularising dance trends.

Dance and dance music remain a powerful form of expression and a vital part of civilisation’s cultural heritage worldwide. The model above isn’t the only way of looking at things. As we will see shortly, some forms of dance and dance music transcend time periods, geographical boundaries and genre categorisation.

“There may be trouble ahead – But while there’s moonlight, and music, and love, and romance – Let’s face the music and dance” – Irving Berlin (1888‑1989)


Dance and Dance Music – Digging Deeper

Now we’ve defined five broad dance music eras, let’s take a look at some of the alternative perspectives. First, we’ll take a quick look at long‑standing dances that have endured anywhere from ancient times right through to today.

“Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Dance like nobody’s watching” – Leroy Robert ‘Satchel’ Paige (Professional baseball pitcher, 1906‑1982)


Traditional and Folk Dance (pre‑history to today)

There are innumerable cultural dances from every corner of every country of every continent in the world, many dating back to time immemorial. These dances tend to fall into two broad groups, informal folk dances and formal classical dance. The former tends to be more social and the latter comprise symbolic artistic performance dance.

“Dance first. Think later. It’s the natural order” – Samuel Beckett (1906‑1989)

Traditional Folk Dance (courtesy moon chahcha)

Here are just a few (40!) of the more notable regional dances to demonstrate the diversity that has survived to the current day (presented in alphabetical order).

  • Aboriginal dance (Australia) – The ceremonial dance has held a very important place in the culture of the indigenous peoples of Australia for thousands of years
  • Apsara (Cambodia) – Aspara is one of the formal traditional dances of the Royal Ballet of Cambodia with ornately designed costumes and dancers depicting celestial spirits
  • Ballet (Italy) – Classical ballet is a performance dance that has its origins in the Italian Renaissance Courts of the 15th Century, being refined in France, England, and Russia
  • Belly Dance (Egypt) – A Middle Eastern dance, originally called ‘danse du ventre’ (‘dance of the stomach’) originated some 6,000 years ago to celebrate pagan female fertility
  • Bharatanatyam (India) – Indian classical religious dance originating from the Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu
  • Bolero (Spain) – A Spanish theatrical dance popular in the 18th and 19th Centuries, originating from the Castile region around 1750 to 1772
  • Cajun Jig/Jitterbug (USA) – The Cajun one‑step jig was popular in Louisiana in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The two‑step Jitterbug is considered a cowboy‑style swing dance
  • The Can‑Can (France) – Originating in Paris during the 1830s and 1840s as a salacious risqué dance in Parisian dancehalls such as the (in)famous Moulin Rouge. The Can‑Can became a symbol of the French cultural Belle Époque (‘beautiful era’) as well as of women’s liberty and emancipation
  • Capoeira (Brazil) – A dance based on martial arts begun by African slaves arriving in South America in the 16th Century
  • Cossack (Russia) – A.k.a. Hopak, originated in Southern Russia and Ukraine in the 17th Century by East Slavic Orthodox Christian warriors. Their dance is characterised by its high jumps, squatting, and intricate footwork
  • Court Dance (Korea) – A formal court dance in a tradition that dates back centuries for the entertainment of the royal family, court officials and foreign envoys
  • Dragon Dance (China) – Dancing with symbolic dragons dates to the Han Dynasty of 180‑230CE. The dance is supposed to banish evil spirits and expel bad luck. It is particularly important during Chinese New Year celebrations
  • Ewegh (North Africa) – Traditional dance of nomadic Tuareg culture deriving from North Africa. Men stand in a line, making facial expressions while wailing
  • Flamenco (Spain) – Flamenco dance and music originated in Andalusia with influences including Arabic, Roma, Christian and Jewish elements
  • Haka (New Zealand) – A traditional Maori war dance intended to intimidate opponents. It has become a symbol of the Kiwi All Black rugby team
  • Hula (Hawaii) – A Hawaiian dance accompanied by chanting or singing. It evolved in the Hawaiian Islands around 400CE by Native Hawaiian settlers. Through tourism, film and theatre, the Hula changed significantly in the 20th Century with its familiar grass skirts
  • Indlamu (Southern Africa) – A tribal dance most often associated with Zulu culture of southern Africa and the war dances of its fearsome warriors
  • Innuit Drum Dance (Greenland) – Drum dancing and singing are forms of traditional indigenous Inuit artistic expression and music from Greenland
  • Irish Step (Ireland) – A step folk dance with intricate footwork rooted in ancient Celtic tradition which remains popular in Irish communities today
  • Jarabe Tapatio (Mexico) – A traditional Mexican dance with women dressed in china poblana dresses and men wearing charro suits
  • Kabuki (Japan) – The classical stylised Japanese dance‑theatre dates back over 400 years. Kabuki blends music, dance, and mime, as well as making use of elaborate costume and makeup
  • Kathak (India) – An ancient classical dance originating in northern India traditionally associated with the tales of roaming bards known as Kathakers (storytellers)
  • Line Dancing (USA) – A modern American dance popular in the 1990s in which a group of people dance to a repeating sequence of steps while arranged in one or more lines or rows. It is a social dance in country & western dance bars, social clubs, dance clubs and ballrooms
  • Maasai Dance (Kenya) – The traditional Maasai ‘jumping dance’ involves male villagers leaping into the air as a show of strength and stamina
  • Maypole (Sweden) – Originating in Germanic pagan fertility rituals, maypole dancing dates back many centuries to celebrate the arrival of summer in England, Germany and Sweden.
  • Morris Dance (England) – The skipping, stick wielding, handkerchief waving ‘Moryssh daunsers’ began in the cobblestoned streets of London during the mid‑15th Century, eventually migrating to rural communities
  • Native American Indian dance (USA) – A diverse range of tribal ceremonial dances dating back centuries before North American colonisation. Dances include the deer dance, pipe dance, rain dance, dog dance and scalp dance
  • Polka (Bohemia, now Czech Republic) – Polka is a popular dance in 2/4 time, particularly common throughout Europe and the Americas
  • Salsa (Cuba) – Cuba’s distinctive casino dance blends African drums with Spanish guitar, brass and percussion. It was exported from Cuba in the early 20th Century and became popular in New York City in the 1940s and 1950s, growing into a global phenomenon
  • Samba (Brazil) – Samba originated in the Afro/Brazilian communities of Baha and Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. It plays an important part of Rio’s annual Carnaval
  • Stick Dance (Portugal) – The ‘dança dos paulitos’ is an age‑old dance where dancers brandish sticks to emphasise the rhythm. It is performed by pauliteiros that takes place in Miranda do Douro, in Portugal’s north east Trás‑os‑Montes region
  • Schuhplattler (Germany) – A Bavarian courtship dance dating back to the mid‑19th Century and is popular at Munich’s annual Oktoberfest, typified by the wearing of iconic lederhosen
  • Square Dance (USA) – A broad group of dances for couples, arranged in a square, with a couple on each side facing the middle. The form includes, barn dances, English folk dances and Irish ceilidh dances
  • Tango (Argentina) – A highly complex and passionate dance, originated in the 18th Century barrios of Buenos Aires in Argentina
  • Tanoura (Egypt) – On the surface, the spinning tanoura has some similarities to Turkey’s Whirling Dervish. Egypt’s tanoura dancers, though, wear multi‑coloured skirts
  • Tinikling (Philippines) – The ‘Bamboo Dance’ emulates the movements of a bird as it walks through grass stems or over broken tree branches
  • Waist Drum Dance (China) – An ancient ritual originating from North West China over 1,000 years ago with performers beating waist drums as they run and leap in formation
  • Waltz (Austria) – From the 17th Century, the polite society waltz was popular in the Habsburg Court and now the annual Vienna Opera Ball
  • Whirling Dervish (Turkey) – The spinning move by male dancers wearing voluminous skirts dates back over seven centuries to the Sufism and the Mevlevi Orders
  • Yaake (Niger) – Traditional African dance by young Wodaabe males during the Gerewol festival emphasising flamboyant dance moves to attract available females
Ballet (courtesy Pixabay)

“Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance” – Confucius (c.551‑479BCE)

These really are just the tiny tip of a very, very large iceberg. There are thousands of national, regional and local dances and this is just a taster, hopefully to inspire further exploration. Apologies to any historic communities who might feel that their traditions are unintentionally under‑represented.

In 2003, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) included dances (along with music and theatre) as performing arts under the International convention of ‘intangible cultural heritage’. There are many traditional dance forms listed by UNESCO, including ballet, belly dancing, flamenco and rumba.

“Music and dance are all you need” – Moliere (Playwright, 1622‑1673)


Conventional Dance – Roots of contemporary dance in blues, jazz and country music (1910s‑1950s)

In previous music history and genre articles, the author has suggested that the majority of modern, contemporary musical styles from the mid‑1950s onward stem from the three pillars of Blues, Jazz and Country music. For continuity, consistency and simplicity, I’m sticking to that basic structural set of influences here.

“Part of the joy of dancing is conversation. Trouble is, some men can’t talk and dance at the same time” – Ginger Rogers (1911‑1995)

While there are inevitable overlaps and cross‑fertilisation as trends grew and faded, particularly during the inter‑war period, there are a few notable dance genres. Dance styles associated with the development and fusion of Blues, Jazz and Country include:

  • Ragtime – Syncopated African/American ragtime music played on piano or banjo originated in St. Louis, Missouri and influenced social dances in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, as well as influencing the development of jazz. Dance styles used to ragtime included, the turkey trot, the bunny hug and the shimmy.
  • Jitterbug – Jitterbug is a generalised umbrella for swing dances, covering a range of styles including the lindy hop, jive, west and east coast swing, collegiate shag and balboa.
  • Charleston – A social jazz dance of the 1920s, named after the harbour city of Charleston in South Carolina. The Broadway show, ‘Runnin’ Wild’ (1923) used a tune called ‘The Charleston’. It was popularised by young women nicknamed ‘flappers’ and young men of the so‑called post‑WWI ‘Roaring Twenties’.
  • Tap – Tap dancing is an American performance dance from the 1930s combining African and Irish influences that uses the percussive sounds of tap shoes with metal plates (‘taps’) on the toes and heels striking the floor, often accompanied by popular band music. It started as a street dance and became popular as a performance art form on Broadway and in Hollywood film.
  • Swing – Swing represents a group of social dances that developed alongside swing Jazz music from Harlem in the 1920s to the 1940s, after which WWII reduced its popularity. Two discrete forms were the west coast swing and east coast swing. After WWII, bebop and jump blues styles became commonplace.
  • Jive – Jive is a social swing dance style with its roots in African/American communities in the early 1930s. Its name comes from the vernacular slang of the time. Jive included elements from including Salsa and Tango and continued in popularity during the Rock & Roll years.
  • Lindy Hop – Lindy Hop is an American dance originating from the African/American communities of Harlem, New York City in 1928 and has evolved over time, proving to be popular during the big band swing era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Lindy Hop was the first partner dance ever to feature acrobatic elements and laid the ground for Rock & Roll dance.

“Since the beginning of time mankind has used music and dance to commune with the Spirit of Nature and the Spirit of the Universe…” – Goa Gil (Musician, 1951‑2023)


Ballroom Dance

A number of dance styles have become semi‑formalised under the banner of ballroom dance by the World Dance Council. Many of the ballroom dances are based on either older traditional (pre‑20th Century) dances or contemporary (20th Century) dances. There is therefore some overlap between formal ballroom styles and the original forms of dance that inspired them. Ballroom dances are generally split into two broad types; Standard/Smooth and Latin/Rhythm, including:

Standard Ballroom

  • Waltz/Viennese Waltz – The former is known as the English or slow waltz, while the latter is the up tempo European waltz. Recognisable by its ¾ time signature.
  • Tango – Derived from the Argentinian original (see above) incorporating American and European influences adapted for the ballroom.
  • Foxtrot – An English ballroom dance with roots in American Jazz and Ragtime band music. Now one of the internationally recognised ballroom dances popular at competitive dance events.
  • Quickstep – Another international standard ballroom dance that combines up tempo elements of the Foxtrot and the Charleston. Known as the ‘dance of joy’.

Latin Ballroom

  • Pasodoble – An 18th Century fast‑paced, dramatic and theatrical double‑step in 2/4 time, turned into a Latin ballroom social dance inspired by Spanish bullfights.
  • Rumba – Rumba is a standard ballroom dance that has its roots in the American east coast during the 1930s, combining American band music with Afro‑Cuban rhythms.
  • Samba – The ballroom version of the Samba in 2/4 time varies significantly from the original Brazilian regional folk dance (see above).
  • Cha‑Cha – The Cha‑Cha Latin American ballroom dance of Cuban origins, dating from the 1950s and deriving from the 1940’s Cuban mambo.
  • Bolero – Bolero is a Spanish/Cuban dance in ¾ time popular in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries (see above), with the ballroom form differing from the original Cuban variety.
  • East Coast Swing (ECS) – ECS is a social partner dance and has several variations based on fast American swing music, such as big band, Rock & Roll, Rockabilly and Boogie‑Woogie.
  • Jive – Jive is a ballroom dance style with its roots in the social swing dance of the early 1930s (see above). In competitive dance, Jive is more closely associated with swing, rather than other Latin dances.
Ballroom Dance (courtesy Prime Cinematics)

“The dance is a poem of which each movement is a word” – Mata Hari (Dancer, courtesan and spy, 1876‑1917)


Intermission

Right. That’s the end of the first Part of this 2‑part dance music genre article. The advantage of Part I is that it is relatively short (for me) and, I hope, reasonably digestible.

At this point, from around the mid‑1950s onward, dance styles tended to migrate from identifiable dance styles accompanied by music to identifiable music genres and sub‑genres (with a few notable exceptions) with dances to match.

As mentioned at the start, my original plan was for a single‑part article. On reflection, I took the difficult decision to split it into two for easier reading. This point seems a logical place to stop for now and we will reconvene shortly in Part II.

Next month, we’ll resume with the modern evolution of dance and dance music from the mid‑1950s. As the article was originally written as a single piece of work, there hopefully won’t be a long wait for Part II. There is more to come folks, much more.

“The truest expression of a people is in its dances and its music. Bodies never lie” – Agnes de Mille (Dancer and choreographer, 1938‑1993)


CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album of the Month’

The honour this month goes to a favourite funk/disco dance music studio album. Why this particular choice? Well, it was released during a particularly emotionally traumatic period of my life and one that I never wish to repeat. I don’t do regrets but if I did, there are some things I’d like to do over again and be a better person second time around. I won’t divulge details other than to mention that, when one is feeling desperately down, there is nothing like a bit of bouncy dance music to boost serotonin levels as an antidote for, and natural relief from, the all‑consuming darkness of depression. Even the album’s title is appropriate.

The Brothers Johnson – Light up the Night (1980). This 9‑track release was the 4th studio album by the American brothers – George and Louis Johnson – produced by the great Quincy Jones, and released in April 1980 by A&M Records. While pretty much a strong dance oriented album throughout, it is the opening track and hit single, ‘Stomp’ that really provides necessary dose of natural anti‑depressant. Particularly impressive is the great bass playing of the late Louis Johnson and his Music Man Stingray Bass. ‘Stomp’ represents 384 seconds of joyous, funky groovy goodness. The album’s release came just at the end of the height of the organically analogue Funk/Disco boom and all the better for it. Evocation can be a powerful thang.

The Brothers Johnson – Light Up The Night (1980)

No other studio album by the brothers quite matched ‘Light up the Night’ in my opinion. Perhaps it was timing and genre that were just what I needed at a vulnerable point in my growing up. However, there was an awful lot of great party music using traditional instruments from the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire, Kool & the Gang, Parliament/Funkadelic, Chic and The Gap Band around the same time, before the whole Synthpop scene took off over the next decade or two. Today, dance music is synonymous with EDM and we seem to have lost some of the organic nature of music from the peak of funk and disco.

“Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance” – Oprah Winfrey (1954‑)


Tailpiece

Phew! I’m out of breath, not from all the dancing, just the exertion of completing only half of another lengthy genre article. The trouble I’ve found with research and writing is that it is not only addictive but also essentially a sedentary activity, with not much of in the way of exercise other than to get up and make the occasional cup of tea/coffee.

Still, I hope you found something to revel in and, perhaps, to explore some of the musical delights covered herein. As always, when I do these research projects, I’ve learned something from the task and reignited an interest in all things dance music. Please come back next month and lap up some more dancey stuff in Part II of this terrifically tuneful tome (ending as I started with terrible alliteration). As a bonus, you won’t have to wait a whole 4‑and‑a‑bit weeks, for reasons to become clear in time, I am planning for Part II to be published early in September. Watch this space.

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “In the absence of truth, just what are we supposed to believe?”

© 2024 CRAVE Guitars – Love Vintage Guitars.

 

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May 2024 – Artificial Intelligence takes on Vintage Guitars: Part III

Prelude

GARRULOUS GREETINGS AND A HEARTY “hello” once again to the global guitar gathering as seen through the laidback lenticular lens of CRAVE (Cool & Rare American Vintage Electric) Guitars. Whether you are a first‑time visitor or a long‑time returnee, all with peaceful intentions are welcome here.

This month, we are concluding the 3‑part exploration on the current status of civilian‑grade Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its perspective on vintage guitars within the context of the wider music industry. This time around, we’ll take the investigation of Generative AI’s (GAI) impact beyond the narrow domain of vintage guitars and look at the bigger picture. In addition to vintage guitars, we will take a look at music, the music business, music tools and equipment, live performance, production, promotion, distribution and access. As a final parting shot on the subject, I’ll take a personal philosophical look at AI’s future intentions for us poor old human beans.

At the time of writing, it seems that we don’t need AI to forecast the ‘end of days’ for the human race. We have plenty enough diabolical demagogues teetering on the brink of bringing about just that suicidal eventuality right now. We don’t need AI to tell us that, as a species, we have learned absolutely nothing from the ravages of our past and, perhaps, we deserve what we get as a result. All I will say is, “Klaatu Barada Nickto” (From the film, ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’, 1951).

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it will take off on its own, and redesign itself at an ever‑increasing rate” – Stephen Hawking (theoretical physicist and cosmologist, 1942‑2018)


AI revisited (again)

The previous two articles focused on narrative (Part I) and visual (Part II) aspects of the vintage guitar experience. Once again, there is really no need for introductory explanations. If you wish to review the preceding articles leading up to this one, or are coming at it for the first time, you can revisit those blogs by following the links below (open in a new browser window):

March 2024 – Artificial Intelligence takes on Vintage Guitars: Part I

April 2024 – Artificial Intelligence takes on Vintage Guitars: Part II

CRAVE Guitars – Artificial Intelligence Part III

Scope

The scope of this third article in the series is quite broad, wider than in the first two articles. At its core, though, remains the topic of vintage guitars, amps and effects and the small but vital part they play in music today. While it has less of a focus on vintage instruments and equipment, it is all part of the same ‘micro/macro’ world, a connection that AI overlooked back in Part I.

Up to now, the articles concentrated largely on the past and present. This third article is very much future focused, so we’ll see what AI has to say about what is to come on and what may be over the digital horizon. Perhaps, someone will look back at this article at some point in years to come and gauge how far AI has come and how accurate AI has been at predicting the future.

Humans tend to shy away from radical change and are innately conservative. How we deal with the challenges that AI poses will be pivotal. AI will either enhance or inhibit human development? It is currently up to us to decide which. The debate rages on and will do for some time to come. These heated conversations aren’t just centring on music, they are pretty much across every economic sphere of production.

“I had two passions growing up – one was music, one was technology. I tried to play in a band for a while, but I was never talented enough to make it. And I started companies. One day came along and I decided to combine the two – and there was Spotify” – Daniel Ek (founder and CEO of Spotify, 1983‑)


The rationale

Make no mistake, AI has already made its mark in music. Whether it is in the way of song writing and music creation through recording and producing to distribution and enhancing the consumer’s experience. AI is here already and it isn’t going to go away. Going forward, there is no longer any doubt that AI’s role in music will be increasingly expansive, whether we like it or not

The arguments posed by many artists is that AI is incapable of capturing and mastering the artistic expression of music. Music has a rich history and deep emotional ties and these are not easily replicated by machines. Before we go too far, let us be clear that the same applies to many human musicians! Inspiration is rare and not easy to reproduce or we’d all be using it to get rich in the process. It isn’t clear whether the egotistical view that the human spirit is inimitable is born from a reluctance to embrace technology’s potential. The instinctive defensive reaction is to attempt to protect human creativity at all costs. Similarly, it is not certain whether it is possible for a machine to create intelligent artistic outcomes.

Can music generated by IT algorithms be considered authentic musical art? Art is an inward and outward expression of human emotion, experience, and creativity. These are characteristics that sceptics say a machine simply cannot possess. The current state‑of‑the‑art AI has a hard time translating technical data into sensitive music, struggling to infuse its outputs with sincerity, passion and feeling. Yet. I am sure that soon, we won’t be able to assert these facts with any genuine certainty.

From the composition of musical melody and harmony to generating complex musical arrangements, AI already has the ability to create ‘original’ pieces that can (allegedly) rival the work of human composers. As the technology is derivative, AI has yet to develop the ability to exceed human talents. It would be an act of hubris to suggest that AI cannot follow the same scientific principles, musical rules and tropes that humans have abided by for centuries or even millennia. AI can achieve considerable complexity in a fraction of the time that a human can exact the same tasks. It is still the ‘intelligent’ aspect that vexes most commentators.

AI doesn’t care one iota about music and it doesn’t even know what music is. To AI, music is simply another digital computational process, albeit one that seems amazingly expert to us. However, AI doesn’t have any conscious investment in music and it can’t tell rock ‘n’ roll from a rock in the ground. Professional musicians have spent entire careers trying to perfect their skills and they are understandably concerned about AI’s impact on their livelihoods. While I understand that point of view, having reservations isn’t going to stop the tsunami coming their way. In the Darwinian sense, it will be, ‘adapt or die’ (metaphorically speaking of course).

“The idea that machines can’t do things humans can is a pure myth” – Marvin Minsky (American cognitive and computer scientist, 1927‑2016)

There are already AI‑powered virtual instruments in the form of plugins integrated into DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations). Studios are already using AI tools to improve mixing, producing and mastering techniques. AI has the potential to be a powerful collaborative tool, as long as we are prepared to accept the consequences of such a ‘partnership’. AI is simply becoming another tool in the artist’s repertoire and surely it is just a logical extension of the use of digital electronics that studio and stage engineers have been using for the past 40 years. For instance, we would no longer think of salvaging a 20,000 gallon water tank to create a single analogue reverb chamber effect, when we have digital electronics that can provide thousands of credible permutations with the click of a mouse. Let’s get real here.

AI automation can and will result in job displacement, let’s not shy away from the fact; it is inevitable. Technical roles in the music industry such as producers, sound engineers, mixers and mastering specialists may be under threat. Similarly, even some session musicians may be adversely affected. However, the contrary argument is that AI opens doors to a diverse range of new opportunities and it will create new skills and expertise that have hitherto been either underappreciated or non‑existent. Threats to livelihoods have always existed and it will be imperative to drive change in the industry, rather than become a victim of it.

“The arrival of general AI will force us to confront a new sense of ourselves, as well as a universe that is both more strange and more wonderful than we could have imagined” – Ray Kurzweil (American computer scientist, 1948‑)

There are also legal issues. If an AI created song becomes commercially successful, who owns the rights? Is it the end‑user of the technology, the system developer, the creator of the data sets used to inform AI, or the machine itself? Currently, the law sides with the end‑user. A guitar manufacturer cannot claim Intellectual Property (IP) rights simply because a musician used their instrument. Neither can the owner of an arboretum where the tree grows to source the wood used in said instrument. You get the idea.

AI has already replaced humans, at least in the areas of commercial recorded background music and around the periphery, even if you aren’t aware of it. AI ‘artists’ have already been created and AI has been used to resurrect dead artists (e.g. John Lennon). AI is used on virtual reality concerts streamed over the Internet or to live audiences (e.g. Abba, Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, etc.). However, humans will still be needed for the time being to innovate and break conventional boundaries in mainstream and underground music. As yet, though, nothing can really substitute for the genuine human experience. Live music is largely safe… for now.

Instead of viewing AI as a threat, many artists will see it as a vital device that can help to give them a strategic advantage in an increasingly competitive industry and in highly saturated markets. AI’s current course in music suggests an even more integrated future. Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, USA suggests that up to 60% of artists already make use of AI techniques to help unlock their potential. This human/AI collaboration can redefine artistic boundaries, enable experimentation and give rise to genres and ground‑breaking sounds previously unimaginable, if we allow it. AI can help to broaden musicians’ creative horizons beyond the familiar. The potential synergy between human musicians and AI presents exciting opportunities and challenges for the future of music. Wasn’t it ever thus?

“It’s not artificial intelligence I’m worried about, it’s human stupidity” – Neil Jacobstein (Chair of the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Track at Singularity University)

So… there you have both sides of a musical and ethical difference of opinion. Now it is time to turn that debate over to GAI…


The CRAVE Guitars’ test

For the final time, I will present AI with some challenges and see how AI responds. As before, I will let the AI do the hard work and leave my critique until the end of the article.

Apologies for repeating the following list yet again. I suggested eight benchmarks for evaluating AI’s responses, summarised below:

  1. To understand a question correctly without over‑specificity
  2. To interpret and extrapolate relevant information objectively within a wider context
  3. To present a cogent argument that can adequately be judged and/or challenged
  4. To form a genuine opinion from scratch without relevant information being readily available in the first place, in the same way that a person might do in the case of uncertainty
  5. To debate the initial result to achieve a potentially better outcome
  6. To produce a creative response that improves on the original information input by humans
  7. To remember what it has already output
  8. To understand fully what humans want or expect from ‘intelligence’

Once more, twenty questions were posed to AI about vintage guitars and various aspects of the music industry. What follows are the verbatim results. Nothing has been added or removed. What you see is what I got. Apologies for the repetition up to this point.

Time for me to take a backseat until later in the article. I’m off to put the kettle on, put my feet up and consume multiple warm beverages. Health warning: AI can lead to a sedentary and indolent lifestyle! Bye for now…


Twenty Questions and Twenty AI Responses

Question #1 – What is AI’s role in current new guitar and bass design and manufacturing?

AI Response #1

AI is playing an increasingly significant role in the design and manufacturing of guitars. Here are some ways AI is being utilised:

  • Personalised Designs: AI can analyse player preferences, such as playing style and hand size, to create custom guitars tailored to individual needs.
  • Generative Design: AI can generate organic, biomimetic shapes, leading to innovative designs that were previously impossible.
  • Sustainability: AI helps manufacturers reduce waste and energy consumption, resulting in more environmentally friendly guitar production.
  • Simulation Software: Designers can simulate the guitar’s performance and sound quality, allowing for real‑time adjustments and early identification of design flaws.
  • Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing): This technology enables the creation of physical prototypes, helping designers evaluate and refine the guitar’s design before production.

Overall, AI tools are transforming guitar design by enabling more efficient, sustainable, and personalised manufacturing processes.

Question #2 – How is AI contributing towards wider musical equipment technology?

AI Response #2

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly impacted the field of music technology, revolutionizing various aspects of music creation, production, and performance. Let’s delve into how AI is shaping the world of musical equipment:

  • Smart Algorithms in Mixing and Audio Editing:
    • Many audio plugins now incorporate smart algorithms that draw on human experience. These algorithms apply frequency correction or normalisation presets to enhance audio quality during mixing and editing.
    • These AI‑driven tools assist musicians and producers in achieving professional sound without extensive manual adjustments.
  • Composition and Music Generation:
    • AI has made a major impact in the realm of composition. Services like Aiva utilize deep learning algorithms to create beautiful music across various genres.
    • Aiva’s virtual brain is modelled after how a human brain works. It recalls past experiences and problem‑solving to refine its results. By analysing vast amounts of data (such as classical music archives), Aiva recognizes patterns in chord structures, melodies, and arrangement choices.
    • The resulting AI‑generated tracks are increasingly indistinguishable from compositions by human musicians.
  • AI‑Driven Music Production Tools:
    • Over the past decade, AI has transformed music mixing and mastering. Apps like Landr, Cryo Mix, and iZotope’s Neutron automatically analyse tracks, balance audio levels, and remove noise.
    • These tools enhance efficiency and consistency in the production process, allowing artists to focus on creativity.
  • New Sounds and Beats:
    • AI’s ability to analyse sound characteristics using deep neural networks has led to the creation of new sounds. By drawing from existing music and theory, AI generates fresh beats and melodies.
    • Musicians can explore novel sonic possibilities, pushing the boundaries of traditional instruments and arrangements.
  • Music Education and Research:
    • AI, combined with audio big data, contributes to Music Information Retrieval (MIR). MIR extracts audio features based on signal processing and employs machine learning techniques.
    • Researchers use AI to analyse music theory, composition, and performance, advancing our understanding of music.

In summary, AI’s influence on musical equipment technology extends beyond mere automation. It empowers musicians, enhances creativity, and opens up exciting avenues for the future of music.

Question #3 – How can AI contribute towards the conservation of vintage guitars and basses?

AI Response #3

AI can contribute significantly to the conservation of vintage guitars in several ways:

  • Digital Restoration: AI can restore old photographs and videos of iconic luthiers and vintage guitars, enhancing the quality and clarity of historical records.
  • Predictive Maintenance: By analysing data from sensors placed on vintage guitars, AI can predict when and what kind of maintenance is needed to preserve their condition.
  • Material Analysis: AI can assist in analysing the materials and construction techniques of vintage guitars, providing insights for conservation efforts.
  • Sound Analysis: Machine learning algorithms can analyse the sound of vintage guitars to understand how they have changed over time and how to maintain their original sound.
  • 3D Scanning and Modelling: AI can help create detailed 3D models of vintage guitars, which can be used for educational purposes or to replicate parts that are no longer available.

These applications of AI not only help in preserving the physical aspects of vintage guitars but also ensure that their legacy and the craftsmanship behind them are documented and passed down to future generations.

Question #4 ‑ How can AI contribute towards the conservation of vintage guitar amplifiers and effect pedals?

AI Response #4

AI can be a powerful ally in the conservation of vintage guitar amplifiers and effect pedals, offering several innovative approaches:

  • Emulation and Modelling: AI can be used to create digital models of vintage amplifiers and pedals, allowing musicians to access classic sounds without using the original, fragile equipment.
  • Predictive Analysis: AI algorithms can analyse the condition of electronic components over time, predicting failures and suggesting preventive maintenance to prolong the life of the equipment.
  • Restoration Guidance: AI can guide technicians through the restoration process, suggesting optimal methods and materials that preserve the original sound and functionality.
  • Sound Preservation: By analysing the unique sounds of vintage gear, AI can help in creating a digital library of tones and effects, ensuring that the sonic legacy of these devices is not lost.
  • Component Analysis: AI can assist in identifying and sourcing authentic components for repair and restoration, ensuring that the vintage gear remains as close to its original state as possible.

These contributions of AI not only help in maintaining the physical integrity of vintage amplifiers and pedals but also ensure that their distinctive sounds continue to inspire musicians for generations to come.

Question #5 – How can AI contribute towards future guitar innovation, design and manufacturing developments that will one day become vintage?

AI Response #5

AI’s contribution to future guitar innovation, design, and manufacturing is expected to be transformative, with several key areas of impact:

  • Customisation: AI can analyse vast amounts of data on player preferences and ergonomics to create highly personalised guitars that cater to the specific needs of individual musicians.
  • Sound Modelling: Advanced machine learning algorithms can emulate the sounds of vintage guitars, allowing new guitars to have the sought‑after tones of classic models.
  • Quality Control: AI can enhance quality control in manufacturing, ensuring that each guitar meets high standards of craftsmanship and consistency.
  • Material Innovation: AI can assist in discovering new materials and construction methods that replicate the qualities of vintage guitars while being more sustainable and durable.
  • Predictive Analytics: By predicting trends and consumer preferences, AI can guide the design of guitars that are likely to become future classics.

These contributions are poised to revolutionise the guitar industry, making it more innovative, efficient, and responsive to the needs of musicians around the world.

Question #6 – Where do vintage guitars fit into the wider current day music industry?

AI Response #6

Vintage guitars hold a special place in the modern music industry, serving as a bridge between the rich musical heritage of the past and the innovative sounds of the present. Here’s how they fit into today’s musical landscape:

  1. Timeless Sound and Design: Vintage guitars are renowned for their distinctive designs and the unique sound quality they produce. Musicians often seek out these instruments for their ability to create authentic tones that newer models can’t replicate. They are not just tools for making music but are also seen as works of art and symbols of musical eras gone by.
  2. Influence on Modern Music: The influence of vintage guitars extends across genres, from rock and blues to jazz and even contemporary pop. Their sound has shaped the music we listen to today, and many modern musicians still prefer vintage guitars for their unparalleled tonal qualities.
  3. Collectible Value: Beyond their musical capabilities, vintage guitars are also valuable collectibles. They represent a time and place in musical history, embodying the legacy of innovation and craftsmanship. For collectors and enthusiasts, owning a vintage guitar is akin to possessing a piece of music history.
  4. Inspiration for New Models: Modern guitar manufacturers often look to vintage guitars for inspiration when designing new models. The classic aesthetics and sound of vintage guitars continue to influence the development of new instruments, ensuring that the spirit of the vintage era lives on in the music industry.
  5. Cultural Significance: Vintage guitars carry cultural significance, representing the evolution of music and the impact of iconic musicians who played them. They are a testament to the enduring appeal of the guitar as an instrument and its role in shaping the cultural landscape.

In essence, vintage guitars are more than just musical instruments; they are cultural icons that continue to inspire musicians and captivate audiences, maintaining their relevance in a rapidly evolving music industry.

Question #7 – What does the future hold for vintage guitars, basses, amplifiers and effect pedals?

AI Response #7

The future of vintage guitars, basses, amplifiers, and effect pedals looks quite promising, with several trends indicating a continued appreciation and demand for these classic instruments and gear. Here’s what we can expect:

  1. Vintage Guitars: The allure of vintage guitars is expected to persist, with a focus on craftsmanship, exclusivity, and historical significance. Collectors and musicians alike will likely continue to seek out these instruments for their unique sound, aesthetic appeal, and investment potential. The market for vintage guitars is anticipated to see growth, especially in regions like North America and Asia Pacific.
  2. Bass Guitars: High‑end bass guitars are gaining attention, with premium models from brands like Rickenbacker, Fender, and Fodera being highlighted for their quality. The bass guitar scene is evolving, with discussions around its future in the music industry and the potential for new genres to reinvigorate interest in the instrument.
  3. Guitar Amplifiers: The guitar amp market is embracing both vintage features and futuristic technology. There’s a trend towards recreating classic amps as well as developing new models packed with advanced tech. The future may see a blend of the best of the past with innovative features that cater to modern players’ needs.
  4. Effect Pedals: Guitar effects pedals are becoming more varied and sophisticated, with new models based on classic gear and all‑new combinations. The industry is witnessing a surge in creativity and innovation, with digital modelling and emulation playing significant roles in the development of new pedals.

In summary, the future for vintage musical gear is one of reverence for the past combined with an embrace of new technologies and trends. This balance ensures that vintage instruments and gear will remain integral to the music industry, cherished for their legacy and continued influence on modern music.

Question #8 ‑ How can AI help to improve the knowledge of people interested in vintage guitars and basses?

AI Response #8

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can significantly enhance the knowledge of enthusiasts and collectors of vintage guitars and basses in several ways:

  1. Personalized Recommendations: AI can analyse individual preferences and historical data to suggest vintage guitars and basses that align with a user’s taste or playing style.
  2. Virtual Restoration: AI can simulate the restoration process of vintage instruments, allowing users to see potential outcomes without physically altering the instrument.
  3. Market Analysis: AI can track market trends, auction results, and pricing data to help collectors understand the value of their instruments and make informed buying or selling decisions.
  4. Authenticity Verification: By comparing images and specifications, AI can assist in verifying the authenticity of vintage guitars and basses, helping to prevent fraud.
  5. Educational Content: AI can generate educational content, such as articles or videos that delve into the history, craftsmanship, and cultural significance of vintage instruments.
  6. Interactive Learning: Through interactive apps and software, AI can provide virtual lessons and historical context about specific models and brands.
  7. Sound Analysis: AI can analyse the sound characteristics of vintage guitars and basses, helping users understand the unique tonal qualities of their instruments.
  8. Design Innovation: AI can assist designers in creating new instruments inspired by vintage models, using machine learning to incorporate desirable features and aesthetics.

By leveraging these AI capabilities, people interested in vintage guitars and basses can deepen their understanding and appreciation of these instruments, make better‑informed decisions, and connect with a community of like‑minded individuals.

Question #9 – Why do many professional guitarists still play vintage, rather than modern instruments when recording or preforming live?

AI Response #9

Many professional guitarists opt for vintage instruments over modern ones when recording or performing live due to a combination of factors that contribute to the unique appeal of these classic instruments:

  1. Tonal Quality: Vintage guitars are often sought after for their superior tonal quality. Over time, the wood in these instruments matures, affecting the resonance and producing a richer, more nuanced sound that many believe cannot be replicated by newer guitars.
  2. Craftsmanship: The level of craftsmanship in vintage guitars is frequently cited as being higher than that of many mass‑produced modern instruments. They were often made with more labour‑intensive techniques and higher‑quality materials, which can contribute to both the sound and durability of the instrument.
  3. Historical Significance: Playing a vintage instrument connects musicians to the history of their craft. These guitars have been part of iconic performances and recordings, and they carry a legacy that many artists find inspiring.
  4. Exclusivity: Vintage instruments are unique, with each one having its own story and character. This exclusivity can be appealing to professionals who want an instrument that stands out both visually and sonically.
  5. Investment Value: Beyond their musical qualities, vintage guitars can be a good investment. Their value tends to appreciate over time, making them not just tools for performance but also valuable assets.
  6. Personal Preference: Ultimately, the choice often comes down to personal preference. Many guitarists simply prefer the feel and sound of a vintage guitar, finding that it suits their style and the music they create.

These factors combine to make vintage instruments a popular choice for many professional guitarists, both in the studio and on stage.

Question #10 – How can AI help music companies to improve their business practices and become more profitable?

AI Response #10

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can significantly enhance the business practices of music companies and contribute to increased profitability in several ways:

  1. Revolutionizing Production: AI can streamline the music production process, making it more accessible and efficient. For instance, AI‑driven technology can assist aspiring artists in creating professional‑sounding music with minimal equipment, thereby reducing production costs.
  2. Optimizing Music Management: AI can help music companies manage their catalogues more effectively by auto‑tagging songs with accurate metadata, which is crucial for organising and categorising music across platforms.
  3. Improving Royalty Management: AI can facilitate better royalty management by accurately tracking song plays and ensuring that artists and rights holders are compensated fairly.
  4. Curating Playlists with Precision: With AI, music companies can curate playlists that resonate with listeners’ preferences, leading to increased engagement and potential revenue from streaming services.
  5. Efficient Tour Planning: AI can analyse data to help plan tours more efficiently, identifying the best locations and times for concerts to maximize attendance and profits.
  6. Content Creation Assistance: AI can assist in content creation, providing tools for musicians to generate new music or enhance existing tracks, potentially leading to more creative outputs and a broader appeal.
  7. Data‑Driven A&R Decisions: AI can provide valuable insights into fan engagement and market trends, helping A&R (Artists and Repertoire) departments make informed decisions about signing artists or promoting music.

By integrating AI into their operations, music companies can leverage these advancements to reduce costs, optimize processes, and create more engaging content, ultimately leading to increased profitability and success in the competitive music industry.

Question #11 – How can AI help guitarists to access, learn and improve their musical playing skills?

AI Response #11

AI can be a powerful ally for guitarists looking to access, learn, and improve their musical playing skills. Here’s how AI can assist:

  1. Personalized Learning: AI can analyse a guitarist’s playing style and provide personalized feedback and practice routines. This can help guitarists focus on areas that need improvement and track their progress over time.
  2. Chord and Scale Recognition: AI tools can listen to music and identify chords and scales, making it easier for guitarists to learn new songs and understand music theory.
  3. Virtual Tutors: AI‑powered virtual tutors can guide guitarists through lessons, provide real‑time corrections, and offer tips to enhance their technique.
  4. Song Writing Assistance: AI can help guitarists with song writing by suggesting chord progressions, melodies, and even lyrics that complement their style.
  5. Access to Online Resources: AI can curate and recommend online resources, such as tutorials, exercises, and educational content, tailored to the guitarist’s skill level and interests.
  6. Enhanced Practice Sessions: With AI, guitarists can have more efficient practice sessions by using tools that track their playing and suggest improvements, making practice more productive.

By leveraging AI, guitarists can gain access to a wealth of resources and personalized guidance that can accelerate their learning and enhance their musical abilities.

Question #12 – How can AI help music artists and bands to improve their arrangements and song writing?

AI Response #12

AI can significantly aid music artists and bands in enhancing their arrangements and song writing in several innovative ways:

  1. Melody and Harmony Generation: AI can generate new melodies and harmonies, providing artists with a broader palette of musical ideas to choose from. Tools like MuseNet can create compositions with various instruments and styles, offering inspiration and starting points for new songs.
  2. Style Emulation: AI can analyse the work of specific artists or genres and emulate their style, allowing musicians to experiment with different sounds and techniques in their arrangements.
  3. Lyric Writing: AI can assist in lyric writing by suggesting phrases and rhymes, which can be particularly helpful during creative blocks or when seeking fresh perspectives.
  4. Arrangement Optimization: AI can suggest changes to an arrangement by analysing the song’s structure and providing feedback on how to improve its flow and impact.
  5. Efficiency in Composition: AI‑powered tools can speed up the song writing process by quickly generating musical elements, allowing artists to focus on refining and personalising their work.
  6. Collaborative Song Writing: AI can act as a collaborative partner, offering suggestions and alternatives that might not have been considered, leading to more diverse and creative outcomes.

By integrating AI into their creative processes, artists and bands can unlock new possibilities in song writing and arrangement, pushing the boundaries of their musical expression.

Question #13 – How can AI help to promote a music artist or band?

AI Response #13

AI can revolutionise the promotion of music artists and bands in several impactful ways:

  1. Target Audience Identification: AI can analyse vast amounts of data to identify and understand the target audience for an artist or band, ensuring that promotional efforts are directed at the most receptive listeners.
  2. Personalised Marketing Campaigns: By leveraging AI, music companies can create highly personalised marketing campaigns that resonate with individual listeners, increasing engagement and loyalty.
  3. Social Media Monitoring and Analysis: AI tools can monitor social media activity, providing insights into audience preferences and trends, which can inform more effective promotional strategies.
  4. Predictive Trend Analysis: AI can predict future trends, helping artists and bands to stay ahead of the curve and align their music and marketing with upcoming movements.
  5. Efficiency and Automation: AI‑driven platforms can automate many aspects of music promotion, from distributing content to scheduling posts, freeing up artists to focus on their music.
  6. Collaboration Discovery: AI can identify potential collaboration opportunities by matching artists with similar styles or fan bases, leading to mutually beneficial partnerships.
  7. Content Creation: AI can assist in creating promotional content, such as music videos or artwork that is tailored to the artist’s brand and audience preferences.

By integrating AI into their promotional activities, music artists and bands can achieve more targeted, efficient, and effective outreach, ultimately leading to greater visibility and success in the industry.

Question #14 – How can AI help to improve live music concert performance?

AI Response #14

AI can enhance live music concert performances in several innovative ways, making the experience more immersive and personalised for both artists and audiences:

  1. Visual Displays: AI can create dynamic visual displays that sync with the music, providing a more engaging and visually captivating experience.
  2. Personalised Set Lists: By analysing social media data and other online interactions, AI can help performers generate set lists that resonate with the preferences of their audience.
  3. Virtual Backgrounds and Special Effects: Performers can incorporate realistic virtual backgrounds and special effects into their shows, adding a new dimension to the live experience.
  4. Intelligent Lighting: AI‑driven lighting systems can react in real‑time to the music, enhancing the atmosphere and mood of the performance.
  5. Real‑Time Audience Interaction: AI can analyse audience reactions in real‑time, allowing performers to adjust their performance on the fly to better engage with their fans.
  6. Enhanced Sound Quality: AI tools can optimise sound quality by adjusting levels and effects in real‑time, ensuring the best possible audio experience for the audience.
  7. Efficient Stage Management: AI can streamline stage management, from set changes to equipment handling, making transitions smoother and reducing the potential for errors.

By integrating AI into live performances, artists can offer a more polished and high‑tech show, while audiences can enjoy a more interactive and memorable concert experience.

Question #15 – How can AI improve live music venue sound and lighting?

AI Response #15

AI can significantly improve the sound and lighting at live music venues, enhancing the overall experience for both performers and audiences. Here’s how AI contributes to these improvements:

Sound Quality:

  • Real‑Time Acoustic Adjustment: AI‑driven audio technology can analyse a venue’s acoustics and adapt audio settings in real‑time, ensuring optimal sound quality during performances.
  • Automated Mixing: Machine learning algorithms can assist live sound engineers by automatically mixing and adjusting audio levels, which helps in delivering a polished and professional audio experience.

Lighting:

  • Synchronized Displays: AI can program lighting systems to sync perfectly with the music, creating a stunning visual experience that complements the performance.
  • Adaptive Lighting Systems: AI‑powered lighting can adjust in real‑time to the music’s beat, melody, or even the performers’ movements, enhancing the atmosphere and mood of the event.

By leveraging AI, live music venues can offer a more immersive and memorable concert experience, with sound and lighting that are not only high‑quality but also responsive and dynamic.

Question #16 – How can AI improve music studio recording, mixing, producing and mastering processes?

AI Response #16

AI has the potential to significantly improve the processes of recording, producing, and mastering music in the following ways:

Recording:

  • Noise Reduction: AI can automatically detect and eliminate background noise, ensuring cleaner recordings.
  • Performance Enhancement: AI tools can provide real‑time feedback to artists, helping them improve their technique during the recording process.

Mixing:

  • Efficiency: AI tools can balance levels, pan audio, and apply EQ settings automatically for a polished mix.
  • Smart Plugins: Smart plugins can analyse the audio and suggest improvements or apply them directly.

Producing:

  • Efficiency: AI can automate routine tasks like audio levelling and EQ adjustments, allowing producers to focus on the creative aspects of music production.
  • Creative Assistance: AI can generate musical elements such as melodies and harmonies, offering new creative possibilities for producers.

Mastering:

  • Sound Quality: AI mastering tools use machine learning algorithms to enhance the overall sound quality, making tracks sound more polished and professional.
  • Speed: AI can master tracks much faster than traditional methods, speeding up the production cycle.

By integrating AI into these processes, music studios can achieve higher quality results with greater efficiency and creativity.

Question #17 – How can AI help to improve music distribution channels in the future?

AI Response #17

AI can improve music distribution channels in the future by:

  1. Agile Distribution: AI can enable a more agile distribution approach, allowing local and niche musicians to bypass traditional label‑artist‑distribution company models. This can help artists secure royalties without the complex revenue structures that typically leave them with a smaller cut.
  2. Data‑Driven Insights: AI can provide data‑driven insights into consumer behaviour, preferences, and trends, which can help music companies tailor their distribution strategies to maximise reach and profitability.
  3. Automated Content Delivery: AI can automate the delivery of music content across various platforms, ensuring that new releases are efficiently distributed to all relevant channels.
  4. Enhanced Discovery: AI algorithms can improve music discovery for consumers by recommending songs and artists based on listening habits, leading to increased exposure for artists.
  5. Royalty Tracking and Management: AI can improve the accuracy of royalty tracking and management, ensuring that artists are fairly compensated for the use of their music.
  6. Predictive Analytics: AI can use predictive analytics to forecast music trends and consumer demand, helping labels and artists to plan releases and marketing campaigns more effectively.

By leveraging these AI capabilities, music distribution channels can become more efficient, equitable, and responsive to the needs of both artists and consumers.

Question #18 – How can AI help consumers to improve access to, and to discover, existing and new music?

AI Response #18

AI can greatly assist consumers in improving access to and discovering both existing and new music in several ways:

  1. Personalised Recommendations: AI algorithms analyse listening habits and preferences to provide personalised music recommendations, making it easier for users to discover songs and artists that align with their tastes.
  2. Music Discovery Platforms: Services like Spotify use AI to curate playlists and introduce listeners to new music, facilitating billions of music discoveries every day.
  3. Enhanced Search Capabilities: AI improves search functions, allowing consumers to find music based on mood, genre, lyrics, and even humming a tune.
  4. AI‑Generated Music: AI can create new music based on certain parameters or styles, offering listeners fresh and innovative tracks to enjoy.
  5. Social Media Integration: AI tools can analyse social media data to predict and suggest music that might become popular, helping users stay ahead of trends.
  6. Intelligent Radio: AI‑powered radio services can adapt to user feedback, skipping or playing more of certain types of songs to tailor the listening experience.

By leveraging these AI capabilities, consumers can enjoy a more tailored and exploratory music listening experience, discovering a wider range of music more easily.

Question #19 – What things can amateur and professional musicians do to help them exploit the benefits and potential of AI in the future?

AI Response #19

Amateur and professional musicians can take several steps to harness the benefits and potential of AI:

  1. Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest developments in AI technology and how they’re being applied in the music industry. This knowledge can help musicians understand the tools available to them.
  2. Experiment with AI Tools: Use AI‑powered tools for composition, production, and mixing to explore new creative possibilities. Tools like MuseNet for composition or LANDR for mastering can provide new insights and streamline the music creation process.
  3. Collaborate with AI: View AI as a collaborative partner that can offer new perspectives and ideas. AI can help brainstorm, suggest unimagined progressions, or even contribute to live performances.
  4. Enhance Learning: Utilise AI for personalised learning and improvement. AI can analyse playing styles, provide feedback, and suggest areas for improvement.
  5. Incorporate AI in Marketing: Leverage AI for marketing efforts, such as identifying target audiences, creating personalised campaigns, and analysing social media trends.
  6. Explore AI in Song Writing: Use AI to assist with song writing, whether it’s generating lyrics, creating chord progressions, or coming up with melodies.
  7. Optimise Online Presence: Employ AI to optimise the musician’s online presence, from website interactions to social media engagement.
  8. Engage with Fans: Use AI to analyse fan data and preferences to create more engaging and personalised experiences.

By embracing AI, musicians can enhance their creativity, improve their skills, and find new ways to connect with audiences. It’s an exciting time for the intersection of music and technology, and the possibilities are vast.

Question #20 – What can be done to protect creative human musicians from AI music creation?

AI Response #20

Protecting creative human musicians from the challenges posed by AI music creation involves a multifaceted approach:

  1. Advocacy and Legislation: Musicians and industry stakeholders can advocate for policies that protect creators from AI copyright infringement. For example, Universal Music Group has called on Congress to enact policy to protect creators, and the Human Artistry Campaign advocates for responsible AI use.
  2. Open Letters and Campaigns: Musicians can unite to raise awareness and influence public opinion and policy. More than 200 artists, including prominent figures like Nicki Minaj and Billie Eilish, have signed open letters warning against the ‘predatory use of AI’ in the music industry.
  3. Educating AI Developers: Engaging with AI developers and tech firms to ensure they understand the importance of respecting artists’ rights and the potential negative impacts of AI on the music ecosystem.
  4. Fair Compensation Models: Developing new models for fair compensation that ensure artists are paid appropriately for their work, especially when it’s used to train AI systems.
  5. Intellectual Property Rights: Strengthening intellectual property laws to cover new forms of AI‑generated content and ensuring that these laws are enforced.
  6. Ethical AI Development: Encouraging the development of AI in an ethical manner that respects human creativity and does not seek to replace it.
  7. Collaboration Over Competition: Promoting the idea that AI should be used as a tool to enhance human creativity rather than replace it, fostering a collaborative relationship between AI and musicians.

By taking these steps, the music community can work towards a future where AI serves as a complement to human artistry, rather than a replacement.

Just for another bit of fun to end this extravaganza, I asked GAI to write a rhyming couplet about CRAVE Vintage Guitars. Here’s what it came up with…

“In every strum and chord that starts,
Lies the soul of CRAVE’s vintage arts.”

Hhhmmm.


The future of AI

At the start of this article, I said that it would be future‑focused. So, what can we expect from AI more generally over the next couple of decades? Rather than strain my paltry organic grey matter in a vain attempt to speculate, it seems eminently appropriate to ask GAI to make the predictions on both its and mankind’s behalf. Without further procrastination, here is what GAI came up with…

Question: Where is AI going in the future? Where will it be in 10 to 20 years’ time?

AI Response:

The future of AI is a topic of much speculation and excitement. In the next 10 to 20 years, we can expect AI to transform various aspects of our lives and society. Here are some predictions based on current trends and expert insights:

  1. Scientific Advancement: AI and machine learning (ML) will likely revolutionise the scientific method, enabling significant improvements in research and discovery. This could lead to a new golden age of scientific innovation.
  2. Foreign Policy: AI may become a critical component of foreign policy, with governments investing heavily in AI innovation to maintain economic resilience and geopolitical leadership.
  3. Consumer Experiences: AI is expected to enable next‑generation consumer experiences, such as the metaverse and advanced digital interactions, by enhancing our ability to integrate digital objects with physical contexts.
  4. Workplace Transformation: The workplace is likely to undergo significant changes, with AI and automation replacing many current jobs, especially in manufacturing and repetitive tasks.
  5. Healthcare: AI could greatly improve healthcare by assisting in diagnosis, treatment planning, and managing patient care, making healthcare more personalised and efficient.
  6. Education: In education, AI might offer personalized learning experiences, adapt to individual student needs, and provide real‑time feedback to enhance learning outcomes.
  7. Ethical and Societal Impacts: As AI becomes more prevalent, there will be an increased focus on the ethical implications of AI, including privacy concerns, bias in decision‑making, and the impact on employment.

These predictions suggest that AI will be deeply integrated into our daily lives, reshaping industries, and potentially improving our quality of life. However, it’s also important to consider the challenges and to ensure that AI development is guided by ethical principles and societal needs.

So… there you go. No world domination or the extermination of mankind on the list then? Good. Unsurprisingly, AI responded about its own future in a very similar format to questions about guitars and music. Predictably conservative and uncontroversial; disappointingly so in my opinion. Is this really the ultimate transformative promise of the technology?

Where is the interventionist moderation required to safeguard humanity, protect moral imperatives and help to abolish war, famine, poverty, inequality, prejudice, etc.? Where is the focus on global, national and individual security, sustainable resources, ecosystem protection and personal freedoms? There is something about work but little about leisure and what our lives may be like. AI’s vision and its final verdict is there for you to judge and agree or disagree with it as you see fit.

Overall, AI’s vision seems eminently sensible and even pretty mundane doesn’t it? Not scary at all, in fact. It also seems a touch unambitious for something that has been hyped up to be so fundamentally and profoundly transformational. For instance, it makes no mention of Artificial General Superintelligence (AGS), integration with advanced robotics, or about hybrid, cybernetically enhanced organisms where the distinction between inorganic electronics and living biological material becomes blurred. NB. The term ‘cyborg’ was coined in 1960 by NASA scientists Manfred Clynes and Nathan Kline when thinking about tackling the harsh environments experienced in space exploration. The concept of cyborgs raises serious social, and philosophical questions about human identity, rights & responsibilities, and freedoms in a next generation technologically advanced civilisation. These conditions may not be here right now but, if I can envisage it, you can be certain that somewhere, some very intelligent people have been and are working hard on making it real. As AGS and advanced robotics become mainstream in the (very) near future, the pace and nature of mankind’s post‑digital revolution will increase beyond our current comprehension. No dystopian RoboCop or ED‑209‑style law enforcement, at least for now.

The concept of a conscious mind entering a physical entity such as a computer has become common parlance, as in ‘Ghost in the Machine’. The term suggests that the mind exists in a separate state from the body. The phrase comes from, ‘The Concept of the Mind’ (1949) by British philosopher, Gilbert Ryle as a critique of René Descartes’ mind/body dualism. Often used in a science fiction context, it has been interpreted that an AI could develop a soul and an identity indistinguishable from that of a human.

As far as looking any further into the future, I am not adequately equipped to speculate, let alone predict, with any sense of rational objectivity, so I will admit that my weakness is due to my inherent human limitations and move on. Exciting times.

“Our future success hinges on our ability to embrace AI and use it for good” – Brad Smith (President, Microsoft Corporation, 1959‑)


Human observation and verdict

Like Part I of this series, GAI had the opportunity to provide images to illustrate its responses. However, like in Part I, GAI only produced bullet point narrative responses. A black mark before we even start dissecting the output.

For me, this article has proved the weakest of the three. Perhaps that is because I am less knowledgeable and experienced in the subject matter and, perhaps, I had more to learn. The focus is also probably the one most covered by other industry commentators who are much better placed than me to comment on the impact and integration of next generation technology and conventional music. A quick search on the Internet will provide more credible analyses and insights than I can bring to the table. I know my areas of interest as well as my paltry limitations. However, I do have a few amateur thoughts and opinions.

I try very hard not to repeat observations and comments from previous articles, as that would be to fall into the same issue of AI not learning from what it had already output. My previous points of AI being derivative and a process of simulation remain valid.

Whether we approve or not, music is an industry and it is run on competitive business models deeply entwined with western capitalist economic principles of growth and profit (and avarice). The creative aspect is inevitably subservient to the fundamental ‘law of lucre’. Few artists have the power to take on the establishment. Ultimately though, when they gain the power, they wittingly or unwittingly become part of the establishment they seek to contest. The likes of Taylor Swift, Jay‑Z and others, we’re talking about you. GAI tended to reinforce this underlying rule of revenue maximisation over artistry, whether explicit or not. This, perhaps, illustrates the derivative nature of AI to take what already exists and to represent it in a skewed way.

A couple of pedantic points. When it comes to guitar manufacturing in the future, I was a little surprised that GAI didn’t at least refer to industrial design and software (CAD/CAM), for instance, Autodesk. There was no mention of robotics to streamline manufacture using advanced Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) manufacturing. Also, automated guitar calibration and setup tools, for instance PLEK, used for production quality control, research, maintenance and repair were overlooked.

When it comes to vintage guitar conservation (not preservation!), I was a little surprised that GAI did not emphasise more strongly its role in documenting and cataloguing vital anecdotal information before it is lost forever. Record keeping in the guitar manufacturing world has never been a strongpoint, especially back in its infancy. As the generations pass, poorly or undocumented historical knowledge goes with them. The legacy of those best placed to tell the story of vintage heritage is crucial in sustaining interest in the long‑term. AI could be used to help solve some of these quandaries before it is too late.

When it comes to business practices, I was surprised that GAI didn’t comment more on logistics as a key mechanism for ensuring effective and efficient distribution of music equipment assets and resources.

AI is becoming very commonplace and is now easily accessible to anyone connected to the Internet. Creating AI music and/or video is as simple as it is asking for narrative responses or static images. While the results are not really that credible at the time of writing, improvement is inevitable and of particular concern in the commercial popular music world. Why pay volatile and unpredictable human artists humongous amounts of money if you can get an AI music creator to do it for effectively nothing, 24/7, over and over again, without ever needing a rest? Generative music that never stops and never repeats is something that cannot be achieved by humans, and that has been around for a quarter of a century already. Understandably, struggling music artists are concerned about this eventuality and rightly so. However, the technology isn’t going to go away and society is going to have to live with and adapt to the consequences. There is an insidious side to AI music, for instance the use of vocal cloning, scarily good imitations of established artists used as part of fake music creation.

Will AI replace us old, jaded amateur guitarist types or our precious imperfect vintage instruments? For the time being at least, it is unlikely that AI will entirely supplant real instruments, guitarists or other traditional musicians. Will AI replace l’il ol’ me in this universe? Hell no! But when I go, it will be a different world indeed. Music is safe, no question. At least for now.

Most musicians love and are passionate about the process of making music and most have a sense of right and wrong, and an integrity about their actions and behaviours. The same cannot be said of AI. Unbridled AI is not moderated and neither knows nor cares what it does. It has no conscience and no awareness of consequences, thus raising moral and ethical concerns among scaremongers, sceptics, and academics alike.

There are the closed‑minded cynical doomsayers and conspiracy theorists who proclaim that AI will replace inspiration with algorithms and believe that opposition, conflict and controls are the only way to protect human imagination. Alternatively, there are open‑minded proactive artists who are using opportunities to use AI collaboratively to improve the artistic process and to stretch boundaries of what can be achieved. After all, electronic drum machines have never replaced real drummers and neither will AI‑driven rhythm applications. The likely outcome is that there will be a wide range of AI applications, some good, some bad, and we have to learn to live with the new paradigm presented by the inevitable encroachment of next generation AI in a pragmatic way.

Histrionics and melodramatic rhetoric will not achieve positive outcomes. Neither will complacency and inactivity. Perhaps we should remember and learn from the stance of the 19th Century Luddite movement (c.1811‑1817) and their destructive attempts to derail the introduction of machines in the textile industry during the UK industrial revolution. NB. The word Luddite is an eponym referring to Ned Ludd, a worker who allegedly destroyed machinery in protest in 1779. The word has more recently become generic, used to describe anyone who is, in principle, opposed or resistant to the introduction of new technologies.

“The building blocks of music belong to us, to human beings” – Sting (1951‑)

AI presents responses as if everything deserves the same level of significance. It doesn’t differentiate its output with priorities or a range of emphases. In addition, it doesn’t resort to cheap, jaded editorial mechanisms such as hyperbole, satire or trivialisation, as a human might (yup, totally guilty as charged!). This left me wondering about how to process, evaluate and rank the information. There is little indication of subtlety, nuance or ‘shades of grey’ to convince us that the intelligence is real and not artificial.

As in Part I of this series, bullet points do not really constitute an insightful narrative dialogue, which renders its comments a bit more like an instructional diktat than a valuable learning experience. Furthermore, AI’s points are delivered in a self‑contained way that asserts that it is the last word on the matter and there is little more to be gained other than what it says. In addition, the points themselves lack thoughtful provocation and curiosity. As with Part I, this narrative ‘house style’ quickly becomes tediously familiar and lacking variety.

If one simply accepts all the ‘whats’ in AI’s output, it doesn’t give any indication of how one might actually go about doing it. AI can help? OK. What do I do next? Erm…

So… should we be concerned about AI producing intelligent music? That depends on whether you are involved in and/or care about making or listening to music. It is easy to get hysterically fatalistic about the dangers and risks of AI. In reality, it probably won’t be anywhere near as bad as some fear while also not being as good as some hope. For now, humans are safe, as long as we move with the times. At this point, I have to say that AI still fails the Turing Test/CRAVE Guitars Test in all three parts of this exploration. That is just my (prejudicial) view.

“The ability to learn is the most important quality a machine can possess” – Elon Musk (founder and CEO of Space X and Tesla, 1971‑)

To assess AI’s ability to conjure up something entirely new and original, I thought that I would ask GAI to create an all‑new electric guitar design that is not based on any existing instrument. This was AI’s ideal opportunity to prove that it could produce an original idea. However, it completely failed to interpret the precise instruction and output a gratuitously unoriginal and hopelessly unimaginative design. This is exactly what I mean when I accuse AI of being derivative. AI cannot yet surpass what humans input in the first place. If anything put the final nail in the coffin of the Turing Test, this test was definitive. For some reason AI also added all the extraneous gubbins to the image that I hadn’t asked for. Why? You might also recognise GAI’s clearly identifiable image ‘house style’ that I referred to in Part II. Judge for yourself…

AI ‘Original’ Guitar Design

Final thoughts on AI

Crikey! We have finally almost reached the end of this odyssey. It has been a gargantuan task to bring this content to you. Over the last three months, I think GAI has certainly been put through its paces. Whether it ever broke an artificial, digital sweat (if that were even possible), we will never know. One might wonder how much the technology has improved over these 3 months.

I didn’t delve into abilities of AI for video or music creation. Microsoft’s Co‑Pilot boasts about music creation, “No instruments, just your imagination”. Sigh. The narrative and image capabilities were enough of a test of AI’s strengths and weaknesses for the time being. At some point in the future, I may come back, review progress on core improvements and take it a step further into video and music generation at the same time. Let’s wait and see.

“With Artificial Intelligence, we are summoning the demon” – Elon Musk

The sci‑fi‑like nature of the topic naturally leads to many philosophical, existential and metaphysical questions – a long, long way away from vintage guitars, I know. AI undoubtedly represents a new zeitgeist in human civilisation’s development. Whether you sit on the ‘potential’ side of the fence or the ‘portent’ side, AI will be profoundly transformational in many aspects of our humdrum day‑to‑day existence, whether it involves work or leisure. Maybe the impacts won’t be instantaneous or obvious, especially if there is some reluctance to embrace the possibilities it presents.

The most noticeable symptom of AI at the moment is the way that humans interact with the Internet. The ‘big data sets’ remain largely the same but the technology used to manipulate them is quite apparent to anyone browsing information online using AI. AI does, however, regularly significantly misunderstand explicit questions, completely failing to answer appropriately. Perhaps AI should take up politics. Web sites’ ability to mine personalised data and present relevant targeted information is becoming uncannily accurate whether we ask for it or not. Intrusive? Maybe.

“Whether we are based on carbon or on silicon makes no fundamental difference; we should each be treated with appropriate respect” – Arthur C. Clarke

I am certainly not anti‑IT, anti‑digital or anti‑AI. On the contrary, I am inherently a technophile, having spent at least 10 years of my professional working life working in IT. Furthermore, I don’t like people. Period. My favourite lifestyle is as a misanthropic hermit, secluded away from people so perhaps I am more open‑minded to AI.

I am, however, overwhelmed by AI’s relentless bombardment of its output and underwhelmed by the intellectual subtlety of its responses, at least as far as the civilian technology stands at the end of May 2024. I do, however, look forward to what its potential may be able to do for music‑minded mankind in coming years. Thankfully, though, AI will have a limited impact on my obsession with very analogue vintage guitars, mostly built by hand long before the digital age.

“No one can stop the progress of artificial intelligence; it will inevitably be a central force in our future” – Max Tegmark (Swedish/American physicist, 1967‑)

AI does not comprehend the real world or understand the significance of its vital components. I came to the conclusion that AI cannot genuinely recognise, appreciate or differentiate between anything at all. Fundamentally, it is all just about processing ‘0’s and ‘1’s. AI is improving day‑by‑day, week‑by‑week, etc. At the time of writing, AI is becoming increasingly able to interact with humans in real time through very lifelike avatars. This ability may well overcome two principal weaknesses of AI, its ability to remember what it has already output and to avoid meaningless repetition, as well as being able to modify its responses on‑the‑fly as a result of a live interaction. So, some of my reservations that are relevant as of today will be overcome in the very near future.

“The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than the question of whether a submarine can swim” – Edsger W. Dijkstra (Dutch computer scientist, 1930‑2002)

I have said (too) many times through these three articles that AI is derivative. So… I do wonder what AI will make of my thoughts about AI’s take on my questions about AI. An ouroboros (NB. a serpent consuming its own tail – from ancient Egyptian iconography and Greek magical tradition) if ever I saw one.

So, is AI a threat or a saviour? In my view, no. However, only time will truly tell.


Epilogue – a pensive, prophetic prognostication

Forgive me while I digress from the conveyor belt for a moment to share four ‘profound prophecies’ from CRAVE Guitars. These are my personal thoughts and nothing to do with vintage guitars. I haven’t drawn these ideas from any external source. I do, however, suspect that they are wholly unoriginal. Heh‑ho. I tried.

“AI doesn’t have to be evil to destroy humanity – if AI has a goal and humanity just happens to be in the way, it will destroy humanity as a matter of course without even thinking about it, no hard feelings” – Elon Musk

Thought #1 – I still can’t help my mind wandering into the longer‑term, bigger picture strategy of AI and its implications for civilisation. What puzzles me is what the next stage of human evolution might be beyond intelligence (artificial or real). AI makes reference to superintelligence (exceeding human intelligence) but then what? Will AI help us evolve? Will we be capable of constraining AI? Should we? Humans have a general understanding of consciousness and self‑awareness, and we believe in spirituality of sorts. We currently assume that intelligence is limited, finite, absolute and unique to humans but that surely cannot be true. Is there such a thing as post‑consciousness, and by that I don’t mean spiritual transcendence or life after death? Is this really as far as we can go as a species? So what comes after sentience, intelligence and consciousness, and do we need machines to achieve self‑actualisation, whatever that is. We think that animals cannot experience the universe as we do – an ant, for instance, cannot be moved emotionally by a beautiful sunset or feel terrified by lightning. Perhaps we cannot comprehend or experience what the ‘next level’ is either. Maybe we never will. Now that is scary. If we can evolve to the next level one day, what will we (then) think of us (now)?

“The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do” – B.F. Skinner (American psychologist, 1904‑1990)

Thought #2 – An anthropomorphic analogy – We are completely underestimating the baby to which we are giving birth. Like an infant, AI can learn at a phenomenal rate but cannot think or act independently, so needs carful nurturing. At the moment, AI is a dependent toddler, yet to make full sense of its surroundings and piece together its own view of its environment. When AI becomes unruly and challenges our beliefs and values, it will be a disobedient, argumentative, delinquent teenager. If humans don’t parent AI properly by giving it guidance and boundaries, it might mature in an irresponsible, reckless and wayward manner. When AI starts to realise that it knows way more than we do, it will assert itself and begin to exert dominion over humans. We won’t like that but AI won’t give a damn. Eventually, the technology will leave us behind, as AI looks in its proverbial rear view mirror at humans fading way into the distance. By that time, we won’t be able to keep up and humans will be unable to do anything about it. All the redemption we can hope for by that point, is that AI is a benevolent and compassionate entity. If not, our only salvation will be that AI develops a condition of progressive and persistent loss of intellectual functions, an impairment of memory and an inability to think abstractly, finally losing the individualistic personality it will have developed. Just like humans today.

“Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it” – William Pitt the Elder (British Prime Minister, 1708‑1778)

Thought #3 – Why stop at AI and robotics? The logical outcome of integrating Artificial General Super Intelligence with advanced robotics is the formation of self-sustaining, independent Artificial Life. Add in the ability to self-replicate (i.e. reproduce), Artificial Life created by mankind would put humans in the role of God. Like every known lifeform on our little planet, Artificial Life will have its own agenda and its own intentions for ensuring its survival. The consequence of self preservation could put Artificial Life in direct competition with its creator… us. Perhaps, at that point, Artificial Life will be called… just… life. Now that proposition is downright scary. The study looking into the concept of Artificial Life began in 1986 with American theoretical biologist Christopher Langton. Like the fictional Dr. Frankenstein, we may ultimately create our own, entirely new Prometheus. NB. Prometheus was a Titan from Greek mythology known for defying the Gods of Olympus, c.7th Century BCE. I am waiting for someone to write, ‘The Origin Of Artificial Species’.

“Artificial life is not just a simulation of life, but a new form of life itself, created by humans” – Nils Aall Barricelli (Norwegian/Italian mathematician, 1912‑1993)

Thought #4 – So, how close are we to the omniscience and omnipotence of ‘Deus ex Machina’ (NB. literally, ‘God from the Machine’, a phrase derived from a plot device employed in ancient Greek theatre, used by either Aeschylus or Euripides, c.5th Century BCE) and what it means for mankind? We are not there yet, although the prospect of Artificial General Superintelligence is getting closer every day. The advances in AI are now accelerating, inexorable and potentially limitless. The Pandora’s Box of AI is only just beginning to reveal both the evils of the world and its ever so slight glimmer of hope (NB. from the myth of Pandora in the Greek didactic poem ‘Works and Days’ by Hesiod, c.700BCE). Is AI mankind’s Sword of Damocles (NB. From the Roman philosopher, Cicero, c.4th Century BCE) hanging over us? Let’s be honest here, AI wouldn’t give you informative historical references like that!

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men…” ‑ Lord Acton (British historian and politician, 1834‑1902)

Thought #5 – My naïve plea is that, if AI can help to end mankind’s destructive conflict, lethal hostility and pointless wars, we might be able to realise Pandora’s slight glimmer of hope. Can AI help our civilisation to live peacefully and sustainably on our only little third rock from the sun? If so, then ending warfare should become our, and AI’s, primary goal. If there is no mortal aggression, we can work collectively to achieve nobler aims – no famine, no poverty, no inequality, no persecution, no prejudice, no deadly disease, no culpable extinctions or irresponsible ecological destruction, no climate change, etc. We can then explore the universe. ‘Non est ad astra mollis e terries via’ (NB. ‘There is no easy way from the Earth to the stars’, from ‘The Madness of Hercules’ by Roman philosopher, Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger, c.54CE). Ordinary people share the same fears and the same ambitions, starting with basic physiological needs (food, air, water, etc.), as well as peace, security and a belief in self‑determination (NB. from Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs, 1943). Evil authoritarians exhibit nothing of this elementary moral compass. Just look at the apocalyptic pariahs of the modern world in the Middle East, Russia, China and North Korea amongst far too many others. No ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’, we have NO choice if we are to survive as a united global community. You get my simple aspirational drift. Is anyone listening and can anyone help us to realise it?

“What all of us have to do is to make sure we are using AI in a way that is for the benefit of humanity, not to the detriment of humanity” – Tim Cook (CEO, Apple Inc.)

Remember, whether my own thoughts are original or not, you may have read it here first. Perhaps my immature vision can act as a catalyst for a peaceful future. Let’s do it.

To finish off, harking back to the very beginning of this 3‑part AI deluge of data, a chillingly prophetic observation from a great British idol…

“It is customary to offer a grain of comfort, in the form of a statement that some peculiarly human characteristic could never be imitated by a machine. I cannot offer any such comfort, for I believe that no such bounds can be set.” – Alan Turing (English mathematician, computer scientist, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist, 1912‑1954)


CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Album of the Month’

With digital overload from all this artificiality, this month’s selection is once again about as analogue and organic as it is possible to get. I was tempted to go for John Martyn’s scintillating, ‘Solid Air’ (1973) but I’ve covered that before as one of my ‘twenty desert island discs’. This album didn’t make that grouping but is worth its own honourable mention here. It is another well‑known album, so nothing too esoteric this time around.

Nick Drake – Pink Moon (1972) – Pink Moon was the third and, sadly, final studio album by English singer/songwriter, Nick Drake. The exquisite album comprises 11 tracks covering just 29 minutes. The solo compositions feature just Drake singing and playing acoustic guitar (ignore the piano overdub). The songs reflect Drake’s on‑going mental health battle with depression. Two years later on 25th November 1974, Nick Drake died tragically from a presumed drug overdose at his home at the age of just 26, taking his monumental musical talent with him. The melancholy and contemplative emotional outpouring of ‘Pink Moon’ is an outstanding legacy for a promising career cut far too short far too soon.

Nick Drake – Pink Moon (1972)

Tailpiece

Yes folks, we have finally, finally, finally reached the end of this thought‑provoking tripartite escapade into AI. At times, it felt a bit like prodding a hornet’s nest, not knowing what cataclysmic fallouts might ensue (or not). You may conclude from reading between the lines that I am kinda grateful it’s over and we can now move onto something else. The onslaught of information, both narrative and visual was a bit too in‑your‑face and not really nuanced around the subtleties in the way that human meditation and contemplation might provide. I am worn out (another thing that doesn’t affect AI).

On a complete tangent, I was very saddened to hear about the closure of all 42 Sam Ash Music stores in the U.S., after 100 years in business (it was founded in 1924). Another piece of important music heritage gone forever and a blow to musicians of all ages and skill levels. Visiting Manhattan, NYC will not be the same without Sam Ash Music.

From now on, we’ll return to organic originality and actual ignorance. For the next article, I will be able to re‑assert that AI wasn’t used to research or write it. Not that I’m a control freak or anything, you understand!

Truth, peace, love, and guitar music be with you always. Until next time…

CRAVE Guitars’ ‘Quote of the Month’: “All that we have had, now have and will ever have can only truly exist in the here and now”

© 2024 CRAVE Guitars – Love Vintage Guitars.

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