F*ck Genres

Subgenres have always been an important part of the music industry. They generally allow artists to distinguish themselves from their counterparts and help find them niches to work in. Within the last decade or so a large number of musicians have tried to take advantage of this categorization, making it very clear that you too should separate the Beyonces from the Taylor Swifts. Now however, it seems that most DJs are throwing off the constrictions of subgenres and are instead opting to place themselves under the general term of EDM. From a business standpoint it’s a smart move. By not placing themselves into a “tropical house” or “trap” box they allow their music to be marketed to a wider audience with the hopes of increasing their fanbase and extending the reach of their tracks. In a growing industry that still has most of its roots underground the commercial success of an artist is gaining importance. The business aspect might only be part of the cause for a broader shift though, as there appears to be another, more personal reason laying below the surface. 

While dance music has consistently claimed to be inclusive and open-minded, especially regarding newcomers, there’s an undercurrent of elitism and pretension flowing through many of the facets of the overall genre. The most prominent example of this holier-than-thou attitude comes from the staunch deep house purists. In a recently published article, one such “deep house bore” went off on a long flowing tirade on how uninformed people need to stop mislabeling tracks as deep house. While in essence this isn’t exactly incorrect, the blatant arrogance flowing throughout the piece was off-putting, so much so that instead of really considering the writer’s argument, all I really wanted to do was punch him in the face. His phrasing was, at best, ridiculously callous and unpleasant.  This, of course, is coming from someone who recently has decided to try very, very hard to appreciate and respect other people’s opinions more regardless of my own particular thoughts. However, when a person writes that a lack of awareness from others makes the purists “angry to the point of self harm”, the absurdity alone makes it near impossible to respect their opinions.

Being a musician is about artistry and creativity, but no DJ is foolish enough to believe that their talent alone will pay their bills, especially in the current industry climate. Between traditional forms of media and the rise of newer outlets such as Twitter and Instagram, the importance of marketability has greatly risen, and most DJs seem to have embraced that. It then only makes sense for DJs to distance themselves from the particular groups who seem to be slowly alienating potential fans. The artistry, of course, is absolutely still present regardless of whether or not a DJ decides to separate themselves from a particular label.  But, by removing themselves from a specific niche with an overbearing and condescending mob mentality, they preserve their own image and gain a better chance at maintaining their own identity. It is, quite frankly, an important step for brand survival. After all, the “P” in PLUR stands for peace, not pretension.

By: Eliza Bigelow