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All genres of music were once revolutionary and experimental. Over time some enter the mainstream and slowly lose their experimental edge. Nearly all genres of popular music have followed this same pattern: rock, jazz, electronica, to name a few. A large amount of the experimental music being made today continues to generally fall under the umbrella term of electronica, though the experimental bands of the previous generation have become the mainstream of today. By examining the music pushing today’s boundaries, we can get a glimpse into the next generation of music.
Over the last half a century, music has been transformed by the digital revolution. Not only have new instruments entered onto the scene, but the entire music-making process has been changed. Recording studios have been turned into laptops; bands become their own promotional managers over social marketing platforms.
Some of the first musicians to see the potential in all of these were in the 1960s and 1970s. As analog synthesis became available, they incorporated it into their music, leading to the synthpop revolution of the late 1970s and 1980s. For the first time in history, entire pieces of music were now able to be written and performed on electronic instruments: an event that would change popular music forever.
Synthpop musicians were innovative in their choice of instruments, but it ended there. Typical synthpop song structures were no different from their pop or rock counterparts. Over the 1980s, another generation of musicians pushed electronics to the limit in a variety of subgenres. Industrial, IDM and Noise each offered their own sonic pallet, using similar instruments to produce wildly different sounds.
Review”In short, Snoman knows what he’s talking about…Snoman guides you through the daunting tasks of not only making it sound good but also getting it to the ears of the public.” – Remix
“An exceptionally well-written and researched book combining both the art and science of dance music production…All in all it adds up to quite a package, which deserves a place on any aspiring dance music producer’s desk.” – Music Tech
From the Back Cover
Whatever your level of experience, the Dance Music Manual is packed with sound advice, techniques and practical examples to help you achieve professional results. Written by a professional producer and remixer, this book offers a comprehensive approach to music production, including knowledge of the tools, equipment and different dance genres. Get more advice and resources from the books official website, www.dancemusicproduction.com.
About the AuthorRick Snoman has been actively involved in the dance music scene since the late eighties and has produced and released numerous white labels and remixed over thirty professional artists solely for the dance floor. He has held seminars across the UK on remixing and producing club-based dance music and written numerous articles and reviews for leading music technology magazines and websites.
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Electronic Music Photo
Most helpful customer reviews
33 of 33 people found the following review helpful.
 As good as, sometimes better than, the 1st edition
By Mark Alsip
I own the first edition and used it so much the book literally fell apart, partly due to cheap binding but mostly the repetitive flipping back and forth to dozens of bookmarked pages with useful technical info. I’m not a musician but as a computer programmer for 20+ years I have read more books of a technical nature than the law should allow, and on that basis I can honestly say this is the best tech book I have ever read. It’s been a fantastic introduction to electronic music production, with clear enough explanations of concepts that I never felt intimidated or “talked down to” but more than enough in-depth material that I could take my newfound obsession with music production just as far as I wanted. The included CD was particularly helpful, with a full track in each of the genres covered by the book, with the author breaking in with at least 20 minutes of narrative on each, explaining the tools and methods used in production of the track. This was crucial to me because I don’t think it’s possible to learn music by simply reading words. Being able to listen to “before” and “after” versions of a compressed kick loop gelled perfectly with the compression tips and tricks discussed in the book.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
Holy cow, this book rocks
By A.C.E.
First off, the title of this book is a little (okay, a lot) misleading. From the title, you would think it would be a light-hearted, casual intro to dance music. This is not the case. This book is like a massive compendium of every single concept you would ever want to know about dance music, or anything like unto it. The first pages are all about sculpting sounds from waveforms, and it’s not easy reading! As a matter of fact, that’s my only criticism of this book – so much of it was over my head. But what the author lacks in his ability to explain concepts to complete newbie/morons (like me), he more than makes up for with his vast amount of knowledge, and the breadth of the subjects in the book. This really is EVERYTHING you could ever want to know about dance music – how audio works, how synth programming works, dance music trends, effects, etc.
And the author doesn’t just tell you the “how”, he tells you the “why”. It’s a book for both artists and techies alike, which is a hard line to straddle. I really have enjoyed this book, and will no doubt read it again as soon as I’m done. It’s opened my eyes to soooooo much!!
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
Must have for any Dance Music Producer
By Travis J. Basso
Rick Snoman is a Dance music GOD! This book is a must must have for anyone who intends to write/remix/compose/produce dance music in any capacity. It is written generally with a novice in mind but those of us with more experience will benefit from having it as a reference. It offers an in-depth look into the major genres of dance music and covers everything from how to tweak the knobs of your synth to drum machine programming and musical analysis all the way to remixing, sampling, mastering and promotion! It is a very wide scope of information and it covers it all very well and very informatively. Anyone from beginner to pro can definitely benefit from buying this book. IF YOU ASPIRE TO WRITE DANCE MUSIC DO NOT WAIT; BUY THIS BOOK! It is like the textbook for dance music.
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