One of the categories that is most influenced by digital
media is the electronic dance music (EDM) industry. Sometimes even referred to
as this generations, “Rock-n-Roll,” EDM has swept America up in its sound and good vibes unlike anything we’ve seen since the late 60’s. This type of music has been
around for decades, but with new technology and ambitious young producers, the sound has evolved. More
importantly, with digital media, there is now a way for these artists to spread
their music throughout the world with one click of button. With thousands of
different producers in many different sub-genres, it is hard as a listener to
get a complete knowledge of all the unique types of music that is being
created. That is where the site, “Dancing Astronaut” comes into play.
Dancing
Astronaut is in its simplest terms a music blog, with around 10 or so bloggers
posting new music that has been circulating the world wide web. However, it is
much more than just song posting; on their staff is a number of photographers (seven are listed on the site) who attend different shows and festivals and post pictures to the site, as well
as journalists who attend festivals and provide a unique 1st-person,
unbiased experience from the performance. What makes the site so successful is
the respect that big names in the industry have for the writers, thus making
the fans trust them as well. All of the content is placed in a “list” format in
which the different posts are highlighted by a brief preview on the specific
post and with a full article if you decide to proceed further. This allows for
swift scanning through the website for those who knows what they are looking
for, but also an easy process for those that are new to the site. (Here is a example post regarding a festival that includes pictures and captions: Electric Zoo Recap)
What
truly sets this website apart from the hundreds of other music sites is that
they cover every sub-genre of the mass EDM world, giving the reader a unique
experience every time they visit the website, and allowing Dancing Astronaut to
appeal to a much wider range of users. Another interesting aspect of the site
is in depth interviews they conduct with DJs of all styles, mostly including
songs of the interviewee to introduce readers to new sounds. A final aspect of the site that digital
media has played a huge part in is the news and updates the site provides
regarding incredible events on all corners of the globe, some are large
festivals, others are intimate club events. With this, readers can listen to a
song they posted on the site a few minutes ago, and then look around and find
out where that DJ is playing next.
(An article on a pressing issue in the EDM world with comments from a top DJ: LBL Button Pushing Comments)
(An article featuring an up and coming DJ in a interesting sub-genre: Andy C Interview)
Basically,
Dancing Astronaut provides the internet with a one-stop site for users to find
out about the news in the EDM world and the most recently created music from
internationally known DJs. The reason that it is so superior to other sites of
its kind is because there is no need to go to other sites if you have Dancing
Astronaut, as you can find virtually everything you need to know right there.
Here is the link to the homepage: http://www.dancingastronaut.com/
If you want to see a website that is similar but does not
execute as well as Dancing Astronaut, check out: http://www.fromdjs4djs.com/
