Electronic dance music is the product of a decades-long evolution. The first electronic instruments and compositions were introduced in the 1920s and 30s. Then, sampling and remixing became a thing in the 1940s when artists in Egypt and France began to experiment with electroacoustic tape recordings. Finally, there was the explosion of synthesizer and transistor-fueled musical instruments in the 1970s.
It wasn’t until the late 2000s that the music industry and press officially adopted the acronym “EDM” to describe the blend of percussive and groove laden music arranged creatively by DJs and beloved by fans frequenting local nightclubs and raves.
Though, the evolution of EDM hasn’t been only about the technical influences. Festival promotors have been a part of establishing what EDM is all about by redefining the concert experience that the modern music lover now expects.
One of the largest and most innovative EDM festivals is called Tomorrowland. The festival was launched in 2005 and is hosted in Boom, Belgium. EDM lovers travel from their homes around the world in order to partake in the mind-blowing experience offered by the organizers of Tomorrowland. The festival features multiple stages, some of the best EDM artists in the world, as well as elaborate, fantasy-inspired sets bedazzled with actors, pyrotechnics, and more. The overall theme of the experience appears to focus on the future, love, and our individual potential to do amazing things.
The 2015 season for Tomorrowland included festivals in Boom, Belgium (July 24-26, 2015), Atlanta, GA, USA (September 25-27, 2015), and São Paulo, Brazil (April 21-23, 2016). For detailed event information, visit tomorrowland.com.
For those of you not lucky enough to attend Tomorrowland in person, check-out these full-length performances from the 2015 Tomorrowland in Boom, Belgium featuring Hardwell, Tiësto, and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike.
