It has been a great year for electronic dance music. New artistes have come up on charts, top of the line artists are collaborating, then there are collaborations across different genres (Sweet, right?). Promotion of raw talent, weekly radio shows and the energy of music festivals is at an all-time high. It has all been boffo. Record labels are pushing into sub-genres more than before. There's a frenzy of EDM fans out there waiting for their favourite artists to come perform live in their countries. The envelope has been pushed to an entirely different level. Amidst the celebrations and the remarkable success of commercialisation, the PLUR culture seems to be fading away from EDM. In case the readers are not aware of the term "PLUR", it stands for "Peace, love, Unity and Respect". That's the fundamental essence of this genre. However, it appears that the PLUR vibes are going straight out of the window. There could be multiple reasons for this. No individual or organization is to be blamed, it's like a collective leap to new age music. In the transition of the industry, the most interesting character of the whole scene is the person who is flabbergasted by this whole conundrum, THE WANNABE EDM FAN. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the wannabe EDM fan, Mr Doltski.
Mr Doltski over-dresses to an extent that he is clearly noticeable in a crowd. To some, it may seem like his only goal in the gig is to reach the front row, make a hand-heart sign and blow kisses at the camera but I believe that's not it. Other than screaming "Eat sleep rave repeat", there are other things Mr Doltski does which everyone knows but no one wants to talk about.
Genres/Sub-Genres
Electronic music is vast. There's room for new genres with fusion and new styles that are introduced in different parts of the world. Mr Doltski has no favourite genre of EDM, as he usually dismisses every EDM song as trance/house. His problem roots back to the time when the poor chap felt ostracized as his boys chilled out to good old classic trance and on account of his lack of music sense, he feared that he might look like a bozo. Since then, he can safely declare how much he enjoys EDM and knows it inside out.
Guy: Check out this new song by Kygo.
Mr Doltski: I love trance so much bro!
Favourite DJ
Mr Doltski's favourite DJ changes often in accordance with who's touring his country. Other than that, the ratings of DJ Mag Top 100 DJs list highly influences his favourites. He may have not even heard the DJ's
music name, but he will surely attend the gig to upload pictures on Instagram hashtagging it with #EDMlife. Such love. Take notes on how to stay relevant.
Guy: Hey you know Martin Garrix is coming down this week?
Mr Doltski: OMG! He's the best producer.
Music Festivals
In festivals, this guy would be exuberant and won't miss out on a chance to scream, jump and exhibit bursts of energy. Intermittently, he would compare the amateur DJ with the veterans and state the obvious. He needs constant reassurance that he belongs to the place.
DJ: Thank you for coming out, ya'll..
Mr Doltski: You can never be Hardwell bro!
The great EDM dream
Mr Doltski may not have fully experienced the local music scene of his country, but he dreams of attending grand festivals of the likes of Tomorrowland and ULTRA. The obsession with Tomorrowland is only natural because every discussion pertaining to EDM leads to Tomorrowland. A regular DJ at a college event could also be responsible for sparking off the Tomorrowland debate. It is absurd but nonetheless true.
Guy: Did you attend the Sunday music carnival.
Mr Doltski: Bleh..No! but boy am I waiting for tomorrowland..!
No matter how many Facebook covers you change or how many playlists you update, people can see right through all the fake wannabe fans turning up in the crowd. No one will judge you for your taste in music if you are bold enough to accept what you prefer. We all know the Mr Doltskis of our lives. Don't worry if you do not know one currently, someday you might run into one and you will be as mesmerised as I am right now writing this. Music is a really powerful form of art, it has no boundaries. Don't let yourself be pulled into the peer pressure trap. Why would you want to be stuck in a pond of people when there is an ocean of bliss out there. Discover yourself. Don't let music confine you when it has the power to set you free. Don't be a Mr Doltski.
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