Anyone who knows me knows that I love electronic music. (And if you didn’t, then you surely didn’t know me nearly as well as you thought you may have.) I’ve been listening to it for a very long time, long before Timbaland and Madonna thought it cool to infuse electronic beats into hip hop and release it upon the public. There’s far more to “techno” (though I cringe at that term) than La Bouche and Sandstorm . . there are a mass depth of subgenres, artists, and wide variety of styles any fan of music can find that just happens to have a BPM well higher than most other genres of music. It’s unfortunate that mainstream radio doesn’t pick up on electronic music, because it is a new type of music (new as in the past few decades) that is far under-appreciated and represents one of the most dynamic and versatile forms of music out there. Only classical music can rival electronic music in complexity–only a full orchestra can match the emotion evident in electronic music. For some, the lack of vocals is a problem, and sure, electronic music with extremely in-depth lyrical tracks can be hard to come by–but with dance music, it’s much less about vocal expression than about bodily and emotional expression.
When friends approach me about electronic music, it’s most often about finding a good resource to listen to and find new electronic music. So luckily for you, I’ve pulled together a few resources that you can check out, for free, through the amazing power of the internet. I’ve even reviewed some of the electronic music radio stations, such as those on XM and Sirius, for those who already have access to these excellent resources to learn about new music.
Online Radio and Podcasts
Tiësto’s Club Life - If you’ve never heard of Tiësto, then it’s about time you have. He’s the world’s most successful DJ and for good reason. A grammy nominee, dutch citizen, and honored as one of the Netherland’s top citizens of all time, he has DJed for the Olympic games, written songs to fight AIDS (Dance4Life), and remixed me for the likes of Britney Spears, and even Disney (with a remix of the Pirates of the Caribbean Theme Song). Tiësto’s MySpace page has a small sampling of his music; I’ll personally recommend the track “Elements of Life,” which is the namesake of his world tour and one of my favorites. (And call me a sucker as a DJ, but hearing a crowd cheer like that during a song makes me all giddy inside!) Luckily, Tiësto is an extremely prolific DJ and hosts a weekly radio show called Tiësto’s Club Life. It’s available both online and as a podcast, so if you have an iPod or iPhone, you can have his show automatically downloaded each week. I’ll highly recommend him–it’s great music to drive to and especially to run or work out to–nothing like a fast BPM to keep the heart going and the mind motivated!
Matt Darey - Though not nearly as well known as Tiësto, Matt Darey is one of the most significant names in electronic music for his help in founding the Trance Music genre. Just like Tiësto, he hosts a weekly radio show called Nocturnal which is available both online and via podcast.- Digitally Imported - Otherwise known as DI.FM, Digitally Imported is one of the best resources online for a wide variety of electronic music across a range of styles. It’s all free, though you’ll have to sit through the occassiona
l commerical break–but it saved me from a boring summer of work in 2007, and introduced me to a great mass of tracks I’d never heard before. DI.FM also has a great forum community which is extremely helpful whenever you need to identify a track you may have heard once or twice before, or just need a recommendation.
Satellite Radio
XM Radio’s BPM (Channel 81) - XM Radio’s BPM is one of the premier places to go for new electronic music. In addition to the mass of DJs who host shows throughout the week on XM, including Tiësto andMatt Darey (whose radio shows are also listed above), as well as Chris Cox, Benni Benassi, Johnny Budz, and many others, XM plays old and new electronic music that is usually pretty great. If you listen to BPM nearly 24/7, like I was for a time, you’ll find that there are quite frequent repeats, but it sure beats any other radio station out there in terms of quality. Not to mention it’s commerical free, but that’s what you pay the premium for. You can still check out a Free Trial of XM for 3 Days by going onto their website and listening via your browser–check BPM out and let me know what you think!- Sirius Radio’s The Beat and Area 38- I listened to the Beat f
or quite some time this past spring, as well as Area 38, Sirius’s trance channel. The Beat, which plays more of a mainstream collection of electronic music, plays hits from today as well as songs from the past decade. To be honest, it bores me–which is why I turned to Area 38. Area 38 features Trance artists and deep electronic music more heavily–but to be honest, it can’t beat XM’s BPM and so I stopped listening to it a while ago. You can still sign up for a Free 3-Day Trial, though if it’s this or XM BPM you’re choosing between, I’m go with BPM.
Special BONUS!
Keep checking back here in the next few weeks for the premiere of my very own electronic music show and podcast. Brought to you by your very own DJ Hopscottch, I’ll introduce you and all your friends into the world of electronic music one hit at a time. I know you’re just as excited as I am! 
I hope these resources find you well and that they provide many, many hours of upbeat, fun listening. All the best and til next time!
Scotty
