Electronic music has several barriers that separate it from other musical genres. Like any sub-culture it’s got its own comprehensive vocabulary of descriptors; drum and bass, dub, trance, jungle, electro. The difference here is its hard lined adherence to the electro cultural isms, almost exclusive in their approach to the genre and its sub genres. As an artist you are designated by the intensity of your kick drum, the intensity of your breaks, and the range and depth of frequencies you explore.

Also exclusive to electronic music is its wayward definition of what music is, which sometimes borders on noise. Often without any apparent background in music theory, many of these artists approach their medium with a blank slate, ready to create a blazing whirlwind of crunching insanity without any regard for the past 100 years of popular music which is available in a record store near you. It’s liberating, it’s transient and it’s a blast beat to dance to. Their influences are exclusive, the sub genres defining the approach without need for influence from other musical styles, contemporary or otherwise. It reflects only itself and the street culture that birthed it.

People who are into electro are dedicated, keeping alive the rave culture of the late eighties and early nineties that saw it garner international recognition as a movement in music, and even here and Ottawa you can still see those classic club kids keeping it alive with their dreadlocked mixed of urban and eco-sheik style.

In this post modern age of music, I do believe, that the general rule is anything goes. I admire the experimental aspect of any musical style, and so I must admire the square-pushing, (so to speak) out of the box thinking that electro can inspire. On the other hand as someone from a punk rock, garage and rock and roll music background, I find myself guided by different forces. It’s very hard for me to disconnect from the standards. I grew up on the Beatles, and even at their most experimental, there is still an underlying current of the blues and folk music they drew influence from. For me the current runs deep.

What I think electronic music often fails to do, is use that box, the simple formulas rock, pop, blues, funk and punk have set in stone, to build music that is both progressive and available (there are of course plenty of exceptions to that, but were talking street level electo, the purists). Availability is, in my mind the key to making music that everyone can enjoy. Not just niche based genre music, but classic building, making timeless musical art. Applying everything 100 years of modern music can teach us, all the guidelines that have proven effective to have the power to get people moving, with rhythms and melodies that get trapped in their heads, and vocal arrangements that force the listener to pipe up and sing along, participate even when they don’t know the words.

While indie rock has harnessed the power of the electro beat, the chaos pad, and the arpeggiator to bring fresh fire to the punk and rock we all know and love, I can’t help but feel like electro still has its guard up. That said here is my personal challenge. June 13th I’ll be performing my first electronic set, live @ Café Dekcuf. My goal; satisfying the electro heads, making something that fits the genre and all its exclusivity, while at the same time bringing all my more traditional influences to the table. Fusing classic funk beats, with square wave leads, ambient synth soup with rock-blues vocals, punk jams with aggressive tweaked out pads.

It’s an experiment in thinking outside of my own genre, and people might love it or hate it. None the less I invite you to come check out my set at the Arts Social, June 13th @ Café Dekcuf. With me will be Ottawa’s own prodigy of the sample bank Liar's Rosebush, who’s CD I’ll be reviewing later in the week, and also the Boy Scout Killers, Ottawa killer electro promotional assassins, who have been known to put on a sick Tuesday night party at local hotspot the Mercury Lounge.

Hope to see you there.