Another text I found mildly helpful was Snoman's Dance Music Manual: https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Second-Techniques/dp/0240521072. I don't think its amazing, but there are some interesting analyses of specific types of EDM.
I bought this book The Underground is Massive after listening to a podcast with the author, but I haven't gotten around to reading it. Der Klang Der Familie is an awesome history of the Berlin scene.
You still in Missouri? I'm moving to St. Louis in August and trying to get connected with some DJ's there.
here's my real advice:
ignore everyone in this thread, buy some decent studio monitors (Genelec makes good shit, don't buy that crappy KRK bullshit everyone thinks is amazing) and read this: https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/1138319643/ref=sr\_1\_1?crid=2KC5F9IXVLLUE&keywords=dance+music+manual&qid=1668559744&sprefix=dance+music+manual%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-1
Seems to me like you mostly answered your own question in the second sentence.
Having said that, raving didn't start in earnest until the meeting of house and ecstasy happened in the late 80's. The watershed moment was the Second Summer of Love in 1988 which happened in UK but it's reverberations were felt across Europe.
Playing house means house in the broadest sense of the genre: everything from acid house, piano house, club house, deep house, Detroit techno and garage house , early hardcore techno, early trance, perhaps even disco related stuff like new beat and high energy. The hardcore and pre-hardcore divide is a very UK point of view to approach this question by the way. Mainland Europe (Germany, Netherlands, Belgium etc.) raving has a stronger unbroken four-to-the-floor lineage. It's not that UK hardcore, didn't happen (in fact it was massively influential) there, but the hardcore rave moment was more defined by Parkzicht sound, PCP label and R&S to name only a few important names from rave's formative years.
..and before house it was all kinds of pop/disco music, but that was a different beast in a sense. One could argue effectively there's a disco continuum where music and industry (discotheques, dj's, record labels etc) that seamlessly shifted from pop/disco to house music for the newer generation of dancers.
If you want to read up on the subject this book might be a good start.
I haven’t read them , some of my friends did Nd they highly recommend these 2
Generation Ecstasy: Into the World of Techno and Rave Culture https://www.amazon.com/dp/0415923735/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_W6G74VHTM6S0MNGW5KJQ
Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey https://www.amazon.com/dp/0802146104/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PX3VCGEM9HBWXD8CRJ4Y?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Hope you find what you are looking for there or at least they help you as starting point.
I would also check YouTube, there has to be some documentaries there as well.
Re-reading Last Night a DJ Saved My Life by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton. The one before that was A Whole Lot of History by the absolute queen that is Kimberley Walsh.
May I also suggest Tim Lawrence “Love Saves The Day” who wrote about David Mancuso & the loft parties in NYC around mid to late 1970’s that greatly influenced Frankie Knuckles, Larry Levan and many other DJs. Tim also hosts a podcast about dance music and counter culture along with professor Jeremy Gilbert that is an excellent journey into the roots of it all
That's so sick! I feel like you'd appreciate the documentary on Netflix called What We Started. There's a fascinating book I read about all this called "Generation Ecstasy". That guy goes into incredible detail.
https://www.amazon.com/Generation-Ecstasy-World-Techno-Culture/dp/0415923735
Buying music: beatport.com, bandcamp, Juno digital, traxsource, bleep.com, 7digital, boomkat
(Bandcamp is the best imho)
You can find free downloads sometimes on Soundcloud
Read up on history by getting these books: Last night a DJ saved my life by Bill Brewster https://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104
Energy Flash by Simon Reynolds
Watch on YouTube Club Ready DJ School videos of other pro/pro-level DJs in your preferred genre and style
This book helped me improve with Reason a lot. The genre-specific sections are pretty dated now, but it is loaded with great advice on sound design, music theory, and mixing.
Dance Music Manual, Second Edition: Tools, Toys, and Techniques https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240521072/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_pV1dBb1P15E5N
Obligatory mention of the Dance Music Manual: https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644
edit:/ the latest edition specifically goes more in depth on the "music theory" aspects of EDM production
Michaelangelo Matos "The Underground Is Massive" has a pretty good section about that year's Coachella and Daft Punk
Last Night a Dj Saved My Life http://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1458188909&sr=1-1&keywords=last+night+a+dj+saved+my+life
Jamaica is an amazing country.
I liked this book (well, the older version, I'd assume the new one is just as good).
http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072
Great book the I recommend to everyone starting out. Extremely comprehensive, also touches on the history and standard tropes of various genres, and is written in a very straightforward and easy to understand manner.
Read Last Night a DJ saved my life: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430873922&sr=8-1&keywords=last+night+a+dj
Read philosophy and history, it inspired me a bunch.
You've probably heard it before, but The Dance Music Manual is great for offline reading. While it's not Ableton specific, I've found it to be useful when I need a break from the monitor glow but still want to focus on music.
I started reading this book and learned a bunch in the first few pages (which you can read for free).
I don't have this book (Rick Snoman's) with me, but i read it a while back and bet it would save you a lot fo time, there's a chapter on each genre: http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644/
(that book is in the sub's Resources Wiki link in the sidebar >>>
Last Night A DJ saved My Life will give you a really good run down most dance/electronic genres and the development of their scenes from the 60s until the 2000s.
^^ this pretty much spot on. basically have a sound in mind...not a genre ...a sound. What i mean by this is that you should not limit yourself to any specific genre. Have a sound or vibe you're going for and get tracks that fit that. Then try to work them together and see how it goes. You're going to digital route so BPM matching shouldn't be a problem. Most of those books and articles will only keep you from doing what you want to do because you should be getting to know your tunes and mixing not reading. If you need some help though DJTLM's tutorials are great https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGzbySB1gPhnZuv1NZQLXCCV8p1gCQIlM Also if you want to read something check out the following history of the dj that i think is essential reading. Its a history text not a how to (though these guys did write a how to as well) http://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104
I didn't get to finish reading this because I could never find time but until I stopped I as really enjoying Energy Flash. It gives a pretty good coverage of the history mixed with the author's experiences.
This is a great book for getting started http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417712868&sr=1-5&keywords=music+production
Yeah: a bunch of the songs on my phone are off one of his compilations, along with David Mancuso and Nicky Siano. There's a great book on how that whole disco thing evolved over the '70s, called Love Saves The Day, after one of Mancuso's parties (with the obvious double meaning).
In my opinion, one of the best ways to get immersed in music aside from making it is learning the history of it. Knowing how it came about and how it influenced other genres. Especially how it evolves over time. I've been reading through a book called Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey and it's been great. Definitely worth checking out.
Yeah she's a raver too, but I think she's too uncoordinated to use gloves haha. I found a new revamped edition of Energy Flash: A Journey Through Rave Music and Dance Culture on Amazon, and I think she will really enjoy it.
Thanks for your input!
Youtube, and this book. The book will give you the theory, and youtube will tell you how to do it in Ableton.
Look up Mr. Bill and Tom Cosm. They both have a ton of awesome and free Ableton tutorials.
Whatever you do, though, don't get sucked in to paying for tutorials (exception: Tom Cosm). With a little bit of effort, you can find anything you need to know on Youtube.
Also, check out /r/edmproduction for general production tips.
Try Generation Ecstasy. Possibly a bit misinformed, but a good read nonetheless.
No problem, it's actually really common for people to ditch the distinction since in electronic music so many producers also dj and they may even have "Dj" in their name.
For production, I think the best place to start is with tutorials on youtube and a DAW (Digital Audio workstation) which is just a software client for making music. Also, if you are near a bookstore, try going there and reading this http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Second-techniques/dp/0240521072/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1310497354&sr=8-3. It is a great guide, and very thorough, but it's a bit pricey so I recommend reading it at a bookstore before you consider buying it. A lot of production is just finding your own way and style, but it is hard to overestimate the value of a good resource when you are starting out.
Also, try some good subreddits. There is /r/synthesizers, /r/edmproduction, and /r/Wearethemusicmakers. All of them are really receptive to questions, I find. Starting out you will probably have lots of questions, so don't be afraid to ask.