Pop idol Gloria Gaynor (you know, the lady who sang the ever famous ‘I will survive’) once said: “There’s nothing to compare to live music, there just isn’t.”

But in music as we know it today, that very statement can be questioned. In fact, many Dance Music lovers might even disagree.

The past few years have seen an influx of Dance and Electronic Music. It has become massively popular amongst wide ranges of social and lifestyle groups. From Trance to Dub-step to popular song remixes, Electronic Music knows few bounds. This is great,  but what has it done to the Live music industry?

In truth the majority of younger people would sooner pay money to jam the night away to heavy dub-step or dance like no-one’s watching to popular house tunes than to go watch a new band perform live. In my opinion no amount of beats, loops, synthesized sounds or clever mixing and mastering will ever be able to encapsulate the raw quality of live instruments and vocals. But it’s not just that, it is to be able to watch and engage with present, emotional beings getting lost in the music they are creating.

I’ll admit, however, that I am a Dance music lover. Just like live music makes you want to uncontrollably sing along, dance music really does live up to its name. When I hear the sounds of dub-step or the drum beats of drum and bass all I want to do is party the night away- and do it dancing. Whilst I’m not a fan of popular song remixes, you can’t deny the crowd it pulls, and the fun they have dancing and singing along all in one.

One thing must be clear. Just like you get good and bad live performances, you get phenomenal dance music and very, very average dance music too. The art in this kind of music, is not just about slapping sounds together, remixing a popular song or having the ability to mix and master. It is rather about understanding sounds, rhythms, timing and many other smaller details.

Often the DJ’s who are able to render us goosebump-full are those who understand music in all its forms, those who mix, alter and create on the spot. This though, i feel, should be considered to be a completely different genre all together. Dance music from the likes of many popular DJ’s is all pre-recorded and mixed on programs such as Logic.

The magic happens when prerecorded sounds are mixed and altered on stage, creating a new experience for the listener every time. One must consider that this could fall under the definition of what live music is. An artist such as Imogen Heap is considered a live artist but she also pre-records many of the tracks she uses and then alters them on stage. It is in this way that the lines of Dance and Live music are sometimes blurred. That’s just lovely if you ask me.

Other examples of this are the ways in which many live artists have begun mixing live vocals with electronic backing. This is specifically popular overseas with artists such as Lana Del Rey, Niki and the Doves but also with old time favourites like Faithless and Madonna.

Just the same, many artists such as Goodluck, Goldfish, C.9ine, Kid Fonque and Mi casa make use of what Goldfish calls on their fan page “the genre defying mix of live instruments.” Live music will never be extinct. Believe that. There will always be a demand for acoustic sounds and live performances. Trust me when I say that live music devotee’s aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Dance music is an extensively growing genre and so will only continue to do so. Looking on into the future I think one can continue to expect to see the emergence of a new Live/Dance genre. A genre which technically already exists in the performances of both many local and international artists.

In cheesy terms, yes I will even say it for you. Love is a lot like dancing- you just surrender to the music. If music- of any genre, be it Dance or Live music- makes you feel this way…  you only have to let your bias go and enjoy.

WORDS: Sarah Robyn