Going for it
It’s easy to get the impression that electronic dance music (EDM) goes at a real pace, but actually it depends a lot on the particular genre:
Dub: 60-90 bpm
Hip-hop: 60-100 bpm
House: 115-130 bpm
Techno/trance: 120-140 bpm
Dubstep: 135-145 bpm
Drum and bass: 160-180 bpm
And across the board, tastes seem to be shifting. In 2010, the average tempo of top EDM tracks clocked in at 130 bpm. Today, just 7 years later, the average tempo stands at 108 bpm – a decrease of 18%.
So what does it sound like to drive a beat along at 160 bpm? Here’s my first example, which started as an attempt at drum and bass but ended up with a strange jazz feel …
Instruments on Superschnell:
Drums: BM-Void from ujam
Synth bass, lead and stabs: Massive X from Native Instruments
And here’s a second example, also at 160 bpm, although strangely, it doesn’t feel that fast. I set out trying to get a big band feel but got completely distracted with guitars.
Instruments on Don’t Leave Me On My Own:
Drums: Studio Drummer from Native Instruments
Brass: Session Horns Pro from Native Instruments
Electric guitars: Session Guitarist Electric Sunburst from Native Instruments
Bass: VB Mellow from ujam
And there’s a third example, also at 160 bpm. I started thinking heavy rock and ended up with something much more quirky. Still, it does feel fast.
Instruments on I Feel Better:
Drums: VD Heavy from ujam
Bass: VB Rowdy from ujam
Rhythm guitar: VG Iron from ujam
Synth: Massive X from Native Instruments
Plus a real Fender Stratocaster played through Guitar Rig 5.