It has taken a while but I think that one defining characteristics of house (techno with hats), would be how the sound space is not a model of a real music setting. It does break this rule by morphing landscapes, but that just proves the utility of the convention. Somehow the hats usually hit dry, right in front of some pads or whatever with reverb. One way to understand this is to remember that this music is for FOR DANCING.
Maybe the drum machine is a reflection of our vital systems and the rhythm of our cardiovascular social lives, routines, anticipation – our emotions. There is that rumour about how because our ancestors held their breath in order to avoid prey, when we breathe deep and long, it reverse engineers a connection between our fear and our lungs, which allows for the intervention of our conscious will based on our ability to foresee the downside of our instincts.
Okay, then so take that knowledge of the connection between our emotions and bodies and apply that to the drum machine, the pads, keys, and fx – then take those tools and combine various creations into a full presentation; oh yes, we shall travel with our spaceships.
Rhythm is the single defining characteristic of all musical genres. Some may disagree, but in my view, sounds that have no rhythmic content can’t really be classified as music. Periodic motion is at the core of our beings. From the beating of our hearts and the complex set of motions involved in walking or running, to the slower circadian rhythms of our daily existence, cycles rule our lives. Our term for musical tempo, the “beat”, is reflective of this. Percussion was our first form of musical expression and remains one of the most fundamental.
Dancing has also been with us for a very long time and seems to fulfill a basic human need for non-verbal expression. It is perhaps another way of expressing the rhythmical nature of our existence and melds with music to form an organic whole.
I think music and dance will be with us in one form or another so long as we remain human.
Some great stuff on this thread! 