Do you think the electric guitar fits well into EDM/Dance music?

[Fullmetal123]

There's just something about the tone of the electric guitar that for me doesn't make it fit. I love both Metal and do enjoy some electronic music, but when I hear bands/DJ's try incorporating some form of distorted guitar into a dance beat, it seems out of place for me. For example, I just watched the Modestep promo Ibanez has on their website (Reviewing the RGDIX), and the parts where he plays over the dance beat just doesn't sound good in my opinion.

The only time I ever heard distorted guitar's and dance music work was the collaboration with In Flames and Pendulum. It was DnB, which is faster dance music, which I think lends itself more able to feature guitar.

What you guys think?

 

[The Mirror]

There are really tons of examples of metal / heavy guitar mixed with Dance Beats.

From more obvious ones like Nightwish's Wish I Had an Angel to kinda experimental stuff like Subway to Sally mixing german Folk Metal with Dubstep.

Especially the heavy instrumental part (2:35 onwards) is pure dope.




Of course it can work.

 

[prlgmnr]

There's a nice bit of subtle guitar in Dirty Epic by Underworld. Fat of the Land era The Prodigy had a few bits.

Full on distorted guitar riffing maybe not so much.

Breakbeat Era probably the best blend of guitar and drum and bass I can think of.

 

[Rizzo]

Just ask yourself "why not". There are no rules in music.
Also, check out Igorrr, an ex-metalhead who got into breakbeat \ breakcore. Especially the album "Hallelujah". Tons of crazy stuff there, you won't be disappointed.

 

[oc616]

As some examples...

The Qemists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqBe-jS-XCk

Pitchshifter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGcdcVblZ-8

Fear Factory (Hatefiles remix album): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbwV-xjpy5E

 

[bostjan]

I've heard it done tastefully, but I've also heard it done awfully. I've tried my hand at it a couple of times myself, and what little feedback I've received on it was positive.

Many many years ago, my cousin and I played at a party. I think it was the first time I played my RG7620 out, so, it must've been 1998. Anyway, we were set up with a Boss DR-5, two seven string guitars, and bass. The goal was to have fun and get people dancing, nothing more, everything was totally improvised on the spot, and we never did it again, but it seemed that people enjoyed it.

 

[andawe]

I really dig what the guys in Fyer do with it. their cover of "closer" buy the chainsmokers is pretty awesome.

 

[Chokey Chicken]

Pendulum did a sick track with In Flames. It fits, but not all the time.

Hell, pendulum's live show was great in general. By far the best electronic act, and they had proper instruments including guitar and bass. (though maybe not heavy, the question was about electric guitar.)

Edit:. Can you tell i didn't read the second paragraph of op?

 

[Hachetjoel]

Infected mushroom /thread

 

[Science_Penguin]

Absolutely. Electronic music is like Metal in how adaptable it is to so many other styles and instruments, and dance tunes are no exception.

It's all a matter of how you blend it- sometimes it feels like a natural addition to the song, and sometimes it feels like they just called a guy in to play guitar over an already finished song.

A few examples I like:

David Bowie's Dead Man Walking
Celldweller's cover of Tragedy by the BeeGees
Amaranthe's Electroheart
and Sugizo's Messiah

 

[thraxil]

As someone basically raised on 90's KMFDM, NIN, Laibach, PitchShifter, etc. I can barely even comprehend how this is a question.

 

[Mattykoda]

I think you just have to do it right like uppermost

 

[iamaom]

 

[Fullmetal123]

I think you just have to do it right like uppermost

That's pretty damn cool how they do it. Thanks

 

[Fullmetal123]

As someone basically raised on 90's KMFDM, NIN, Laibach, PitchShifter, etc. I can barely even comprehend how this is a question.

Yeah I know it was super popular in the 90's to mix heavy guitars with dance/trance/house beats (Can't forget about Rammstein!). But I meant it in a more modern EDM context, and even now people are still doing it. But the point was to ask, do you think it meshes well? For me it's yes and no.

 

[Andrew May]

Engines of Creation by Satriani

 

[7 Strings of Hate]

I think it can and does, but the guitar is not the main instrument like normal bands but a flavor and texture.

 

[bhakan]

So maybe I'm the one misinterpreting OP's question, but I don't think anyone's doubting the ability to successfully blend guitar and electronic elements. I can't however think of any time I've really heard guitar and EDM blend in a way that I liked (however I'm not really a fan of EDM in general so this could be my own bias).

I think guitar blends well with electronic when the electronic music has a slightly more lo-fi or organic edge to it, but the super synthetic sound of EDM has always made live instruments over top sound out of place to my ears.

 

[fortysix_and_2]

 

[Bloody_Inferno]

So maybe I'm the one misinterpreting OP's question, but I don't think anyone's doubting the ability to successfully blend guitar and electronic elements. I can't however think of any time I've really heard guitar and EDM blend in a way that I liked (however I'm not really a fan of EDM in general so this could be my own bias).

I think guitar blends well with electronic when the electronic music has a slightly more lo-fi or organic edge to it, but the super synthetic sound of EDM has always made live instruments over top sound out of place to my ears.

The nature of EDM instrumentation is that their super produced hi-fi frequency makes it hard for live instruments to keep up. Sonically, a synth bass is always louder than a real bass guitar.

Since Satch's Engines Of Creation was mentioned, I loved that album. Though one of the major reasons why it works sonically was because Joe wasn't using real amps, but using the high tech DI plug ins of the time, and even feeding his guitar through synth simulators. Almost all the guitars have that synthesized tone, thus fitting the music better. Until We Say Goodbye being an exception of using a real amp and a real drummer, but a good indication of the sonic shift throughout the album.

This is why I respect Juno Reactor and Sugizo (Juno Reactor guitarist) so much. With the amount of production of their music, the guitar (and all the live instruments for the matter), fit so well. Though what compensates in sound, Sugizo will have guitar parts that fit the music, usually in a subtle matter or a sparkly single coil tone.