All music has labels attached to it. But no style is as dependent upon those labels as dance music. It’s a result of the performance model, where DJs play mostly songs created by other producers, rather than their own compositions. Furthermore, the music is meant to be seamlessly mixed together, creating a single musical experience greater than the sum of its parts. Because of this, music is gathered and sorted by the nuances of the sound, rather than simply a listing of the songs. A band might be able to play an upbeat rocker or two followed by a ballad in concert. But a club DJ can rarely take such stylistic liberties. He is expected to select a style and stick with it, letting changes evolve slowly, and never veering too far from the central sound. This is essential to both the clubbing experience on the immediate level, and the DJs reputation on a wider scale.
via Medium.
