EDM popularity on the rise in the US. Will NY finally get a station?

[Dancerev889]

@Stationless, I just can't let you "walk away" from your comment like that. ;D

How was Pulse flawed? How was the focus narrow? Yes, they played dance music there but to my recollection they also played rhythmic in there as well (Mary J. Blige, Sean Kingston). Maybe a few recent recurrents would have been nice (within 10 years). But the one thing that has to be said. If a NEW dance station comes about, then they HAVE TO STAY AWAY from freestyle. For the demographics freestyle serves, it works better for 'KTU. But for the youth, who probably think of freestyle as their parents/grandparents music, it just won't work out this time around.

That's NOT to say however that if a new Latino/Italian outer borough based dance sound comes through that a current based dance station should ignore it. If anything, just like Hot 103 did with freestyle, a new station must HOP RIGHT ON IT should that happen. I'm just basically saying if a new dance/EDM station comes in it should mainly be current. Also, to get those sometime/casual listeners who see dance as far as what the CHR stations and 'KTU do, you need to play the Rihanna, Pit Bull, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown rhythmic aspect. Not as much as CHR/'KTU but regardless of which.

Actually, I'm one of the few Latins who loathed freestyle! Freestyle reminded me of people dropping out when I was in high school and other stupid times! I won't get into it on a radio board. So let's just leave it at that!

No, radio in those days was either rap/r&b/public enemy/gangsta crap or freestyle. At least on the stations catered to minorities. Missed were a lot of the techno and trance that was happening in the 90s and 00s. I used to listen diligently to Liquid Todd on Solid State and David Kendall on Planet Traxx. Laurent Gardnier is an absolute genius and his music resonates to this day. Fat Boy Slim had a few good tunes, as did Max Graham. I remember buying an EP from The Prodigy and then falling in love with the Empirion mix of "Firestarter".

And then there's this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLwNV4IoII

EDM is simply taking from those earlier techno artists and putting their twist in it.

When I say "too narrow" I mean they didn't go deeper into the electronic music scene and explored the other genre. It was always the ghetto dance that I've come to expect. I hate Pit Bull. I hate Beyonce. And I hate freestyle. Lady Gaga gets on my nerves! Should I go on?

I thought Pulse had the potential to make up for lost time. Maybe I was being naive, looking back. It's just too bad that city residents refuse to open up their minds. That's all!

You say you hate Pitbull and Lady Gaga gets on your nerves, well they are two of the reasons this EDM thing has taken off. Pitbull sampling a dance record and Lady Gaga got her break on dance radio. You cant compare Pulse to whats going on right now. The genre has changed drastically. Back then most dance artists were not household names. David Guetta was just coming into his own on the national scene. Dance stations had to play pop records to get a familiar feel, so that they could pull in new listeners. You have to remember listening audiences are stubborn. Most only listen to what they know and trying something new well people hate change. It is my opinion that you still need to play some pop records on EDM station but they have to fit. Just because they have a remix doesnt mean they need spins. Im pulling for Boston, but it cant be the cookie cutter approach. Its got to be unique. EDM/dance music is about personality. The demo for this genre is younger that it has been in the past and they are going to the internet to get music, podcasts and so forth, because its free. Boston needs to make them want to listen to the station. I hope they get some high energy personalities up there and blow the roof off.

Times yours

 

[TonySantiago]

Actually, I'm one of the few Latins who loathed freestyle! Freestyle reminded me of people dropping out when I was in high school and other stupid times! I won't get into it on a radio board. So let's just leave it at that!

I personally didn't loathe freestyle then. But I "loathe" it in the sense that certain people don't want to let it go and still feel that new freestyle can be huge so as long as it sounds like it did back in 1989. I'm TRYING to work on something new to gear it to the younger generation (freestyle type lyrics but with the EDM sound, definitely nothing like 1989 again). I'm not expecting the first generation to support this new sound (that I'm calling "FreeDM") but it's NOT about them. It's about the teens/twenty-somethings right now.

No, radio in those days was either rap/r&b/public enemy/gangsta crap or freestyle. At least on the stations catered to minorities. Missed were a lot of the techno and trance that was happening in the 90s and 00s. I used to listen diligently to Liquid Todd on Solid State and David Kendall on Planet Traxx. Laurent Gardnier is an absolute genius and his music resonates to this day. Fat Boy Slim had a few good tunes, as did Max Graham. I remember buying an EP from The Prodigy and then falling in love with the Empirion mix of "Firestarter".

And then there's this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtLwNV4IoII

EDM is simply taking from those earlier techno artists and putting their twist in it.

It's like every genre with their sounds evolving to something different I used to listen to Liquid Todd and stations out of Europe so I definitely know what you mean.

When I say "too narrow" I mean they didn't go deeper into the electronic music scene and explored the other genre. It was always the ghetto dance that I've come to expect. I hate Pit Bull. I hate Beyonce. And I hate freestyle. Lady Gaga gets on my nerves! Should I go on?

I thought Pulse had the potential to make up for lost time. Maybe I was being naive, looking back. It's just too bad that city residents refuse to open up their minds. That's all!

To be fair, the EDM craze was just starting to happen during Pulse 87's last days on the air. Their van WAS there during the first Electric Zoo on Labor Day and the station ended just around Halloween 2009. I'm sure (and it's probably like that now on their Internet stream) that if Pulse 87 was around now, EDM would have been a major part of things.

 

[TonySantiago]

You say you hate Pitbull and Lady Gaga gets on your nerves, well they are two of the reasons this EDM thing has taken off. Pitbull sampling a dance record and Lady Gaga got her break on dance radio. You cant compare Pulse to whats going on right now. The genre has changed drastically. Back then most dance artists were not household names. David Guetta was just coming into his own on the national scene. Dance stations had to play pop records to get a familiar feel, so that they could pull in new listeners. You have to remember listening audiences are stubborn. Most only listen to what they know and trying something new well people hate change. It is my opinion that you still need to play some pop records on EDM station but they have to fit. Just because they have a remix doesnt mean they need spins. Im pulling for Boston, but it cant be the cookie cutter approach. Its got to be unique. EDM/dance music is about personality. The demo for this genre is younger that it has been in the past and they are going to the internet to get music, podcasts and so forth, because its free. Boston needs to make them want to listen to the station. I hope they get some high energy personalities up there and blow the roof off.

Times yours

Brett,

I 98% agree with you. The 2% where I don't is that (and you know this) you have those listeners - let's say just "used to what radio has 'spoon fed' to them" and while some of what they are familiar with can go with EDM, they're still going to whine about rhythmic stuff that they want to hear but is more associated with a "house" feel than an EDM feel. So you may have to play a LITTLE more (and perhaps that's more of a New York thinking in that sense). If Evoution 101.7 is working as is for Boston, and we won't truly know until the numbers show, then definitely leave it alone

But other than that, I AGREE. And just as it can't be "cookie cutter", you still have to brand it to that regional sound. Boston fans may lean heavier with EDM sounds where the New York fan wants other sounds in there. But I will say it again, and it's because the station HAS to lean younger.....NO CLASSIC FREESTYLE. That works for 'KTU but SHOULD NOT APPEAR on such a youth oriented station.

 

[Morpheux]

The bottom line for any hypothetical dance station in NY is for it to create a sufficient revenue stream to validate being on a prime signal.Radio is a business,and will operate as it sees fit. We can play armchair PD all we want.And hey,speculation is fun but the suits and ties get that final word.

 

[Jeffrey]

I think Power 105.1 will switch over to Revolution 105.1.

You just might be right

why would you think it's a possibility Tony? I can't see New York with only 2 urban oriented stations, WBLS and HOT.
Has there been some talk of a format change on Power?

Here's the logic...

Let's say that the numbers on Evolution in Boston come off strong, or at the very least better than it's predecessor, that would be a promising sign. Personally I would like for Clear Channel to expand the Evolution concept to other cities before bringing it to New York just for the sake of having that stronger argument should Evolution do well elsewhere.

Now let's look at the cluster. CC will NEVER flip Lite-FM (the strongest station in NYC), Z-100 (strongest CHR/heritage), 'KTU (strong numbers/strong demographic W 25-54), Q-104, the ONLY rock oriented station in New York. The most likely station that it could happen to is Power 105.1.

Urban is not as strong as it used to be. Who would have thought 98.7 Kiss would flip to ESPN? You may have Power there to counter Hot 97, but even Hot has had some "struggles" as of late as the cycle of hip-hop/R&B are on the down side. Now while in theory it may not make sense to have two rhythmic based stations in the cluster, the demos of 'KTU lean older while a station such as Evolution would lean younger and target an equivalent amount of male and female listeners. That's why Power 105.1 COULD be a place for this.

----

@Stationless, I just can't let you "walk away" from your comment like that. ;D

How was Pulse flawed? How was the focus narrow? Yes, they played dance music there but to my recollection they also played rhythmic in there as well (Mary J. Blige, Sean Kingston). Maybe a few recent recurrents would have been nice (within 10 years). But the one thing that has to be said. If a NEW dance station comes about, then they HAVE TO STAY AWAY from freestyle. For the demographics freestyle serves, it works better for 'KTU. But for the youth, who probably think of freestyle as their parents/grandparents music, it just won't work out this time around.

That's NOT to say however that if a new Latino/Italian outer borough based dance sound comes through that a current based dance station should ignore it. If anything, just like Hot 103 did with freestyle, a new station must HOP RIGHT ON IT should that happen. I'm just basically saying if a new dance/EDM station comes in it should mainly be current. Also, to get those sometime/casual listeners who see dance as far as what the CHR stations and 'KTU do, you need to play the Rihanna, Pit Bull, Ne-Yo, Chris Brown rhythmic aspect. Not as much as CHR/'KTU but regardless of which.

If it were CC to take one of their NYC stations in a dance/EDM direction I can see them choosing Power 105 BUT I don't see that happening. Power is too valuable to CC. They cume quite high and they protect the clusture. New York has a huge African American population. I don't see 2 urban stations as being enough for such a large population. Most other large market cities have more than 2 urbans and we just lost Kiss FM. Sure hip, hop is on the decline but it's still popular and this is NYC and Power doesn't play all hip, hop. It plays alot of r&b which isn't on the decline. Lastly would CC really want 3 CHR type stations in 1 market, Z, KTU and the potential dance station? Too much cross over.

Evolution-Boston I don't think will be a concept CC is looking at to expand into other markets. It may be an isolated dance station.

To get dance on the radio in NYC I would think efforts would be better spent going after CBS and NOW. I see them as the best candidate. That's just my 2 cents.

 

[JerseyDude]

Cant wait to see how this Bronx based Alternative station is gonna work out. Ive never heard Alternative in any of the stores on Fordam Road,Washington Heights,The Hub (Bronx) or Mount Vernon (Southern Westchester). Dance would be better for the area the signal covers.

Ratings should be interesting.

 

[TonySantiago]

Cant wait to see how this Bronx based Alternative station is gonna work out. Ive never heard Alternative in any of the stores on Fordam Road,Washington Heights,The Hub (Bronx) or Mount Vernon (Southern Westchester). Dance would be better for the area the signal covers.

Ratings should be interesting.

Devils advocate,

The antenna may be based in the Bronx, but 103.9 won't be.

103.9 IS about Southern Westchester in terms of the suburban communities (areas around White Plains such as Harrison, Rye, Scarsdale, Hartsdale, Valhalla, Hawthorne) so THAT'S where you're going to pull in the alternative fans. Same with the suburban areas in Rockland, NJ and Nassau County that the signal will cover.

Trust me, we're not going to hear alternative at a Dr. Jay's anytime soon. For that matter, you won't even hear DANCE there either. The Hub and Fordham Road will still be Hot 97 dominant.

 

[Barry]

Evolution, the EDM channel from IHeartRadio that is being rebroadcast on an FM in Boston, can now be heard on KIIS FM HD2 in Los Angeles. The AllAccess article states that it is Clear Channel's first HD2 devoted to EDM.
The PD of KIIS, a highly popular CHR, said, ""Los Angeles is the perfect fit for Evolution’s programming because of its rich heritage in dance music, and we’re excited to bring a full EDM channel to KIIS HD2..."

 

[ansky212]

Evolution, the EDM channel from IHeartRadio that is being rebroadcast on an FM in Boston, can now be heard on KIIS FM HD2 in Los Angeles. The AllAccess article states that it is Clear Channel's first HD2 devoted to EDM.
The PD of KIIS, a highly popular CHR, said, ""Los Angeles is the perfect fit for Evolution’s programming because of its rich heritage in dance music, and we’re excited to bring a full EDM channel to KIIS HD2..."

Out of curiosity I tuned into Boston's Evolution station on IHeart and honestly after about 30 seconds of listening I had to turn it off. I can understand listening to that music in a club (I've done it), but listening at the office on a Thursday morning...No.

 

[Morpheux]

Out of curiosity I tuned into Boston's Evolution station on IHeart and honestly after about 30 seconds of listening I had to turn it off. I can understand listening to that music in a club (I've done it), but listening at the office on a Thursday morning...No.

All hell will break lose in 3,2,1... lol

 

[Jeffrey]

Evolution, the EDM channel from IHeartRadio that is being rebroadcast on an FM in Boston, can now be heard on KIIS FM HD2 in Los Angeles. The AllAccess article states that it is Clear Channel's first HD2 devoted to EDM.
The PD of KIIS, a highly popular CHR, said, ""Los Angeles is the perfect fit for Evolution’s programming because of its rich heritage in dance music, and we’re excited to bring a full EDM channel to KIIS HD2..."

Out of curiosity I tuned into Boston's Evolution station on IHeart and honestly after about 30 seconds of listening I had to turn it off. I can understand listening to that music in a club (I've done it), but listening at the office on a Thursday morning...No.

30 seconds of listening and you've drawn your conclusion on dance music and the Evolution format? Have you listened recently to Z100, KTU, NOW? 50% of what you hear is EDM/dance. Perhaps you heard a more pure dance cut but certainly you can't sample a station in 30 seconds and draw a conclusion.

I can't stand country music with it's twang and southern accents but I don't judge the entire format from listening to 30 seconds of "she thinks my tractor is sexy" or "I'd like to check you for ticks" or whatever that song title is.......

 

[ansky212]

Evolution, the EDM channel from IHeartRadio that is being rebroadcast on an FM in Boston, can now be heard on KIIS FM HD2 in Los Angeles. The AllAccess article states that it is Clear Channel's first HD2 devoted to EDM.
The PD of KIIS, a highly popular CHR, said, ""Los Angeles is the perfect fit for Evolution’s programming because of its rich heritage in dance music, and we’re excited to bring a full EDM channel to KIIS HD2..."

Out of curiosity I tuned into Boston's Evolution station on IHeart and honestly after about 30 seconds of listening I had to turn it off. I can understand listening to that music in a club (I've done it), but listening at the office on a Thursday morning...No.

30 seconds of listening and you've drawn your conclusion on dance music and the Evolution format? Have you listened recently to Z100, KTU, NOW? 50% of what you hear is EDM/dance. Perhaps you heard a more pure dance cut but certainly you can't sample a station in 30 seconds and draw a conclusion.

I can't stand country music with it's twang and southern accents but I don't judge the entire format from listening to 30 seconds of "she thinks my tractor is sexy" or "I'd like to check you for ticks" or whatever that song title is.......

Whatever I heard was definitely not something that Z100 or KTU would play. I don't mind that stuff. This was entirely electronic, no vocals. It sounded more "techno" if that's a word that's even used anymore. I admittedly am not a dance music fan at all, which is why I tuned in out of curiosity only. Not saying I wouldn't ever tune in again, but on first impression, UGH.

 

[TonySantiago]

Evolution, the EDM channel from IHeartRadio that is being rebroadcast on an FM in Boston, can now be heard on KIIS FM HD2 in Los Angeles. The AllAccess article states that it is Clear Channel's first HD2 devoted to EDM.
The PD of KIIS, a highly popular CHR, said, ""Los Angeles is the perfect fit for Evolution’s programming because of its rich heritage in dance music, and we’re excited to bring a full EDM channel to KIIS HD2..."

Out of curiosity I tuned into Boston's Evolution station on IHeart and honestly after about 30 seconds of listening I had to turn it off. I can understand listening to that music in a club (I've done it), but listening at the office on a Thursday morning...No.

30 seconds of listening and you've drawn your conclusion on dance music and the Evolution format? Have you listened recently to Z100, KTU, NOW? 50% of what you hear is EDM/dance. Perhaps you heard a more pure dance cut but certainly you can't sample a station in 30 seconds and draw a conclusion.

I can't stand country music with it's twang and southern accents but I don't judge the entire format from listening to 30 seconds of "she thinks my tractor is sexy" or "I'd like to check you for ticks" or whatever that song title is.......

Whatever I heard was definitely not something that Z100 or KTU would play. I don't mind that stuff. This was entirely electronic, no vocals. It sounded more "techno" if that's a word that's even used anymore. I admittedly am not a dance music fan at all, which is why I tuned in out of curiosity only. Not saying I wouldn't ever tune in again, but on first impression, UGH.

Everyone has their tastes and I can respect if someone doesn't like a particular sound.

My thing is, and I've said it many times, if a dance/EDM station happens in NYC in the near future, it can't TOTALLY sound like Evolution because of the diversity and followings of the New York dance music fan. Though for a current based station I wouldn't put in disco or freestyle either...a recurrent 10 years old the MAX would suffice.

 

[WBIMDJ]

Evolution, the EDM channel from IHeartRadio that is being rebroadcast on an FM in Boston, can now be heard on KIIS FM HD2 in Los Angeles. The AllAccess article states that it is Clear Channel's first HD2 devoted to EDM.
The PD of KIIS, a highly popular CHR, said, ""Los Angeles is the perfect fit for Evolution’s programming because of its rich heritage in dance music, and we’re excited to bring a full EDM channel to KIIS HD2..."

Out of curiosity I tuned into Boston's Evolution station on IHeart and honestly after about 30 seconds of listening I had to turn it off. I can understand listening to that music in a club (I've done it), but listening at the office on a Thursday morning...No.

30 seconds of listening and you've drawn your conclusion on dance music and the Evolution format? Have you listened recently to Z100, KTU, NOW? 50% of what you hear is EDM/dance. Perhaps you heard a more pure dance cut but certainly you can't sample a station in 30 seconds and draw a conclusion.

I can't stand country music with it's twang and southern accents but I don't judge the entire format from listening to 30 seconds of "she thinks my tractor is sexy" or "I'd like to check you for ticks" or whatever that song title is.......

Whatever I heard was definitely not something that Z100 or KTU would play. I don't mind that stuff. This was entirely electronic, no vocals. It sounded more "techno" if that's a word that's even used anymore. I admittedly am not a dance music fan at all, which is why I tuned in out of curiosity only. Not saying I wouldn't ever tune in again, but on first impression, UGH.

Everyone has their tastes and I can respect if someone doesn't like a particular sound.

My thing is, and I've said it many times, if a dance/EDM station happens in NYC in the near future, it can't TOTALLY sound like Evolution because of the diversity and followings of the New York dance music fan. Though for a current based station I wouldn't put in disco or freestyle either...a recurrent 10 years old the MAX would suffice.

And thats how we like our Dance here in Boston. PROGRESSIVE...UNIQUE...and INTERNATIONAL. Evolution has a fine following and deserving so. Proud of it!