Electronic music is constantly shaped by new ideas, fresh interpretations, and an ongoing dialogue between artists and their audience. EG’s 2024 interview series gathered a range of pioneers who offered perspectives that shine a light on the future of the scene—its boundless creativity, the role of AI, and the collective drive to amplify overlooked voices. Here are some quotes that stood out.
Sasha
“I’ve always gravitated towards the same kind of sounds—melodies, kind of ethereal, sometimes melancholic. I’m always drawn to those sounds, and I try to inject as much as I can into my DJ set without it turning into a shoegaze thing.”
WhoMadeWho
“Go on. Never stop dreaming big.”
The Blessed Madonna
“The second you start thinking about money when you’re making music, God leaves the room.”
Eli & Fur
“Missing someone is not always negative. Having someone to miss, or missing great memories is so positive.”
Stefano Noferini
“Music is art, and while AI can assist, it cannot replace the human soul and talent. I sincerely hope that it will never happen.”
ANNA
“What has encouraged me is the love I have for what I do. I never pursued this for any reason other than love. For many years, most of my career actually, I played for little money at small parties, but I was having the time of my life. So, my advice is to always do what you truly LOVE. Passion is the key to enduring and thriving in the long run.”
Sydney Blu
“I want to get as many women and gender non-conforming producers making music and signed to labels as possible through my ‘Change the Beat’ organization. This is how I give back to help equalize the industry.”
Niki Sadeki
“As a female artist in this space, I’ve faced moments where I felt like I wasn’t being seen or heard in the way I deserved. There’s this balancing act of being authentic on social platforms, yet feeling like my message doesn’t always resonate as I intend it to. This EP was a way for me to channel these experiences, to transform the frustration, the misunderstandings, and the need for authenticity into something tangible and musical.”
GIGEE
“Be unapologetically yourself. You deserve to be where you are, and you always need to be your own number one fan, cheering yourself on.”
Seth Schwarz
“My take is this: we have to focus on our core communities, making them healthy and finding our own place and nourishing the ecosystems connected to our musical tribes. At WeR1, we value the creative genius that has been given to humans, and we are building a music streaming platform that rewards all layers of creativity—transparently and directly. We hope this will secure a role and life for human music producers in the automated times that seem to be rising exponentially.”
Nastia
“We believe that artists who make music should be able to live off their work.”
Ruben Karapetyan
“No matter how much better AI can do in terms of production compared to me, I don’t think a machine can make and express all the emotions that we express through production.”
OXIA
“I think that creativity must continue to come from the heart. AI does not have a heart.”
David Morales
“Don’t force yourself to make music. It’s not a job; it’s an adventure.”
Wally Lopez
“Enjoy making music, enjoy the process of releasing it, and never take ‘no’ for an answer.”
Jackmaster
“It was about feeling hyped and inspired in the club. Sadly, those moments are rare now. Blame the phones and people who don’t dance, I think. I am so grateful for my fans, but I got into music because I love dancing. It’s a lost art form at the moment, I think.”
James Harcourt
“The number one key to resonating with peers and crowds alike is making music that only aims to please yourself, not someone else.”
Ninshū
“The present is a miracle and that’s where true life pleasure and common sense can be found.”
Justin Jay
“Learning and developing are integral to the creative process, and it’s easy to neglect putting in that time.”
Ten Walls
“If you listen to electronic music, especially anything from the underground scene, and you are already supporting LGBTQ+ art, keep doing that. And never let politics into the music scene. Peace, Unity, Love, and Respect are what our dancefloors are built on.”
Brian Cid
“The purpose of my music is always to empower people with uplifting energy and a deep accompanying story.”
Rafael Cerato
“I mean, the music needs to stay the center point of the experience, and visuals add something on top and not the opposite.”
Stavroz
“The visuals should support the performance and the band, not vice versa.”
SAAND
“I wanted to give people the opportunity to listen to electronic music to calm themselves down rather than hype them up and hopefully, that is exactly what it will do.”
Dave Clarke
“From my generational and musical purist perspective, cultural colonialism is creating a boring, depth-free monoculture. We must prioritize authenticity and rebellion over empty spectacle.”
DJ Hell
“The great power of electronic dance music is still sending out messages without any words.”
Fejká
“The dynamic of rising and falling within the scene is becoming more intense.”
