A Journey into Dance Music

By: Gareth Johnson

Date:: 19 May 2011

A Journey into Dance Music
Growing up in London has been the single biggest factor on my musical journey with dance music.

London is a multicultural melting pot of people from around the globe and this ensures that we always have a rich and vibrant music scene that’s packed full of eclectic elements as we absorb ideas from each other in this melting pot of a city.

Background Music to the 70’s
London was the city that gave the world punk rock in 1977 with the Sex Pistols and the Clash. That punk aesthetic survives today as new rebels search for a means of self expression through hard hitting music. London has been instrumental in introducing new genres in electronic music to the world. The line can be traced from Jungle, Drum+Bass and Grime Dubstep to leftfield dance music pioneers like WARP records.

Discovering Jungle Drum and Bass Music
Although I am also a massive fan of rock music and guitars and love to crank up my guitar and riff away, it was dance music that kick started my interest in music production. It was the mid 1990’s, I was in my teens and I discovered Jungle and Drum and Bass.

Dance Music
I could make music using guitars and traditional instruments, but dance music was a whole new field to discover. I began DJ'ing and going to clubs to hear the sheer power of Sub bass and breakbeats through a big sound system. I attended Notting Hill carnival throughout my teens and embraced sound system culture.

I soon stopped buying records and got involved in making my own electronic music using computers and samplers. This was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with music production and composing.

Production Music
I've made drum + bass inspired by nights out at London's clubs like Fabric, and had a lifetime listening to the fantastic pirate radio stations that fill London's airwaves at weekends playing the latest emerging sub-genres of dance music.

Collaborating on Music Tracks
I've also been lucky enough to fuse my beats with some unlikely collaborators when writing production music for Audio Network, as on my Hybrid orchestral electronic album with The Royal Philharmonic orchestra.

Also, working with Audio Network means I have a global outlet for my music. I’ve watched as my albums and music clips of D+B, Hip Hop, Electro, House, Grime and Dubstep have made their way around the globe on various TV shows, adverts and games. They continue to provide a hard hitting, beat heavy soundtrack to innovative content.

We've created a special playlist for you to start with my own electronic catalogue -hope you like it. Also, you can check out this month's Audio Network dance catalogue.

London is still the main inspiration for my music, and never fails to present new ideas and fresh approaches, always changing, always evolving, and thats the way I like it.

GJ