Is EDM Getting More Popular?
Jul 17 2006 Mon
9:03 am PHT
Is it just me or is Electronic dance music (EDM), and house music in particular, becoming much more popular in the local music scene? One very good evidence I have is the Power Lunch show of 99.5RT, which features DJ David Ardiente doing an hour-long DJ-mixing of house music from 12 noon to 1 pm from Mondays to Thursdays. This is in addition to his old regular show On the Decks which happens from 10 pm Saturday night till 2 am.
This is a bold move on RT’s part since by default, you can’t introduce canned advertisements on an hour-long DJ-mix show or you’ll ruin the music experience. And this is during lunch, when a lot of people are listening to FM music (as opposed to AM news in the morning) so this is one of the times when advertising revenue is pretty big. (Of course I’m not in the advertising business, so this is all just speculation.)
Even 95.5 Home Radio is into the act. Their playlist is usually a mixture of pop from the 70s to the present, but lately I’ve been hearing several sets of dance music from them. And in other stations, I’ve caught several house songs (like Bob Sinclair’s “Love Generation”) in their repertoire.
I’m pretty sure this surge in popularity started with Bonnie Bailey’s famous “Ever After”. Add to that Madonna’s Confessions on a Dance Floor album released late last year, I think that 2006 will be a banner year for EDM in the country.
The first half of the year saw a lot of high-profile DJs playing Manila. Number 1 and 2 DJs Paul van Dyk and Tiësto played to huge crowds back in January and March. Then Kaskade (my most favorite house music producer) and Chicane rocked in April and May. And last month, former Hed Kandi head honcho Mark Doyle and Ms. Bonnie Bailey herself performed at the World Trade Center. (Among all of those, I only got to see Tiësto. 
Comments
Comment times are in Philippine time (+0800).
1
On 4:56 p.m., 19 Jul 2006, drei wrote:
i love club music. fave ko ngayon love on the run and pink life, and semi gusto ko ang love generation. hehe!
sayang mamaya may invite sana ako sa isang event sa embassy, kaso may cinemalaya ako sa ccp.
2
On 2:13 a.m., 20 Jul 2006, seav wrote:
some of my recent favorites are kaskade’s “steppin’ out”, hard-fi’s “hard to beat”, and chicane’s “stoned in love”.
cinemalaya vs. embassy? it shows na mas movie freak ka. hehehe.
3
On 10:10 a.m., 20 Jul 2006, drei wrote:
the shorts i watched last night in CCP were really really great!! every film was excellent!! i’m proud of our intelligent filmmakers! (boo to star cinema, mother lily, joel lamangan, carlo caparas, etc!!)
i have the complete album of hard-fi, but they’re not club/house. my real favorites now are high and dry (jamie collum), one (mary j blige), always on your side (sting and sheryl crow), marami pa ata. hehe. i just got copies of kaskade mp3s. hope i like them!
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On 9:26 p.m., 29 Jul 2006, Carl wrote:
Hey, I surf your blog from time-to-time (mainly because we have the same taste in music) and I’ve noticed the same trend! I wrote about it on my blog too.
Besides RT, RX and Magic are also starting to play more electronica and house on their regular playlists. There’s also a pirate broadcast(?) on 107.9, Underground Radio, which plays 24-hour dance music.
A couple of DJs playing San Fo house have also been to the Philippines the past month, they played at Embassy. Next week another DJ will be at Phi in Metrowalk.
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On 8:46 a.m., 4 Aug 2006, seav wrote:
drei, let me clarify that, i like the axwell remix of hard-fi’s “hard to beat”.
so how do you find kaskade?
carl, actually, i’m not sure if the 107.9 station is licensed with the NTC or not. i’ve know someone has been broadcasting from that frequency from several years ago. but back then, i think it was mostly hip-hop and R&B music they’re playing. too bad the reception from my house and office is bad.
boo on RT. i haven’t heard the power lunch program at all this week. (the lack of advertising revenue probably got to them.)
8
On 12:40 p.m., 4 Aug 2006, Carl wrote:
Hey Seav! Yup I remember the hip-hop station a few years back. I’ve been testing out the frequency, you can only get good reception for 107.9 in the Ortigas/Makati area (it breaks up once I get to Katipunan). Definitely a pirate broadcast.
I was so disappointed once I tuned in to RT for Power Lunch and they were back to regular programming. We should get in touch with the station to let them know there’s a regular fanbase.
I liked the Axwell remix of Hard-Fi too (as well as the original alternative version). Kaskade’s really good but old and getting overplayed. Try Gaelle’s album “Transient” and Miguel Migs’ “Nude Tempo One”, those are the latest additions in my collection.
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On 11:42 p.m., 5 Aug 2006, UnderGround Radio wrote:
107.9FM UnderGround Radio Manila is a community based low power radio station we play all types of dance music..This station was put up to help new DJ’s get thier music heard..so if anyone is interested in getting thier music heard just email us undergroundradiomanila@yahoo.com
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On 2:56 p.m., 2 Apr 2007, Arv wrote:
UnderGround Radio was on again today!! i’m just new in house music.. glad there’s a station out there for people like me… i do hope they stay on 24/7… any hopes for that?
11
On 1:52 a.m., 29 Aug 2007, madmutt wrote:
underground radio manila…you guys make my day! i do hope you can feature local DJs…
12
On 3:09 p.m., 11 Sep 2007, Victor Borlaza wrote:
Yeah I listen to 107.9 underground radio manila as well. i think the NTC is on a witchhunt for those who are broadcasting at that frequency. i started listening to them when they’re still 107.1 fm. I think NTC got them shut down so they rebroadcast at 108.0….now they’re in 107.9.
I like the remixes of Jacques Lucont (Thin White duke) on Mr. Brightside and Royskopp’s What else is there. Those two are the top played items on my i-tunes. Also check BT’s Emotional Technology album.
13
On 12:15 a.m., 24 Nov 2007, rialbbe wrote:
when i stay around Makati area for a vacation… i listen to 107.9 U Radio (also known as UnderGround Radio Manila). i know it’s a low power FM station and commercial free station. but can reach until tagaytay. maybe it depends on the radio you tune or cellphone with FM radio. i know U Radio thru my friendster searching for any new station via the internet. plus i like Club music. in Iloilo, few station plays Club music over the air wave (all club in Iloilo plays EDM). but i was a station manager in one of the radio in Iloilo. i venture in Club music from 7–9pm in our radio program daily. it pick up good and boost our revenue. I was kind of disappointed of Mega Manila radio stations that focus only on there profits not on the balance on their programs… stop non-sense talk over the airwaves… i’m not entertained… for me, i listen to FM radio cause i’m looking forward for a station that can listen to and enjoy. now this days FM is like a AM band station. but talking in English rather than in Tagalog. no personal hurt feelings guys… now, i’m out of the radio for now to pursuit my goals in life. but i wont be long and i’ll be back even it’s only a part time job on radio soon…
YES… EDM (electronic dance music) getting more popular!
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On 1:43 p.m., 28 Jan 2008, geyzelle victoria wrote:
i could hardly understand the website of 107.9 whenever they flag the address on air. can anyone help me find out please. ’been texting the number they also mention but no reply. i really love HOUSE MUSIC and i want to support this station—dif’rent kick for party lovers!
15
On 11:25 a.m., 30 Jan 2008, seav wrote:
geyzelle, I can’t understand the URL either. And they haven’t linked to it from their friendster account, so I can’t help you either.
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