EDM, Tech-House or Business Techno?

This article explores how the term EDM, along with other newer labels for club music, is used among some audiences to distinguish between authenticity and inauthenticity within club culture. The focus is on discussions in social media, with the Facebook group The Worst Techno Memes Ever Group Page (TWTMEGP) as a prime example. For many, both audiences and artists, upholding the legacy from the early days of house and techno is an important mark of authenticity. Applying genre labels that emerged later in the history of club music, like EDM, are interpreted by some as disregarding the early legacy of club and dance music. The contemporary commercial music often associated with EDM, has the potential to frame it as a loaded term. However, it remains difficult for many to define how far audiences and artists can diverge from the original underground roots of house and techno while still being considered authentic. In an analysis of online discussions that frequently ridicule EDM and other newer musical labels, I will exemplify the fluid meanings genre labels can have within club cultural communities, as well as uncover some of the complexity around upholding established ideals of authenticity in club music.