Electronic dance music in the Asian-American community is one that has diverse traditional and modern musical influences. Particularly musical influences that have roots in reggae, techno, trance and break-dancing. It emerged as a reaction against traditional American forms such as country, western, R&B, gospel, jazz and pop. This sub-genre evolved with the growth of the ‘rave’ movement in the United States.
There are many examples of electronic dance music in the Asian-American community. Examples include karaoke-style songs, hip hop, techno, trance and progressive house. In the UK it is also known as rave. In the United States, the term “breakcore” was popularized in early 2020.
Asian-American and other people of color who grew up during the 1980’s saw an emerging culture of breakdancing, a fusion of reggae music and rave music. This sub-genre gained popularity in the San Francisco Bay Area, which became one of the main centers for breakdancing. People who came from this region often called this style of break dancing “San Francisco-style”.
This sub-genre of break dancing is not recognized by most people as a sub-genre, but rather an extension of rave. People who practice it claim it to be its own genre because different styles influenced it. However, it is not a part of the international break dance community and is therefore sometimes underground. Unlike rave, there is very little chance of gaining recognition in the mainstream media.
Electronic dance music in the Asian-American community has a distinct sound due to the presence of techno beats in break-dancing. Many people have heard of it, but most people don’t know what it is.
Asian-American break dancing music has a unique sound, unlike most other types of break-dancing music. It has a more distorted sound than other types of break dancing music and has a high pitched drum beat.
The style of break-dancing one may hear in Asian-American music is “freestyle”. That means performing without any pre-planned choreography. The dancers wear their hair up or tie it back. There is no one central leader. People who practice break dancing in the Asian-American community have become quite talented.
There are some dance halls that served the purposes of teaching break-dancing in the Asian-American community. The halls usually hold approximately 500 people in a single room.
In some clubs, the invited guests have dance gear to wear such as hats, shoes, and masks, so that they can easily identify with the club atmosphere. In some clubs, the dance floor has all types of electronic music, including hip-hop, techno, jazz and break-dancing.
Break dancing in the Asian-American community is becoming more popular each day. As it gains popularity in the mainstream, the dance parties continue to grow and become more popular.
