by John Bear
Daily Lobo
Electronic music has more subgenres than just about any other style of music.
There's the easy-to-remember stuff: techno and house, heard ubiquitously throughout America. It plays on commercials, at nightclubs and on the radio.
And if you ever find yourself hanging out at a house full of DJs, things can get even murkier. I had a few friends of friends who spun vinyl, and referred to themselves as house DJs. On more than one occasion, I found myself listening to the unending debate over what kind of house music is thumping through the PA system set up next to the kitchen.
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"Personally, I would label this as deep house," one would say.
"You're crazy," another would interject. "I agree that this is deep, but it is definitely more tech house in my opinion."
Then they would look at me trying to scratch on the turntables while yelling "hip-hop, hip-hop" and invite me to leave, an offer I inevitably refused.
I thought it all sounded the same, personally.
But it's not true. There is far more to electronic music than banging techno beats and pacifier-sucking club kids. Nevertheless, banging techno beats tend to get a vast majority of the airplay, so it is easy to come to the conclusion that there is little variety to be had.
If you feel this way, but have a desire to hear the diverse array of electronic music that exists out there, then the Oscillation 5 electronic music festival has got you covered. Twelve electronic bands, all from New Mexico, will converge on the Cell Theatre on Friday night.
Kent Wilhelmi, one half of the synth pop duo RAM, said the electronic music scene is largely ignored, but Oscillation 5 will celebrate the style.
"It's kind of like our big holiday," he said. "There's definitely a community. Not just rock. There's a lot of electronic music here."
He said electronic music fails to be as recognized as genres like rock music because it is not always as accessible.
"It is not all rooted in pop music," he said. "Rock and world beat is all live. A lot of electronic music isn't in real time. I can't play everything on my computer live. That turns some people off."
Many of the groups scheduled to perform incorporate live instruments into their shows, however. Wilhelmi, for example, has a live drummer in RAM and plays keyboards for Diverje, another group slated to perform.
This year the festival will feature two bands onstage at a time. Wilhelmi said this is the first time they have done this and calls the change "versus sets."
"It's a little more interactive," he said. "We can fit more bands on the bill."
He said the bands can do what they want while they share the stage. One band can go, then the other. Or they can battle one another. There are no set rules.
The show will be somewhat similar to a rave party, Wilhelmi said.
"It's kind of like a rave," he said. "Not all the flashing lights and banging techno music."
He said the show will be a lot more intimate and experimental.
Joining RAM and Diverje will be Autopoesis, Brian Botkiller, Enigmatik, Leiahdorus, Noir Effect, Ohmiscience, the Wake Six, Unnatural Element, Vertigo Venus and Worm.
