Introduction:
House and techno music has inspired a new culture and set of traditions and beliefs for the young people of today; similar to the way traditional religions such as Judaism, Islam and Christianity have for the lives of many individuals. So what is it that constitutes these traditional religions as ‘formal’ religions and not electronic music? One continually asks oneself this question accordingly and the answer is perhaps not as clear as one would think.
Through personal experience, song lyrics and the works of several scholars, The Religious Dynamics of Electronic Music” will analyze and evaluate electronic music and how it can be considered a form of religion in today’s modern society. In order to achieve said thesis, discovering the true definition and means of religion is essential. Another key aspect to this paper is comparing electronic music to traditional religions that we are all familiar with.
House and techno are different forms of music which really can be considered as being a form of religion in the sense that they inspire many people to reach a higher level of existence with transcendental forms of art. In fact there have been several DJ’s and musical artists who have reported a link between house and techno music. Naturally enough life has to be taken with a pinch of salt sometimes and this intrinsically means that all sorts of music can be taken to be part of a religion accordingly although sometimes this is harder to prove at an early stage. However there have been several bloggers who have continually and consistently argued that there is definitely an intrinsic link between music and religion. Some uplifting streams of techno music definitely show that this can be taken to form part of life’s little pleasures where art is concerned.
Music in its own way is surely an uplifting experience and can bring one closer to God in many ways. Perhaps house and techno music is occasionally more associated with the devil than with God and this make it seem slightly forbidding but the fact that it is a religion can be taken into account in several ways. First of all the mysterious nature of the music demonstrates a certain affinity with the physical movement of the body and this means that the music is making the body perform certain movements which may be taken as the adoration of a deity. Secondly, techno music contains certain sounds which have a lot of rhythmical elements in them and which also indicate that music dominates the mind in a certain way.
Methods section
I examined blogs and lyrics online by vocalists and successful disk jockeys (DJ’s) in order to further establish the aspects of electronic music to relate it to religions. As predicted, many scholars have written pieces on the meaning of religion and what it constitutes. One scholar who outlines the different aspects is James Dow in “A Scientific Definition of Religion”. In James Dow’s article, he thoroughly explains the dynamics of religion and the complexity scholars and scientists face attempting to define it. Dow is also very much a person who cuts deeply into the heart of the matter with regards to the intrinsic link between religion and techno especially with the Oriental influences which pervade some music. For example there are several groups which play what is determined as Goa Trance – this is a style which is indelibly linked with religious practices and observations especially when the movement of dance rituals is concerned. Musicians claim that they acquire their inspiration from a higher level and thus the argument that dance and techno are a religion becomes even more forceful.
The second piece of scholarly data that was analysed was that of Graham St John in “Electronic Dance Music Culture and Religion: A Overview”. In this text St John explores similarities between religion and electronic music through several modules. The third source being examined is a piece of primary data. Many blogs are written in mainstream society, and many people blog about their experiences with electronic music. Some academics even blog about how their own experiences with electronic music have become their new found religion. One particular blogger, Lester K. Spence, a professor at John Hopkins University explains how “the closest [he’s] come to God was on the dance floor”. By examining bloggers, evidence of the similarities of electronic music and religion will become apparent. The dance floor here could perhaps be described as being the Church where everyone comes together and where the congregation is the group of dancers who demonstrate that they are fully conversant with what needs to be done to come closer to God.
Song lyrics are also important ways and means of coming closer to God and in some of the lyrics, dance music can actually be used to praise God. This is obviously only part of the equation and we find very few songs or tracks which do that. Still they can be taken to be forms of hymns rather similar to the older prayer books which enunciated praise and worship to God in days of yore.
Results
Woodhead and Einstein (2011) are perhaps more circumspect on their definition of religion. They consistently argue that religion is only what is defined by man in a sociological context and this type of social behavior is essential for man’s continued existence. Experiences such as techno music and house music which bring one closer to God are all well and good but at the end of the day the interpretation of this kind of music is also crucially important in that sense. However one can also argue that religion is not only defined by man as something sacred and music really can bring one much closer to God in this sense. There is also the issue of the definition of a religion and how this affects the mindset. The links with musical styles such as Goa Trance and Ambient music are there for all to see and one can definitely not deny that they are there. Perhaps they are not as clear as one would hope for but they are there nonetheless.
The correlation between electronic music and religion hasn’t been thoroughly studied by scholars, however due to the high volume of media attention and interest in electronic music, it should happen anytime soon. Even the presence of electronic music at the 2012 Grammy Awards makes it evident that the popularity of said genre is increasing at a substantial rate. However that presence on its own cannot be described as having anything to do with religion although the final say is to be had by those who really take their art and music seriously. The indelible link between the tantric Hindu mantras and Goa Trance is also an issue which has to be studied in further detail and it is also intriguing to note that some of the most advanced trance music comes out from Israel.
With a new age of technology taking over mainstream culture, it is only appropriate that modern convictions are setting traditional religions aside. Through the works mentioned above and personal input, the correlation between religion and electronic music will be unmistakable. However this fact is not immediately noticeable when some musical techniques come to the fore and this is certainly an important aspect of any art which can be compared to a religion.
Conclusion:
All art can be taken as a medium which brings the human being closer to God. Obviously whether this constitutes a religion is wholly debatable and where techno and house music is concerned the differences are rather more stark and clear than in others. Finally one can also observe that every form of music can bring someone closer to God and it also depends on the interpretation of this in a way. However as argued previously several people have claimed that house and techno music brings them closer to God and with such documented evidence it is difficult to argue otherwise. The research provided is not always so clear but the link between techno music and religion is somewhat loosely proven.
References
Dow, James W 2007. "A Scientific Definition of Religion.".
John, Graham St. (2006). "Electronic Dance Music And Religion: An Overview." Culture and Religion 7.1
Spence, Lester K. “House Music Is My Religion”. NPR. July 7, 2010. February 29, 2012 (http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/2010/07/07/128364481/house-music-is-my-religion)
Woodhead, L. 2011. Five concepts of religion. International Review of Sociology - Revue
Internationale de Sociologie 21(1), 121-143.
Einstein, M. 2011. The Evolution of Religious Branding. Social Compass 58(3), 331-338.
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