From its early development, EDM has always been associated with parties, raves, and the general club scene. Indeed, this musical genre, characterized by its high tempo, heavy focus on instrumentals rather than voices as well as the signature beat drop, are seemingly created with one purpose only: to make people move to the beat.
With all of these distinctions, we may tend to think of EDM as a rather one-dimensional form of music. After all, how can you even convey any messages, if your music is, as they say, all about that bass? But one South Florida-based DJ-Producer argues that that’s not at all the case. Meet Aaron Paul, also known by his stage name, EL3CTRXX, originally hailing from Kokomo, IN.
Today, Aaron has over 15 years under his belt as a DJ-music producer under his stage name EL3CTRXX. But his foray into the music industry had started way earlier, when he used to DJ for parties and events around his campus, back in college. In these early years, his musical style was mainly Hip Hop, but over time his musicality slowly shifted to what now leaning more into the progressive house, deep house, and elements of trance subgenres.
Aaron was heavily influenced by the EDM music scene when he moved to Southern California in the early 2000s. During this period, he was exposed to a variety of dance music. At the same time, EDM music just started to gain mainstream popularity. Acts such as Paul Oakenfold, Daft Punk, Tiesto, Paul Van Dyke, Ferry Corsten, Armin Van Buuren, and Diplo soon became household names in the industry. Aaron took inspiration from this music and began to incorporate more and more EDM in his own mixes and sound as EL3CTRXX.
To date, EL3CTRXX has booked and played countless events, including the prestigious Kentucky Derby event, The Derby Hot 100. EL3CTRXX has also amassed a significant following online, with 39,700 followers on Instagram and over 10,000 followers on Soundcloud.
For Aaron, the idea that EDM music cannot convey serious messages cannot be further from the truth. The musical genre EDM itself is actually an umbrella term for a host of subgenres with a long history that dates back to the heyday of disco in the 70s. As we all well know, disco was famously founded on the body liberation movements, thus proving that when crafted well, EDM music can convey serious messaging, just as well as about any other genres can.
With EL3CTRXX, Aaron’s goal is to tell his life story through parts and pieces of his music. Aaron believes that each and every one of us has a unique story to tell, this is why his music is uniquely his as he uses it to tell his life experiences. But at the same time, he also believes that there are elements of those experiences that people may be able to relate to. From shared emotions and connections, those elements are universal.
And that message of universality is front and center in his music. Ultimately, Aaron believes that music can unite us, that we will choose to focus on our shared humanity instead of looking for differences.
EL3CTRXX is set to release his first full-length project, RUN, this coming July 24. Follow EL3CTRXX’s on Instagram and visit his website to find out more.
