8. Special artists

While listening to music may not be all that conducive to quickly or efficiently doing work, I often do it anyway. Although I've been a fan of electronic music for a relatively long time and there have always been interesting artists  to discover and love, the last few years have really seen an increase in the fan base for artists across all genres of electronic music.

No longer just for ravers.

Making a name for oneself that allows an artist to stand out from the rest of the crowd has always been a challenge. The ease with which the internet now allows artists to easily publish their work also guarantees that they must have a strong presence to compete with so many new voices. A quick look at the electronic music scene reveals that artists are now creating and living as brands to be more identifiable and these styles can be roughly broken up into three categories.

1. The Unique Performer. This kind of artist has been around for a long time and usually stands out from the crowd by either having a unique performance style or appearance. See Skrillex.


2. The Logo. There are a lot of DJs and groups that aren't hugely popular but produce good music that attracts fans from around the globe. Many of the artists that I like can easily be remembered by their custom logos that are instantly recognizable and easy to associate with their names. See The FatRat for a prime example of name and logo, or the more popular Feed Me for an icon that almost has a life of its own.


3. The Living Symbol. Sometimes an evolution of a logo, symbols often have a unique aspect to their performance or stage appearance, such as the instantly recognizable attire of Deadmau5 and Daft Punk, or the incredible stage of Pretty Lights.