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Music

Diplo Doesn't Think EDM "Ever Existed" in the First Place

The DJ and producer simultaneously critiques and jokes about the genre.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Diplo may be one of EDM's biggest stars, but he is also not afraid to joke about the genre and its popularity in the general public.In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Diplo sarcastically criticized the existence of EDM.

"I don't think EDM ever existed to begin with," he said. "All these DJs were already big — they were already part of conglomerate management companies and festival circuits."

He also pointed out that despite the genre's mainstream popularity, other cities had established electronic music scenes for years prior to the genre's rise. "A lot of cool things were happening in dance and electronic music — you're in Chicago, so you know," he said about the city that birthed house music. "You don't need EDM to come in and save you."

This is not the first time the DJ and producer has simultaneously critiqued and joked about the genre. "It's a sinking ship. It's a really lame culture. I'm sad that I'm part of it, but I play the game," he told Billboard magazine in June.