Electric Empires: From Countercultural Movement to Corporate Enterprise

This article explores the emergence of the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) subculture, and how it transitioned from being perceived as a deviant subculture into a more legitimate culture industry. Using a historical analysis of documents, interviews with industry professionals, and ethnographic observations at EDM events; we explore the process by which this transition occurred. As we argue, the defining features of the EDM subculture also laid the foundations for outsiders to commodify the movement as a culture industry. We identify the concept of "subcultural appropriation" as the mechanism by which the movement's politically dissident features were removed, and its place as a multi-billion dollar industry made possible. Long adherents to the subculture we interviewed, noted that this rise in popularity came at the cost of feelings of solidarity and commitment to core values of the subculture. We conclude with a discussion of how this study addresses limitations of the culture industry thesis, and argue for its continued utility to the study of subcultures and social groups.