Microtonal Tunings in Electronic Dance Music: A Survey of Precedent and Potential

While numerous contemporary composers have explored the endless possibilities afforded by microtonal tuning systems, Western popular music has hitherto rarely ventured from the harmonic comfort zone of 12-tone equal temperament. This article highlights an unlikely exception to this trend in the emergence of a community of microtonal electronic dance musicians, and examines how changes in technology, culture, and distribution might have led to its development.