Why is electronic music so often presented as dance music?

I think it goes without saying that most of us here on rock and pop have only been exposed to the more conventional, popular electronic music of today, and maybe some early innovators like Kraftwerk and Klaus Schulze; I also think that, as with most genres of music, there are unquestionably gems out there that most of us simply haven't heard, or won't be exposed to because it ISN'T mainstream.

You're making some pretty broad assumptions, which aren't necessarily untrue, from your perspective; however, I think I can solemnly say that there's a lot to hear that many of us haven't heard.

BQ: Eno, probably, although I'd recommend Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, and Schulze to start off with.

Boards of Canada are a modern electronic experimental band, and they're pretty amazing. Steven Stapleton has some good albums, too.

I don't know. I mean it is that way in mainstream music but I've found a lot of electronic music that isn't dance music otherwise.

BQ: Moby has incredible variety in his discography. Sure you have some dance stuff, but you also have Electronica, Ambient, and more Alternative Rock influenced stuff.

Because that's whats most mainstream. You hear way more Lady Gaga (hear me out, I know she's pop, but she's got a lot of electronic in there) than you do Portishead or Massive Attack. And even MGMT, after they took that turn away from dance-friendly electronic, they lost all their mainstream recognition. Get what I mean?

BQ: Probably the new and improved MGMT. Or Massive Attack :)

I think it is a combination of the Trance of the 70's with the New Wave aesthetic of the 80's.

mainly because thats what dance music is classified as, and what the media descrbes electronic music to be. i guess.

theremin is electronic, and it is not used in modern dance music. i dont know what theremin players are classed as. it takes quite a bit of talent. and there are bands which use electronic music to produce progressive, stoner, and metal tunes.

bq - clara rockmore, zombi

clara rockmore - valse sentimale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEl4zCQBv2c

zombi - legacy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd7dCIiqNe4

dardiablo - apache chicken

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO8jpzCEerc

and here classic electronic music from 1950s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMOeufghC4I

well electronic music is basically a beat and something to add "spice" to it and most people find it better to dance to a single beat cus its simple and you can dance basically anything to it. i think its related and considered dance music because its catchy, and people dance to catchy things but in my opinion electronic music, as something to dance to... isnt good. it feels weird dancing to it, and some of the sounds the samplers make annoy me a little... but there are some artist that use electronic music in other types of songs, for example Radiohead used almost exclusively electronic beats and samplers in the "Kid A" and "Amnesiac" records, also the smashing pumpkins used electronic music in "Adore" and guns n roses used it in "Chinese Democracy"

There's lots of great Techno no matter what you want to do with it.

BQ

Velvet Acid Christ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff7_cwQS5eE

I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY MAKE IT THAT WAY ? BUT, I CAN'T STAND ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC! I THINK ORIGINALLY WHEN ELECTRONIC MUSIC STARTED IT WAS PRETTY DARK AND BLEAK ,THAT IS IT WAS THOUGHT TO MAKE IT MORE LIVELY;( PERHAPS COMMERCIAL).

CHECK OUT THE 70'S BANDS SUCH AS: TANGERINE DREAM, KLAUS SCHULZE, CONRAD SCHNITZLER AND CLUSTER.

yeah, like the chick above me. mainstream = more people who like it = more people who make it.

and anything psy-trance.

check out shpongle, 1200 micrograms, entheogenic, hallucinogen, infected mushroom, etc etc.