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It’s a personal, semi-secret hope/fear of mine that in the future, all music will be electronically generated. Electronic dance music, or EDM for those of us who love it, has grown tremendously in recent years and is starting to garner more widespread interest. And whether at a smaller venue like Echostage or an enormous one like DC Armory, DC is a great place to be if you’re trying to go and see your favorite artists. For those new to EDM or those looking to expand their repertoire, here are some must-haves:

1. Dear Boy – Avicii  Avicii rocked the EDM world when he released his most recent album, True, because of its integration of many other genres of music (including country) with his classic brand of upbeat electronic beats. This is a favorite off the album, featuring strong vocals and Levels-esque synth riffs.

2. The Other Paradise – Kapslap  Kapslap himself is not an EDM artist, but a masterful mashup artist, combining pop music with EDM songs that make his tracks so unique and addictive. In this track, he combines Jason Derulo’s “The Other Side” with Tiësto’s “Paradise” to create an awesome mix.

3. Under Control – Calvin Harris and Alesso  This track was released only a few weeks ago and is the most recent work of both Calvin and Alesso. Theo Hutchcraft provides top-quality vocals that are the center of the mix, while Alesso and Calvin deliver epic builds that climax into a burst of melodic energy.

4. Jumper – Hardwell  Jumper includes elements of power pumping beats, rough bass lines and trance synths to create a high-energy track that keeps the adrenaline high from start to finish.

5. Pulsar – Armin van Buuren  The top DJ of 2012 released his album Intense earlier this year, and truthfully, the entire album deserves a listen-through, but this is one of the best tracks on there.

6. No One – Project 46  Project 46 is a relatively lesser-known DJ group (just making the cut for top DJs at #100) that are up-and-coming. This is not their most recent hit, but it captures the essence of their style, and if you like this, you’ll like most of their music.

7. Legacy – Nicky Romero and Krewella  Legacy features the addictive vocals of Krewella with Nicky Romero’s signature style of electronic music: dramatic piano chords leading to a big drop into electrified bass lines.

8. A Light that Never Comes – Linkin Park and Steve Aoki  This is a fantastic rap-rock-EDM hybrid that debuted about a month ago by Steve Aoki live at Tokyo’s Summer Sonic Festival. On an unrelated-to-EDM note, this song will appear on Linkin Park’s new LP, Recharged, which will be released on Oct. 29th.

9. Echoes – Henrik B  Classic upbeat EDM song. Though it sounds a little like generic house music, the vocals and creative use of synth make it unique.

10. Reload – Sebastian Ingrosso  This is the final song that Swedish House Mafia played at Ultra Music Festival this past March before breaking up, and so it seems fitting to close out this playlist with this.

Photo: YourEDM