Electronic music has long been entangled in a debate about its humanity—whether it lacks the “soul” that traditional acoustic music embodies. However, as history has shown, electronic music is not detached from human expression; rather, it continuously interacts with historical and cultural narratives, reshaping the way we perceive sound, memory, and identity. From the early drum machines like the Roland TR-808 to modern synthesizer-based music, electronic sounds have evolved from mere functional tools into carriers of nostalgia, cultural significance, and artistic innovation.

One of the most striking examples of electronic music’s transformation is the Roland TR-808 drum machine. When it was released in the early 1980s, it was considered a cheap, artificial alternative to real drummers. The machine’s rigid quantization and synthetic drum sounds lacked the microtiming and organic fluctuations found in human performance. Because of this, many in the traditional music industry dismissed it. However, the TR-808 did not disappear. Instead, it found a second life in genres like hip-hop, house, and techno. For early pioneers in these genres, a cheap yet powerful tool for production was preferred. This historical background introduced them to the drum machine and its futuristic sound.

Another way electronic music gains its “soul” is through the use of samples, where producers incorporate fragments of existing recordings into their compositions. Renowned artists like Daft Punk, Jamie xx, Fred again.., and The Avalanches have mastered this technique. I remembered that in a Pitchfork interview with The Avalanches, the group mentioned their passion for western movies, and adopted the horse sound as a recurring sample in their album Since I Left You. This approach demonstrates how sampling is not merely a technical tool but a form of musical storytelling—one that connects generations of sound and reimagines stories behind the artists.