its not danceable at all but this billain song has no kick and is inSANE. anyway. there definitely are moments in shows when breaks can work very well, and sometimes not dancing is necessary. sets from dutch house artists in 2013 that had ZERO breakdowns or pauses were honestly exhausting, and not in a good way haha.

i think i'd keep in mind that you were at EDC. sets at festivals are just /going/ to be more dance-oriented most of the time imo, especially at one as geared towards EDM as that (not as a dig). i think that for a lot of DJ's there's pressure to play stuff that people outside their fanbase will like at festivals vs goin on tour. personally, i dont think u should let it get to you. so many of the most meaningful moments in music to me are the emotions evoked through absence, and i think that losing out on that is too bad. make music that's you.

I think it depends on what you're trying to accomplish with a set. Imo everyone should just play what they want and we'd all be much better off.

Electronic music has come a long way in the last five years in terms of being accepted as a serious form of music though. It's okay to loosen up and do things the way you want. Create and perform however suits the message you're trying to get across, even if it means having less girls with hoola hoops show up. I think the "playing for the crowd" mentality is becoming more and more obsolete. People go to shows to see their favorite producers now, not just to dance to whatever DJ's playing that night. It's not a background gig anymore.

To hit on the original topic more directly, I think keeping drums throughout a set is exhausting and boring. The point of a crescendo is to release the energy that's building; if your set's at 80% during the verses and breakdowns, it'll feel monotonous. Taking drums out forces people to focus on the melody and beauty of the music.

1:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFCPOwsxK3Q

I mean he has moments like that in plenty of his songs, but just as a quick example.

its not danceable at all but this billain song has no kick and is inSANE.

I can hear the kick in that. It's weak, but it's definitely there (at least in the first half); it's interesting how a near-silent kick is still able to make its presence felt on the track as a whole even when you don't consciously notice that it's there.