Check out our updated article focusing on artist documentaries
Netflix offers a surprising range when it comes to dance music related content, with multiple documentaries as well as their own Netflix original film ‘XOXO‘.
I’ll Sleep When Im Dead
This Netflix Original Documentary focuses on Steve Aoki and how he grew to where he is today. It was nominated for the ‘Best Music Film’ at the 2016 Grammy’s. It delves into Steve Aoki’s upbringing, his family, his friends as well as other associated artists. If you’re not a fan of Aoki, this may change your mind.
After The Raves
This follows Tommie Sunshine around the world focusing on a different location and DJ’s each episode. He goes from Ibiza to Los Angeles, talks with DJ’s like Hardwell, Krewella, Dirty South and more, with each episode having a different story. Showing how the rave culture has impacted todays dance music scene.
What We Started
A behind the scenes look at Martin Garrix and Carl Cox, focusing on the past three decades. It also includes other individuals such as Erick Morillo, Moby, David Guetta, Steve Angello, Afrojack, Tiesto, as well as pop artists Usher and Ed Sheeran. The film delves into how dance music has integrated with pop culture. It’s a good look into the differences and similarities between Carl Cox and Martin Garrix who are arguably on different end of the dance music spectrum.
This Was Tomorrow
This documentary marks the ten year anniversary of the great music festival known as Tomorrowland. Here you learn the impact of music festivals and what electronic dance music means to the people in the business and those that part take in these festivals like Tomorrowland. It follows many individual’s experiences, featuring some artists such as Afrojack, David Guetta, Steve Angello, Armin Van Buuren and many more.
Armin Van Buuren: This Was Intense
At the end of the 2013 summer season, Armin van Buuren kicked off a fresh ‘Armin Only’ world tour, based on his ‘Intense’ album. ‘This Was Intense‘ follows Armin around the world, showing the ups and downs of being a worldwide touring artist playing sets up to 6 hours long in most cases. If you’re a fan of Armin you’ll love to see what goes on behind the scenes.
BONUS: XOXO
This is not officially a documentary, but it’s an EDM themed feature film. With an aspiring artist having booked at gig at a large festival the main plot point being a music festival, it’s quite heavily themed around dance music. The official synopsis reads; “The lives of a budding DJ, his loyal pal, a hopeless romantic, a jaded has-been and a troubled couple intersect at an electronic dance music festival“. It really is a bad movie that tried to over commercialise the already commercial aspect of the EDM scene in America. The reviews have understandably been poor. Still worth a watch if you want Hollywood’s take on dance music culture and what it takes to become an artist.
DISCLAIMER: This list was created using Australian Netflix. Netflix’s content changes due to territory. If you are outside Australia you will likely experience different dance music related content.
