15 Essential Electronic Music Movies & Docs

Electronic music and its culture have been around for quite some time—over 30 years, in fact. Although the scene has evolved, certain aspects about the parties and the music remain the same. We cannot turn back the hands of time to experience how things were back then; however, we’ve come up with a list of essential movies and documentaries to round out your knowledge of the origins of the music and its exciting lifestyle. The following docs provide the hard facts about the DJs and producers that shaped electronic music into what it is today, while the movies allow you to feel what it was like to actually be a part of the scene. From Vegas, Chicago and Detroit to international destinations like London and Berlin, each city and party present a critical piece in the history of electronic music. Clear your schedule, and happy watching!

Pump Up the Volume: The History of House Music

Release Date: 2001 | With: Frankie Knuckles, Ron Hardy, Marshall Jefferson | Type: Documentary

This documentary covers the rise of house music in the US and the UK, when house DJs took hold in Chicago and New York after the death of disco music. Interviews with the Chicago greats (Marshall Jefferson, Jamie Principles, Frankie Knuckles) and UK movers and shakers (A Guy Called Gerald, Pete Tong, Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox) provide an in-depth look at how they created the music, and how the music made it from vinyl to club sound systems.

Hi-Tech Soul

Release Date: 2006 | With: Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, Richie Hawtin, Jeff Mills | Type: Documentary

What Pump Up the Volume is for house music, Hi-Tech Soul is for techno. It illustrates the struggle of Detroit as a city and the magic that lives in the streets that gave birth to techno music. It’s a truly honest and frank account of the conditions that ultimately define Detroit and its people and the music scene that thrives there.

Paris is Burning

Release Date: 1991 | With: Dorian Corey, Pepper LaBeija | Type: Documentary

Jennie Livingston creates a piece that looks into the lives of New York’s marginalized society of transvestites and gays in Harlem. The documentary takes a look at the different “houses” (groups) that would compete at a pageantry show under different categories—most posh, most seductive—which would be one of the few highlights in their lives. It’s the trials and tribulations of a people who were looking for a platform to express themselves amid their situations of poverty. Although it’s not necessarily about electronic music, Paris is Burning provides insight into a portion of New York nightlife in the ’80s, setting the stage for famous clubs like Paradise Garage and other parties that promoted the freedom of expression and identity.

Groove

Release Date: 2000 | With: John Digweed | Type: Movie

Groove is definitely a feel-good movie that portrays the San Francisco rave years at their finest. It details from start to finish what it was like to attend a rave in the late ’90s, from receiving directions in a random parking lot to the chill rooms filled with plush beanbags and candles. With a cameo from the great John Digweed himself, Groove may be a bit cheesy, but overall, it accurately depicts the feeling of attending raves and the afterglow of positivity they leave behind in the people who experienced them.

It’s All Gone Pete Tong

Release Date: 2005 | With: Paul Kay, Pete Tong, Carl Cox, Paul van Dyk | Type: Movie

It’s All Gone Pete Tong is a fictional story of renowned Ibiza DJ Frankie Wilde, who abused his ears from constant gigs and eventually lost his hearing. His loss of hearing—paired with substance abuse—led him to fall from high regard into obscurity. The movie follows him through the height of his career to the darkest depths, as he tries to relcaim his reputation and overcome his deafness. This film gives a good look at the nightlife and style of Ibiza, an island famous for its farmhouse-turned-club parties and gatherings of peoples just wanting to let loose.

Richie Hawtin: Slices Feature

Release Date: 2011 | With: Richie Hawtin | Type: Documentary/Interview

One of the innovators and pioneers of the second wave of Detroit techno, Richie Hawtin is an enthralling figure who wears many hats. Famous for his music, the parties he threw in Detroit, and his Plastikman concept, Richie Hawtin is one to know in electronic music. Slices takes an in-depth look at his life and work to figure out the genius behind the madness.

Party Monster

Release Date: 2003 | With: Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green | Type: Movie

With Michael Alig’s release from jail, it’s probably a good time to educate yourself on his legacy. Although there is a documentary on Alig and his group of “Club Kids,” the theatrical take is quite accurate and entertaining. Macaulay plays the gay, flamboyant “party monster” Michael Alig, who took the clubbing world by storm. Hosting legendary parties at landmark clubs like Limelight and Danceteria in New York City in the early ’90s, Alig implemented shock value to the furthest extent. People came in outrageous costumes, dressing as who they wished they could be—until the fun ended with the murder of Alig’s drug dealer, “Angel” Melendez.

Human Traffic

Release Date: 1999 | With: John Simm | Type: Movie

Human Traffic is a comic narration of one young man in his 20s and his friends’ lives in Wales. Tired of the monotony of their day-to-day lives, going out on the weekends and listening to electronic music is a form of escape from the dreariness they all look forward to. This film gives a perfect shot of why dance music exploded in the UK after crossing the pond, as well as the club culture that evolved from it.

Berlin Calling

Release Date: 2008 | With: Paul Kalkbrenner | Type: Movie

Loosely based on a true story, Berlin Calling is a special movie that not only showcases a sliver of the Berlin party scene (which is known today as a techno mecca), but also the life of a DJ/producer struggling to come up with creative spark among the partying and drug use. Paul Kalkbrenner, who provides a spectacular soundtrack to boot, plays the main character.

Under the Electric Sky

Release Date: 2014 | With: Headliners and various DJs | Type: Documentary

Insomniac takes the Electric Daisy Carnival Experience up another notch with Under the Electric Sky, an immersive 3D adventure that really goes behind the scenes of America’s biggest music festival. Interwoven with anecdotes from today’s most successful DJs and the fans themselves, this film takes a look at what brings 300,000 people from around the world to enter the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the time of their lives. There is an inside view at what it takes to put on a festival of such size, with interviews from Insomniac’s own Pasquale Rotella. A camera follows him and the team around as he makes executive decisions to enhance the festival, guaranteeing festivalgoers the ultimate music experience. There are a lot of reasons why EDC Las Vegas is a benchmark for all festivals of any music genre, ranging from the level of production it entails to the talent and fans that come out, and Under the Electric Sky explains it all.

Modulations: Cinema for the Ear

Release Date: 1998 | With: Moby, Derrick May, Giorgio Moroder | Type: Documentary

This film literally goes all over the world to capture what the electronic dance music scene really means to people. From Tokyo to London, Frankfurt to Moscow, you can’t get more comprehensive, historic coverage of the music than this documentary.

Don’t Forget to Go Home

Release Date: 2006 | With: Luciano, Ricardo Villalobos | Type: Documentary

When the wall came down in Berlin, there was one thing Germans from both sides came together for, and that was techno. Berlin, a stark industrial playground resembling Detroit, became a hotbed for clubs and parties. Here are the anecdotes of the people who partied, as they attempt to describe the craziness.

Kraftwerk and the Electronic Revolution

Release Date: 2008 | With: Kraftwerk | Type: Documentary

The iconic electronic “krautrock” band Kraftwerk were most definitely ahead of their time and served as an inspiration for countless DJs and producers. Kraftwerk fans will enjoy the complete run-through of the krautrock era and Kraftwerk’s experimental music turned to the electronic.

Moog

Release Date: 2004 | With: Robert Moog | Type: Documentary

Robert Moog (rhymes with “vogue”) is perhaps one of the most important people in electronic music. We may go as far as saying that without him, we may not have electronic music as such—or arrived at it in a very different way. This documentary celebrates the man who developed the Moog synthesizer and pioneered electronic music through modulation. Today, many producers covet the rare Moog synthesizers for their productions.

Maestro

Release Date: 2003 | With: Larry Levan | Type: Documentary

Larry Levan is a New York City legend, holding a stint as a DJ at the famed club Paradise Garage. Full of party theatrics, unbelievable track selections, and open to making all kinds of people feel welcome, Levan paved the way while Frankie Knuckles (the godfather of house music) still had his training wheels on.