The events of the Michigan Electronic Dance Music Association (MEDMA) aren’t for the faint of heart. The beat gets in your head — so rhythmic that it almost seems to match your own pulse. With a twist of a knob, the DJ controls your every move, as the crowd sways in sync with the cadence. But this song is probably something you’ve never even heard before.

“We want to raise awareness of electronic music on campus, just to get people interested in this different genre that’s not really publicized too much on the radio,” said MEDMA president Sean Masters, an LSA senior.

MEDMA was founded back in 2005 when a few friends decided to spread their love of electronic music across campus. Today, the club has grown to over 70 members who actively work to expose students to a wider range of dance music. And after procuring some equipment of their own, MEDMA DJs began spinning at countless house parties and frats, introducing hundreds of students to subgenres of electronic music — an introduction that is usually met with gleeful surprise.

“Fraternity parties are fun because you have a bunch of people who maybe didn’t come to listen to electronic music. You have people who just came to have a good time,” Masters said. “We had a ton of people come up to us to say, ‘Aww man, I love this. How come I didn’t know about you guys before?' ”

Granted, obscure electronic dance music isn’t without its dissenters.

“Of course, you always have the people coming up to us asking for 'Like a G6,' " Masters said, "but they’re still a blast."

MEDMA DJs put a lot of thought into mixing music and crafting beats that will stay with partiers long after the lights have gone up.

“People listen to artists like Ke$ha and they don’t really think about who’s making the actual beats," Masters said. "In the electronic music world, the person that is actually making the music is the centerpiece."

Techno, and subsequently modern electronic music, was locally grown in Detroit. According to Masters, Detroit techno was originally meant to be very thought-provoking. The scene was inspired by the repetitive beat created by the industrial machines found in automobile factories, and soon found its way from the Midwest into clubs worldwide.

Impulse, MEDMA’s main DJing event, takes place on the second Thursday of every month at Necto nightclub. Though Necto is generally the place to go when a person wants to dance to the dulcet tones of Katy Perry, during Impulse, MEDMA takes over Necto’s Red Room so its DJs can showcase their talents and range of tastes in electronic music.

In addition to putting on events, MEDMA cultivates fledgling DJs and gives lessons to due-paying members. While some join MEDMA with DJing experience, many learn from veteran MEDMA DJs. And after they practice spinning at various house and frat parties, they too are able to DJ at MEDMA’s premiere events.

“Its kind of a steep learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not that bad,” Masters said.

The first (and the most pivotal) step when it comes to mixing electronic dance music is called “beat matching.” This is what keeps electronic dance mixes transitioning smoothly so dancers reveling in the music won’t break their rhythm.

“If you imagine two cars on a highway side-by-side, it’s like getting those cars lined up and going the same speed," Masters said. "So you’re trying to line up the beats, so when you move from one song to another, you can’t really tell that you’re transitioning."

LSA senior Alex DePorre was one member who mastered DJing during her time at MEDMA. While a sophomore, she joined the group despite being an electronic dance music rookie and now DJs events on a regular basis — including MEDMA’s monthly soirees.

“The first time I DJed Impulse, I was so nervous," DePorre said.