Is Dance Music Dead

Is Dance Music Dead Tom - Asylum, Mint Club

Says it's got harder

Name Tom Thorpe
Job Promoter and DJ, Asylum
Type of music played Techno, electronica, eclectic

How do you think your scene is doing at the moment?
I think the scene is doing remarkably well considering everyone is talking credit crunch. It seems people want to forget about their troubles at the weekend and go out and party. Good on them!

What do you think of the dance music scene on the whole?
The scene as a whole is going through change. It seems everything is going digital, which I have mixed views on. There are now…

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Is Dance Music Dead Glenn - The Wendy House, Leeds University Union

Says it's going through a quiet phase

Name Glenn Herbert
Job Founder and DJ, Wendy House
Type of music played Alternative rock, goth, metal, industrial, hard dance

How do you think your scene is doing at the moment?
Alternative music and rock, especially, is thriving. The industrial and alternative dance music scene is also doing pretty well. We’re at the peak of a cycle of indie and live music at the moment and dance music as a whole seems to me to be in a shallow period. But that makes it a very good time for smaller producers of dance music to find their…

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Is Dance Music Dead Nick - Dead Young Records, Jake's Bar and Oporto

Says it's more dilute, and better for it

Name Nick Simcock
Job DJ and co-founder, Dead Young Records
Type of music played Mix of indie, electro and 60s

What do you think of the dance music scene on the whole?
Like everything, it’s been blown wide open by the freedom of movement allowed by the internet. Dance as a genre is so wide now, more so than ever, there’s music made with guitars that is dance and electronic music that it’s nigh on impossible to define. People have complete freedom of influence and outlet, and as a result there are hundreds of sub-genres popping…

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Is Dance Music Dead Danny - Filth, Mint

Says never!

Name Danny Savage
Job DJ, Filth
Type of music playedHouse and techno

How do you think your scene is doing at the moment?
To be honest, we’ve never been busier. Due to the recession many people are depressed, but that makes their weekends partying all the more important. And we’re experts in making the weekend one not to forget!

What do you think of the dance music scene on the whole?
I’m loving the scene at the moment, there’s so much variety in styles and genres. We’re starting to push new concepts to add…

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Is Dance Music Dead Liam Frisco - Frisco Disco, Norman

Says I hope not

Name Liam Frisco
Job DJ and founder, Frisco Disco
Type of music played Disco

How do you think your scene is doing at the moment?
The disco scene is back, bigger and more cosmic than ever before. It’s put the fun and good times back onto the dancefloor.

What do you think of the dance music scene on the whole?
I’ve always loved the scene and knew from a very early age that I had to be a DJ. It’s good to see clubs like Back To Basics and Asylum going as strong as…

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Is Dance Music Dead Mark - Metropolis, Leeds University Union

Says never!

Name Mark Newton
Job Co-founder and DJ, Metropolis
Type of music played Drum’n'bass and dubstep

How do you think your scene is doing at the moment?
For us it’s the strongest it has been in a number of years, there is so much good music being released, and so many wicked new producers and DJs about at the moment.

What do you think of the dance music scene on the whole?
Same as always really, swings and roundabouts, some genres become cool and/or commercial for a certain amount of time, then they go back…

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Is Dance Music Dead Simon (from People Get Real) - Wax:On, Leeds University Union

Says it's always evolving

Name Simon Lister
Job DJ, Wax:On
Type of music played Electro, house and techno

How do you think your scene is doing at the moment?
As a whole, I think it’s tough. Not only because of everything that is going on in the economy, which has a knock-on effect of people coming through the door, but also the pound being so weak against the euro really pushes costs up when you’re flying artists in from Europe. But all that aside there’s some great music and acts coming through which keeps us doing what we love.

What…

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Is Dance Music Dead Steve - O2 Academy

Says it's more fragmented

Name Steve Hoyland
Job General manager, O2 Academy
Nights Vodka Nation, Pet Sounds

How would you describe the music played at your night?
Vodka Nationwide plays commercial dance, a bit of cheesy club music - a classic student night. In Room 2 they play chart and light drum’n'bass. Pet Sounds on a Saturday plays indie-alternative favourites and a few remixes of indie tracks with electro.

What do you think of the Leeds club scene?
It’s very healthy and very vibrant. It’s a lot more healthy than, say, Liverpool, where I was last year, but…

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Is Dance Music Dead John - Smokestack

Says only the superclub died

Name John Hope
Job Promoter and DJ, Smokestack
Type of music played Funk, soul, reggae, latin, 60s beat, old school hip-hop

What do you think of the dance music scene on the whole?
It’s a bit of a mix. I’m actually into loads of different stuff and like a lot of dance or electronically produced music. A lot of the commercial end of it sounds very generic to me now and is wanting for new ideas. The better stuff in that area is probably around the clash between dance and guitar-based music - The Rapture, Justice…

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Is Dance Music Dead Joe - Polaroid, Wire

Says it's thriving - you just need to know where to find it

Name Joe Morris
Job Promoter and DJ, Polaroid
Type of music played Punk disco

do you think that scene is doing at the moment?
I’m not sure there is ‘that scene’ as such, but there are definitely more nights pushing more of a disco sound now in Leeds than there used to be. We’ve kinda been doing our thing for a while now, along with Asylum to a certain extent, but there are also little parties like Lunar Jam springing up who are on a more cosmic tip, and the Heads Up kids at the heavier…

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