Is Dance Music Dead Joe - Polaroid, Wire
Says it's thriving - you just need to know where to find it
Is Dance Music Dead: Joe - Polaroid, Wire
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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 end doing interesting nights. I still think Leeds is very techno and house-driven though, with too many nights putting on the same kind of DJs and sound, but I can definitely sense that more people are finally opening up to different music, which is of course a positive thing.
What do you think of the dance music scene on the whole?
That’s a pretty broad question and difficult to answer because there are so many different genres and areas of dance music that I don’t follow and have no interest in whatsoever. But from an underground point of view I think it’s as healthy as ever! There are plenty of great DJs, labels and club nights keeping things fresh and interesting. That’s the great thing about dance music, for all the watered down commercial rubbish, there is always an underground scene resisting and striving to push things forward. It’s been said that this year could be uncertain for dance music due to the economic downturn, and while that may apply to bigger events and dance festivals, I think the smaller parties and clubs should be okay because people still need that release at the weekend.
Have you had to change the kind of music you play at your nights over the past few years?
We haven’t felt like we’ve had to change it; we’ve gradually changed it because we wanted to and moved with the times. Obviously music is always changing and you want to mirror what’s going on around you, and our thing has always been that we want to be at the forefront pushing great new music. As I said before we’ve moved on from that indie-electro sound a little bit because everyone started doing it and it’s just not exciting enough for us any more, so we’ve embraced new sounds. Nobody has taken the risks and made the kind of bookings we have. What we’re saying to our punters is, “Come and check out these guys we’re into, we think you’ll dig them too.” It has to be a subtle transition though; you can’t just change the music overnight.
Do you think the dance and indie scenes are merging somewhat?
In some respects they are. You’ve got people like Erol Alkan and Soulwax that are turning the rock kids onto dance music which has been happening for a while now, and there are great electronic acts like Hot Chip and Friendly Fires which appeal to an indie audience and bands such as Foals and MGMT from a rock background that the dance heads are digging so yeah, the scenes have merged but it’s not a new thing.
Do you think people are turning from dance to guitar music?
I think a couple of years ago people were, yeah, there was an influx of new guitar bands and the indie scene picked up and became popular, but now I think it’s coming back round to dance again. People are getting bored of identikit indie groups. You can’t tell the difference between some of them, they are just so stale and boring. They’ve been found out now. People want something different, which is maybe why acts like MGMT did so well last year.
Is dance music dead?
Well the short answer to this is no, of course not. There is a wealth of great dance music out there and lots of really exciting producers, club nights and labels. You just have to know where to go to hear it! A few years ago it was a little worrying because you didn’t see any kids getting into dance and there didn’t seem to be anyone under the age of 25 going to clubs, but that’s all changed now. The ‘Skins’ generation has come through; you only need to go to places like Wax:On or the Warehouse Project to see 1,500 kids losing it to electronic music every month. It’s not just the electro scene either, the whole minimal thing a couple of years back was embraced by the younger generation who are now maturing into deeper house and techno stuff, which is great.
Posted on Wednesday 18th February 2009
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