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

Says it's always evolving

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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 do you think of the dance music scene on the whole?
It’s exciting, genres are morphing together, house as a sound is really coming back, people are starting to ignore the BPM of tunes and experimenting a bit more by throwing dubstep or nu-disco tunes in the mix, which is great.

Have you had to change the kind of music you play at your nights over the past few years?
We have always played electro and house/techno I guess, but over time the electro and techno aspects have taken more of a centre stage, but we aren’t really a nostalgic night. We want to push cutting-edge music!

Do you think the dance and indie scenes are merging somewhat?
There will always be traditional rock bands like Kings of Leon and The Pigeon Detectives, but at the same time bands like LCD Soundsystem, Soulwax, Late of the Pier and MGMT are blurring the boundaries and making dance music fans appreciate the indie scene and vice versa. It’s healthy and keeps things fresh. Also Ibiza Rocks have done a great job introducing more traditional guitar-based music to the dance audience.

Do you think people are turning from dance to guitar music?
No, I think there’s room in the market for dance music, guitar music and a hybrid of the two to all live happily ever after.

Is dance music dead?
Dance music isn’t dead, it’s just always evolving and changing. Maybe electro is the sound of the moment and fidget will dominate next month but in the grand scheme of things it’s all house and techno. And there will be always be good and bad music no matter how in vogue something is, the challenge is finding the good stuff and really pushing it.

Posted on Wednesday 18th February 2009

You are in: Nightlife » Is Dance Music Dead »Simon (from People Get Real) - Wax:On, Leeds University Union