5 Things from 2016 that should be left behind
2016 was an incredible year for Hard Dance music and its scene, however as always there were a couple of occurrences and irksome trends that we could’ve done without. As we roll over into a fresh, new year, it’s time to deliberate about the last twelve months as we dispose of the things that no longer benefit us. Of course it’s a given that trends come and go, and in light of 2017’s arrival we’ve taken a look at a couple of happenings that we’d like to see kicked to the kerb!
– People taking our scene for granted
With a-grade parties held each weekend and top-notch productions delivered daily on a silver platter, it’s so easy for us fans fall into the pattern of complaining about line-ups, releases, stage designs, festival set-ups, and well, anything really! Sure, being critical is a good thing as it indicates how much we care, but there comes a time where fans are guilty about complaining about the most petty shit.
Step back, and ask yourself “what would the world be without Hard Dance music?” Once you begin deliberating about how bleak your life would be without this movement and its music, you’ll surely find yourself holding your tongue next time you want to harshly criticise something.
In 2017, let’s make it a goal to embrace, love and appreciate our scene for what it is.
Read more: Real-talk – Do we take the Hard Dance scene for granted?
– The ‘over-use’ of kickrolls
I love a good, solid stream of kickrolls as much as the next raw fan-boi and can happily pat myself on the back every time I perfectly nail the kickrolls in D-Sturb’s remix of “Menace,” however, recently it seems as though numerous producers are over-utilising this feature. Sure, when used correctly, kickrolls are awesome, however it seems as though the abundance of complex percussion has overtaken other sound design techniques.
Music-wise, personally I don’t think that it’s a great idea that every single producer begins using this certain ‘formula,’ because it really runs the risk of becoming another dead-end trend that’s avoided or looked down on in the future, just like previous patterns we’ve seen in both raw and melodic Hardstyle.
This leaves me asking one important question – do we want to spend hours idiotically air-drumming at a festival? Or do we actually want to dance to music that’s much more complex than percussion and screeches?
– The pressure put on producers to stay ‘relevant’
It’s been said that 2016 has been the year of… (wait for it)… albums! We’ve seen over twenty-five albums being released this year, and not to mention, and endless supply of EP’s and singles too. All of this new music flooding the scene is truly inspiring, however it does put a lot of pressure on artists to stay relevant, thus forcing them to keep pumping out new music, even if it’s mediocre.
The fast-pace of releases and pressure that comes with it not only squashes inspiration, but also puts pressure on newer artists to release music too soon, in turn lowering the general quality. Not only that, but many artists are also trying to fight the issue of their music being ‘drowned out’ amongst all of the noise.
Let’s pull things back in 2017 and appreciate creativity for what it is, instead of turning our movement into a production line of music.
– Following ‘trends’
The most important thing that sets aside a music producer from a true artist is their ability to create something unique, and by that, I mean something that hasn’t been created before. With fans becoming more and more open-minded, the possibilities in music are endless, although it seems as though a lot of producers have fallen into the trap of playing it safe, or simply following the trends.
As we welcome in 2017, let’s embrace diversity, pushing boundaries and not giving a fuck about following what others are doing. After all, what’s the fun in listening to a bunch of tunes that all sound the same…?
– Line-ups that play it too ‘safe’
Exactly one year ago, I stated that Hard Dance music is popular enough for promoters to start taking more risks on their line-ups and include artists who deserve to take the next step in their career. This is still a point that stands. It seems as though event line-ups are predictable as ever and it’s time that organisations begin testing out wildcard artists as well as trying their luck with emerging sub-genres.
It’s time that we embrace innovation a little more: it’s time to see UK Hardcore artists at Dutch events, it’s time to see sub-genres such as Terror and Frenchcore growing to reach bigger stages and most importantly, it’s time to allow rising talents opportunities to showcase their music to a wider audience.
Let’s now take it to our readers. Do you agree that these mentioned points need to be kicked to the kerb? And what other trends have got to go? Stay tuned, because next up we will be taking a look at some things we’d love to see happening in 2017!
1 Comment
Also, the hey-hoooo ! 😀