I got an interesting email in the inbox yesterday. It’s from a friend of mine who’s been catching up on the contents of this fine blog. He had one thing to say that particularly caught my attention…

“You should seriously start a dance music news site. You just don’t give a shit about upsetting the big names. Fuck knows the press needs it!”

Hmm. I’ve given thought to the idea more than once. I’ve always considered the dance music press to be utterly sycophantic and lazy. They don’t pursue stories that they know will upset some people and many of them are far too close to the action in order to report on it in an objective manner.

We’ve seen it with Resident Advisor recently writing about plague raves in Mexico whilst taking a 12.5% take of the tickets for aforementioned events.

Or the scandal that surrounds Derrick May? Journalists from all over dance music should be pursuing this story with vigour, maybe even aggression. Instead, it’s left to a small number of people like myself to do it – because the press has absolved itself of the role.

Everything that I’ve been writing about Sterling Void since at least July 2019? That should have been followed up by numerous publications. He should have been exposed and his reputation utterly destroyed. Instead, he remains in his position today.

I’ve definitely considered the idea of running a full on news website, with a regular supply of news and opinion that would be an absolute must read. There’s just two problems I can see…

1. How to finance the whole operation. Sectors of the dance music press are likely to be reluctant to support an outlet which occasionally might be hostile towards them.
2. The fact that, in my own small way, I’m involved with music myself. I’d have to step away from production entirely to become the truly neutral observer that this operation would need.

Curiously, I’d probably find it harder to resolve number 2 than 1. Working out how to make it financially stack up – and I mean enough to cover running costs, not to make enormous profits – is possible.

But I’ve hit a new wave recently in my production. I’ve started doing 2-step stuff and I’m really enjoying it. In order to be truly independent and be able to commit to this, I’d have to walk away from making music entirely.

And I’m not sure I’m ready to do that. Well, not yet, anyway…