Dave Clarke

Brit-in-Amsterdam producer/ DJ/ broadcaster/ bon viveur Dave Clarke remains one of the world's most popular (and opinionated) DJs, specializing still in the techno and 'real' electro he first started championing in the early 90s.

What trends in music and clubs, do you expect to be big in 2010 and beyond?

On the one hand I expect to see the death of minimal, bling hip hop and crud electro and on the other the re-emergence of quality music across the board, including decent pop music that is politically aware.

What do you anticipate will be the future for record companies and producers? This year and in 5 years' time?

That is a hard one to answer because we've seen one stranglehold being replaced by a different digital one with a horrendous monopoly giving most producers a really bad return for their music. I hope that the digital scene will become more democratised when it comes to artists trying to earn a living from their music.

What do you think the future holds for DJs (will any/ many still be playing vinyl and/ or CDs in 5 years time?)

Vinyl is dead, CD died two years ago, the future is solid state for personal storage, Spotify will become massive (or at least its business model will) so people will no longer own music but will pay a monthly license fee for a vast library, Beatport will become like Myspace; people will wonder what it was all about and what did they ever see in it.

What musical styles and club trends do you expect to struggle this year? (and to die out altogether as the decade progresses?)

It's tough to predict 10 years in advance but thankfully minimal is now dead in cultured areas such as Europe.

How concerned are you about global warming? (Do you feel any twinges of guilt about your carbon imprint from flying so much: how prepared are you to cut back on international travel?)

Yes of course I do, it's tough, I try to do my best on the home front, I have already cut my home electricity bill by over 25% using LED lighting etc etc, but I can see flying isn't really helpful to the world. I stopped carrying 35 kgs of vinyl onto every flight 8 years ago though. Whenever I tour I carry the least baggage possible. I often see electronic acts carrying so much equipment for live shows and most of it is untouched and only to fill the stage. That has to change especially if you're someone who preaches about global warming.

How comfortable are you about the longer-term future for the worldwide economy? (Do you take any precautions against chaos: e.g. storing bottle water and food? Having anywhere to escape to?)

Predicting the future for the economy is another tough one, the current economic model is based entirely on greed and not for the greater good of humanity. As for precautions against chaos; there are no precautions; storing food and water is selfish and short sighted. I just wish democracy would work, the best thing would be to ship out all the important decisions out of the 5 year tit for tat election cycle and have a cohesive humanitarian policy that is outside the bounds of political one up-man-ship. There is no form of socialism to vote for in the UK anymore. The centre ground is over populated by spin and shit.

Anything else to add?

Don't believe everything you read or are taught at school. The greatest gift is intelligence and it is everyone's duty to learn to use it to the best of your ability.

Kris Menace

What trends- in music and clubs, do you expect to be big in 2010 and beyond?

They'll be less trash and more acid. Otherwise I think music styles will become totally mixed up. Everything is already there now and I don't believe there's much more coming through. Most people are stuck and are holding onto their golden pasts instead of working towards an even brighter future.

What do you anticipate will be the future for record companies and producers? This year and in 5 years' time?

I expect most record companies will die and we'll become used to artists giving away their music for free on blogs and through their web pages. We already see that in some cases. Maybe it's healthy for music: let's try and believe so.

What do you think the future holds for DJs (will any/ many still be playing vinyl and/ or CDs in 5 years time?)

I think that vinyl will totally disappear. I personally love vinyl, but it's not a medium that's been made to survive. Other physical recording formats such as CD will also disappear too, DJing will be about USB sticks and external hard-drives. So-called 'underground' DJs will also struggle more because not many clubs and promoters will survive. Commercial 'DJs', however, will still enjoy a jet-set life style with champagne and whores.

[Already there mate-webmaster]

What musical styles and club trends do you expect to struggle this year? (And to die out altogether as the decade progresses?)

I guess minimal and so called "hooligan disco" will have a harder time. But as always, some countries are faster than others in terms of trends and everybody will find his market over the next years.

Which countries do you expect dance music to prosper in (why?)

Australia will thrive because they go with the flow. Electronic music is big there and people are feeling it. They have a healthy music market; for now anyway.

And in which countries will it struggle? (What do you anticipate for Ibiza: for the UK, in 5 years time?)

Dance music will struggle in all well developed European countries and also North America. These days people would rather spend money on alcohol than on music or clubbing.

How concerned are you about global warming? (Do you feel any twinges of guilt about your carbon imprint from flying so much: how prepared are you to cut back on international travel?)

Global warming is definitely a problem, but I believe we will find solutions in long terms. As far as flying is concerned, airlines and related businesses employ millions of people and it would cause a huge economic crash if everybody suddenly cut back on travelling. So, no, I don't really feel guilty.

How comfortable are you about the longer term future for the worldwide economy? (do you take any precautions against chaos: e.g. storing bottle water and food? Having anywhere to escape to?)

I don't want to take precautions against chaos because I don't believe in it. I'd also rather die quickly instead of hiding in a basement with some stored water. Personally, I believe that everything will be fine. We just have to work it out, like we always do... sometimes later, sometimes sooner.

Anything else to add?

Let us all believe more in love rather than the media's bitching and hysteria. By the way, whatever happened to the swine flu epidemic?

Pete Heller

11 years on, he remains a prolific house music producer and has also become one of the highest educated people in dance culture, studying for a Masters Degree in Digital Media. He also continues to criss-cross the globe for DJ gigs most of which are dreadful, at least according to his unusually honest and often hilarious Twitter posts (http://twitter.com/Peteheller)

What trends- in music and clubs, do you expect to be big in 2010 and beyond?

I think they'll be a return to a more analogue sound and a move away from digital trickery - less is definitely more for 2010. Also a return of the big room sound - boom boom boom.

What do you anticipate will be the future for record companies and producers? This year and in 5 years' time?

Well the move over to digital seems to have gathered pace, record companies are just beginning to get their heads round direct digital sales and I expect to see a lot more of this from now on. Beatport is still the big beast in terms of downloads, but conversely I think that digital sales unsupported by vinyl are destined to vanish without trace into the every lengthening 'long tail' almost as soon as they appear. So I expect to see a growth in vinyl as an enthusiast's medium to help support digital releases.

What do you think the future holds for DJs (will any/ many still be playing vinyl and/ or CDs in 5 years time?)

As above - the digital revolution gathers pace and there will continue to be an ever expanding market for innovative DJ software tools. Vinyl is already purely an enthusiast's medium but it will continue to survive as I described. I really can't see the case for CDRs lasting too much longer as people finally get round to embracing the lap-top approach. You can see that companies like Pioneer have realized this with their new CDJ (2000) units - but CD players will continue to survive as controller devices.

What musical styles and club trends do you expect to struggle this year? (And to die out altogether as the decade progresses?)

Who knows? That's the great mystery of dance music, this evolution of styles. I think people are definitely returning to the old-school approach and sound of the music of the early 90s. I would love to say there will be a return of songs and song-writing but for a whole load of reasons, that seems to have fallen by the wayside.

Which countries do you expect dance music to prosper in (why?)

Well, the global reach of dance continues to spread - maybe China & India will become big players. It's hard to tell.

And in which will it struggle? (What do you anticipate for Ibiza: for the UK, in 5 years time?)

Ibiza has such a support structure and associated marketing clout (in terms of press and PR) that I just can't see it losing its influence at all - too many people need it to continue, and the clubs have shown themselves to be pretty ruthless in perpetuating that dominance. As far as the UK goes - it's harder to say. It would be nice if the recession unleashed a new wave of creativity and new club ventures, but at the moment, I just don't see it.

How concerned are you about global warming? (Do you feel any twinges of guilt about your carbon imprint from flying so much: how prepared are you to cut back on international travel?)

Unfortunately, if you are a working DJ/ producer, then playing out is really the only viable means of earning a living these days, and if there isn't a domestic club scene to help support your career then it's a big request to expect that person to start turning down gigs on the basis of their possible contribution to climate change and really, it's not going to mean that much in the wider scheme of things. The point is that we are all going to have to make drastic sacrifices in the way we live and that really is not being addressed in any way by society as a whole right now.

How comfortable are you about the longer term future for the worldwide economy? (do you take any precautions against chaos: eg storing bottle water and food? Having anywhere to escape to?)

Yeah, I have a big collection of guns and ammo in the garden shed. No, I'm not a survivalist so I don't really worry too much about the sky falling in, and I'm not really much of a doom merchant either. I'm not predicting the end of the world just yet.

Dusty Kid

What trends- in music and clubs, do you expect to be big in 2010 and beyond?

What I'm really feeling at the moment is that groovy house music will be even bigger than it was in 2009.

What do you anticipate will be the future for record companies and producers? This year and in 5 years' time?

That's a really good question, I don't know, but I think something new is gonna' happen, maybe something similar to the 1990s' music revolution. They'll be a big change in the music, not only electronic and club music, but probably the pop scene will be affected too.

What do you think the future holds for DJs (will any/ many still be playing vinyl and/ or CDs in 5 years time?)

Probably they will, yes, maybe in the next few years somebody will invent something new to make vinyl come alive again?

What musical styles and club trends do you expect to struggle this year? (And to die out altogether as the decade progresses?)

I really don't know, but you know what? I feel that cold minimal and techno beats are becoming quite cheesy day by day, especially in the last 6 months.

Which countries do you expect dance music to prosper in (why?)

I've been in Mexico and Brazil recently, and I found them both to be two nations that are completely addicted to trance music. But also something is happening, and techno are becoming huger and the mentality is growing up, people are a bit more open-minded.

And in which will it struggle? (What do you anticipate for Ibiza: for the UK, in 5 years time?)

Maybe we'll see a return of big and chemical beats.

How concerned are you about global warming? (Do you feel any twinges of guilt about your carbon imprint from flying so much: how prepared are you to cut back on international travel?)

I think the government (which is really aware of it), should consider easy solutions for citizens, to make them doing something good, but as always here in Italy we are the last of the thrifty nations.

How comfortable are you about the longer term future for the worldwide economy? (do you take any precautions against chaos: e.g. storing bottle water and food? Having anywhere to escape to?)

I use to live day by day, but now I'm becoming more responsible, saving my money for taxes.

The Model

What trends- in music and clubs, do you expect to be big in 2010 and beyond?

Despite breaking my crystal ball last week, I suspect most trends of 2009 will persist. So there will be lots more copy/ paste looped house tunes and every now and then the occasional amazing artist album, like Hell's, or Zombie Nation's or Danton Eeprom's will appear. Or Pablo Bolivar's: Luckily, there are many more I could mention.

What do you anticipate will be the future for record companies and producers? This year and in 5 years' time?

I think it is going to be a struggle for most. Unfortunately, I see marketing and product wrapping taking over most of the creativity process, so people focus more on how to 'appear' more than spending time on the actual music."

What do you think the future holds for DJs (will any/ many still be playing vinyl and/ or CDs in 5 years time?)

I've personally cut down on how much vinyl I use and I expect there will be less and less used in general. Mostly because there are less and less worthwhile releases out there alongside the deluge of copy/paste music. Most releases only have one good track too so why spend spend 8 euros on that? Give me a decent 2-3 track EP and I will buy it.

How concerned are you about global warming? (Do you feel any twinges of guilt about your carbon imprint from flying so much: how prepared are you to cut back on international travel?)

I do feel concerned about global warming, it is happening, there is no point in denying it. I try to cut back on water and useless use of electricity, but I am not at a point in my career where I would want to cut down on travel.

How comfortable are you about the longer term future for the worldwide economy? (do you take any precautions against chaos: e.g. storing bottle water and food? Having anywhere to escape to?)

I think we are facing hard years ahead though I don't see how storing canned food in the basement would help. Turning away from stupid consumerism might help a little, though.

What musical styles and club trends do you expect to struggle this year? (And to die out altogether as the decade progresses?)

I do hope copy/ paste music will struggle and eventually die.