10.30
The DJ Mag top 100 results are finally out, you can see them here. That website is a good chance to read some short interviews with some of your favorite DJs. They all talk about how they have the craziest traveling schedules ever (again, how do they do it?!) but besides hearing about their life you can learn a lot of interesting information such as what tools they like, what festivals they thought were awesome, etc. etc. (EDC is always mentioned somewhere by someone – smiley star goes to whoever finds it first).
Now, I’ve already written about why this poll and its results matter here. Rob and I also made our own top 10 lists here and here. And now, I present to you… the climactic conclusion of our DJ Mag Top 100 Series 2009!
Let’s start off with a little bragging. I pick winners. Winners, not losers. If you all want to know the stock picks for 2010, hit me up. Here was my top 10 list (I voted twice under 2 different e-mails):
1 – Markus Schulz
2 – Sander Van Doorn
3 – Armin van Buuren
4 – David Guetta
5 – Bobina
6 – Gareth Emery
7 – Eric Prydz
8 – Ferry Corsten
9 – Richard Durand
10 – Daniel Kandi
I picked two “losers” – Eric Pyrdz and Ferry Corsten. Ferry, who is still in the top 10, dropped by 1. No big deal, #6 or #7 he is still awesome. Prydz, however, was a big drop, now clocking in at #34. I think there are a few reasons why he is not ranked as high anymore. 1 – a lot of people don’t realize he produces as “Cirez D”. His latest track – On Off, is a MONSTER hit. One of those tracks that is played by trance, house, tech, etc. DJs. 2 – he himself says he is media-shy. 3 – He is afraid of flying and therefore loses out on a lot of fans due to his limited tour schedule (although he did make it out to the US last year… come to LA!) 4 – Ever since “Call on me” and “Pjanoo” he has not made another poppy house hit. Maybe he set the bar too high for that fanbase. Who knows. Enough excuses, I still love his music.
The rest of my picks were absolute winners (besides Markus and Armin who showed no movement. But top 10 is an automatic winner in my book). My favorite DJ right now, Sander van Doorn, has jumped #10 (go see him on Saturday at Vanguard – he is doing a special Dusk Till Doorn show that will blow your mind). Go tech-trance!!! I was going to see him last week but didn’t quite make it. Bobina, my Russian droog, has moved up to #16. That is huge! Hopefully will see him at a festival or two next year (not just at Avalon with a 3 AM set time). Also we had Daniel Kandi enter the charts at #87 and Richard Durand move up 17 spots.
So overall a good year for my trance compadres. Some left, some came, but overall I am happy that my genre is holding down the list. If any trance fans are reading this, I hope you can share in my happiness regarding Roger Shah at #21, ATB at #11 and Gareth Emery at #9! (as well as the others in the top 10, which need not be mentioned but will – Markus, Armin, Sander, Tiesto, PVD. Legends.). These DJs are amazing and have legendary productions so it’s nice to see them getting some recognition.
As far as the rest
David Guetta coming in at #3 as well as Bennassi, Laidback Luke, and Axwell all in the top 30 shows that house continues to gain clout in the top 100 list. And it should be. House DJs are getting booked much more often for main-stage performances, leading to interesting switch-offs between trance and tech guys and the house guys. Imagine listening to the pounding beats of John O’Callaghan at about 140 BPM then switching over to “I’ve Got a Feeling” with David Guetta at 128 BPM max. Slooowww dowwnnnnnnn maannnnn. Anyway, house is much more commonly played at clubs and such, but no one knows who made the tracks! Now that people know that Guetta, FLG, etc. are the ones behind the music, they are requesting them at the festivals. While trance is still, in my opinion, a main-stage favorite with its melodies and long breakdowns, house has its place as well. Unfortunately house breakdowns aren’t as long so you won’t be seeing a Jesus pose from those guys anytime soon…
Also nice to see Deadmau5 moving up into the top 10. Although a lot of his productions are progressive house, I feel like he is there to represent the whole HARD electro/indie movement, and he represents it well.
One genre that has not done well this time around is tech/minimal. Both Digweed and Sasha have lost a bit of ground, as well as Richie Hawtin and Dubfire. I am not a huge fan of their music but cannot speak to why they have lost their positions specifically. For me, it’s all about the melodies and buildups neither of which are too featured in these genres. But the rankings are also self-perpetuated by the promoters and who they choose to put on which stage. So blame them!
Looking forward to next year
The DJs who tend to do best in the polls are those who tour the world like crazy as well as put out new albums. Tiesto has just released a new album, Armin is set to record and release new stuff (just released a new single), expect a new album from Markus next year, and Deadmau5 is dropping an album as well. I’m sure the other top DJs are also working hard, as always, on new productions. Each of the top DJs continues to expand their fan base while the hungry DJs toward the bottom of the list are starting to get their chances to find new followers at festivals around the world.
Expect Los Angeles to be a driver of this list in the years to come. For example, TAO’s line up is mostly house, not trance. Does this reflect the top 100 list or does it attempt to construct it? The age-old chicken and egg question. Regardless of the answer, however, this new list shows that the scene continues to grow, fluctuate, and evolve. While the top 10 has not changed significantly, there are a lot of new entries in the list. It will be interesting to see where this fresh talent will take EDM next, and of course we fans will surely enjoy the ride!
© 2009, M Silin. All rights reserved.
