Underground Redemption

Just when I thought it might be winding down, the passion I feel for the underground seems to fire up again. See, I’m approaching a crossroads, a point in my life where I need to begin to focus all of my energies on only the important things in my professional life. Now I just need to figure out what it is that’s important in my professional life.

I’ve come to grips, many times, that EDM is not where I see myself in 5-10-20 years. I’ve always said that it’s too unprofessional, too random an industry to spend the rest of my life trying to make a difference and earn an honest, secure living. But really, is EDM any different from the corporate world I find myself in now? Truly, no matter the profession, isn’t the secret to professional success about choosing to work with people you respect in an environment that’s inspiring?

INTIMATE & UNDERGROUND is a great example of getting the most out of the choices we make (Check our pics from I&U v8). We’ve stayed true to the underground essence, embraced it for what it is and have never tried to make it anything more than what it should be. And by doing so, we’re creating unforgettable memories each time we fill the dance floor.

Now we’re well aware the true tests are yet to come. Will we be able to recreate the electricity of our gigs headlined by Luke & Ricky with lesser known, up and coming artists? That’s always been our primary focus and in the end, our success will be measured on how many people come to bringthebeats / INTIMATE & UNDERGROUND events, not just for any one particular DJ.

And will we be able to properly launch The LocALe and finally become a recognizable group within the Toronto club circuit? As mentioned in the promo piece for v1, our long term success throwing events and introducing new talent to this city will be implicitly tied to our ability to attract local support from others working behind the scenes.

Over the next few months these questions will definitely be answered and the results will be one of the deciding factors in whether or not we should take bringthebeats to a full time level.

Saying all this, it’s the global effort that still excites me the most. How can it not coming off such an incredible Winter Music Conference in Miami (Check our pics Part 1 & Part 2). Damn was the music ever incredible and once again we met an abundance of like-minded, equally motivated colleagues.

Our friends from Embrace have definitely become a power house at the WMC, but it’s the detail, vision and enthusiasm of the Listed crew that has once again impressed me the most. They work so bloody hard and it shows in the quality of the music, production and most of all, the people on the dance floor.

Yes, the conference is starting to look quite a bit like a Jersey Shore pilgrimage, but that also means more of the mainstream is taking notice. We all most likely entered this scene with a style that we’re not as much interested in today. Let’s hope these people similarly convert to a less party focused participation and help the continue growth of the more underground sounds we believe should be at the forefront of this industry.

All in all, things are more positive for our movement than they’ve been in a long time. Looking back to my last IMO over 18 months ago, I think bringthebeats and the underground have taken more steps forward than in reverse, a tone I was definitely not writing in back in the fall of 2008.

It remains to be seen how the rest of the year will unfold, but whatever happens, one thing is for certain, 2010 is shaping up to be an all or nothing year for bringthebeats. Is it time to follow a dream or is it time to move on? Only time will tell; but the last few weeks has me looking more towards the stars now than ever before.