Clubland Crisis: Mix Mag, Muzik & DJ Editors Blame Nu Metal

The rising popularity of nu metal is causing more problems for dance labels than giveaway CDs on magazines, according to three of the editor's of Britain's leading dance titles Mix Mag, Muzik and DJ Magazine. Lesley Wright (DJ), Viv Craske (Mix Mag) and Conor McNicolas all spoke to Skrufff this week following claims from Eukatech chief Hans Hess that covermounts (free mix CDs) are devaluing dance music.

The situation is part of a bigger picture where the market is flooded with compilations," said DJ magazine's chief Lesley Wright.

"It's not just dance labels that are struggling, the whole dance music industry has taken a knock this year. Dance music has become mainstream, the new generation are more interested in nu-metal than some boring old DJ," she added.

Muzik's editor Conor McNicholas (soon to become editor of NME) broadly agreed asking, "if cover-mounted CDs are stopping people buying sell-through CDs, then why are people also stopping going to big clubs- Will the free CDs on the cover of Kerrang kill nu-metal- No, they won't, and it would be ridiculous to say so."

Mix Mag acting editor Viv Craske concurred, pointing out, "we've been putting on cover-mounts for about 2 years, but only this year has seen a decline in the market. Perhaps market oversaturation, the blandness of dance music, the rise of nu-metal and the iron grip by Ministry of Sound over the compilations market has contributed to a decline in sales."

"Dance music will turn in on itself and become underground once again," Lesley Wright predicted. "Far from being over, we could actually see some exciting developments, and it's about time."

"The industry needs to starts promoting edgy new talent who are prepared to rip up the establishment and try something dangerous and new to excite people," said Conor McNicholas. "It's not about cover-mount CDs, it's about quality of music."

"No covermounts would put all the dance magazines on a level playing field, where the readers were interested in content and not free CDs," DJ's editor Lesley Wright concluded.

"But it's not going to happen. Not only are free CDs a great promotional tool for the magazines, they're a way for small independent labels to get their music heard by a wider audience."

http://www.mixmag.net (Mix Mag)

http://www.muzik.co.uk (Muzik)

http://www.djmag.net (DJ Mag)
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