This is a thread to discuss new, young producers making quality dance music.

I got to thinking, as I was seeing Floating Points DJ tonight, that it seems like a lot of the most interesting new music of the last couple of year has been made by some seriously young blood: Nicolas Jaar, Floating Points, Kyle Hall, Joker, Rustie, Guido. All under 25 and all bringing very valuable approaches to contemporary dance music.

Though it doesn't really make lots of sense to straight compare dubstep and associated genres with techno and house, as the former seems more hospitable to young, DIY approaches, I feel like there might be something here, in that these young producers are all forging unique voices by taking risks, doing things differently, and ultimately, working outside the set paradigms that so often result in stagnation.
Now, I really hope this doesn't come off like some sort of obvious sounding "young kids do new things: truth bomb!" naivete, but watching Floating Points go between grooving house to hip hop in an instant, and jumping back up an extra 20 bpm again after that made me think that there was something there that I don't seem to see with older, more established types (also, consider N. Jaar's RA podcast, which had a similar sensibility in terms of its diverse and unique flavour). What this speaks to, I'd argue, is a whole other attitude of just doing one's own thing, doing it well, and not caring about looking legitimate; in other words, a refreshing insouciance that feels rare today.

These are producers that are slowing down tempos, speeding things up, working with a lot of different styles (floating points, n. jaar, and kyle hall has spanned pretty wide reaching bpm ranges, from super slow house to dubstep). Additionally, they seem to have a bit more of a pop sensibility too (someone like Guido especially) which I perceive (and maybe this is just the Geir talking) as more of a willingness to foreground strong melodies, writing catchy songs with good hooks while never sounding like they're trying to come off as hard or austere.

Moreover, these dudes don't seem like they're consciously trying to make something new, or are setting out to innovate (unlike, say, Richie Hawtin, who just makes a joke of himself - a very boring sounding joke at that - in the process) and in fact, express a rich and sincere awareness of older music that finds its way into their work (esp. kyle hall and floating points, about whom it's interesting to consider their commitment to using vinyl and analogue equipment).

Granted, I think part of this is my being 22, having gone out to techno events since I was 17, and that I'm now seeing my peers come to the fore. At least in Toronto, where there's virtually no one under 25 at such events, I think there's a vaguely conservative and paternalistic attitude regarding newer, younger stuff, and it's really great to now see it bloom. I more or less just stopped producing my own stuff because I felt like it was such a fruitless task of just rehashing existing ideas, but these guys give me hope that there's space yet for an influx of fresh, relevant music by people finding their own way, and forging their own unbeaten path.

Maybe this is obvious, maybe this is just bullshit, or maybe I haven't thought this out well or considered the broader perspective, but I seem to feel it merits a thread, so...