These thoughts on commercialism are cropping up everywhere at the moment. There's always been a worry about people like Judge Jules and things like him playing the odd German trance record but now the debate is really relavant. For the past 6 months (since Fergie started to play techno on Radio 1) there's been huge talk in the techno underground about techno going commercial. Now with the UK's pinnicle of hype, Mixmag, discovering harstyle, it's happening to this too.

The fact is, nothing is sacred anymore. Information is too easily accessed (the internet) and the underground is being discovered too easily. this is the root cause of the problem.

I'm worried about hardstyle becoming commercial, just as I was worried about German trance in the 90's. But if I remember rightly, Judge Jules and the like didn't focus 100% on this sound and UK producers made a watered down version of trance for the commercial market.

The thoughts about 'hard style' becoming the new 'hard house' worry me too. But as with German trance, UK producers simply can't make this sound. And for something to become commercial in this country, you've got to have a UK base of producers making it. That's why German trance never became commercial in this country. And why 'hard house' is massive. You ask ANY german record label about the demo's they get from UK producers and they've laugh saying 'We don't like UK production'. The English simply don't understand hard trance production, and are not even coming close to understanding how to make hardstyle.

As for the Italian labels 'selling' out in this country. I think it could and couldn't happen. Believe me, if the German trance labels had really had the opportunity to make it big in this country, they would have done it. It's why Scot Project saws stars when he got a call from Gatecrasher. And why SHOKK are on the Ministry Of Sound compilations. But the German's have had huge experience of business since 92. The Italians could either 'see stars' and grab at everything (and get it) or try to get all the big UK deals and simply not have the musical business know-how to exploit everything. From speaking to the main distributors over there, I feel it would be the latter. They're sooooooooo not their when it comes to business. So that's a plus!

I'm sure all of us will agree who live for the 'underground', we do so because (a) we wanna be musically a step ahead and (b) we like being 'different'. We love being part of a group of peope that passionately live a sound. Over the last twenty years I've been into so many different strains of dance music, but as soon as something goes commercial - I move off it and look for something as exciting. Or find a slightly different variation of it. I'm sure, IF we hear lish lashes play continuous sets of Titanic Records/Subway etc, we'll find something else. Sure, it's harder than ever to find underground forms of dance music these days, but we WILL do it over time. We did it with Scot Project, just when we thought the sun shone out of his ass, and we'll do it again. That's what keeps up a 'step ahead'.

I think anyone who loves the underground should be very wary. Things are really getting too close to call these days, much more so than it ever has done, but that's what is going to keep us a step ahead. And we should feel safe with the knowledge that that is what we will do.

One thing: The internet can seem so great, but it also has the real power to distroy underground music. You might think it's great downloading the latest mix by DJ Arsey Wipe (the world's most underground hardstyle DJ) - plus complete tracklisting - but so can that hard house money maker DJ Slut Bag from Ilovehoover Records and copy the sound. And whilst we all think we're so underground with our posh computers and access to German trance.com - are we really doing all we can to find/create new music?

There HAS to be another way...