Google has removed the personal blog of ITM’s Dave Ruby Howe from Blogger following supposed repeated complaints from labels and web sheriffs.  The blog, called Mass Hyperbole (which somehow Dave manages to keep going in the tiny amount of spare time his ‘real’ job affords him) is one of Australia’s best.

I’m highlighting this because I personally think that what Dave does shines a light on music that may not get a voice.  I see the net effect as being overwhelmingly positive for the labels and artists he chooses to promote.  I would argue that those labels and artists share my view. 

The argument is spelled out clearly and in detail over on Pity The Cool but this quote sums it up for me: “As Editor for inthemix.com.au and contributor to a host of respected music and cultural media bodies, Dave spends most of his waking hours fertilising the music industy flowerpot. So why would he post post illegal mp3s on his personal blog…?”.

Love to know what Google has to say…

In 2010 INTHEMIX.COM.AU celebrates a milestone of epic proportions; their 10th anniversary. From auspicious beginnings tucked away in enigmatic founder djdrey’s bedroom to their current position as Australia’s leading resource and community destination for dance music, festivals and clubbing, inthemix has continued to grow in leaps and bounds.

This June WE LOVE SOUNDS and WINTER SOUND SYSTEM will help in marking the landmark occasion, with INTHEMIX 10 YEARS proudly presenting the main arena at all festival dates nationwide. “Considering some of dance music’s most exciting names are onboard inthemix’s partnership with We Love Sounds and Winter Sound System perfectly encapsulates the story of our decade in the scene, with past, present and future stars all represented,” said Tim Hardaker, General Manager of inthemix. “We’re really looking forward to working with two of Australia’s favorite winter festivals for such an important milestone.”

inthemix 10 Years at We Love Sounds and Winter Sound System also coincides with the relaunch of the inthemix website. “We’ve got a brand new site that we can’t wait for everyone to see,” Tim continued. “It features a range of fresh social networking functions and tools in addition to the tried and tested areas of the site that everyone already knows and loves. We’ve also updated the site design, look and feel, and given our ‘headphone man’ logo a facelift for 2010. It’s a really exciting time for inthemix!”

Topping the bill in the inthemix 10 Years main arena; certified dance titans UNDERWORLD (excl. Brisbane). Having clocked up more than two decades in existence, Karl Hyde and Rick Smith are veterans of live electronica performance, and they serve up a perfectly synced audio-visual show like no other. Underworld live is the closest thing to a religious experience for hardened dance fans, with a litany of seminal classics in their arsenal, including ‘Born Slippy’, ‘Cowgirl’ and ‘Two Months Off’, while newer cuts ‘Holding The Moth’ and ‘Downpipe’ prove their finger remains firmly on the pulse.

There could be no better personification of the ‘sound of now’ than Italian upstarts CROOKERS, who have set the dance world alight with their inimitable approach to production in recent times. Armed with a swag of new music thanks to their appropriately titled debut album ‘Tons Of Friends’ – it features Soulwax, Kelis, will.i.am, Roisin Murphy, Miike Snow, Spank Rock, Major Lazer, Kid Cudi and more – their main arena performance will see the dancefloor heaving!

Unquestionably one of house music’s most essential artists, the inthemix 10 Years main arena will also play host to frequently flying Dutchman LAIDBACK LUKE. Regarded as the unofficial fourth member of the Swedish House Mafia, his collaboration with the Swedes – ‘Leave The World Behind’ – was one of 2009’s biggest sellers on Beatport. Luke toured with rapturous applause for We Love Sounds and Winter Sound System in 2009, so it’s little surprise he has been invited back for a second time.

Many more international and local stars are still to be announced for the inthemix 10 Years main arena at We Love Sounds and Winter Sound System festival shows nationwide, so be sure to check INTHEMIX.COM.AU/10YEARS for updates over the coming weeks.

INTHEMIX MEDIA REQUESTS – tim@team.inthemix.com.au

WE LOVE SOUNDS MEDIA REQUESTS – clareb@splendidcomms.com

WINTER SOUND SYSTEM MEDIA REQUESTS – ed@futureentertainment.com.au

TICKETS FOR ALL WE LOVE SOUNDS AND WINTER SOUND SYSTEM SHOWS ARE ONSALE NOW FROM INTHEMIX, TICKETMASTER, TICKETEK AND LOCAL OUTLETS. FOR MORE INFO CHECK OUT INTHEMIX.COM.AU/10YEARS, WELOVESOUNDS.COM.AU AND WINTERSOUNDSYSTEM.COM.AU.

In 2010 inthemix will celebrate a monumental milestone; our 10th birthday! From auspicious beginnings tucked away in the enigmatic djdrey’s bedroom, to our position today as Australia’s leading resource and community destination for dance music, festivals and clubbing, we’re quite proud of all that’s been achieved.

To mark the occasion we have a lot in store over the coming months, and to get this rolling we thought we’d give you get a sneak peak of our brand new inthemix logo. Also coming soon, we will be launching a brand new version of the website, with a raft of new features and tools for you to sink your teeth into.

We love our new inthemix ‘headphone man’ logo and think you will too, because he represents the two things that matter most to us all; music and community. inthemix has always been as much about us bringing you all the latest music news and info as it is about you sharing your opinions.

We’re excited about what the next few months holds and we can’t wait to take the wraps off our hot new website. In the meantime, if you’d like to stay up to date on things as they unfold we’ll be previewing the designs and mockups in this forum thread.

djdrey will be posting updates throughout the development process, so if you’re interested in finding out what kind of work and planning goes into relaunching a website that has over 200,000 members,  7.3 million forum posts, 45,000 pieces of content and 1.5 million photos, make sure you subscribe to the thread.

That’s it for now, but suffice to say there’s a lot to look forward to over the coming months. Thanks for being here to celebrate with us!

Tim Hardaker
General Manager
inthemix.com.au

‘2010 is going to be a massive year for inthemix as we celebrate our 10th birthday. Jack has played an integral part in FasterLouder’s continued growth over the past 2.5 years, so I can’t think of anyone better suited to the challenge of steering editorial on inthemix forward’ says Tim Hardaker, General Manager, inthemix.

Tregoning’s promotion to Editor, inthemix, is effective 1^st March and stepping into the newly vacated role of FasterLouder’s Deputy is the highly talented Tom Mann, currently FasterLouder’s Melbourne Editor. This of course means our remaining challenge is to find an equally talented Melbournian to step into Tom’s role in Melbourne.  Applications are open now.

Libby Clark, Operations Director, Sound Alliance added “Rewarding and recognising the exceptional talents within the Sound Alliance team is a core part of our organisational culture. Both Jack and Tom have been critical in producing content that had led to FasterLouder  tripling in size and reach within the past two years of their involvement with the site. They’re stepping into roles of greater influence, which is a win for us and a win for our audience.”

“As one of our longest-serving contributors Angus started writing reviews in 2003 ahead of joining us full-time at the end of 2006,” said Tim Hardaker, inthemix’s General Manager. “This means we’ve got some pretty high expectations for our new Editor.” So here goes…

You’ll have at least 2-3 years demonstrated experience in online editorial and digital media, having developed creative and commercially viable content strategies that consider the needs of the audience and clients alike. With a solid understanding of the music media landscape, you’ll live and breathe electronic music and can’t help but get out to clubs and festivals whenever you can.

Preferably degree-qualified, your background will include writing and subbing to tight deadlines, along with taking accountability for the contributions of others. Your initiative and resourcefulness will make you indispensable to our team and clients, because creative and effective solutions come naturally to you.

Your understanding of how to build and engage an audience will mean you have a natural flair for supporting your editorial initiatives with online partnerships and social media. Creating compelling and original content is at the heart of ITM, and as such this is not an entry-level role. It’s a demanding position with challenging objectives that will prove incredibly rewarding for the right candidate.

We’re a dynamic, hard-working team based in Surry Hills, Sydney. If you think you fit the bill, or know someone who does, send an application to jobs@thesoundalliance.net by 1 February, 2010.

Queensland’s golden boy of trance Tydi has taken home the coveted #1 prize in the 2009 Sony inthemix50 awards for the second year in a row, with the overall results full of unexpected and exciting surprises from right around the country. Voting was up Australia-wide in the poll’s biggest year on record, with the inthemix50 embraced more than ever before by punters and the industry alike. 33,000 votes were cast, an increase of more than 50% on 2008’s final tally.

Tydi’s second consecutive win comes at the end of what has been a massive 12 months for the young DJ and producer. Touring relentlessly and playing some of our biggest events and festivals in Australia and beyond, Tydi proved simply too alluring for Australia’s dance fans. Melbourne’s Andy Murphy was the other big winner in this year’s poll, rocketing up 20 places to take the #2 spot overall, as well as the #1 place for Victoria. It was a reflection of Victoria having tallied more votes than New South Wales for the first time ever.

ACT high-rollers The Aston Shuffle increased their standing, moving up to third place on the national list, the highest ranking ever for a Canberra act. The national top 5 is rounded out by NSW top performer Ajax as well as Queensland’s Stafford Brothers. Sydney’s Bass Kleph had the biggest increase overall in the poll, moving up a hefty 26 spots. South Australia cracked the national top 10 for the first time ever, with electro upstarts Loot & Plunder shooting into #7, while Micah returned as the state favourite for Western Australia.

On the event side of things, the Future Entertainment were the clear winner, taking the prize in NSW (Future Music Festival), QLD (Summafieldayze), SA (Future Music Festival) and WA (Summadayze), while Melbourne’s NYE spectacular Sensation took the Victorian award in its first ever year on the scene. Canberra’s Foreshore was again the favourite event for the ACT. The Presets, no doubt Australia’s biggest dance outfit, won in the newly named Favourite Live Act/Producer category, while world #1 DJ Armin Van Buuren was voted Australia’s Favourite International Act.

FOR THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS HEAD TO WWW.INTHEMIX.COM.AU/50

For media enquiries please contact Tim Hardaker on 02 9282 4023 / 0403 257 437 / tim@team.inthemix.com.au