- Is the Magic lost ? -

There's some great stuff out there, but you have to look in different places to find it. Often, it will not be available on a CD or offered from a label; more than likely you will have to download it or hear it played live. Don't expect to find it from the original pioneers or their followers. There are some great musicians out there that are getting ignored because they don't sound like TD or Schulze. They don't get the play on radio or the word of mouth from forums or fans that won't accept anything but the traditional sound.

I think there's a lot of new music around that's exciting and pushing the envelope. It's just not in the format that tradionalists are interested in. In the last 10 years the voice of rhythm has evolved by artists like Squarepusher, Richard Devine, Aphex Twin, etc. Many softsynths and beatboxes such as the MPC series have ushered in a new way of playing and composing. The keyboard and step sequencer are now options. In its day the Moog modular system and its step sequencer seemed new and refreshing. TD/Schulze embraced that sound and developed a genre that is still loved and emulated by many. After many decades I'm finding that sound to be predictable. I'm finding some of the Live PAs are coming up with some interesting tracks that inspire me. Although, most of their work is focussed on the dance markets, I think their approaches are refreshing.

There's magic out there, but you may have to look outside the box.