Sharing tracks with friends is one of the joys of discovering new music. Whether face to face in someone’s kitchen, or through a text message, it’s a nice feeling when your appreciation for a particular song is reciprocated.
It was from this simple love of exchanging tracks with friends that the music recommendation platform Dance Wax was born. Set up by Ross Hook during the first lockdown, it now has over six thousand followers and has been able to establish a firm identity alongside similar platforms such as Meet.Kiku and GrainySounds.
Since then, Dance Wax has evolved from an Instagram account to a platform where artists give the inside scoop on what they’re listening to. Renowned producers Surgeon, Truncate and Berghain resident Terence Fixmer have all been featured.
Hook grew up in Manchester and went on to study at Bristol University. There he wrote for the online magazine Inter:Mission and developed his knowledge of the underground electronic music scene. I caught up with Hook to ask him about the origins of Dance Wax and where he plans to take the project.
Your guide to arts, music and culture in Greater Manchester.
Jockey Slut, a self-published Manchester magazine was one inspiration. Set up in 1993 by Manchester Polytechnic students John Burgess and Paul Benney, the magazine wanted to capture “those chemically enhanced chats going on in lounges across the country after the clubs closed their doors for the night”.
The magazine was able to identify trendsetters in the dance music scene long before national publications because they were so embedded in the culture. They scored the first ever interview with the Chemical Brothers and a cover-feature with Daft Punk before the duo had decided to mask their identity.
Jockey Slut was infamous for its irreverent sense of humour and mocking the “pomposity of the club culture industry.” Ross told me that not taking itself too seriously is an important part of Dance Wax too.
Fundamentally, Ross tells me the overarching aim is to “narrow the gap between the artist and listener.” His long terms goal is to circulate Dance Wax as a printed magazine alongside its current online operation.
He is also keen to put on events and showcase some of the talent Manchester has to offer, pointing to to Josh Baker and Do As you Please Records as examples.
Will Seth-Smith is a DJ and Human Geography student interested in electronic music and grass roots club culture. Check out his mixes @willseth-smith.
