The second annual International Music Summit was declared a resounding success as its Grand Finale, held at Ibiza’s formerly off bounds Dalt Villa, drew to a close.

The organizers, it seems, have a lot to be happy about after witnessing a 30% rise in delegate participation (400 delegates from 29 countries made it to Ibiza) as compared to last year. This year‘s edition also saw a number of key topics for the well being of the underground music industry in the future being brought to the floor for the first time, the most notable of which, according to the press release, was a somewhat angry speech given by none other than techno don Richie Hawtin.

Every delegate was asked to vote on a wide range of topics after each panel and discussion was finished, the results of which are to be found below:

01. Do electronic artists need labels in the Beatport era?
Yes: 76.5%

02. Are hype charts still relevant to this business?
No: 53%

03. Is piracy still a major threat to your business?
Yes: 70.4%

04. Is it possible to reverse the trend of “free” music to the consumer?
No: 62%

05. Do you now accept that ‘mobile has become the social fabric of youth’
Yes: 80%

06. Will the Spotify streaming model work for the electronic music industry?
Yes: 55%

07. Does radio ultimately still rule?
Yes: 65%

08. Would you welcome a new DJ Top 100 style chart based on actual audience figures?
Yes: 76%

09. Is good festival billing now critical to the success of a breaking artist?
Yes: 62%

10. Should DJs aged over 50 be forced to retire from playing in nightclubs?
No: 63%

11. Do you feel electronic music is properly acknowledged by the wider music business?
No: 65%

12. Is the electronic music scene more comfortable as an industry sitting outside of mainstream attention and focus?
Yes: 69%

13. Would you buy the new Cocoon release (for example) if it was only available only from CocaCola.com?
No: 58%

14. Is the recession affecting your business?
Yes: 62%

15. Can you honestly say that you are in touch with the new generation of music lovers?
Yes: 70%

16. Do you consider Ibiza the capital of global electronic music?
Yes / No: 50% split vote; Recount – Yes: 52%

17. Should the IMS stay in Ibiza?
Yes: 96%

18. Should the IMS remain a boutique gathering?
Yes: 64%

19. Is this event making you question the way you / your company works?
Yes: 69%

20. Do you feel you now have a voice in the future of your industry?
Yes: 86%

Read more about IMS on www.internationalmusicsummit.com.

This year’s Tuborg green Fest, with its headliners Depeche Mode, Ladytron and Motor is taking place on 20th May 2009, at Usce, Belgrade.

One of the most prominent bands in the world, and certainly most wanted in the region Depeche Mode, after 29 years of work and 75 million sold records, will give a concert in Belgrade, as a part of their just announced “Tour Of The Universe 2009“. Members of the band said that they expect “a great concert” in Belgrade, because they know they have a massive and faithful fan base in this part of the world.

Read more.

The fourth edition of Rokolectiv – festival for electronic music and related arts – kicks off between 10th and 12th of April 2009. Over 20 artists will participate with concerts, installations, and special events.

The first two days of the festival are hosted by a new spectacular venue – Bucharest’s creative commodities exchange The Ark, a neonesque industrial building reconverted into space for contemporary culture. As usual, MNAC supports the last day of the festival.

Rokolectiv presents outstanding live acts of the moment, most of them a Bucharest premiere, starting with the rare appearance of the Norwegian dizzying disco magician Lindstrom, followed by Canadian house experimentalist Frivolous and Berlin’s biggest deepologist Prosumer, in an obsessively dancing Saturday night.

On top of everything, to spice up the magic during the night program – some floral and animal interactivity, and a bit of playfulness with Lego sounds…

Friday is a dubstep goes techno night with special appearances from Shackleton, 2562 and Deadbeat, under the close supervision of the Romanian producer of the moment TRG with a mind-blowing DJ set.

Fennesz brings on Sunday some of the Black Sea’s waves to MNAC, following the recent release of his new album. An eclectic night completed by a display of Optical Machines, a grand finale combustion by the noisiest neo-metal funksters MoHa, and a spacecraft managed by half of Zombie Zombie – Etienne Jaumet – and the Romanian duo Minus & Ion, in a quest for a deeper sound.

For more information check the official website www.rokolectiv.ro.

There will be no Love Parade this year. The super-event that should be held this year in the German city of Bochum is now canceled due to local issues. It is not the first time when such a legendary event encounter obstacles from local authorities. In 2007, the organizers had to jump from Berlin to Dortmund. In spite of that, at the event participated more than one and a half million ravers. Bochum, which originally agreed to be the host for this year, is unable to receive this human avalanche.

In 2010 the organizers plan to do a new Love Parade party somewhere else though.

We have received the press clipping of this year’s Dis-patch festival that took place in Belgrade from October 11th to 20th this year. CE is so impressed of the festival reports and we are sharing it with you now.

Apart the organizers say that: In 2009 Dis-patch will, through its 8th edition, offer a brand new festival concept/format, and present a number of programs spread out in the October/November period, with the lead-in of Kid’s-patch which, after its successful inauguration, becomes a festival in itself from next year, a music and educational event dedicated to the children and youth.

ONLINE PRESS CLIPPING / A SELECTION

Unfortunately for you guys, most of this material is in Serbian language. However, we are putting a small selection of links here, if you need any of them in English – just get in touch with the festival crew!

INTERVIEWS

Scott Monteith (Deadbeat)
http://www.e-novine.com/sr/kultura/clanak.php?id=17861
http://www.b92.net/kultura/pop/intervju.php?yyyy=2008&mm=10&nav_id=323347

Irena Tomazin (iT)
http://www.e-novine.com/sr/kultura/clanak.php?id=17952

Martin Brandlmayr
http://www.popboks.com/tekst.php?ID=6809

Niamh Ahern (Totally Wired)
http://www.danas.rs/dodaci/com_medi/uvek_je_lakse_ispricati_pricu_ako_si_autsajder.29.html?news_id=142517

Mark Nelson (Pan American)
http://www.blic.co.yu/intervju.php?id=311

REVIEWS

http://kontraweb.net/koncerti/dis-patch-festival-11.-20.-oktobra-2008.html
http://www.b92.net/kultura/mojugao/?nav_id=326176&fs=1
http://www.popboks.com/tekst.php?ID=6795
http://www.popboks.com/tekst.php?ID=6813
http://www.radiostudent.si/article.php?sid=16709

PHOTO GALLERIES

http://flickr.com/photos/dis_patch
http://www.urbanbug.net/aktfoto_slike/143/djis-patch–razne-lokacije-beogradj.html/
http://www.nadlanu.com/Dynamic/FotoGallery,intLangID,2,intItemID,108111,intCategoryID,67,CityID,.html

LIVE RECORDINGS

Check out some of the previous live sets from Dis-patch on our page on Samurai FM. In early 2009 we will stream some of the live recordings from this year’s edition.
http://www.samurai.fm/dis-patch

It’s been a month since Reworks festival in Thessaloniki happened. Now, refresh your memories and read our reviews (part 1 | part 2) and have a look at the picture gallery.

Electronic music is one of the most important cultural exports from the Netherlands and forms one of the most creative industries, which is an important theme for this year’s Amsterdam Dance Event.

The Amsterdam Dance Event expects industry professionals from over 36 different countries and 130 international journalists from 20 countries reporting on the event. Check out the website www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl for a full list of confirmed DJ’s and panel speakers.

The ADE takes place from 22nd – 25th October, 2008.

Our team have been working late recently and we managed to put the memories together and write our reviews for some of July’s hot festivals in South-East Europe. It’s been hell of a busy month but we all had a great time clubbing abroad. While there, here is what we saw:

Bucharest’s B’estfest 2008 by our contributor Zahari Tilev

EXIT ’08 / Day 1

Hey girl, Hey boy, 2 Many DJs, here we go… EXIT 08 / Day 2

More to come this week are Day 3 & 4 of EXIT festival in Serbia. Stay around!

Yesterday, Loredana Bors, part of the brave team of The Mission, posted a couple of thoughts on The Mission Dance Weekend. She also reveals details on the new season of Studio Martin in Bucharest in the Autumn and, of course, The Mission next big party.

Here’s a video of Trentemoller’s visit to Mamaia, Romania and some footages of his band’s live gig at The Mission Dance Weekend.

We sent an agent under cover to The Mission Dance Weekend ’08 in Mamaia, Romania. This is what he heard and saw. There is also another point of view of the festival.