Following the trance and hard dance powerhouses that typically make up the Top 100, DJ Mag's annual Best Of British Awards has become something of an annual palette cleanser. That's not to say that our country doesn't produce world beaters. You only need look at the rapid rise of DJs and producers such as Eats Everything and Maya Jane Coles to recognise that we can command the biggest stages.
But from acid house and rave through drum & bass and garage to the latest incarnations of bass music and techno, we have a history of innovation and reinvention. Despite our modest geographical size, we're the country that others look to for dance music's latest incarnations and it's a fact reflected in the depth of talent that we had to pick from this year.
It's also the reason why the Best Of British matches most closely with DJ Mag's ethos and monthly content — and why the nominees are chosen by our own staff.
While EDM might have the rest of the world in its grip, its instant gratification comes across as a high calorie/low nutrition diet for a nation with a 30+ year history of raving it up. Instead, our refined palettes are more likely to savour the musical equivalent of a Heston Blumenthal creation, deconstructed and re-imagined in a way that leave no room for the stale or staid.
It's this constant desire to push thing forward or celebrate the classic in a novel way that makes Britain great, and marks out this year's nominees. But who did you choose to win?
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