Dancing Astronaut Gives Thanks 2022
Today is Thanksgiving. It’s a time to give thanks for good health, good friends, good family, and, of course, good music. We thought we’d take the time to pay tribute to our favorite parts of dance music culture on this day of thanks, not only for the ones behind the turntables while we get to party, but for the greater dance music culture and its constantly expanding fan base. This one’s for the producers and performers that put their full hearts and souls into everything they do, the clubs that go all out every night of the week, and the people who live and breathe dance music. Today, we celebrate you. It’s the least we can do.
Ross Goldenberg
Managing Editor, Editorial and Social
“As always, I want to start this by saying I’m thankful for Dancing Astronaut. It’s now been more than five years with DA, and I’m so grateful every day to be here. This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for Hardwell being back and putting out a masterpiece of an album. I’m thankful for Ultra for finally returning after what felt like a lifetime. I’m thankful for The Brooklyn Mirage for letting me live there rent free this past summer. And lastly, I’m thankful for all of the incredible music put out and shows I’ve been to this year that have both continued to reinforce why this genre is and always will be my number one passion. 2022 has easily been my favorite year of dance music since 2012 and it’s been surreal having a front-row seat to it all.”
Alex Lambeau
Staff Writer
“I’d like to thank the team at Dancing Astronaut for giving me an opportunity even with no formal background in the music industry. They saw my passion for dance music and took a chance on me. The opportunities provided to me by Dancing Astronaut have been some of the best and most rewarding of my life. I am thankful to have traveled to Europe this summer and being able to attend the best music festival in the world, Tomorrowland. I want to express my gratitude and thanks to the humble artists that I have been able to meet (Dom Dolla, CamelPhat, MEDUZA, Third Party, SIDEPIECE) in just under a year with Dancing Astronaut. Finally, I am thankful for PR teams, artist managers, and venue teams that have allowed me such great opportunities.”
Josh Stewart
Contributor
“There’s a lot to be thankful for, especially in the light of the dance music industry. For starters, I’m thankful for the community-driven nature of the scene. I’m thankful for the fact that many of the industry’s business and networking events end up feeling like groups of old friends reuniting. I’m thankful for the built-in opportunities of the music industry that have given me the opportunity to see artists and parts of the world that I never thought I’d have the chance to see. I’m thankful for the core memories that the industry is allowing me to create and know that I’ll only grow more thankful for them in the future. I’m thankful for Four Tet, Daft Punk, and although I’m late to the party, Fred Again…. Finally, I’m thankful for the fact that although the music industry often moves at a thousand miles a minute, it’s clearly brimming with passionate and kind-hearted people. Also, I’m thankful for complextro don’t @ me.”
Rachel Narozniak
Senior Writer
“This year, I am grateful to be a part of Dancing Astronaut and the larger dance/electronic music community as pivotal golden-age classics from 2012 turn(ed) 10. I didn’t begin going to shows until 2016, and because that’s when I discovered my affinity for dance music, I never really had a chance to experience these productions as they were being released in real time, nor in person at events. For this reason, there’s always been a tinge of wistfulness in these classics for me, like Zedd’s Clarity and Swedish House Mafia’s Until Now. That said, 2022 was a really special year for me in that yes, while I missed out on experiencing the seminal music of 2012 then, I had the opportunity to celebrate it this year, on its 10-year anniversary. It is truly so special to be able to reflect on the impact of 2012 dance music on dance music as we know it today, as part of the genre’s music journalism and music industry network. I think there’s a case to be made that 2022 was just as special a year as 2012 in some ways, considering how surreal it is to realize the enduring influence of these classics during this milestone benchmark. Having the chance to celebrate 10 years of my favorite dance album, Clarity, at the one-night-only anniversary show in San Francisco, California was a bucket-list experience that I will never forget, and it only further underscored just how indelible a mark dance music has made on my life. The same is true of getting to see Swedish House Mafia for the first time ever at Madison Square Garden this year.
I would also like to thank all of the artists who trusted me to help verbalize their unique stories and perspectives through interview-features this year. Thank you to deadmau5 and Kaskade, Sofi Tukker, Wax Motif, Chandler Leighton, SLANDER, and The Glitch Mob for taking the time to speak with me, and thank you to all of the dedicated PRs and artist teams who help make these things happen and keep us all up to date. Happy Thanksgiving! <3″
Categories: Features