By DJ Plez

While advances in technology and the internet have impacted all aspects of our lives, including our culture and economy, it has arguably had the biggest impact on the music industry and how we as consumers and an audience receive the melodies, rhythms, and beats that stimulate our auditory senses. Where once terrestrial radio was the primary source of music, various internet options are now 1) successfully competing for the loyalty of traditional listeners and 2) filling the needs of niche listeners, such as dance music aficionados, who have never really been adequately served by traditional radio stations.

Fusion Radio Chicago
Remember back several years ago when Energy Radio 92.7/5 ruled local dance music airwaves? Well, when station ownership pulled the plug on the dance format, a bunch of loyal listeners and electronica dance enthusiasts congregated on Yahoo! Groups to share their love of the genre and ultimately get inspiration to launch in 2003 what has now become an internet radio heavyweight: Fusion Radio Chicago (www.fusionchicago.com or you can find them listed on iTunes Radio in the Electronica section).

Under the steady and guiding hand of Gregory Schweitzer, one of its founders, Fusion has matured from its early start-up days in someone's apartment when listeners, whom you could count on your fingers and maybe your toes, heard a steady diet of high-energy Europop, Eurohouse, and pop remixes. The station began to find its musical voice during its first two years of existence, resulting in increased domestic popularity and a significant growth in its audience. This impressed the folks at Apple so much so that Fusion was added in 2005 to the exclusive line-up of iTunes internet radio stations, bringing to Fusion a great deal of credibility and greater global exposure.

As Fusion looks to celebrate its 5th anniversary this summer, the station now has a more refined and sophisticated program of dance music that is supported by major dance music record labels (i.e. Robbins, Star 69, Nervous, and Esntion) and that also includes sub-genres such as underground, electro, and the current iteration of Chicago house music as promulgated by the likes of Green Velvet and Crobar Nightclub resident DJ Mixin' Marc. It's current proven format is two pronged: a tightly programmed presentation of pop remixes and plenty of vocals during the weekdays when office workers, who want the familiar, are tuned in and more organic programming with a variety of DJ continuous mixes at night and on weekends.

Given the need to have 30 servers located in North America and Europe to support the 2.5 million tune-ins worldwide, it is an undeniable fact that Fusion has reached an enviable level of success and is indeed one of the most popular dance music internet radio station in the world. This solid foundation and current strength will help serve Fusion's future endeavors as technology and the delivery of music to listeners continues to evolve.

DJ Podcasts
For those of you who like DJ continuous mixes and have been frustrated by the decline in recent years in the volume and breath of mixes made commercially available, the world of podcasts awaits to delight and tantalize you. More and more DJs are regularly turning out stellar mixes via podcasts which can be listened to on, or downloaded from, iTunes. Two of the most popular podcasts in the world are produced by local DJs: Ted Eiel gets down, dirty, and funky with mixes showcasing his signature Chunkhouse style while Peter Canellis serves up deep, ambient, melodic grooves that soothe mind, body, and soul. Other highly highly recommend podcasts include those by DJs Tony Ruiz, Joe Caro, Alexander, and Pete Savas. Check out the Podcast Directory on iTunes and type in the names in the search box to get more info and to begin the wonderful world of podcasting.