The most exciting prospect for this year has to be the transformation of Dress 2 Sweat, Wireblock and Stuff Records into Numbers, a new label to partner with its Glaswegian clubnight namesake. Over the years all three have done their utmost to break now established beatmakers Rustie and Hudson Mohawke as well as release all manner of righteous club über bangers - a quick glance over their discographies should give some idea of the quality to be expected of this new incarnation. Forthcoming releases should encompass all kinds of rainbow-tinged, off kilter hip hop and future dubstep, but the most anticipated 12" is the magnificient ‘If You Want Me’ by the hotly tipped Deadboy. Combining the synthetic colour of Joy Orbison with the lonely garage heartbreak isolated by Burial, Deadboy's productions have heaps of soul as well as devastating dancefloor potential.

A trend looking to continue into 2010 is Nottingham's unlikely new status as a home for forward thinking dance producers. Two labels in particular will continue to smash it into 2010 - Berkane Sol and Wigflex. Loosely involving releases by the same group of Nottingham producers (as well as some further flung), both labels have an anything goes approach to 140bpm, whether its Hizatron's amazing acid house and minimal excursions or Geiom's increasingly more unclassifiable nexus point between UK garage, funky, and dubstep. Forthcoming releases from other hot tips Brackles & Shortstuff (former Nottingham residents with their own brilliant label, Blunted Robots) place the labels right at the forefront of the bass music zeitgeist right now.

Throughout ‘09 Brainmath remained a mysterious proposition, bubbling in the background throwing out a series of incredibly high quality 12"s, some under pseudonyms and mostly one sided. It’s still unknown who helms the label (my money's on the man behind Brainmath 01 and 02; the ever elusive Zomby), but what's certain is that 2010 should yield a similar quality-over-quantity approach. Forthcoming releases are announced for RnB-cum-jazz-cum-G-Funk wonderkid James Blake following his dancefloor destroying remix of Untold's "Stop What You're Doing", as well as huge tip for 2010 sbtrkt, whose excellent productions have been reaching as far flung ears as fidget don Sinden and experimental post-punk band These New Puritans.

Excitingly, the collective output of these labels and producers is only the tip of the iceberg; underground UK dance music looks set to continue its inexorable march onwards.

Simon Docherty