Forget The Death Of Guitar Music, The Hottest New Talent Is On Radiohead's Remix Album

If you've been following the music press in recent weeks, you'll know that there is a debate currently raging about the impending Death Of Guitar Music. Well, actually, if you believe likes of Manic Street Preachers and Kaiser Chiefs, the death of guitar music is not so much as impending, it's already happened. 

In September, James Dean Bradfield said that one of the reasons Manic Street Preachers had decided to release their forthcoming singles collection was because they wanted to draw peoples' back attention to the “indie wars” - a time when bands still had chart success and not just with a Swedish House Mafia remix.

“We just want to show what the era was before this era,” Bradfield said. “We want to be positive about it and say: this is what happened in the indie wars.”

Seriously, if you dwelled on that for more than two minutes you'd probably be able to convince yourself that it's more likely Michael Jackson will make a comeback than the Manic Street Preachers or any other guitar band ever having a number one again. It's the kind of needlessly backwards sounding statement that shows you exactly why the Welsh band don't currently have a single inside the top-10 and Dappy does.

It's reverse ambition, like a defeated leader surrendering their crown without a fight.

I could argue at length as to whether or not guitar music is dying, but that would be ridiculous because I don't believe it is – or ever will. (Although, admittedly it's never going to comeback if Bradfield's attitude begins to filter into the minds of new bands who are considering launching an assault on the music industry – especially one where pop acts are currently enjoying success because their sound has undergone a pretty dramatic evolution.)

Instead, I find it ironic - and I'm also glad - that this debate has surfaced at a time when Radiohead - one of the most progressive bands of all time - are about the release their new remix album, 'TKOL RMX 1234567'.

Featuring versions of songs remixed by the likes of Jamie xx, SBTRKT and Modeselektor, it's one of the best albums of the year – and not just something for Radiohead fans to enjoy. Rather, it's a hugely welcome tour de force of some of the best producers working in music now. Producers whose forward-thinking work deserves to be thrust right into the spotlight instead of being overshadowed by half a dozen people hoping The Libertines will reunite again or that it's shocking the Kaiser Chiefs aren't at number one.

Radiohead's singer Thom Yorke was right when he said recently that the band had commissioned the album because they wanted to continue experimenting with the original tracks.

“I love that there is such a culture of remixing at the moment, all this flow of ideas. It may come out of the club scene but to me there is a lot more to it than that,” he said. “I think it appeals to us as a band at the moment that ideas and versions are not so fixed and set in stone, it feels kind of healthy for music.”

Yorke's latter comment speaks volumes about the music industry at the moment – particularly the attitude surrounding guitar bands. At the end of the day, nothing is “set in stone”, you don't have to sound like you did in 1998 to have a number one.

But for now lets embrace what we do have, starting with 'TKOL RMX 1234567', which catalogues some of the best artists that deserve your attention. And it's not Radiohead (although they're pretty good as well).

You can find examples of work by Jamie xx, SBTRKT and Modeselektor dotted throughout this article. Are you a fan? Do you think guitar music is dead? Let us know...