It’s a fairly safe prediction that 2010 will belong to electronic music and thanks, in no small part, to 22 year old Peter O’ Grady, aka Joy Orbison [pictured], music is finally beginning to sound like the future. South Londoner O’Grady has an exquisitely claustrophobic style that is perfectly encapsulated in the breathtaking ‘Hyph Mngo’. The sound of heartbreak, early morning ecstasy and of dubstep imploding, O’Grady’s sensual dancefloor classic was undeniably one of 2009′s greatest underground tracks. There’s an awful lot of rather brilliant post-dubstep doing the rounds as bone-crushing bass is traded in favour of more meticulously crafted and emotional synth led music and it’s likely that this will be the sound of the underground as it’s bass-heavy predecessor moves to the mainstream, at least until some jumped up journalist coins a name for the genre. Inhabiting this field are the likes of Martyn, who has recently released the landmark Fabric 50 compilation, Raffertie, Joy Orbison label mates Mount Kimbie and the ridiculously talented Bristolian Joker, a real rising star to watch, who really can do no wrong with a series of truly mind-blowing remixes in the last 12 months.

With Chase and Status writing soundtracks, remixing Jay-Z and producing Rhianna and Rusko seemingly intent on becoming the scene’s Fatboy Slim, what next as the genre known as dubstep continues it’s progression overground? Skream‘s second album is likely to cause waves bigger than the bass from a certain La Roux remix when it drops later in the year, so expect to be hearing his name even more in 2010. In other news, messrs Benga and Artwork will join the man himself in taking their three-man experimental live act, Magnetic Man [pictured], onto much bigger things. Finally for dubstep, if you haven’t already, firmly affix Starkey and Jakwob to your radar… you’ll thank us for it.

Rather worryingly, the new decade will bring along along a host of depressing ’20th anniversaries’ for albums that shaped our youth… with each new year however, there’s always an influx of young bands ready to tread old ground for those who just can’t let go. Surfer Blood [pictured] are a particularly good sun-drenched, fuzz-pop Weezer alternative that are probably a lot better than we made that just sound. We’ve mentioned them before but Pulled Apart By Horses are surely set this year to offer an increasingly large throng of sweaty teenagers, oh, and sweaty mid-life crisis sufferers, the chance to thrash around in a sweaty pit, in a sweaty club thanks to their wonderfully noisy no-holds-barred grungefest. Another ’90s influenced act sure to trigger your radar at some point in 2010 is the fantastically chaotic Male Bonding. Not only do they ply the most authentic brand of lo-fi punk rock this side of 1994, they’re even signed to Sub Pop for added authenticity… not bad for a trio of noisy Dalston-hipsters.

If chaotic punk rock mayhem is your thing, then have no fear, 2010 should yield a fine crop of aural madness, not least in the shape of Japan raised, London residing freaks, Bo Ningen [pictured]. Incendiary live shows, imporobable song structures and incredibly long hair… and frocks(?!?), Bo Ningen follow in a long line of Japanese freak-noise outfits and are probably one of London’s most exhilarating propositions right now. Also London based and hailing from the far East is the beautiful and ridiculously cool Akiko Matusuura, drummer of The Big Pink and front-woman/drummer of noise-pop starlets Comanechi, another fine pick for 2010 if you like it shambolic and loud. Over on the other side of the pond, Brooklyn-based duo Sleigh Bells are thrashing out brutally loud electro-pop that is probably somewhere between Crystal Castles and The Ting Tings.

If you need to chill out after all that wonderful racket then you’ll probably be reaching for Yeasayer‘s beautifully psychedelic new album, Odd Blood, as the majesty of lead single Ambling Alp threatens to knock MGMT from the top of the nu-psych tree in their absence. Also hot on the heels of Brooklyn’s finest is 26 year-old Georgia (USA) resident, Ernest Greene, aka Washed Out [pictured], with his beguiling, sun-bleached psych-pop daydreams…. you only need to look at the pictures from his rather lovely personal blog to know what his music sounds like. Over on this side of the Atlantic we have the Japan obsessed lo-fi sample-freak, Gold Panda whose warm, tender electronica is the sound of a blissed out summers day, Dalston based Django Django are curious electro-folk-psych with high crossover potential. Finally it’s up North for some typically Mancunian indie-dance. Not as obvious as Delphic, Egyptian Hip Hop hark back to a rawer, more euphoric early Factory Records sound… at present unsigned, don’t expect this to last for long, these are four young kids with some serious talent.