Two years ago I wrote a feature on the first-ever stateside Music Hack Day. It was a rad occasion, not to mention an introduction to the way that I'd be finding and listening to tunes from that day forward. Because of that weekend and subsequent opportunities that I've had to cover the future of music, I can honestly say that I know more about what's coming down the wire than most Web pedestrians and even some tech writers (at least the shitty ones, I suppose).

Music Hack Day is the hardest topic that I've ever had to write on. I think my editor and I covered the conference somewhat competently last year, when we noted that none of the five major labels came to Microsoft N.E.R.D. in Cambridge for the first stateside meeting of the greatest minds in music technology.