Mixing off-piste sound and slopes is a short but storied tradition: perhaps due to temperature, cool music has always gone well with snow sports. The illustrious annual Snowbombing festival – which features acts like 2 Many DJs, Dizzee Rascal, Alex Metric and Reverend and the Makers in a dope Austrian Alpine resort setting -  has always seemed like the ideal ski and snowboard escape. A kind of Glastonbury with snow instead of mud and a hip raver makeover, Snowbombing gets cheers from performers and punters alike. “The actuality of the event needs to be seen to be believed – as the chocolate box setting is transformed into Caligua’s Rome,” Clash magazine wrote of Snowbombing’s singular appeal. They have just announced the 2010 edition jumps off in early April, featuring acts like Vitalic, James Zabiela, Ewan Pearson, Adam Beyer and The Revenge. But snowfests aren’t limited just to say, Europe: Japan’s revered Yabuhara resort recently started showcasing their own unique, low-key gathering called Taico Club. The Guardian recently wrote about the fantastic boutique atmosphere of Taico Club, waxing ecstatic about seeing Squarepusher in a “stunning location [where] as the sun rises, snow-capped mountains appear dramatically through the early morning mist.” Now is the time to start preparing to catch one of the varied snowfests on offer – so wax those boards and get those tickets now if you want to get down to off-piste slopes and sounds. In North America, there’s been a growing number of off-slope resort music appearances, so here’s hoping for a full-on US snow fest soon.