Search

Grime emerged from the council estates of East London over two decades ago, evolving out of pirate radio stations as jungle and UK garage fractured into new structures. It has since grown into an unstoppable cultural force, asserting its dominance on the charts and claiming headline bookings on the world’s biggest festival stages. Whilst there are a vast amount of resources covering its profound influence and evolution, these 10 documentaries aim to narrate the story of grime music, and chart the history of one of this country’s most crucial foundational genres

Timedance label boss, innovative producer and a boundary-pushing DJ, Batu was on an upward trajectory — but the pandemic made him question his motivations and examine his history. With his debut album ‘Opal’ marking a bold new chapter in his sound, he talks to Chal Ravens about burnout, reinvention, heritage and contributing to the Bristol scene that nurtured him

1st May 1994 was the first big London protest against the looming Criminal Justice Bill, the piece of legislation that first proscribed a genre of music — rave music, “wholly or predominantly categorised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats” — in law. Despite widespread demonstrations at what was seen as draconian power-grabs by the UK authorities, the Bill became law later in 1994. Here, Harold Heath looks back at the reaction from the dance music community at the time, and the Act’s lasting impact on the rave scene today

It’s an exciting time to be both a new and old fan of African music, but how does it feel for African artists raised and working in the diaspora? As producers and consumers, these artists have a unique vantage point on this cultural shift. Jessica Kariisa speaks to Nazar, Hagan, Juba and Chief Boima and asks: what does music from “back home” mean today?