Sitting in his Manhattan studio on a weekend evening, wide-brimmed hat on his head and, behind him, shelves crammed with thousands of records — most...
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Results for: Give Us The Night
We talk to rising star Ashley Wallbridge about what Vegas crowds expect (and how to keep them entertained)
Stoke-On-Trent's Ashley Wallbridge has gone from a trance newbie to one of the hottest names in big room dance in a matter of years. Now...
Features
After four-plus decades of DJing and with a incredible list of releases — much of it produced with longtime partner Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez as Masters At Work — the pioneering Louie Vega would seem to have little to prove. Yet he’s working harder than ever, with the same energy he had as a young kid coming up in the Bronx. In the run-up to his date at DJ Mag’s Miami Pool Party 2024 at the Sagamore Hotel on March 20th, Vega took some time out of his hectic schedule to talk about how he got to where he is today
Features
Over the past few years, against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis and austerity, an energised crop of community-focused collectives, promoters, and venues have emerged in the UK capital. Against some tough odds, they are fighting to keep the city’s electronic music scene not only alive, but thriving. Here, Georgia Mulraine looks at how promoters and partygoers are adapting to this new landscape, adjusting their expectations of what going out looks like and, ultimately, asks: what is the future of London clubbing?
It took decades and many mutations for dance music to develop into the genres we know today. Here's what happened before DJ Mag was born...
“In the beginning there was Jack... and Jack had a groove!” So the old Mr Fingers track goes, but of course music made for dancing...
DJ Mag heads to the Italian birthplace of Marco Carola and Joseph Capriati to pick up the local thread, with Luigi Madonna and his crew
"For us it was... where everything started from. It was in the middle of mountains, so you have that view from the stage. The first time they did a...
Features
With a range of sounds encompassing slo-mo house, gothic EBM, Italo disco and more, and an equally unrestrained art direction, Freeride Millenium is a no-holds-barred expression of love between its founders Jorkes and Daniel Rajcsanyi, aka ParisBöhm, and the queer community they aim to uplift. Alongside a mix of tracks from its catalogue, they share the label’s story
DJ Mag rocks out on day three in Croatia!
Today, we are professionals! Waking up at 10am and now taking a leisurely stroll to breakfast at Carmen’s on the east side of Tisno Bay...
Features
Techno would not exist as it does today without Kevin Saunderson. Some of the Detroit techno architect’s most revolutionary work has been released under the...
Wild Rumpus is just that: an insanely fun, out-of-control party on wax...
The brainchild of DJ Cosmo (Colleen Murphy) the Boston-born, New York raised, London dwelling disco / house music legend, and infamous leftfield guitarist Gary Lucas, who's played with Captain Beefheart, Lou Reed and Jeff Buckley, they make the kind of funky psychedelic rhythms that can only emanate from maverick minds. First single 'Musical Blaze Up' traverses the dub country route, while new cut 'Purple Somersault' is a bizarre and brilliant collision between cranked Kraut-rock drums, wigged surf guitar and scratchy funk. DJmag beckoned Murphy away from her surf board for a minute to talk names, grooves, and grand plans…
So why the name Wild Rumpus?!
"It's from a children's book called 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak which I loved as a kid and which I read to my daughter. There is a great part of the story where the little boy and his monster friends are about to have a manic dance party underneath a full moon and it says, 'And now let the wild rumpus start'. It just had to be used."
It seems to be quite an unusual hook up, between you Cosmo, and Gary Lucas. How did you come to be working together?
"Gary and I have been friends for nearly 20 years and have talked about working together for ages. I used to do a few different radio shows on WNYU in NYC and had him up when he was relaunching his solo career in the late '80s. As most people in the UK know me for being a 'dance' DJ, many may think it is quite an unusual collaboration. However, most people don't know that I was first and foremost a rock chick and founded the first psychedelic / progressive rock show on my radio station and I was a huge Captain Beefheart fan before house music even existed!"
You seem to have a diverse taste - one minute dubbed out beats and rhymes, the next Krautrock surf music... Is there a grand Wild Rumpus plan?
"Wild Rumpus is about fusing different styles but in a way that works. It's also about having fun and being irreverent. And finally it's about being different. I spend a few hours at the record store and find that 99% of the music to which I am subjected to is derivative. It's so boring. Gary and I both have musically diverse backgrounds and we are able to use our musical heritage in a unique way. This is all music we love!"
What's a 'Purple Somersault'?
"It's a 'term' my daughter came up with. Her favourite colour is purple and 'purple' has also become an adjective that means something that is 'the best'. She likes being flipped upside down and would ask us to help her do an orange somersault, a black somersault (very sinister), a yellow somersault (happy!), etc. But the best was always the 'Purple Somersault'. Also, as this is a surf tune, the somersault refers to the somersaults one does underwater after a wipe-out."
Is there an album in the works? What can we expect?
"There is an album in the works. We have a lot of Gary's guitar tracks that we have recorded and now it's up to me to put it all together so I have quite a job in front of me. Gary is the most original guitarist and can do anything. When we're in the studio it's just so easy but the problem comes with the editing and arranging as sometimes there is almost too much! All I can say about the album is that it will be diverse but always psychedelic and soulful."
What's next for Wild Rumpus?
"Right now we're getting our live show, The Wild Rumpus Experience, together for the summer. We have performed in some wild places including India and are hoping to for some of the UK festivals. We work with visual artist Rob Rainbow who works with The Light Surgeons and Nitin Sawhney amongst others and have also worked with percussionists and a poi fire dancer! We have a show that reaches people on many dimensions so the visual element is really important. We just want to do something that is a bit different."
Features
Bristol-based Brazilian S.P.Y has just made the album of his career by looking back to early jungle. But as he explains, his recreation of the...
Everyone’s a junglist these days aren’t they? You’re a junglist. Your dear old dad’s a junglist. Even that nice little old lady next door and...
Amon Tobin's evolved "Two Fingers" project
Amon Tobin started out experimenting with a double cassette player and ended up piloting the world's most mind-blowing live show.
Richy Ahmed, Tom Trago, Butch and wAFF also went on deck for us in the Dutch capital...
Amsterdam Dance Event brought over 400,000 revelers and 2,200 artists to 450 events across 120 of the best clubs, bars and venues for five days...
Features
Manufacturing delays and rising costs are straining small, independent vinyl labels. Paired with environmental concerns and a reassessment of what physical releases can entail, the...
Features
EBM has been simmering on the underground in recent years, and now DJs including Nina Kraviz and Helena Hauff are utilising the sound – alongside...
Dance music has been alive with talk of the return of electro in recent months. And while long-time advocates of the scene including DJ Stingray...
We talk to the head honcho from the seminal junglist label...
Comp of the month in the upcoming issue of DJ Mag is 'The History Of Hardcore, Jungle, Drum & Bass: 1991-1997', the triple CD box-set...