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Themba

South African house DJ and producer Themba has become a global star in recent years. Alongside a mix of thumping and emotive house for the On Cue series, Kristan J Caryl chats to him about his childhood obsession with collecting music, his ambitious 2021 album ‘Modern Africa Volume 1 (Ekhaya)’, and uplifting African artists around him

“Because of our history, we sing and we dance,” says Themba. “It’s our getaway from everything.” Music has been the renowned South African DJ and...

California's rave history is rooted in outdoor free parties that celebrated psychedelic music and and unique environments. DJ Mag's Matt Anniss speaks to the Bay...

Every summer since 2005, Claude VonStroke’s DirtyBird crew has hosted a “BBQ” party in one of San Francisco’s many harbour–side parks. They’re not alone, either...

Recognise is DJ Mag's monthly mix series, introducing artists we love that are bursting onto the global electronic music circuit. This month, we catch up...

“I miss doing house stuff,” says Inês Borges Coutinho, laughing, a little frustrated. She’s not talking about music – thankfully, there’s lots of that. She...

The ESP Instituer Logo on a blurry grey blue background

Continuing the legacy of his Lovefingers blog, Andrew Hogge’s ESP Institute is a truly anything-goes imprint, unbound by genre or style. Alongside a mix from its catalogue, he tells Anna Wall about how how his DIY attitude and digger’s mentality has helped him unearth countless new musical gems

Los Angeles’ ESP Institute has delivered over 120 releases since its inception 14 years ago – an impressive feat for a label that remains fiercely...

DRS performing live

With a career spanning 30 years, more than 400 tracks to his name and a history hosting the biggest stages, DRS recently embarked on a new, ground-breaking chapter with his headline live show tour: The Man Who Fell To Earth. Jake Hirst hears the story behind a project representing something much greater than music for DRS

A Thursday night drum & bass gig in Bristol is standard these days, considering its reputation as a home for d&b. But this event is...

Why are masks so popular in dance music?

“All great things must first wear terrifying and monstrous masks, in order to inscribe themselves on the hearts of humanity.”
 FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE, Beyond Good and Evil...

Kings Of Tomorrow

A soulful house classic, Kings Of Tomorrow’s ‘Finally’ appealed across the board thanks to its universal lyric and hopeful message. Kristan J Caryl talks to vocalist Julie McKnight, co-producer Jay Sealee, Defected’s Simon Dunmore and Bushwacka about its evergreen appeal

“I was visiting my cousin Jay,” remembers Julie McKnight of one special night in a New Jersey living room 20 years ago. “Sandy, the other...

Vinyl is more popular than it’s been in years, and wax-only labels are seen as some of the best in dance music. But is our...

We're still deep in the midst of a resurgence in vinyl culture. Vinyl sales continue to rise year on year, up 12% in 2018, and vinyl-only...

Radio header

The funding of independent radio stations is always precarious, but the current cost-of-living and energy crises threaten their survival. Following the shuttering of Worldwide FM and Bristol’s SWU FM, we look at the challenges facing these beloved cultural lifelines

UK independent radio is one of the most important aspects of DJ culture and the dance music scene. It plays a vital part in driving...

The history of Spiral Tribe, the UK’s most notorious travelling sound system

Spiral Tribe were ‘90s Britain’s hardest hardcore techno crew –  a travelling party troupe of anti-authoritarian acid-adventurers, and a scourge of the establishment. With co-founder Mark Harrison in the midst of writing a book on their story, and PRSPCT Recordings recently releasing a collection of classic cuts from live Tribe duo R-Zac, Harold Heath dives into their history, legacy and vow to 'Never Stop'

In the 1970s, a teenage Mark Harrison and his younger brother would hitch-hike to free festivals, the country-wide network of large-scale, outdoor music events which...

The DJ/producer takes us on a tour of his hometown and nearby Doncaster, and tells DJ Mag how they’ve influenced his music and work ethic...

Ryan Aitchison is stood outside his childhood home in Woodlands, a former “pit village” three miles north of Doncaster, casually posing for pictures. The house...

Ireland’s drill scene has been blowing up since 2018, with homegrown rappers and producers putting their own spin on the world-conquering sound. Robert Kazandjian speaks...

Every drill scene has its transcendent track; one so potent that it blasts hyper-localised sounds out towards national and international listeners. ‘Don’t Like’, ‘Let’s Lurk’...

From the Minimoog to the Roland TR-808...

Some of the most important innovations in electronic music came about by mistake. Whether it be the way that Roland's TR-808 and then the TR-909...