Japan

On his upcoming 25-track opus ‘Ancestorz’ — which he describes as his life's work — long-serving jungle soldier Congo Natty unites many voices from across the diaspora, joining dots through the history of Black music and celebrating the new jungle generation. In a series of in-depth interviews for DJ Mag, he talks to Dave Jenkins about love, revolution, unity, and reclaiming his place in the history books

Global club beats, queer femme energy and Pacific Island identity come together in Lady Shaka’s joyful Recognise mix.  Ahead of her appearance at Sónar Festival this month, the DJ and interdisciplinary artist speaks to Anna Cafolla  about building connections around the world, uplifting her communities, and her Pasifika club sound

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

Three decades and nearly 200 records into his  career, jungle maverick Paradox is still breaking new ground, and earning new fans in the process. Ben Hindle speaks to him about using an old Amiga computer for his productions, keeping the funk in his breakbeat samples, and his dedication to performing live

The Afro house sound is an ever-growing presence in UK dance music, with new labels, club-nights and a dedicated radio station springing up. Alongside a mix from Mr Silk, Ria Hylton explores the sound’s history, and speaks to some of the scene’s key players about forging strong connections with their growing audiences, and their aim to nurture a unique UK Afro house identity

Amapiano has become a world-conquering genre since emerging in South Africa over a decade ago, with the sound mutating in recent years to solidify its place as an embedded dance music culture. Here, Shiba Melissa Mazaza asks: who are the South African artists carrying the torch for amapiano right now?
 

Manufacturing delays and other issues continue to put a strain on small and independent labels. Taiwanese press plant Mobineko has unveiled a new pressing machine specifically for short runs, aiming to reduce the global bottleneck for vinyl production. Declan McGlynn speaks to Josh Doherty about the problems facing vinyl today, how the new machine works and what impact it could have on the future of vinyl

DJ Mag Tech catches up with Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy at the Beat Hotel’s recent Ibiza takeover to discuss how she tries to offer an unrivalled listening experience as a music host 

Get acquainted with Dar Disku, the London and Bahrain-based collective and label refashioning buried disco gems of the Middle East and North Africa