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Soaring ascents, the kind that can take an artist from obscurity to stardom in what seems to be the blink of an eye, don’t occur often, in dance music or elsewhere – those who are lucky enough to have that experience often disappear just as quickly. But there’s little chance of a quick fade for South Africa’s Palesa Desiree Shilabje, the DJ and producer known to the world as DESIREE, who in just a few short years has proved to be one of the international festival circuit’s most exciting new stars. Here, Bruce Tantum hears her story, and about how her evolution through music has been as organic as they come

Italy-based, Australia-born DJ and producer Nite Fleit has made her name with tough-as-nails electro, but her recently-released debut album reveals a more emotional side. Alongside a storming mix for the Recognise series, she speaks to Claire Francis about her formative years in Melbourne, her natural flair for DJing, and how making music helps with her ADHD

Blending hip-hop, house and influences from New York’s ballroom scene, Cakes Da Killa has been opening up the conversation around LGBTQ+ artists in rap. He speaks to Nathan Evans about developing his style, the appropriation of queer and ballroom culture, and finding inspiration in the Harlem Renaissance for his new album ‘Svengali’

Ploy demonstrates his percussive, pulse-racing and sub-bass-shaking sound for the Recognise mix series, and speaks to Katie Thomas about gradually finding his groove on imprints like L.I.E.S, Hessle Audio and Timedance, and his new label and party, Deaf Test

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?