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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

Sound systems have driven the development of music in the UK, powered by hard work, passion and innovation. But preserving UK sound system culture, its knowledge and history, while also pushing it forward, is no easy task today. Ria Hylton traces its path through ska and reggae at blues dances in West Indian households, to soul, boogie, hip-hop and house in ’80s warehouses and at the Notting Hill Carnival, to nationwide tours and global popularity, and finds out how initiatives like the Sound System Futures Programme are seeking to secure its future 

A rapper, producer and head of the No Days Off brand, Knucks smashed into the UK album charts this year with his ‘Alpha Place’ project, presenting his ‘chill drill’ sound in all its evolved glory. His triumphant homecoming show at KOKO in Camden saw collaborators like Stormzy, SL, Youngs Teflon and Ragz Originale join him on stage. Here, Yemi Abiade meets the Londoner to learn how there are now no limitations on his future

Tiffany Calver is redefining the role of the rap DJ. As well as helming the influential Rap Show on BBC Radio 1Xtra, she hosts club nights, runs her own label, and DJs for superstars. But, as she reveals to Christine Ochefu, her journey to the top hasn’t always been easy

From her first release as Octo Octa in 2011, there’s always been an element of rapturous freedom inherent to Maya Bouldry-Morrison’s music. But since coming out as a trans woman and meeting her life/work partner Eris Drew, that feeling is rendered in brighter shades than ever. Taking time out from a European tour, Bouldry-Morrison details her road to house music happiness

Daniel Avery has made the defining album of his career to date with ‘Ultra Truth’. Incorporating everything from techno and ambient to jungle drum & bass, it features contributions from SHERELLE, HAAi and Kelly Lee Owens, among others, and is simultaneously raw and beautiful. Anna Wall meets him in a North London café to talk about collaboration, staying true to himself, and the enduring influence of Andrew Weatherall

More than a club night and record label, Rupture has become a nexus point for the global jungle/drum & bass community, helping to galvanise a new generation while re-energising seasoned heads. Founders and life partners Mantra and Double O tell DJ Mag’s Ben Hindle about its evolution, and the importance of championing inclusivity and musical freedom