Features

In this series, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their collections. This week, Colombia’s Rachiid Paralyzing spotlights tracks “with a unique and exceptional level of composition”, from breathless 2-step and techno, to intricate IDM, breaks and ambient

As Cassius Select, the Toronto-born DJ and producer Lavurn Lee has spent the past decade crafting mercurial club music packed with bass and breaks. But on his debut album under his given name, he revisits the vocal-led experimental R&B of his earliest releases, revealing a more intimate side to his artistry. Alongside a Recognise mix filled with shadowy ambience and anxious beats, Dhruva Balram learns the story of ‘LAVURN’

With the release of its first edition – 'For The Mind, Body and Soul' – via Telstar Records in early 1999, the ‘Euphoria’ mix compilation series quickly became one of the most popular and prolific of its kind, launching the big-room oriented trance, progressive and hard house sounds of clubland into the CD drives of thousands. 25 years later, Harold Heath looks back on its legacy, and on how its balance of clever commercial marketing and authentic live energy enshrined ‘Euphoria’ in UK dance music history

The California-raised producer Channel Tres is a natural born trailblazer. As the name behind Compton House, he’s found admirers for his self-coined genre within funk, hip-hop and pop audiences. In his forthcoming album ‘Head Rush’, he’s expanding upon that diverse aesthetic by tapping into his divine intuition to tell his life story and introduce the world to new depths of his musicality

Whether you’ve encountered her genre-blurring DJ sets, top class productions, or the hilarious deadpan memes of her Instagram page, there’s a good chance Hiroko Yamamura has brightened up your day at some point. Alongside her On Cue mix, the humble Midwest legend speaks to Zara Wladawsky about her come up in Chicago, the benefits of being an introvert, and how anybody can be a DJ

The latest and greatest DJs and producers rising to the top this month. From bassy breaks and minimal techno to fizzing hyper-pop, experimental lo-fi and beyond, here’s May 2024’s list of upcoming talent you should be keeping track of

1985 Music is one of the most consistently excellent labels in bass music. Helmed by drum & bass maestro Alix Perez, it’s not only survived but thrived since he moved to the other side of the world from its core fanbase, thanks to his laser-focused approach to A&R and design. Here, alongside a mix from Perez, Ben Hindle learns about his winning formula

Spanish DJ, producer and ARTCORE label founder Indira Paganotto’s irresistible hybrid of techno and psytrance has made her a huge star on festival stages and in superclubs, but her rise to the top has been beset with challenges. Niamh O’Connor speaks with her about sticking to her principles, her love of psytrance, the importance of the underground, and the balancing influence of family

Sheffield tearaway Silva Bumpa records a rowdy mix of bassline, breaks, house and garage for the Fresh Kicks series, and speaks to Naz Hamdi about honouring his hometown’s dance music legacy, and his plans for the months ahead

Though arguably most prominent in the ’90s, free parties and illegal raves have never gone away. Despite the increased surveillance from authorities, passionate DJs and sound systems continue to throw events in a similar way that they always have, looking to create a sense of community and an alternative to the commodified dance mainstream. Dave Jenkins heads to a free party, and speaks to some of the illegal rave scene’s advocates about why they keep the fire burning

When the South Bronx dance-punk outfit ESG released their Martin Hannett-produced debut EP in 1981, they had no idea how pivotal their stripped-back, funk-fueled sound would be on the evolution of hip-hop and house music: ‘UFO’ has been sampled over 500 times; ‘Moody’ was a staple in Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage sets. Four decades later, ahead of their set at Melting Pot & Optimo’s Queen’s Park Spring Weekender, Daniel Dylan Wray tells their story

Marcia Carr is into her fourth decade behind the decks and has seen many trends come and go in that time. Throughout, she’s stuck with what truly moves her: an assortment of Black music from jazz, funk and boogie to gospel house, broken beat and beyond. She’s thought about giving up DJing on more than one occasion, but — driven by passion and faith — is now enjoying a well-deserved moment in the sun. Alongside an uplifting On Cue mix, she tells Ria Hylton her story

1st May 1994 was the first big London protest against the looming Criminal Justice Bill, the piece of legislation that first proscribed a genre of music — rave music, “wholly or predominantly categorised by the emission of a succession of repetitive beats” — in law. Despite widespread demonstrations at what was seen as draconian power-grabs by the UK authorities, the Bill became law later in 1994. Here, Harold Heath looks back at the reaction from the dance music community at the time, and the Act’s lasting impact on the rave scene today

Turntablist NikNak has a unique style, cutting and scratching field recordings and samples into ambient tracks — but her latest album finds her leaning into the dance music you might hear in one of her club sets. Ben Murphy speaks to her about Afrofuturist sci-fi, trip-hop, pop, and why she loves found sounds

Out of club music’s modern-day practitioners, few go deeper than Francis Harris and Anthony Collins. Producing under the Frank & Tony banner, working in the grand tradition of the sound’s pioneers, the duo has just released ‘Ethos’, their first long-player since 2014’s ‘You Go Girl’. Here, they speak to Bruce Tantum about their creative partnership, the uniting power of the house groove, and melancholic beauty of everyday life

In this series, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their collections. This week, Tiffany Calver spotlights head-turning UK rap and garage, punchy bass, big-room amapiano and more

In the midst of the ruinous Thatcher era, Manchester’s Hulme Crescents estate became a haven for squatters, anarchists and acid house ravers, who converged in the hedonistic flat-turned-studio and after-hours club, The Kitchen. Kemi Alemoru speaks to former residents, DJs and familiar guests from the Madchester scene about the lasting impact this space had on the city’s cultural landscape

In life’s messier moments, it’s only natural to seek out a place of comfort. On her new ‘Home Music’ EP, the violinist and producer known as Bad Snacks tells the story of how she regained a sense of belonging through soaring instrumentals and a soothing spin on upbeat house

In this excerpt from Ears To The Ground: Adventures in Field Recording and Electronic Music, author and DJ Mag contributing editor Ben Murphy explores the use of found sounds in dance music as a means of examining and expressing cultural heritage in our surroundings

With his new podcast, Queerly Beloved, Northern Irish DJ Cormac explores what it means to be a queer artist in dance music today. Interviewing contemporary figures about their histories of queer discovery, the Panorama Bar and fabric regular continues an intergenerational conversation surrounding the life-affirming moments, communal  experiences and enduring challenges of LGBTQ+ expression. Alongside an On Cue mix packed with HI-NRG anthems and Italo house, Marke Bieschke learns more