Features

Amelie Lens has taken techno by storm, bringing her hard, fast, but ultimately jubilant vision for the genre to the world’s biggest stages. A DJ, producer, and head of the Lenske and EXHALE labels and party brand — the latter of which she brings to Ibiza’s DC-10 this summer — Lens is using her platform to spread the values instilled in her during her upbringing: being thankful, independent, and supporting others. She speaks with Claire Francis about being raised by her grandmother, finding her confidence as a teenage clubber, and her hopes for the future

The latest and greatest DJs and producers rising to the top this month. From amapiano, breaks and tripped-out house to tech-step, trance and beyond, here's June 2023’s list of upcoming talent you should be keeping track of

In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their collections. This week, Black Cadmium spotlight some favourites, from post-punk and Italo to classic house, acid, breaks and future-facing techno

Returning to South London’s Brockwell Park for its third edition, Wide Awake festival delivered its finest day out to date with a carefully considered programme that mapped the common ground between post-punk, adventurous indie, pop, and underground club sounds

Lyric Hood broke through in 2016 as one half of Floorplan alongside her father, Robert Hood, and has gone on to shine as a solo artist too, releasing triumphant house and techno productions on M-Plant. DJ Holographic has made her mark as part of Detroit’s new wave; known for her deep-digging sets, her 2021 ‘Detroit Love’ mix compilation was nominated for a DJ Mag Best of North America award. Here, as part of our article series celebrating the artists on Black Artist Database's debut compilation, they talk about how their spirituality influences their artistry

Following the path of so many DJs before them, London’s Amaliah and B.A.D co-founder NIKS have both started to produce their own music in recent years. The former has released invigorating, hybrid club tracks via her Borne Fruits label, Nehza Records and Earful Of Wax, while the latter drops her debut track via the new ‘Synergy’ compilation. Here, as part of our series celebrating the artists on Black Artist Database's debut compilation, they discuss their production journeys

Manchester-based Afrodeutsche has released productions via River Rapid, Skam and Tresor, composed for TV, film and various orchestral performances, and DJs across the UK, Europe and for BBC Radio 6 Music on her show The People’s Party. French artist rRoxymore DJs and performs live and has been a regular on Don’t Be Afraid, alongside putting out music on Timedance, Noise Manifesto, Aus Music and Smalltown Supersound. Here, as part of our series celebrating the artists on Black Artist Database's debut compilation, they discuss the balance of experimental and dancefloor elements across their productions and performances

Born and raised in Malawi, and having spent time living in South Africa and the USA, Chmba’s sound takes influence from these international experiences. Here, as part of our series celebrating the artists on Black Artist Database's debut compilation, Christine Kakaire speaks to Chmba about how travel can affect identity, supporting women through the Tiwale organisation, and balancing music with community activism

This week, Black Artist Database launches its new label with a compilation of club-ready tracks made by Black women from around the world. Here, kicking off a series of articles and interviews with featured artists, Christine Kakaire speaks to curators NIKS and Tanya Akinola about its inception, and building a new home for Black artists to release their music

Taking place deep inside a limestone cave in Mai Châu, Vietnam's Equation festival returned in April to present a microcosm of the East & South-East Asian underground. Alongside a euphoric techno set from resident DJ Di Linh, Jack Ramage reports back, and speaks to organisers, DJs and guests about how this intimate gathering has grown into a vital celebration of the region's flourishing scene

In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their collections. This week, ahead of Rush Hour’s 25th birthday celebrations at GALA Festival, Antal spotlights 10 gems from its tastemaking catalogue

When he sat down in 1997 to produce a track for the Chicago dance battles that he was DJing at, RP Boo had little thought of helping to forge a new genre of music. But the resulting track, the Ol’ Dirty Bastard–sampling ‘Baby Come On’, did more than challenge dancers — it helped bring footwork into existence

On his latest album, ‘Sus Dog’, Clark has put his singing voice front and centre, mixing his unearthly electronics with compelling songs. Ben Murphy talks to him about maintaining your humanity in a time of artificial intelligence, working with Thom Yorke from Radiohead, and why making music is a form of therapy

Brooklyn’s KYRUH pulls no punches in her explosive techno mix for the Fresh Kicks series, and chats to Anna Wall finding her feet in New York’s club scene, and the music that gets her heart jumping

Analysing the key trends from the voting in this year's DJ Mag Top 100 Clubs poll

Neneh Cherry’s 1989 debut LP, featuring beloved tracks like ‘Buffalo Stance’ and ‘Manchild’, was the product of both a bohemian free thinker and a groundbreaking musical collective. Here, Ben Cardew explores how Cherry's introduction to the world told an an inspiring tale of collaborative creative freedom, and blazed a trail for the influential Bristol sound of the '90s

In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their collections. This week, ahead of his live set at Wide Awake festival, Daniel Avery spotlights sounds at the intersection of post-punk, techno, shoegaze, rave and hip-hop

More and more artists and listeners are discovering the benefits of ambient music to our mental health. Here, Manu Ekanayake speaks to artists Meemo Comma, Auntie Flo, CLAIR and KMRU about its therapeutic qualities, and learns how one NHS neuroscientist, James Kilner, is using it to help people with anxiety and depression

Lots of artists come and go, burning out before leaving a mark with their sound. Others hit a stride and never stop growing — like Chris Lake, who’s spent more than two decades cultivating a career in house music on his own terms. DJ Mag caught up with the UK-born, LA-based producer to learn about his history, and how he’s bestowing life’s biggest lessons on the new artists of Black Book Records 

London’s Rose Robinson, working as Tigerbalm, relied on her global travels as inspiration for last year’s acclaimed ‘International Love Affair’ LP on Ubiquity. Now, with a remix LP in the shops and new music on the way, the world is taking notice