“Dance is a big part of my expression as a DJ,” says Juba. “I dance behind the decks, and want people to dance very hard when they listen to me play.”

“When gqom came it was made for clubs. Made for nightlife. Dance is the best thing in Durban, so when gqom came, everybody went crazy as it was the perfect combination. That’s why it took over”

Gqom can now be heard across South Africa’s TV and radio, with superstars like Okmalumkoolkat, Cassper Nyovest, Big Nuz and Babes Wodumo — the latter’s ‘Wololo’ racked up almost 10 millions hits on YouTube — adopting the sound into their music. Gwali has recently been in the studio with M.I.A., with the pair currently working on music together, as well as starring on Kelela’s Warp released remix album, ‘Take Me Apart’. That’s all ahead of his debut at Sónar this summer and an upcoming collaboration with Hyperdub.

We first became aware of Ehua when we premiered her debut track ‘New Moon’ in September 2018. Released via our Best of British Breakthrough Label 2018, femme culture, the track was an atmospheric and percussive cut, which blazed a trail for her subsequent ‘Diplozoon’ EP in November.

There is a unifying force at the heart of Kampire Bahana’s work. For several years now, the Ugandan DJ and writer has been at the helm of the country’s dance music scene, inspiring crowds throughout East-Africa and, more recently, across Europe and beyond. In striving not only to create an electric atmosphere on the dancefloor but also to unite a vast community in the fight against oppression and marginalisation, Kampire has quickly become one of the most vital figures in the continent’s club cultural sphere.