East Africa’s first music technology summit, Kilele, brought together artists and industry figures from Kenya and across Africa and Europe for a series of boundary-pushing performances, discussions and collaborations. Martin Guttridge-Hewitt reports on how the event and a bubbling local underground are ushering in a new era for Nairobi’s electronic music scene Exiting your car [...]
In South Africa, where inequality is rife, young and underprivileged producers are pushing the evolution of amapiano. In the second instalment of our three-part series documenting Amapiano's Second Wave, Jake Colvin explores how community generosity and collaboration helps artists innovate amid challenging conditions This article is the second in a three part-series about amapiano, exploring [...]
Released on 25th May 1984, ‘Smalltown Boy’ launched the gay synth-pop band Bronski Beat into the charts and onto dancefloors with its glorious synths, hi-NRG production and Jimmy Somerville’s soaring falsetto, which sang a story of rejection, pain and escape. Here, with the help of musicians, its iconic video's director and others, Bailey Slater [...]
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. [...]
Thirty years on from first opening its doors, Cavo Paradiso is a true destination club. Having made its name during the peak of progressive house, this Top 100 Clubs staple now caters for an international crowd. Martin Guttridge-Hewitt hears about the ups, the downs, and the secret to Cavo’s longevity As the first ruby [...]
A new print magazine is documenting queer dance music scenes around the world. Based in Amsterdam, No One Magazine aims to spotlight communities and collectives who promote connection and identity building through electronic music. The first edition focuses on the Amsterdam scene, covering topics such as the city's oldest queer-run club, squat parties and [...]
Customers could soon be paying for more services, according to reports Spotify has officially demonetised all tracks with under 1,000 streams. The new policy came into effect for all artists in 1st April 2024. The revised revenue scheme was announced last year, and means music will only be included in the royalty pool calculation if it [...]
Out today, the latest FACTS study examined 175 editions of 110 different festivals. female:pressure, an online database and network of women and nonbinary people in the music industry, has unveiled its 2024 FACTS report. Published today, March 8th, the report analyses the gender demographics of festival lineups. The organisers collected data from 175 editions of [...]
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 [...]
As the DJing world continuously evolves, new gear is inevitable. 2024 is likely to bring a solid set of new products to the DJ world, and we expect to see new releases that could transform how we mix, manipulate, and experience music. From stem-focused controllers to iterative updates from Pioneer DJ, we’re predicting smart [...]
