"A system that's equal doesn't benefit the people that have the power." The Rhythm Section International founder talks about creating opportunities for Black artists and entrepreneurs, Caribbean conviviality and his abiding love for Peckham. Bradley Zero, the DJ and founder of the label Rhythm Section International, is known for his commitment to his community. Zero grew up in a rich Caribbean culture in Leeds, where he and his family gathered in friends' living rooms to listen to music and eat home-cooked food. In opening Jumbi—the bar and listening space in London's Southeast neighborhood, Peckham—Zero has attempted to recreate this lively Caribbean conviviality. The venue is filled with his own personal record collection and one turntable. His style (as reflected in his imprint) celebrates house, soul, disco, funk and various shades of music from the afro-Caribbean diaspora. In this RA Exchange, he talks about how the neighborhood has changed in the time he's been based there, how and when his career exploded from local pool hall gigs to an active global touring schedule and why he decided to study for an MBA. October is British Black History Month in the UK, and in this interview, Zero also discusses ways that he hopes to empower the Black British community to start their own businesses and assert power from the top echelons of the music industry. Rhythm Section International has started a touring series of free masterclasses called Future Proof, in which Zero and his team invite guests to teach hard skills on business and label management, how to cultivate a brand and much more. Listen to the episode in full.

"There are so many different takes on reggaeton." The Latine supergroup discusses dembow, Afro-Caribbean music and more in this Playing Favourites live from C2C Festival. This week's RA Exchange revisits one of Resident Advisor's flagship live formats, Playing Favourites, where we bring guests onto the pod to walk through their musical influences and play us some tracks that have been formative in their personal and creative development. This week, we're honouring El Dia de la Raza—which happened on October 12th—an occasion that remembers the colonisation of Latin America and pays tribute to its heritage and cultural diversity. Our guest is Sangre Nueva, a trio made up of the artists DJ Python, Florentino and Kelman Duran. They all come from different backgrounds: Kelman is a Dominican multidisciplinary artist, Florentino is a musician of Colombian heritage signed to XL Recordings and DJ Python is Ecuadorian-Argentinian, releasing prolifically under a number of aliases in the worlds of ambient and club-adjacent music. Together, their style explores pan-Caribbean musical styles, especially dembow, which is experiencing a parallel renaissance in the underground and commercial dance music spheres. In this conversation, they talk to journalist Christine Kakaire from last year's C2C Festival about what it means to approach Latin music from an experimental perspective to bring an amalgamation of Caribbean and Spanish-speaking musical cultures into their work. They also reflect on the stigma that was attached to reggaeton for a long time and the songs that represent its reclamation in the world of contemporary club music culture. Listen to the episode in full.

"We need to give more people a seat at the table." The Australian DJ and producer talks about exclusivity in the music industry, neurodivergence and London's thriving lesbian scene. The London-based Australian artist Teneil Throssell (AKA HAAi) doesn't have a typical DJ story. She moved to London in the early 2010s as part of a now defunct psych rock band, and once it broke up, she thought her stint in the music industry was over. Unsure what to do with herself, she started mixing dance music records at the bar where she was working at the time, Ridley Road Market. The right person happened to "discover" her, offering her a spot supporting Jacques Greene at the London club Phonox. She went on to hold a residency there for two years, and the rest, as they say, is history. Throssell's career blew up almost immediately. For the last eight years that she's been DJing, she's toured internationally on a massive scale, sometimes going to six different countries in one week. She's also released a number of EPs and one LP on Mute Records, remixed Kylie Minogue and started two labels of her own: Coconut Beats and Radical New Theory, which she runs with her partner. Her style is eclectic, but fans of hers will know her for her upbeat, techno- and acid-inflected sound. In this RA Exchange, Throssell dives into some emotional and complex topics, like the criticism she received from RA for her early EP Systems Up, Windows Down; London's lesbian scene; her ADHD diagnosis; and climate activism in the electronic music industry. Listen to the episode in full.

In a very special Exchange from 2010, we caught up with a true legend of music. Here's what we said at the time: Revered composer, producer and bandleader Quincy Jones may not have much to do with dance music in a literal context, but his fingerprints are all over it. The impact that his work has had on countless DJs and producers over the years hardly needs explaining. So when we were offered the chance to chat with Jones around a promotional tour for his brand new line of AKG headphones, we couldn't resist. In a brief conversation, RA Todd L. Burns took the opportunity to ignore the elephants in the room, and focused his sights on a broader view of the man's career, uncovering some interesting insights as to how Jones views his work as painting with sound and how his classical training helped him make conservatory musicians play funk. In this RA Exchange, the American music legend talks some of the parts of his career that simply don't get covered elsewhere.

The smartbar affiliate talks to the Fool's Gold Records founder about climbing the ranks, DJ discourse and how to exist in commercial and underground scenes simultaneously. This week's RA Exchange takes us to Chicago, where two big names—The Blessed Madonna and A-Trak—have a chat ahead of their back-to-back set at underground institution smartbar last month. These are two DJs who have been around the block. The Blessed Madonna (FKA The Black Madonna) is originally from Kentucky, but made her name in Chicago. She started out as an intern at smartbar and working at the local label Dust Trax, later becoming lead A&R and an established DJ in her own right. A-Trak is a Canadian artist who cut his teeth as head honcho of Fool's Gold Records. He's known for having developed the careers of artists like Kid Cudi and Danny Brown, and he also formed Duck Sauce with Armand Van Helden, a project synonymous with the bloghouse era. The two have a long history with Chicago, and they engage in a discussion about how they think the city looks from the outside. As one of the most segregated cities in the US, they say, what the rest of the world sees as one cohesive and unified hub for house music is instead divided by genre and area code. They also debate the complexities of existing in commercial and underground music worlds simultaneously, our collective over-fetishisation of the past, the stupidity of DJ discourse and Europe's tendency to impose its view of America—and American dance music—on the Midwest. Listen to the episode in full.

"Soundscapes reveal a lot about how people think and behave." The field recordist and musician talks about listening culture, repatriating African sounds and his new album with The Bug. Today's conversation moves away from the dance floor, focusing instead on the soft, ambient soundscapes of the Berlin-based musician Joseph Kamaru—AKA KMRU—whose work has been featured at festivals like CTM, Mutek, Atonal, Horst Music and Arts, Dekmantel, and Unsound; concert halls like The Barbican; and major galleries and site-specific installations around the world. Kamaru moved to Europe from Nairobi, where he first became interested in music production, and field recordings specifically. As a graduate student in the sonic arts, he learned that the majority of the discourse around sound art practices is specific to Western Eurocentric or occidental ways of thinking. He's since embarked on a mission to use field recording as a means of repatriating African identities that are often left out of institutional archives and grapple with the legacy of colonialism. In this RA Exchange, Kamaru reflects on the sociopolitical angle of his work, and his observation that listening, by its very nature, is never neutral. He also talks about how civilisation and technology has changed our collective listening habits; how sound sources beyond the human hearing range make their way into his work with the use of electromagnetic microphones; and his new album, Disconnect, made with the musician Kevin Richard Martin (AKA The Bug). Listen to the episode in full.

"Everyone knows I'm a lively character, I like the party." Oliver 'Skream' Jones is attempting to explain his stamina over a near two decade-long career and true to his unpretentious personality, he makes it sound easy. The 36 year-old has been making music since the age of 15 and despite being a busy father, this hour-long, unfiltered conversation at RA's London headquarters confirms that his love for the dance is as strong as ever. Discussing his childhood, the seminal Dubstep Forum and and finding confidence through music, the dubstep legend reveals how his social skills, born from childhood visits to the pub with his father, gave him his first record store job. "My musical taste is all over the place, my range is broad," he says. That includes pop, a style that he likes for its collaboration with underground producers. Skream's endurance in an industry that's synonymous with burnout is remarkable but he simply attributes it to pure instinct. "When something feels right, I do it. I don't see it as change, I see it as a natural feeling." That's why he made the decision years ago to focus on house and techno instead of dubstep, a style that he transformed from dark and slow to ravey. "I play for myself but that's what my fanbase has grown to love." That intuition also applies to his productions. "I've got to a point where I know what I want to hear and make it happen. That comes from doing the same thing for a long time." In the studio, he says he regularly listens to tracks repeatedly "and if it ever gets boring" or doesn't bring "a certain feeling," then he knows it's not ready. To hear about his approach to remixes, his parenting style and what he has in the pipeline, listen to the conversation in full.

Mykaell Riley has worn a number of hats in the music business. Starting off as a vocalist and founding member of Grammy-winning roots reggae band Steel Pulse, he's since dabbled in marketing, consulting, artist management and composing for the big screen. As director of a University of Westminster research project that examines the legacy of Jamaican music in the UK, he currently explores how ska, reggae, dub and lovers rock, among other genres, impacts British pop culture. Speaking to Vanessa Maria as part of Resident Advisor's ongoing partnership with Black Minds Matter, Riley discusses the historical positioning of Black music in the UK through the lens of his own experiences. From working with EMI and Island Records to becoming an educator, he explains how infrastructure and accessibility has changed the playing field for artists. He also pinpoints current injustices around Black British music, noting the need for more Black professionals in behind-the-scenes jobs. "Rave comes out of Black British music and even bands that you might not associate like Massive Attack or Prodigy are a component of the presence of Black British music," he describes. Yet, the cultural and creative value of Black British artistry has mainly benefitted non-Black communities, he warns. "It's the business end that we should be looking at as to why and how that continues to happen." To hear more about Riley's distinguished career and his thoughts on the current state of the industry, listen to the full conversation.

This past August, a panel of artists, creatives and various members of club communities gathered in Berlin to discuss the threats weighing on global nightlife. Part of Jägermeister's #SAVETHENIGHT initiative to rejuvenate the after-dark economy as well as Tresor's 31st anniversary celebrations, the discussion touched on a variety of social, economic and community issues such as gentrification, inclusion and safety that Resident Advisor later unpacked in a digital feature. The latest instalment of Reflections, a new series on the Exchange that explores content on RA's site, goes deeper on some of these topics. Discussing the sustainability of club culture, Bernard Koomson from Berlin-based creative studio DeadHype notes how more collaboration has helped build critical infrastructure while knowledge sharing can help a younger generation learn from their predecessors. Manchester promoter Alice Woods, who co-runs the Meat Free club nights as well as her own event for people with disabilities called All Under One Roof, emphasises the importance of parties as a welcoming arena for all individuals. "People with disabilities are still quite left behind," she describes. "That's a wider societal issue but I think as a nightlife industry as, as a clubbing sector, I think we can be ones to lead the way on that." For more details, listen to the conversation in full. https://save-the-night.com

In a way, every Critics' Roundtable episode feels like a time capsule. Each month, the show documents the tracks and talents on the personal playlists of RA staffers, serving as a snapshot of the musical zeitgeist at the time. On this edition, staff writer Kiana Mickles, software engineer Alex Wanyoike and senior writer Nyshka Chandran outline their most listened to records from the past three months and noteworthy artists in their respective cities. Discussing Kelela's long-awaited return from a long hiatus, the trio note how her new single marks a departure from her earlier club-oriented cuts. Moving onto the production duo of Abdul Raeva, whose heavy-hitting style brought back memories of the '90s UK label Orbital Records, the conversation gets into the ever-evolving palette of rave music. Djoser in Washington, DC, is more percussive techno than pure rave but he's a key US name who's leading the way for innovative club music and his dextrous drum work on his latest EP, Expand, gets a mention here. Shifting gears, the trio go on to describe some of their favourite local acts such as Damo B, a Manchester veteran with an extensive radio career. River Moon in New York also wins praise for breaking the mould of "techno stoicism," a term that describes when artists take themselves far too seriously. For more details on artists to watch and the trio's favourite RA's mixes of the year, listen to the conversation.

Patrice Rushen is the type of musician whose skill set can't be neatly summed up in a few sentences. After studying to become a classically trained pianist—work that began while she was barely a toddler—she arranged, performed and composed three albums of jazz fusion for Prestige records in the mid-'70s, all while landing sessions playing with the likes of Donald Byrd and Jean-Luc Ponty. She was already a highly respected arranger, writer and instrumentalist in her scene and one of the few women at the time to lead their own band and control the creative process. But it was her five album stint for Elektra Records that really brought her virtuosic musicianship, songwriting and her voice to disco and R&B. If you haven't heard her music yourself, you've almost definitely heard it sampled by the likes of Mary J. Blige, George Michael and the Men In Black theme song (calling it a sample is generous—the producers more or less added Will Smith's vocals to a modernised version of her 1982 composition "Forget Me Nots."). Apart from her career as a performing and recording artist, she's also a veteran music director, calling the shots for big budget tours, awards ceremonies and TV shows. She even composes symphonic pieces for orchestras and has a growing portfolio of film soundtracks. Listen back to Zakia Sewell's 2019 conversation with the veteran artist to learn more about her multifaceted career.

Shanti Celeste is one of those artists whose personality matches her DJ style. Her fun-loving nature and breezy demeanour always light up a room, as do her vibrant sets that span sunny house music, slow-burning disco and emotive techno. Fresh off her Hessle Audio debut, the London-based artist sat down with RA's Martha Pazienti-Caidan for an honest chat about track selection, bad gigs and her approach to production. During DJ sets, the Peach Discs co-founder doesn’t like to focus on genres. Instead, "I think about, like, building and releasing tension and making sure that I stay in a specific energy level," she explained. "Whereas before, I think I knew the energy I wanted to bring, but I didn't know how to do that cause I was just thinking about everything in terms of genre." Reaching this holistic stage, however, took time. It was a process of acquiring knowledge and experience but also confidence, she described, adding how she previously had "really bad imposter syndrome." Learning to deal with bad gigs and recognising that certain factors might be outside an artist’s control are essential to self-realisation, she continued. Going on to discuss her experience of playing big festival stages, she noted the importance of "learning what side of yourself to channel" rather than compromise on music. For more details on her experience playing with fellow women DJs, her lockdown romance and recording her vocals, listen to the chat in full.

What did your summer sound like? For the RA staffers featured on this month's episode of the Critics' Roundtable, the answer ranges from dubby jungle to cheeky UKG to hazy krautrock. Looking back on their favourite records from recent months, managing editor Chloe Lula, Mexico City manager Valeria Martin del Campo and senior writer Nyshka Chandran highlight Dax J's Soul Enforcer,Prelude by Barbie Bertisch and Lichi's latest fruit-inspired compilation. The conversation then shifts to special live performances. Aquarian's dextrous mixing at Dekmantel gets a mention, as does SCHNITT and Gianluca Sibaldi's captivating AV performance at MUTEK Montreal, where they scanned audiences in real-time. Moving onto industry trends and significant news stories, the trio discuss the significance of Mexico City online radio station Aire Libre shutting down, the impact of algorithmic populism on artists and the massive labour crunch in event production jobs. For more details on each of these topics, listen to the full conversation.

Bahar is an avid collector of rare vinyl, possessing one of the world's biggest vinyl collections. The artist has embodied the vinyl-only ethos since growing up in Chicago in the '70s—the heyday of gospel, funk, and jazz soul in the US. He started the party Soul In The Hole with Lee Collins, which embodied and celebrated his passion for what he calls "real" music—music made by "real" musicians playing "real" instruments—and is still actively touring and spreading the spirit of Chicago house at sets around the world. He and Lula discuss kinship among collectors, the origins of Black funk and the instrumentation that brings this singular genre to life. Listen to their conversation in full.

In many ways, Eli Escobar represents the soul of New York nightlife. He can literally play any genre, often jumping from Afrobeats to garage to disco in a single session—a wide-ranging style that's unique to the city and tangible on his recent RA podcast. First emerging on the scene in the late '90s, he's built a reputation for consistently drawing loyal crowds without ever compromising on his personal style and his long-running parties are every promoter's dream. Live from Nowadays, the native New Yorker speaks to staff writers Kiana Mickles and Nyshka Chandran about his decades-long career. From growing up in the city during the '80s and '90s to holding down weekly residencies, Escobar reflects over his time in the industry while sharing valuable lessons for up-and-coming acts, including why it's ok to take one's time as a producer. For details on his hip-hop background and why he thinks Brooklyn will remain New York's nightlife capital, listen to the conversation.

Like countless others, Steve Goodman played a lot of video games during lockdown. At the time, the artist known as Kode9 and founder of the iconic Hyperdub label found himself imagining a game about Scotland and the country's plan to set up a colony in Panama back in the 1690s. Those thoughts later crystallised into Astro-Darien, an AV installation, "sonic fiction" and album that explores Scotland's space program and its past colonial ambitions through the lens of a video game. Speaking to RA on this week's episode of the Exchange, Goodman delves into the various facets of this project, including Escapology, his score to Astro-Darien. The album, released in July, is "like a film trailer that's giving you a little taste of various bits of story and strands of a kind of palette of sounds and a world," he explains. "So if you want, there's places to go deeper on it but if you are not interested in that, just treat it as a slightly weird dance music record." Science fiction aside, the Hyperdub founder also discusses the cyclical nature of music and why jungle is currently experiencing what many have called a revival. "Music doesn't move forward, it doesn't progress in a linear fashion," he describes, attributing that to "generational relationships." For more deep thoughts and Goodman's guide on hiking in the Scottish Highlands, listen to the conversation in full.

"We used to roll up socks in our shoes to give us an extra inch." The childhood friends talk about coming of age in Belfast and their label and event series, CHROMA. Bicep—the Irish duo Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar—have been winning over the hearts of fans with trance-inflected, melancholic dance music since 2009. In this interview with RA editor Gabriel Szatan, the childhood friends talk about how they got where they are, unpacking their creative process and the abiding musical influence of their hometown, Belfast, a city where emotional trance reigned supreme. They also discuss their ongoing multidisciplinary project, CHROMA—a record label, event series and evolving live audiovisual show. Ferguson and McBriar say that the idea for CHROMA came from a sense that their DJ sets were becoming too "sugary," so they buckled down with a renewed focus on creating dynamic new productions made specifically for the dance floor and their sets. The result is a string of hard-hitting EPs which you can find online now. Listen to the episode in full.

This volume of the Critics Roundtable, Resident Advisor's monthly podcast that showcases staff selections, looks back at the summer's important moments and releases in electronic music. Over the course of 40 minutes, podcasts chief Martha Pazienti Caidan, events writer Katie Thomas and content intern Fahad Akinsanya each recap a memorable news story, record and live performance from the past two months. Offering insights, opinions and most importantly, discussion, the trio praise the reopening of London venue The Cross and analyse The Jaguar Foundation's latest report on gender diversity in UK dance music. Also on the agenda is the public backlash against RA's critical review of Beyonce's new album. In terms of new releases, the new EP by Eliza Rose and Interplanetary Criminal gets a mention, as does Sierra and CalvoMusic's "Fast Lingo." Finally, the trio highlight their favourite festival gigs, which include Vanyfox and Tame Impala at Primavera Sound. Listen to the episode for all the details.

Patrick Topping's love of dance music stretches back to his early teenage years when he discovered mákina, a subgenre of hard Spanish techno that's popular in North East England. "I still love that music now," he says on this week's episode. Since those early days as a young raver in Newcastle, Topping has become an in-demand artist known for a wide range of styles that includes happy hardcore, classic pop and gospel-inflected house. Currently holding down a summer residency at DC-10 in Ibiza, which he describes as "the pinnacle of my career," the UK artist explains how he reached this stage after starting out in the industry as promoter, following in his father's footsteps. After being mentored by Jamie Jones, Topping says he's now in a position to pass on insights to younger artists as well as support emerging talents through his residency and label, Trick. Topping then goes onto his discuss why he prefers to play sober these days—"it changed my relationship with DJing"—and why he controls his own social media presence—"you're pulling together bits of media to tell your story, it's kind of like DJing." Listen to the full conversation for more details.

A repeat episode from 2020. Lafawndah's second album, The Fifth Season, on French label Latency, is a journey through science fiction, friendship and cinematic storytelling. It saw the Paris-born artist expand the myths of NK Jemisin's Broken Earth trilogy and cover the likes of Beverly Glenn Copeland and Lili Boulanger. The record continues a four-year run of avant pop jewels, kicked off by her a debut EP for Warp and a collaboration with minimalist composer Midori Takada in 2018, before her first full-length statement, 2019's Ancestor Boy. Here, she speaks with Martha Pazienti Caidan about the making of The Fifth Season, an LP that's elemental, emotional and uncannily fitting for the present moment.

Berlin has witnessed an alarming number of drug and needle spiking incidents in recent months, raising worries about nightlife safety in one of the world's top clubbing destinations. In this edition of Reflections, a new series on the RA Exchange that breaks down important journalism on our site, staff writer Anu Shukla and managing editor Chloe Lula examine the context surrounding recent spiking claims. Shukla, discussing her article on the topic, describes how she spoke to two women who said they were spiked with needles at Berghain and Sisyphos. Their stories have pushed others to share their own experiences with spiking, Shukla says. Lula, who has been looking into the socio-economic and political climate behind spiking, notes how some clubbers may now feel unsafe going out alone. The pandemic has brought about a rise in anti-social behaviour and regressive attitudes towards sex, which could be a factor behind spiking, she describes. Listen to the full conversation to understand how spiking poses serious implications for women and minorities in nightlife. For resources on community care, harm reduction and mental health, revisit our list from earlier this year: https://ra.co/features/3961

Darren Dixon, AKA D Double E, wants the world to know that he's not just a MC. In a short but deep chat with London DJ and presenter Tash LC on the sidelines of Outlook Festival's debut UK edition, the grime veteran discusses his recent productions for for the likes of Novelist and others. Despite producing for years, Dixon has largely hidden that side of his artistry from the public. But that's now changing following the release of his latest EP, Bluku! Bluku! 2. "It's a separate life but I'm now pushing it into the world," Dixon tells Tash LC ahead of his live performance at the festival. His production and vocals on the new EP touch on classic grime but there's also elements of '80s synth music and R&B. The record is a reflection of his personal tastes, he explains. Putting out new music is a chance for fans to see his personality, he continues, noting how that's not always possible during live grime shows. "When I'm doing grime sets, they're playing mad beats and I have no choice but to spit on the beat," he says. Listen to the full conversation for more details on Dixon's creative process as well as his collaborations with Swindle and Chip.

New music, community-driven parties, tech talk and more from RA staffers. Every month, members of Resident Advisor's global team highlight their favourite artists, exciting labels and industry trends on the Critics' Roundtable podcast. This edition, featuring senior designer Lucy Ross, senior US partnerships lead Lottie Moore and senior staff writer Nyshka Chandran, jumps across genres and regions in a reflection of the trio's myriad tastes. Selections feature records with an introspective touch, setting the tone for a mindful summer. From the furious breaks of NIGELTHREETIMES to V.C.R's gospel-inspired soul to Joy Orbison collaborator KEYAH/BLU, the group describes how each artist incorporates a cinematic gloss into their respective compositions. Elsewhere, Honolulu-based label Aloha Got Soul gets a mention for its commitment to showcasing Hawaiian funk and jazz, as does young amapiano star Uncle Waffles, whose global footprint keeps expanding. Recent developments impacting the electronic music ecosystem are also discussed. Moore looks at community-building initiatives of promoters, highlighting Los Angeles' Mapamota and noting the potential of chat platforms such as Discord to strengthen ties with punters. Ross, meanwhile, summarises how AI is influencing brand identity from a designer's viewpoint. Listen to the full podcast for more.

As a DJ, Rafaela Andrade AKA Badsista channels her childhood, culture and history into no-holds-barred sets that blur the lines between Chicago house, techno, hip-hop, pop and baile funk. At this year's edition of Nuits Sonores, the São Paulo creative jumped from Rihanna to acid, incorporating a medley of styles she grew up with. "I'm a result of my time," she tells Resident Advisor at the Lyon festival. Growing up, Andrade says she was constantly exposed to music from family members, street parties and friends. Those influences, reflected in her mixes and performances, add a degree of intentionality and meaning to her craft, she explains. Baile funk is a recurring sound in her sets and productions. Speaking to Lula about the genre, Andrade discusses similarities with punk rock and how the genre varies around Brazil. In Rio de Janeiro, for instance, it's percussive and faster while in Belo Horizonte, it's slower and more vocal-heavy, she describes. Baile funk is also deeply intertwined with local politics, she points out. Federal programs under former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva provided computers to working-class neighborhoods, enabling more people to access music-making software. Under the current government, however, equipment has become expensive, which is weighing on the creative economy, she warns. When Andrade isn't DJing, she focuses on education and club nights. As co-founder of collective BANDIDA, she helps to throw parties in São Paulo that showcase women artists in addition to teaching women of marginalised backgrounds how to DJ and produce using affordable hardware. For more details on her community-oriented approach to nightlife, listen to the full conversation.

Reflections, a new addition on the RA Exchange, takes a magnifying glass to long-form journalism on our website. On each episode, writers break down their latest feature in an effort to shed more light on underlying issues surrounding the story. As part of Resident Advisor's technology month, senior staff writer Nyshka Chandran investigated how blockchain networks known as Decentralized Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) are looking to disrupt the global nightlife industry. Here, she outlines how she came across the niche world of Web3 nightlife and explains the cautious sentiment behind this fast-growing sector. While several DAOs throw parties featuring electronic music artists, only a few seek to operate their own venues and transform the process of event curation, she notes. But their lofty ambitions are tied to the fate of the cryptocurrency market, which could ultimately make or break a DAO, she warns. Listen to the full conversation for more details.

A repeat episode from last year in celebration of Pride month. Steven Braines and Sophia Kearney founded the party brand He.She.They. in 2018 with a mission to make their events "a utopia where people feel they belong whilst expressing their utmost individuality." Their first event was at London's Ministry Of Sound and has since visited Pacha, Watergate, Rex Club and other big-name venues in Europe, Asia and the United States. They also run the artist management agency Weird & Wonderful, representing acts like Jossy Mitsu, LOUISAHHH and Maya Jane Coles, who's also a regular DJ for He.She.They. In conversation with journalist and author Marcus Barnes, Kearney and Braines expand on the history and ethos behind the brand, having to trade DC10 for London lockdown and their Pride parties in Brighton.

As an artist focused on experimental electronics, visuals, AI and augmented reality, Portrait XO is used to thinking in a multidisciplinary approach. Whether developing sound installations, musical dining experiences or audiovisual albums, the Berlin-based creator consistently intertwines music, art and immersive technologies. This integrative way of working stems from the artist's synesthesia, a neurological condition in which people experience one sense through another. "It's like a cross wiring of senses," Portrait XO explains on this episode of the Exchange. Exploring synaesthetic reactions between sound, taste and sight is now a major element of her work. One project involved her performing music based on sounds that she experienced from flavours. Most of her productions are centred around human-machine collaboration. Her 2020 album, WIRE, used machine learning to generate ten hours of new audio from just hour of her recorded vocals. Working with AI "feels like a 50/50 collaboration, at least when it comes to melodies," she describes. While AI isn't smart enough to create full lyrics and melodies, it's "a really great idea sparker and something I’ll hear will then inspire me to write the rest of the melodic phrase or the best lyrical idea that I get out of it," she continues. For more details on how synesthesia and machine learning influence her creative process, listen to the full conversation.

"I started in the clubs, and that's where my heart is." The British singer-songwriter and RA's newest cover star talks about her new album, BRAT, live from AVA London. This week's Exchange is with Resident Advisor's latest cover star: Charli xcx. The British singer-songwriter has garnered a reputation as one of the most unpredictable and boundary-pushing pop artists of her generation, collaborating with contemporaries like A. G. Cook, Yaeji and the late SOPHIE. And she's now on the heels of her most recent album, BRAT, which came out in June and has already been lauded as one of the best albums of the year. In this conversation recorded live at AVA London with journalist Chal Ravens, Charli xcx dives into the making of the album. She calls it a club record—that, she says, is "where her heart is." After posting songs on MySpace around 2008, she was asked to DJ at warehouse parties when she was still in her teens. She felt alive in that space, she remembers, doing crazy, embarrassing things. Now in a different chapter of her life and career, she contemplates her desire to make challenging music that still appeals to a broad audience. It's a pendulum that swings radically in both ways, and she finds herself reinventing herself within the pop space and navigating that tension again and again. Listen to the episode in full.

Two new faces join Head Of Podcasts Martha Pazienti-Caidan on the June edition of Critics' Roundtable, Resident Advisor's monthly podcast that showcases the varied tastes of our contributors. Over the course of 40 minutes, Glasgow City Manager Rose Manson, Staff Writer Zoey Shopmaker and Pazienti-Caidan herself present their favourite music and new stories from the past three months. Their selections include New York producer K Wata, whose recent 12-inch connects the dots between loopy drum patterns and experimental ambient, as well as the 10 year anniversary compilation of UK label Local Action. Kiernan Laveaux's March mix for Noods Radio is also highlighted, as is the new Air Max '97 EP and Glasgow community radio station Buena Vida. Towards the end of the chat, the trio discuss a directory of women, trans and non-binary producers, the slow pace of festival ticket sales and efforts to end sexual violence at large gatherings. Listen to the conversation in full.

Collaboration is intrinsic to creative jobs. Whether you're a lone wolf or a team player, it's impossible to avoid partnerships and group coordination. But working with other people can get messy, especially when ego is involved. As part of Resident Advisor's ongoing collaboration with Black Minds Matter, this episode of the Exchange explores how alliances affect an artist's craft and wellbeing. In separate conversations with UK singer-songwriter Aluna and Hamburg-based DJ crew SLIC Unit, host Vanessa Maria asks them about the challenges of building collectively versus individually. For SLIC Unit, being part of a network is all about mutual trust. Each person brings different talents to the table so it's important to reinforce each another while streamlining the decision-making process, founding members Nissa and SENU describe. "Being together or being in a collective always means more work," they say, referring to the need for clear communication, empathy and making time for everyone's projects. SLIC Unit practices what they call "radical solidarity," a support system that reduces chaos and stress while enabling them to have fun while working. Aluna, on the other hand, has a solo career in addition to being one-half of the duo AlunaGeorge. For her, going solo meant confronting her relationship with fear. Being in a band provided her with a sense of safety but that ultimately became a warning bell, she explains. "I knew that I was using it as a safety net from a place of either displacement or fear," she continues, alluding to her issues with racism and sexism. At the end of the day, it's important for artists to establish stability and security within themselves before they can join a group, she notes. For more insights on how creatives can preserve authenticity and self-worth in a team environment or on their own, listen to the hour-long podcast.

Pirate radio, dubstep and documentary filmmaking—the many faces of Heny G. Malcolm Christopher Gustave, AKA Heny G, is a name synonymous with pirate radio and dubstep. Through his own shows and station, he championed a melodic style of the syncopated, sub-bass sound that's since influenced several of the genre's stalwarts. Speaking with Resident Advisor contributor Marcus Barnes, Gustave explains how his love for radio pushed him to champion diverse artists in dance music. Tracing the trajectory of his time in the industry, Gustave describes how he started in pirate radio at the age of 13. Developing an obsession with jungle, garage and house music, he went onto work at Rinse FM during the 2000s when it was still an unlicensed platform. Around that tinme, he also launching his own station, React FM. While DJing and presenting, Gustave fine-tuned his signature style of emotive dubstep. Nine years since the release of his debut album Child Hood, his soulful productions continue to resonate with old and new heads alike, as Barnes points out. Over the past year, Gustave has been working on a documentary called The Last Weekend. Chatting to Barnes about the creative process, he outlines his entry into filmmaking and how the art form has added another layer to his ever-evolving career. Listen to the discussion for the full details.

On the debut episode of our new Reflections series, New York staff writer Kiana Mickles analyses recent developments in local nightlife following the closure of a treasured Brooklyn venue. Resident Advisor publishes several pieces of long-form journalism per week but due to word count limitations, there's only so much information our reporters can pack in. To ensure important stories get the full coverage they deserve, we've started a new series on the RA Exchange. Reflections takes a deeper dive into the editorial content on our website by inviting writers to dissect one of their recent features. A behind-the-scenes look into the conceptualisation and research behind these articles, Reflections aims to provide updates on the highlighted topic as well as shed light on the journalistic process. For the inaugural episode, New York staff writer Kiana Mickles discusses her feature on Bossa Nova Civic Club from February this year. Ever since a fire forced the iconic venue to close indefinitely, Brooklyn nightlife hasn't been the same, she explained in a conversation with Martha Pazienti Caidan. The club was celebrated for its weekday programming but now that it's shut, Brooklynites have fewer party options on school nights, Mickles described. Bossa's fire is one of many disturbing incidents in New York nightlife this year, she continued. Recent episodes of violence and crime in various clubs have shaken artists and punters, particularly those from minority backgrounds. Mace-like fumes were reported at Nowadays, Rash was the victim of an arson attack and allegations of drink spiking at popular venues remain rampant. Listen to the full conversation below for more details on these issues. https://ra.co/exchange/610 Tracklist: quest?onmarq - Tropical Goth https://questionmarcdj.bandcamp.com/album/tropical-goth-rave-water Ben Bondy - Everything I Can't Be [Quiet Time] https://benbondy.bandcamp.com/album/ben-bondy

Live from Rewire Festival, Planet Mu affiliate Jana Rush and sound researcher Caroline Claus discuss gender politics, audio equipment and urban landscapes. At this year's instalment of Rewire Festival, which took place in The Hague from April 8th to 10th, artists were paired with sociologists and anthropologists for a series of stimulating conversations. One discussion between Chicago producer Jana Rush and Caroline Claus, a Brussels-based sound researcher, stood out for its interconnections between dance music and urban environments as well as gender and technology so for this week's Exchange, we're presenting their chat. Rush, known for her experimental forays into footwork and juke, incorporates a range of textures in her albums. From industrial to funky, her tracks frequently enter the realm of sound art but no matter how avant-garde she gets, her city remains a constant source of inspiration. Whether evoking the groove of house vocalists or the Windy City's politically-charged jazz movement, she's been a pillar of Chicago's club community for years. Claus, meanwhile, focuses on a topic known as "sonic urbanism," or how noise and vibrations impact city spaces such as railways and parks. Whether using field recordings for urban planning or engaging with the concept of sonic warfare, her studies explore interactions between individuals and spaces through sound. It can be said that both Rush and Claus are rooted in a sense of place—albeit in different ways. Rush, for instance, explained how she draws inspiration from music played in passing cars. The two also tackle the role of gender on their respective equipment. Claus mentions how her identity shapes the intentions of her recordings while Rush describes how she felt compelled to master technical equipment because "if you don't know what you don't know, people are gonna capitalise off that and they're not gonna let it go because you're a female." During their 25-minute long talk, Rush also explains how she uses binary code and how people often perceive her as aggressive. Listen on for the full details. Tracklist: Jana Rush - Clown [Planet Mu]

Every day at Resident Advisor, we discuss the latest interesting music but there's only so much information we can pack into features, reviews and news. The Critics' Roundtable podcast, part of our Exchange series, is a chance for the team to go deeper into striking artists, records and industry trends in the global club underground. This instalment, featuring senior staff writer Nyshka Chandran, music editor Andrew Ryce and chief creative and brand officer Kazim Rashid, touches on recent releases in London, Ecuador, Atlanta and beyond. First, each highlight their favourite albums from the past four months, with selections ranging from Terrence Dixon's supremely abstract techno to Marcela Dias Sindaco's sexy electro. Next, contributors discuss an artist or platform of note. Washington DC label PPU gets a mention, as do the hard-hitting bass mutations of Nikki Nair and Colombian label Insurgentes. Finally, Nyshka, Andrew and Kazim reflect on significant developments in the electronic music world, commenting on the ongoing attempts to get artists paid for online mixes, the intersection of club music and theatre and the recent passing of hip-hop icon DJ Kay Slay. Tracklist: Alabaster DePlume - Visitors XT8B – Oak [International Anthem] Terrence Dixon - Aurora - Other Dimensions [30D Records] Marcela Dias Sindaco - À Flor Da Pele - Rio de Janeiro 3025 EP [Fixed Rhythms] Nikki Nair & Nala - The World Is Always Ending - The World Is Always Ending [Dirtybird] Dwight Sykes - You’re Exactly - On The Rocks [PPU] PVSSY & Entrañas - Manía (Menzi remix - Fervor [TraTraTrax] Terrence Dixon - Aurora - Other Dimensions [30D Records]

Zepherin Saint's first release, 1988's Give Me Back Your Love as Boyz in Shock featuring Carol Leeming, was one of the first soulful house records to hit the UK. Saint played a key role in the UK's dance music scene, but as journalist Marcus Barnes highlights in this week's Resident Advisor Exchange, the influence and value of his work over the years has often been overlooked. Saint grew up in Harrow, North West London. His earliest experiments with music happened at school, playing the drums in a band making music that he describes as "Spandau Ballet funk, soul and pop tracks." The tunes were so good that their teacher organised studio time so they could make a demo. Handed down one of Harrow's key soundsystems from his older brother, Saint would go on to build rigs, and recording studios, of his own, supplying the sound for many acid house nights as the scene exploded. He worked at legendary London shop Black Market Records and spent time in the US managing R&B artists like Terri Walker, before returning to the UK to launch Tribe Records, bringing dance music from South Africa and establishing the blueprint for what is now the Afro house scene. Today, Saint is based in Melbourne, where he's started a new label, Inner Sauce, to celebrate the live house sound bubbling there. In an enlightening conversation with Barnes, Saint discusses Melbourne's return to partying post lockdown, building soundsystems, finding his identity in London as a young West Indian man, working at Black Market Records and how he's now turning his focus back onto his own productions.

Nik Colk Void's new LP, Bucked Up Space, is her ninth studio album, but her first as a solo artist. Based in Norfolk, Void is an electronic musician and analogue synthesiser virtuoso who forms part of both Factory Floor and Carter Tutti Void (with Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti of pioneering industrial group Throbbing Gristle). Her work has been released on iconic labels like DFA, Mute and Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Records, and in late 2017 she released 33 33, a collaborative record as NPVR with the late Peter Rehberg of Editions Mego. In this week's Resident Advisor Exchange, Void talks about her relationship with Rehberg and how her confidence grew significantly through their working together. Without him, she explains, she may not have found the voice and the language she was looking for to put out her own full-length record. It is fitting and meaningful, therefore, that on April 8th, Bucked Up Space came out on Editions Mego. In conversation with RA writer Katie Thomas, Nik Colk Void discusses her album, the process of mastering analogue synths, the art and value of collaboration and affirming performances—plus details about a new Factory Floor record that's on the horizon. Tracklist: Nik Colk Void - Big Breather (Editions Mego) Nik Colk Void - FlatTime (Editions Mego)

This week's Resident Advisor Exchange was recorded in January, live from Southbank Centre in London. Shortly before their Royal Festival Hall performance with The Outlook Orchestra, drum & bass and jungle originators Fabio & Grooverider sat down with Heléna Star to talk about the show. As you can hear from the applause and roars of laughter throughout the recording, the audience was besotted. The UK dance music scene would look very different without Fabio & Grooverider's contributions over the last few decades. Coming from pirate radio, where they first teamed up in 1987 on Phase One, the duo would go on to carve out the path for drum & bass and jungle, as well as to influence the trajectories of house, techno and breakbeat. Grooverider captures their legacy best when he says: "We are this music." Launched in 2017, The Outlook Orchestra has collaborated with other pioneering artists like David Rodigan and Mala. The show with Fabio & Grooverider, which they will perform again at Outlook Festival in June, saw 30 years of drum & bass history packed into 31 tracks. In conversation with Heléna Star, Fabio & Grooverider discussed how the show came together, as well as their staying power in the scene, the legacy of their seminal club night Rage, how drum & bass is still growing and how humour is a vital part of their relationship. Fittingly, they also cracked a lot of jokes.

This week's Exchange was recorded in November 2021 as part of our Full Circle series, which celebrates women in electronic music. DJ, producer and community organiser JADALAREIGN sat down with two of Resident Advisor's staff writers, Kiana Mickles and Nyshka Chandran, at our New York office. JADALAREIGN was raised about an hour north of New York City, in a musical household soundtracked by funk, soul, hip-hop and R&B. Growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood impacted how she operates today—her work prioritises cultivating community, as community wasn't always something she felt she had. After playing instruments, studying fashion and ending up in a corporate job, JADALAREIGN became increasingly engaged in music through her side hustle as the music director for an entertainment blog. In 2015, she took her first DJ lesson and felt instantly drawn to the craft. Gradually, she grew more and more immersed in the New York scene. Today, JADALAREIGN is a booker for leading New York club Nowadays, using her role heading up the Friday night programming to create more space and opportunity for people of colour in dance music. She also runs a workshop series called SKILLSHARE, which supports other women of colour, as well as queer folks, non-binary people and trans people, wanting to learn about the ins and outs of the music industry. In 2020, she launched In Sessions with Sam Law and FIVEBOI, a digital production camp that, when it first launched, reached around 300 people daily from 30 different countries. In this Exchange, JADALAREIGN discusses her work and community projects, how New York's dance music culture has changed in recent years and the importance of the scene's players engaging in honest reflection to increase diversity. She also touches on the value of mentorship for marginalised creatives and what can be done to prevent artists of colour feeling tokenised. Tracklist: JADALAREIGN - 2B2S (HAUS of ALTR)

"It's a dream to share a passion with your best friend." The German duo talk about life on the road and writing their first album in six years. Together, Felix Wagner and Aaron Röbig make up the dynamic duo FJAAK. As one of Germany's best-known nightlife exports, they've earned a reputation for being techno's "boy band," gracing the stages of festivals and clubs all over the world for the last ten-plus years. Wagner and Röbig met in Spandau, an area just outside of Berlin, when they were both still in school. Equally interested in music (especially hip-hop), they started working on beats together alongside two other friends. The four-person group turned into FJAAK, and when they all moved to the city centre together after finishing their studies, they started living collectively and touring the project, achieving traction quickly. FJAAK is now just a duo—the group dwindled from four people to three, and then, in 2019, to just Röbig and Wagner. They claim they're closer to soulmates than friends; they know everything about each other and seem so in tune as to be almost telepathic. "The super power we've evolved over the years is to live a harmonic life together," Wagner said. In this RA Exchange, Röbig and Wagner talk about navigating through life with someone by their side, their thoughts on equality and meritocracy in the music industry, how they work together in the studio, their record label and their new album, FJAAK THE SYSTEM, which came out in May. Listen to the episode in full. This episode was recorded and filmed at Pirate Studios.

This week's Resident Advisor Exchange, recorded live at AVA London with journalist Kieran Yates, forms part of Elijah's guest-edited month. Throughout March, we've run curated content published with the intention of demystifying the music industry. Elijah & Skilliam began DJing together in 2007. In 2010, they launched a label, Butterz, putting out music from the likes of Terror Danjah, Royal-T, Flava D and Murlo. Over the course of the next decade, they played a vital role in the way grime developed and exploded in the UK. Elijah is also an artist manager, looking after the careers of Flava D, DJ Q and Swindle. He uses his platform and deep understanding of the inner workings of the music industry to share tips and probing questions to help shape the future of electronic music. As we wrap up Elijah's guest-edited month, he spoke to Yates about how the industry has changed since his early years as a DJ, the difference between creating art and creating content, the limitations of not engaging with electronic music outside of Europe, and how the measure of your legacy as an artist won't just be about your art, but about how you interacted with others and shared your knowledge. Tracklist: Phil Keiran - No Life (Roman Flügel Remix) (Hot Creations) KiNK - Disco Spectrum (Sofia)

Laila McKenzie began a life in dance music when she was 16 years old, collecting glasses in a club in Sheffield. She has since acquired an intricate knowledge of the music industry and of house in particular, having spent her life promoting, managing events, dancing and most recently co-authoring Lady Of The House with Ian "Snowy" Snowball, a book that tells the stories of more than 150 pioneering women in dance music. From March 8th through 12th, to coincide with International Women's Day, the inaugural Lady Of The House exhibition took place at Lost Horizon in Bristol, where McKenzie is based. In this week's Exchange, which was recorded before the exhibition, she discusses how Lady Of The House came to be and how the three pillars—celebrating, championing and honouring women—tied into the multi-day cultural exhibit. According to McKenzie, Lady Of The House is about preserving the legacy of dance music. "We've started levelling the playing field for gender," she said. "Now we need to do it for people from low socio-economic backgrounds, Black, brown, LGBTQI+, disabled women. We need to give them that elevation." In conversation with Vanessa Maria, McKenzie discussed what it means to be a woman in dance music, how she's experienced the industry change over the years, the importance of community and how dance music has been both her demon and her saviour. Tracklist: Just Her - Follow You Down (GU Music)

An archive episode for International Women's Month with the late, great Detroit producer. For International Women's Month, we revisit K-HAND's Resident Advisor Exchange, originally published in November 2019. The "First Lady Of Detroit," as Detroit City Council deemed her in 2017, died in August 2021. The following text is from the original post. Kelli Hand used to be described as an unsung hero of Detroit house and techno but recently she's finally been getting her due. With a production career beginning in 1990, she has a sprawling discography packed with timeless releases for key labels like Warp, Tresor and her own Acacia Records. Over the years she's produced several hundred tracks, each bearing her distinctive knack for jack and a style marked by a timeless flavour of minimalism. In conversation with Matt Unicomb, we hear about how her perspective on releasing music and DJing has changed over the last three decades and her experiences of the ebb and flow of a life spent in dance music. Launching from formative experiences at Paradise Garage and the Music Box, Hand's story covers several vital eras of American dance music history, a lineage that feeds directly into the rare staying power of her productions. Tracklist: K-HAND - Untitled B1 [Acacia Records] K-HAND - Untitled A1 [Acacia Records]

The 600th episode of the Exchange marks a pivot in Resident Advisor’s audio coverage. Source Material, one of our new series, moves towards in-depth, documentary-style reports on the electronic music community and beyond. For the inaugural edition of Source Material, we invite perspectives from Ukraine following the country’s invasion by Russia, which has sparked a humanitarian crisis with over 1.5 million displaced refugees. Starting in 2014, Kyiv became a global dance music destination, due to its world-class venues and festivals, plus the government’s relatively hands-off approach towards enforcing social gathering regulations during Covid. Many flocked to its dance floors during a time when other countries operated under stringent lockdowns, and interest in the city only continued to grow. But the promise of Kyiv’s fertile club scene has been completely decimated by the war. Those who made the community so vibrant are now faced with the unimaginable decision to either flee or fight. The voices within this episode include Timur, known as the producer John Object, an affiliate of CXEMA, who is defending his country as part of the Territorial Defense Force, and Margareeta, RA’s City Manager for Kyiv, who discusses the emotional toll of fleeing from the war. Woven throughout are also interviews with anti-war protestors in the streets of Berlin and the volunteers helping refugees at the city’s main train stations. Guests: John Object, Margarita Evi Interviewer: Whitney Wei Tracklist: John Object - Draft (2010) John Object - Xanax & Silk (Live) (2016) John Object - Kiss (2018)

The jungle and drum & bass pioneer—and captivating storyteller—unpacks his life, career and new book. Alongside peers like Fabio, Grooverider, Jumping Jack Frost, Randall, Micky Finn, LTJ Bukem and Nicky Blackmarket, Ray Keith played a leading role as jungle took over London in the mid '90s. His new autobiographical book, Dark Soldier, is a reflection on his life: his personal journey, his career, the highs and lows, and the many people who have influenced him. It's also the story of how he and the scene moved from analogue into electronic music. "I was in the right place at the right time," he said in this week's Resident Advisor Exchange, referring to the many Monday nights spent at Heaven in London, catching sets from the likes of Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold and Paul "Trouble" Anderson. "I was a purist, absorbing the sounds." Keith has put out so many records over the years, under so many different aliases, that he's lost count. He's also had radio shows on Vibe FM, Kiss FM and recently Thames Delta radio, cofounded a booking agency and headed up several record labels. He's a legend in the scene with a wealth of stories to tell. In this week's Exchange, Keith talks about growing up in Colchester, the importance of record stores as a community hub, dubplate culture, how music saved his life and the thrill of watching his daughter, AKA LO Selecta, play her first DJ set. Tracklist: Dark Soldier - Need Me (Forthcoming) Dark Soldier - Newman Elec (Forthcoming)

Kadallah Burrowes explores the term "Afrofuturism" with the help of Suzi Analogue, Neema Githere, Mia Imani Harrison and Jackie Queens. This past Juneteenth, Burrowes held a digital event called A Moment In Between (after which this podcast is named) at COMMON, a digital club that forms part of Currents.FM. It was, in their words, "a digital pan-African celebration of Black liberation." The interviewees in this week's Exchange all helped make A Moment In Between possible: artists Jackie Queens and Suzi Analogue, plus cultural critics Neema Githere and Mia Imani Harrison. In this documentary-style podcast, which forms part of our celebration of Black Futures Month in the US, Burrowes et al. discuss the term "Afrofuturism. They discuss its imperfect, controversial nature (it was coined by a white academic), how it intersects with electronic music and its relationship to the legacy of the writer Octavia Butler. Last week's Exchange saw Burrowes in conversation with Analogue, the producer, singer, songwriter and founder of Never Normal Records. This week, Analogue delves deeper into her connection to the concept of Afrofuturism. "Afrofuturism to me is just being Black," she said. "It's a bunch of things. Self-determination, self-preservation and self-expression." Born in Nairobi and now based in Brooklyn, Neema Githere is a guerrilla theorist who works within the digital diaspora. In 2017, Githere coined the term "Afropresentism," which presents the idea that the Afrofuturism being theorised in the '90s and early '00s exists here and now. "Afrofuturism is concerned with space," Githere said. "Afropresentism is concerned with earth." Mia Imani Harrison is an interdisciplinary artist and conceptual creator working within dream technology. Her part in A Moment In Between saw COMMON, which had primarily been a space for music, become a place for Black people to come and talk about their dreams. Harrison's understanding of Afrofuturism began with "intergalactic Black folks" in music—Sun Ra, Grace Jones, Parliament-Funkadelic—and has grown into an interest in artists that build worlds and galaxies in their work. "I've always been interested in expanding our concept of the realities we exist within," she said. "Especially as Black people, because we're already told what we can and cannot do, and the perimeters of the spaces that we exist in." The final speaker is Jackie Queens, singer, songwriter, label and agency founder, and community member of Currents.FM and electronic music network female:pressure. Queens' thoughts about Afrofuturism tie in with Githere's Afropresentism. "People say Africa is the future," Queens said. "But I don't like to look at it that way. I always feel like we're the present." https://ra.co/exchange/598

Suzi Analogue spoke with Kadallah Burrowes about using her label Never Normal to champion innovative Black creators. Suzi Analogue is a loudspeaker for innovative Black creators. In this week's RA Exchange, the producer, singer, songwriter and founder of Never Normal Records speaks with trans-disciplinary artist, musician, creative technologist Kadallah Burrowes about championing art from across the African diaspora. This is the first of two Exchanges hosted by Burrowes, who, next week, will be exploring the term "Afrofuturism" in an audio documentary that forms part of our celebration of Black History Month in the US. Suzi Analogue first experienced club and electronic music in her hometown of Baltimore. Starting out in her teens as a songwriter and producer, her engagement with creative platforms online led to her involvement in events and community radio while studying in Philadelphia. It was when she moved to The Bronx in New York that Analogue first started to feel there wasn't space for young and innovative Black electronic artists to showcase their work. As she played shows abroad and across Europe, she felt encouraged to start a platform of her own, a space to build her own archive and celebrate fellow artists. In 2014, she launched her label Never Normal, a commitment to bolstering Black femme-identifying people to advocate for music, whether through running labels, parties or just shouting about the new music you love. Since its launch, the label has featured work from artists in Atlanta, Oakland, Chicago, Brooklyn, Miami and more. "They're originators in their cities," she explained. "Never Normal is a journey that's building over time." In conversation with Burrowes, Analogue discussed the politics of Black futurism, travelling to Uganda as a US state department cultural diplomat and the importance of capturing and echoing ancestral messages through art and sound. Tracklist: Suzi Analogue - Slow [Never Normal] @uziklip @sunjiru

"My real gift is arrangement." William Orbit opens up on his 40-year career. Share Born in Hackney, London, in 1956, Orbit has been writing, producing and arranging music for four decades. With almost 1,200 credits to his name on Discogs, his vast and varied body of work spans classical, pop and electronic. He produced for some of pop music's most seminal artists—Madonna, All Saints, Blur, Robbie Williams, Pink—as well as being, as his interviewer Matt McDermott explains, "one of the most prolific electronic music remixers of the '90s." He released 11 solo albums and seven collaborative albums—as part of Torch Song, Strange Cargo and Bassomatic—and founded Guerilla Studios in the '80s, working with artists like Cabaret Voltaire and Gary Numan. In 1995, Orbit released the Pieces In A Modern Style LP, which paved the way for musicians like Nils Frahm and Jon Hopkins, who bring together classical arrangements with electronic production in revelatory ways. The journalist Kate Hutchinson described Orbit as "the Mark Ronson or Jack Antonoff of his day." But as this conversation with RA highlights, Orbit is once again enjoying his day. Having, in his own words, "spent 20 years becoming disengaged," he has just put out his first solo release in seven years—the Sunbeam EP on Anjunadeep—and things are feeling good. "I know how to have fun," he said. In conversation with McDermott, Orbit shares stories about his fascinating career, how to make a great record, working with Madonna and how to stay relevant in a fickle industry. Tracklist: William Orbit - Diso [Anjunadeep] William Orbit - Wordsworth [Anjunadeep] @williamorbit

FAUZIA, DamnShaq and counsellor Darlington Zvionere discuss performance anxiety and how to overcome it with Vanessa Maria. As part of Resident Advisor's wellness month, and in collaboration with Black Minds Matter, host Vanessa Maria discusses performance anxiety—what it is, how it manifests, how to overcome it—with FAUZIA, DamnShaq and Psychotherapeutic counsellor Darlington Zvionere. Support Black Minds Matter here: http://bit.ly/BMMRA In simple terms, performance anxiety is stage fright. As Zvionere explains, artists may experience everything from clammy hands to stiffness and blurred vision, which then impacts their performance. It's a vicious cycle, he says, as a falter in your performance will likely lead to increased nerves next time. "Be the best you can be in that moment," advises Zvionere. "Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow." In her own experience as a DJ, Maria has suffered from performance anxiety to the point of cancelling shows and relying on the influence of alcohol to calm her nerves. She speaks to DJ, promoter and presenter DamnShaq, known for his "madman" energy in the booth, about the pressure he used to put on himself. He reflects on how the pandemic has allowed him some time to reset and make peace with the fact that his boisterous stage character is not a sustainable way to function day-to-day. For FAUZIA, whose transition from DJing to having a live show has come with a huge increase in pre-performance anxiety, steadying her nerves is a work in progress. She speaks to Vanessa about fine-tuning her set, stepping away from social media and the confidence boost of working with Kelela. Black Minds Matter is a charity on a mission to connect Black families with free mental health services from qualified Black therapists. They are currently looking for 21,000 long-term donors who are able to donate £5 per month. With your support, they will be able to take steps forward to achieve their goal of lasting impact on Black mental health. Contributions can be made on the website if you are in a position to do so. Tracklist: Space Afrika - yyyyyy2222 [Dais Records] Fauzia - Lap, Sir Fauzia - When It's All Over [with Kelela] Fauzia - Lap, Sir Kundai - Decisions House of Pharaohs - Okay (Instrumental) andarctica - waiting on the tides @djfauzia @damnshaq

A rare, revealing interview with the long-time Circoloco resident. For many years, Andrew Grant was one of Circoloco’s most ubiquitous DJs. He landed on the White Isle in the summer of 2001, having spent a few months in Sheffield, England, DJing whenever and wherever he could. Yet, in spite of his widespread public appearances, Grant’s personal accounts of his past are little known given his reclusive character—until now. For this week’s exchange, host Marcus Barnes engaged in a candid conversation with Andrew Grant about his experiences grinding in the clubbing Mecca, teaching lacrosse in the northern UK and even working briefly as DC10's light technician. Raised in Baltimore, Grant’s first musical memories involved listening to Baltimore club radio stations late at night. Back then, he wasn’t allowed to listen to radio, so he’d have to do so quietly and away from prying ears. He recalls catching the Basement Boys remix of the Crystal Waters club classic, “Gypsy Woman (She’s Homeless),” on MTV, feeling inspired by the fact these artists on the TV were from his hometown. When Grant first began DJing in 1988, he was spinning hip-hop records at house parties and in basements across the city. “I had a box of records and a decent pair of headphones,” he tells Barnes. “I felt like I was doing the right thing.” It wasn’t until a visit to NYC club Twilo in the mid-’90s that he really began to engage with dance music. A few years down the line, in Ibiza, Grant caught his first big break—he was invited to play a Thursday morning after party at DC10. Not long after, he was playing primetime slots on a Monday at Circoloco, before becoming the first American resident of the iconic Ibiza brand when he was just 24-years-old.

"I'm finally enjoying what I built." The DJ and producer talks about 30 years in the music industry and what it means to live a creative life. Caroline Hervé, AKA Kittin (FKA Miss Kittin), is a household name, primarily known for her contributions to the world of electroclash. As part of the duo Miss Kittin & The Hacker, Hervé wrote music that inspired a generation of artists drawn to electroclash's punky aesthetics, no-nonsense synth production and humorous, ironic lyrics and vocal delivery. In this Exchange, she unpacks how the electroclash scene became a home for artists seeking to push back against the rigidity of techno, ushering in a vanguard of performers like Peaches who created a safe space for queerness and unconventional femininity in the early 00s. Now 50 years old, Hervé is still very much active on the touring circuit. Behind the decks she's as likely to play synth wave and electro as she is to play peak-time techno, and in the studio, her creativity knows no bounds. Much of her latest chapter has been defined by learning to age gracefully in the music industry, especially given the undue expectations and double standards placed on women. "I've made a decision never to touch my face," she says. "My boobs are getting bigger. I'm gaining weight. I'm reaching menopause soon. But these are things we need to talk about." Listen to the episode in full.