Beat Wala – Details, episodes & analysis

This week on Beat Wala, Jo Youle sits down with legendary label founder and house music pioneer Mike Weiss to celebrate 35 years of the iconic Nervous Records.

From its beginnings in New York City in 1991 to becoming one of the most influential independent dance music labels in the world, Nervous Records has helped shape the sound of house music across multiple generations. Home to countless classic releases and an ever-evolving roster of artists, the label continues to bridge underground credibility with global reach.

In this candid conversation, Mike reflects on the early days of New York club culture, the evolution of the music industry, and what it takes to keep an independent label thriving for more than three decades.

Jo and Mike discuss:

• The story behind the founding of Nervous Records
• New York’s house music explosion in the 1990s
• How the label survived the collapse of the traditional music business
• The importance of artist development and long-term relationships
• Trackstack and how labels manage today’s flood of digital promos
• The changing role of DJs, producers and record labels
• Why independent labels still matter in 2026
• The future of house music and what’s next for Nervous Records

With a catalogue that has helped launch careers, define scenes and soundtrack dancefloors around the world, Nervous Records remains one of electronic music’s most respected institutions.

Whether you’re a DJ, producer, label owner or simply a lover of dance music history, this episode offers a fascinating insight into the business, culture and passion behind one of the genre’s most enduring success stories.

We sit down with Amsterdam based label boss, Jordi Pronk to talk about the launch of the PIV Academy in Ibiza at The Hub ahead of their huge PIV festival in the city next week on 05 June

Straight off the back of a major move into the A’DAM Tower offices, the PIV Academy follows and will give serious house music producers direct access to the people who shape the PIV sound, like Kellie Allen who also join us for the conversation.

The label and island resident, says though tutorials, track breakdowns, sample packs, remix competitions, demo drops, and coaching from the label’s own artists, you will get the chance to craft and learn how to create tracks within the labels unique collective.

The Academy will create the ability to learn, connect, and get your music heard all in one place with some fixed coaches from label stalwarts Dennis Quin,  Caleb Jackson, M-High, Prunk & Kolter for guest tutorials.

The pair tell us why they think its needed,despite there being more access than ever, they say they feel there is almost no real development. Instead of just releasing music they decided to build a system around it.

Not only information but with a clear direction.

Bailey has been entrenched in drum & bass and jungle since the earliest chapters of the movement.

From his role on pirate station Energy FM to his residency with Metalheadz during its most era-defining Blue Note moments and his 10 year tenure at BBC Radio 1Xtra and RINSE FM, he is one of the pioneers of the scene and has been right in the heart of it for more than four decades.

In this special chat recorded at the International Music Summit, he talks us through how his resolute, inspired and dedicated journey have made him one of the most consistent selectors and supporters of the genre in every possible direction.

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In this special edition of Beat Wala, recorded live at IMS Ibiza, we sit down with a true trailblazer in electronic music: the world’s first female drum & bass and jungle MC.

With raw honesty and vibrant energy, she shares the untold story of carving a path through a male-dominated scene at a time when women on the mic were unheard of.

From underground raves to international stages, her voice became the pulse of a movement, inspiring generations to come.

We explore the resistance she faced along the way—dismissal, exclusion, and systemic bias that often tried to silence her.

But she didn’t back down. Instead, she turned her mic into a weapon and her rhymes into resistance, proving over and over that lyrical mastery knows no gender.

This episode dives deep into the resilience it takes to stand your ground, claim space, and challenge the norms in one of the most hardcore scenes in electronic music.

Through her stories of persistence, sisterhood, and sonic rebellion, this conversation becomes more than music—it’s a manifesto for any woman who’s been told she doesn’t belong. Whether you’re an MC, a fan of the jungle, or someone fighting to be seen, this episode delivers a fierce dose of inspiration from a woman who broke the mold and never looked back.

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In this episode of Beat Wala, we speak with leading neuroscientist Dr. Julia Basso as part of AlphaTheta’s documentary: We Become One.

Julia shares her research into how the brain processes music, how rhythm and sound influence emotion, and what happens neurologically when people experience music together and dance.

We explore how music affects memory, mental health, and why shared musical moments feel so powerful—both individually and collectively.

This conversation brings a scientific lens to the emotional experience of music and opens up new ways of understanding connection through sound.

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In this brand new series of Beat Wala we team up with AlphaTheta, the parent company behind the iconic Pioneer DJ brand, known globally for shaping the landscape of electronic music through cutting-edge technology and innovation. 

We are back in Ibiza for the next few episodes and today we sit down with one of the most exciting and boundary-pushing DJs to emerge from the underground in recent years — Kikelomo.

She was the lead artist in the recent documentary We Become One: The Power Of The Shared Musical Experience and she tells us how she stepped into the spotlight to go on a journey to learn why people choose music as a vehicle to connect with others, appreciating it as a universal "language" that speaks to everyone. And how the human brain harnesses sound to evoke euphoria and reduce stress."

She is London-born and Berlin-based, and brings a bold,  fearless approach to club culture, blending UK sounds, bass-heavy rhythms, and genre-defying energy in every set. 

As a broadcaster, Boiler Room host, radio station founder and passionate community builder, she’s become a powerful voice in shaping the future of dance music — not just behind the decks, but through activism, inclusivity, and intention.

Today we are here to talk about music as a healing force, the neuroscience behind the dancefloor, and what it really means to create safe, transformative spaces through sound.

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In this episode of Beat Wala, we dive deep into the sonic journey of Bushwacka!, aka Matthew Benjamin — a true pioneer of the UK underground, previously one half of the legendary duo Layo & Bushwacka!.

From his early roots in the acid house explosion of the late ‘80s to becoming a cornerstone of the global tech-house movement in the 2000s, Bushwacka’s path through music is as iconic as it is evolving.

We talk about his London legacy and his residencies at The End nightclub, what it was like shaping a sound that defined a generation, and his transition into a powerful solo career that’s still pushing boundaries today.

Mathew is about to release another new album very soon and has just started a monthly Ibiza residency at Pikes, where you can see him in action all summer.

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We head to London to meet Kidnap and talk about the release of his second album, Something Lost, Something Gained.

The record chronicles his shift from playing endless shows and constantly touring and releasing music to becoming a dad for the first time and explore feeling all the feels of loss relating to his close knit group of friends.

Over the past decade, the UK-based artist made a name for himself with his rich, evocative soundscapes, winning over a global fanbase and he is still playing some smaller shows in London and next month in India, but things have calmed down considerably.

Matt says last year was mostly him making music at home alone and in his studio, despite collborations on the new record with Leo Stannard again and this year he wishes to work with more outside influences once again.

Lost Without You and Feels Like Home both feature female vocalist Gabrielle Aplin and are stand out singles which have been leading up to last years release.

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In our last Episode recorded at ADE we hear from NYC born and raised techno Queen Louisa Pilot about her struggles in the music industry and how she is now working with those suffering with mental health issues and to help create a safer dance floor and world where these conversations can be had.

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Archie Hamilton joins us at the Amsterdam Dance Event to talk us through his remarkable rise through the ranks of the house and techno world and gives us his take on how Ibiza Summer 2024 went down at Paradise, where he played five gigs, headlining the final affair.

Archie used lockdown to create a lot of music and talks to us about those moments he felt his career could have taken a nose dive but luckily he soon re-boarded his International touring train and the trajectory of his has been high rolling ver since.

He was an early originator of a new European sound, with his unique take on minimal house and techno: his signature sound of rugged basslines and ethereal atmospherics has established itself firmly on dance floors around the world.
 2022 marked the launch of Archie's MicroHertz label, a venture that curates and releases music from a diverse array of artists within the scene.

The label has quickly made its mark as a go-to for cutting-edge music, consistently appearing in the charts across the platforms and regularly included in the DJ sets of the best in the industry.

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