In the '80s and '90s, these spaces birthed dance icons, genres and subcultures. Why do so few remain? madison moore charts their decline and lifelong impact. In the scholar E. Patrick Johnson's 2021 essay Remember the Time: Black Queer Nightlife in the South, he recalled the fading age in question with fairy-tale enchantment: "Once upon [...]
A near-endless array of dance music documentaries have been released in recent years, but what makes one work? Is it an impressive cast of interviewees? Exclusive anecdotes? A clever use of archive footage? Top needle drops? The human story at its heart? Here, Wrongtom looks at some examples to work out what qualities can [...]
Thirty years into this thing we do, and I’m still hearing the same tired argument: electronic music isn’t political; it’s just escapism, just hedonism, just 4/4 music and ravers preaching PLUR in dark rooms. If I had a quid for every time someone’s tried to tell me (or I see it as a comment [...]
Look, we know. Another piece about phones ruining club culture. The think pieces have been written, the surveys conducted, the hot takes delivered. But here’s the thing: most of that conversation has been happening in the abstract, with commentators theorising about what might be happening while the actual architects of nightlife, the people building [...]
The meagre financial returns of streaming for artists has been a point of controversy since its inception. Now substantial investments in AI weaponry are causing musicians, labels, and consumers to further question their relationship with streaming giant Spotify When Michail Stangl learned about Spotify CEO Daniel Ek's initial €100m investment in Helsing — a German company specialising in [...]
Ever wonder why you see Pioneer DJ equipment in every club and festival booth? We break down the history, the technology, and the industry politics that cemented their status as the undisputed standard, and explore whether competitors like Denon and Allen & Heath stand a chance. As a DJ and someone who spends [...]
Version 1.0.0 Review by Michele Sensale I just finished reading Music Industry 101: BT Style: Balancing Your Way Through the Industry by Ms. Barbara Tucker. This book provides an in-depth and comprehensive look at the music industry from someone who is a legend in her own right. Ms. Tucker's book is a [...]
A lack of venues in cities like Los Angeles is hurting promoters who have no choice but to adopt a DIY approach. Electronic music is rooted in a DIY spirit. Parties in remote fields, factories, residential units and other unconventional locations are a historically critical component of underground nightlife, embraced by promoters who proudly [...]
This is the first edition in a two-part series about venues and promoters in the Global South Welcome to the RA Pro Newsletter: a bite-sized look at the trends and themes impacting businesses in the electronic music industry. Sign up to the full newsletter to get early access to each release and read all [...]
DJs, club owners, and patrons alike say there’s way too much standing around. Clubs are, first and foremost, for dancing. One could theoretically do other things there — drink, meet strangers, conduct important and possibly illicit business deals, anything really — but likely everything but dancing could probably be done more efficiently somewhere else. [...]