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 [...]
The ticketing and event management platform announced a sale to Bending Spoons, notable for their acquisition of declining apps and platforms. Yet another alternative to TicketMaster and Live Nation’s dominance of the ticketing field is changing ownership. Ticketing and event platform Eventbrite is being sold to an Italian company that specializes in acquiring distressed brands, according [...]
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 [...]
With 15,000 flyers from the golden age of UK rave and acid house in his possession, and countless others from around the world stored on the Phatmedia website he’s run since 1998, collector Dave Nicholson has built an essential archive of dance music’s visual history. His new book on Velocity Press, UK Rave Flyers 1988–1989, [...]
The new venue will launch in 2026, nine years after the original Ancoats nightclub closed its doors Sankeys is set to make its return to Manchester with a new 500-capacity nightclub, nine years on from the closure of the long-running Ancoats venue. The new space, set to be located in Manchester city centre, will open [...]
In Los Angeles, a new wave of warehouse parties is reshaping the city’s queer underground nightlife. Presenting a deliberate alternative to the mainstream gay bars and circuit parties where white, cisgender men and commercial interests have historically dominated, gatherings like Signal Underground, Por Detroit and Take It Outside are overcoming prohibitive costs and a [...]
Afro house’s newest evolution 3-Step originated in South Africa but is having a powerful and unifying impact across borders. In the first of a three-part series exploring the cultural shift 3-Step is spearheading, Shiba Melissa Mazaza analyses the climate of fear and toxic nationalism that was pervasive during its emergence, and speaks to the [...]
Housed in a 19th century industrial complex in Brooklyn, Refuge is a brand new venue that wants to revive the spirit of New York nightlife's golden age, using bygone spots like Paradise Garage and The Sound Factory, as well as iconic international hubs like Space Ibiza, as reference points for its 'hi-fi dance club'. With an [...]
AlphaTheta suspends CDJ-3000 firmware update after major playlist issues reported by DJs AlphaTheta, the parent company of Pioneer DJ, has temporarily suspended distribution of the latest CDJ-3000 firmware update (Ver.3.30) after multiple DJs reported critical issues with missing playlists and corrupted data. Released on October 21, the update introduced OneLibrary, a new feature designed to streamline track management across compatible [...]