24 years have passed since hard house icon Tony de Vit passed away at only 40. He is now the first DJ to be honored with a blue plaque in Birmingham to commemorate his contributions to the arts and culture.




The Birmingham Civic Society commissions each plaque to recognize an individual who has “achieved greatness” and “made [the city] what it is today.” The blue plaque for de Vit, who was born in nearby Kidderminster, will be installed on September 24 at Digbeth’s Custard Factory to coincide with a ceremony.V2 Recording Studio — previously located at the Custard Factory — is where Tony de Vit produced more than 100 tracks in the years leading up to his passing. Between 1994-1998, 11 of them entered the U.K. singles chart.




"I’m so delighted that a historic institution like the Birmingham Civic Society is recognizing the contribution that Tony de Vit has made, not only to Birmingham’s dance and music culture, but also the influence he’s had on a generation of DJs, clubbers, promoters and audiences," said Jez Collins of Birmingham Music Archive. "Not many people realise that Tony started his career in Birmingham DJing at the seminal Nightingale Club where he would take his music from a predominantly gay audience into the mainstream.”




In late June, 1998, de Vit collapsed while on vacation in Miami. He was taken to Heartland Hospital in Birmingham, where he passed away of bone marrow failure and bronchial pneumonia on July 2.




While de Vit is the first DJ to receive an official blue plaque, fans have taken it upon themselves to honor others in a similar way. Since his passing, plaques for acid house legend Andrew Weatherall have popped up throughout London.




Following the Birmingham Civic Society’s ceremony on September 24, a Pride party will take place at the Custard Factory. Tickets to both are available via Eventbrite.




Tony de Vit Posthumously Awarded Blue Plaque in Birmingham

Techno blossomed in Berlin in the heyday of the early 90s, beginning with the genre's arrival at the famed Berlin club, Tresor. The club will release an archival book celebrating this rich history on September 9th, coinciding with the esteemed venue's 31st-anniversary festivities.


Tresor: True Stories is a treasure trove of first-hand accounts of the club's history, spanning over three decades of artifacts, personal anecdotes, and exclusive images.




The book includes event flyers, vintage record sleeves, and notable news clippings pulled from the club's archives. Boasting over 400 photographs by photographers Gustav Volker Horst, Marie Staggat, Oliver Wia, Susanne Deeken, Tilman Brembs, Wolfgang Brükner, Tresor: True Stories is the most extensive archival print work ever compiled by the institution.




Over 40 contributors were tapped for the specially curated book, giving detailed accounts of Tresor's origin story and the burgeoning techno movement that began in the 80s West Berlin. After the Berlin Wall fell, it proliferated through the underground and permeated above in clubs and venues that sprouted around a newly reunified Germany.




The repercussions of social and political movements were reflected in the music and culture of the times—Tresor: True Stories is a printed time capsule showcasing the humans and music that established techno's legacy in Berlin.




The new historical work will also include exclusive commentary from the institution's co-founders Dimitri Hegemann, Achim Kohlberger, Johnnie Stieler, and the late Regina Baer—whose recent death in July 2022 continues to be mourned by her Tresor family.


Tresor: True Stories features additional contributions from veteran DJs and Underground Resistance founders Jeff Mills and Mike Banks. Commentary by artists Carola Stoiber, Electric Indigo, Mark Reeder, and Alexandra Dröhner is also featured.




A handful of photos from the special project are available to preview below. Preorder the new archival work in English or German on Tresor's website.


Tresor Unveils Archival Book on Techno and Venue's Origin Story

Amnesia, Ibiza’s White Isle institution notorious for being one of the leading all-night venues on the island, was the first of several clubs to test out a new charitable rave app. Tequila-flavored beer company Desperados launched the Rave to Save app to fund nightlife venues across Europe by calculating club-goers’ steps via their smartphones as they dance the night away.




“We’re calling on the party community to support nightlife venues across Europe by doing what they do best – dancing. By bringing people together, we can all support the venues we love…” said Rutger van der Stegen, Desperados Head of Marketing in an interview with Beatportal.




One euro will be donated for every thousand steps to support the local club venue. Rave to Save app users can also directly contribute by donating through the app. Desperados will match each direct contribution up to 30,000 euros.




Purple Disco Machine played the first party in Berlin, party brand elrow joined in with a special event at Reineke Fuchs, Cologne, featuring David Hasert and Franca on April 4. In July, Amnesia attendees took part in the campaign.




Club-goers downloaded the app and paired it with a wristband given to them by the venue to monitor their dance steps taken throughout the charitable event. Collectively, they accrued close to one million steps—raising over 30,000 euros, or $30,500 US dollars, for charities supporting diversity in nightlife.




An exclusive invite to an afterparty hosted by Peggy Gou was extended to those participants who garnered the most steps.




“The Rave to Save campaign highlights the fact that every partygoer has the power to positively impact the future of entertainment,” shared Nicole Barsalona, the President of Women in Music, whose nonprofit received a portion of the funds raised at the charitable event. Elrow Town London is gearing up to partner with the Rave to Save app on August 20, followed by Hype Festival, Elrow Island, and Elrow Town Amsterdam.

Amnesia Clubbers Dance to Raise Funds for Charity

A five-part documentary series that highlights Black music in the U.K. has premiered on BET UK. The Evolution of Black British Music has thus far featured notable figures like Fabio & Grooverider, Goldie, and Roni Size — and it’s only an episode in.The pilot episode premiered on August 11th, focusing on jungle’s origins in Hackney, East London. The August 18th episode deals with the history of UK garage, and subsequent documentaries in the series will explore grime, AfroBashment, UK funky, road rap, and drill.









The Evolution of Black British Music is directed by Femi Oyeniran and Nicky “Slimting” Walker. The two previously worked on Against All Odds, a film on grime centered around the story of MC Active.




“We will show that beyond just being dance floor fillers, the genres reflected their time,” reads a description of the series. “Jungle was born out of post-Thatcherite youth disillusionment; U.K. garage rose to prominence during the heady days of New Labour; grime grew in prominence in youth clubs; U.K. funky and Afro swing were born out of a yearning for the good times and coincided with the coming of age of second-generation Africans; while drill is arguably born out the years of austerity, the closure of youth spaces, and the digitalization of the world.”




Dance music’s roots in Black culture are certainly not exclusive to Britain. From disco to house music to techno, U.S. dance culture largely originated in gay, Black and Latino communities (of New York, Chicago, and Detroit, in therespective case of each genre).




The influence of dub, reggae and sound system culture had been steeping in Jamaica long before that. When cross-pollinating with offshoots of the American dance music that gained popularity in the U.K. in the late ‘80s, it planted the seeds that would later become jungle and drum and bass.




Each of the five episodes of The Evolution of Black British Music run one hour in length.




The Evolution of Black British Music Docuseries Debuts on BET UK

Forced to cancel both its 2020 and 2021 iterations because of the global pandemic, UK’s largest independent festival Boomtown Fair was awarded £991,000—a little over one million US dollars—last year via the Culture Recovery Fund provided by the UK government. Boomtown organizers previously stated this generous award would enable them to secure the event in the coming years.




Now, the Hampshire festival has unveiled that juggernaut promotion company Live Nation has acquired a minority stake in the festival, though both parties have not commented on the deal at the time of this writing. Founded in 2009, Boomtown has hosted talented acts such as Lauryn Hill, M.I.A., Wu-Tang Clan, Gorillaz, Cypress Hill, and Chase & Status, among many other revered acts spanning several genres.




Documentation recently filed in Companies House revealed that last month, Live Nation’s UK & Ireland chair Denis Desmond and its COO Stuart Douglas became the official directors of the Boomtown event and became the heads of parent company Circus of Boom. Boomtown’s co-founders, Luke Mitchell and Christopher Rutherford remain on the festival’s board.



Boomtown’s latest iteration transpired on August 10-14 at the Matterley Estate and saw close to 76,000 festival-goers in attendance. Boomtown Chapter One: ‘The Gathering’ included artists of the likes of Four Tet, Kool & The Gang, Shy FX, De La Soul, and Kae Tempest.



Live Nation’s latest stake acquisition in Boomtown is one of several big moves the promotion company has made this summer. The company hired London music and arts IME Music owner Ian Evans earlier this year and further catapulted its reach in the UK by acquiring London-based live events company Parallel Lines Promotions. Additionally, the company’s concerts division saw a change in leadership with the promotion of Maddie Arnold as its new head.



Arnold, who had worked with Festival Republic and WME in the past, has been with Live Nation UK for five years. Now, her growing (almost) all-female roster includes Ashnikko, Jazmin Bean, Lauren Sanderson, Ellie Dixon, and Jazmine Flowers, among many more talented artists. Live Nation UK continues to dominate the live events space as a leader in promotion with its clever leadership additions and high-profile festival grabs.



Live Nation Acquires a Stake in UK Festival Boomtown Fair

Early Saturday morning, high winds caused part of a stage to collapse at Medusa Festival killing one and leaving at least 40 others injured. Organizers halted the remainder of the event out of safety concerns.




The BBC reports that the deceased was a man in his 20s. Three of the people injured suffered serious trauma, having remained in the hospital by Saturday afternoon.




Spanish national weather agency AEMET reported “strong gusts of wind and a sudden rise in temperatures” during the night per Reuters. Wind speeds of 51 miles per hour were recorded at Alicante Airport in Valencia, Spain.




"We are completely devastated and saddened at what happened this morning," wrote Medusa’s organizers in a statement. "At around four in the morning unexpected and violent strong winds destroyed certain areas of the festival, forcing management to make the immediate decision to vacate the concert area to guarantee the safety of attendees, workers and artists."Medusa Festival’s 2022 lineup included not only EDM acts like Afrojack and Steve Aoki, but also house and techno mainstays like Carl Cox, Ben Sims, and Oscar Mulero. A Spanish DJ named Miguel Serna was performing onstage at the time of the collapse.




“It was a very tense few minutes, I’ve never experienced anything like it before,” Serna wrote in an Instagram post, according to Reuters. “The tragedy happened just at the end of my session on the main stage, just below it, which was the most affected. It was a few moments of horror. I am still in shock."




Medusa Festival takes place in the town of Cullera on the east coast of Spain. It debuted in 2014 with headliners like Christian Smith, Cristian Varela, and Fatima Hajji. The 2020 and 2021 editions of the event were both canceled on account of restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.







Medusa Festival Stage Collapse Leaves 1 Dead, 40 Others Injured

The new generation of Atlanta house music fans filtered through the EDM wave of dance culture seems tragically unaware of the city’s rich legacy in the genre. It couldn’t be a better time for Ultra Naté to school them with a brand-new album.




NATE, as it’s titled, is the tenth such effort delivered by the Atlanta icon in just over 30 years. It comprises 14 songs that she wrote over the course of the pandemic, speaking to the versatility of her time-tested sound. Artists like Gianni Romano, Emanuele Esposito, Henrik Schwarz, and Osunlade boast production credits on the album.




From the retro synth lead of “LAZER” to the warm instrumentals of “SUPERNATURAL” to the rubbery bass line of “SOLD OUT,” each of the tracks comprising NATE offer a slightly different style. Naté’s anthemic lyrics and sparkling vocals tie them all together into a cohesive whole — and apparently gave the artist a much-needed release.









“This ULTRA album, unlike any other, was the most cathartic and anchoring experience,” explains Ultra Naté. “Pandemic isolation and grief over the loss of many friends unraveled the protective walls I had built around myself. Stripped bare emotionally, confused, and weary of the world, I needed to remind myself every day, who I was at my core. Writing, recording and shaping this collection of songs, physically alone, but with a team of people also committed to bringing this 10th album to life, was the gift.”




After debuting with the 1989 single “It’s Over Now,” Naté released her first album, Blue Notes in the Basement, the following year. She became one of the first house music artists signed to a major label when she entered into a deal with Warner Records UK. Her last album arrived in 2017; it resulted from collaboration with Quentin Harris under their Black Stereo Faith project.




Ultra Naté also formed a DJ duo called The Girl Squad alongside fellow Atlanta artist Lisa Moody. In 2003 the two launched a local event brand called Deep Sugar that billed the likes of Tony Humphries and Louie Vega. Moody passed away in October 2021 of as yet undisclosed causes.




If you plan to dive deep into the discography of Ultra Naté, her latest album is a fitting jumping off point. Stream or download NATE across platforms here.




House Icon Ultra Naté Releases 10th Studio Album

Following the announcement of his fall Orchestra European tour and the release of his recent remix of Armin van Buuren’s “One More Time,” Worakls has dropped his latest original production, “Pipeline,” inspired by climate activism occurring throughout France and around the world this summer.









The story behind “Pipeline,” which Worakls released on his label, Sonate, is fascinating and salient. Activists and artists recently took to the Paris streets in peaceful protest of French-based multinational petroleum company and one of the nation's largest gas suppliers, TotalEnergies. Activists called for the end of what they call the company’s “lethal” oil and gas project, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), between Tanzania and Uganda. The non-violent demonstration saw activists express themselves through dance, music, and spoken word.




Leading French environmental activist Camille Etienne reached out to Worakls with the idea to create the song, and the idea behind “Pipeline” was born.




This single begins with a heavy bassline and a deep, heady electronic melody. Eventually, the bassline gives way to a flourish of strings which leads into an ethereal bridge and percussive crescendo. It’s an optimistic track that still captures the seriousness of the world’s ecological emergency — and the hope that lies within the beautiful and powerful efforts to defend our planet.




“We feel committed to this fight and at the same time full of hope,” says Worakls.







With “Pipeline,” Worakls yet again demonstrates he is a composer above all, his music meant for a live context. Following his North America solo tour, the Worakls Orchestra will hold performances in 16 cities throughout Europe, starting in Lyon on September 23 and ending in Munich on December 11, 2022.




French-born DJ and producer Worakls has paved a unique path in dance music. Blending his background as a conservatory-trained classical pianist and composer with his love for electronic music production, the artist has seen astounding success globally with the release of two acclaimed studio albums, Orchestra (2019) and Sur Le Front Des Animaux Menacés (2020), nearly a dozen EPs, and multiple world tours as a solo DJ and alongside his eponymous Worakls Orchestra.






Worakls Releases "Pipeline" Inspired by Multinational Climate Activism

Speakeasy-style hot spot Floyd Miami is hosting one of its biggest nights yet on August 12. JSloane Creative will be celebrating founder Jaime Sloane’s 30th birthday to commemorate three whirlwind decades of the music publicist’s life and career while generating funds for a cause that is dear to the creator’s heart: reproductive rights.


“I couldn’t celebrate my 30th rotation around the sun frivolously while 33.6 million reproductive-age women live in states at risk of losing access to abortion without Roe,” explained Sloane. “I’m using this occasion to channel dance music’s inclusive roots and do some real good by fundraising for these essential nonprofits. It’s a privilege to combat one of the most pressing issues of our time with my friends, family, and colleagues by my side. I’m beyond grateful to the Floyd team for supporting my vision, and booking an incredible roster of homegrown talent.”


Expect to hear the hottest cuts in house, disco, and funk brought to you by a plethora of Miami’s most esteemed underground vinyl players. Miami’s femme vinyl crew, Waxy, will provide the soundtrack to the festivities—Hiltronix, House of Pris, and Phaxas are on the lineup, as well as Prisma Artists’ talent agency founder-DJ, Inbal Lankry.


The aptly named ‘Fundraiser for Reproductive Rights’ will benefit the National Network of Abortion Funds and the Florida Access Network. The National Network of Abortion Funds diminishes financial barriers to accessing abortion and is one of the nation’s leading advocates for reproductive justice. The Florida Access Network directly enables pathways for abortion access by providing abortion resources, logistical support, and funding abortion care.




Sloane has shared that all ticket proceeds raised and 20 percent of bar sales will be split evenly between the two nonprofit organizations. Tickets to the event are available for purchase now.



JSloane Creative to host ‘Fundraiser for Reproductive Rights at Floyd Miami

Globetrotting DJ, producer, and Do Not Sit mastermind Behrouz has been hospitalized after suffering two strokes. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to help cover his hospital stays and treatments.




According to the description of a GoFundMe page launched by family friend Sasha Jensen, Behrouz (full name Behrouz Nazari) first experienced a hemorrhagic stroke on April 24. He was flown to a hospital where doctors induced a coma, and the “Painted Walls” artist remained unconscious for two weeks. The swelling in his brain subsided, but the stroke caused paralysis in his right side. Nazari repeatedly visited the hospital in the months since, the fifth and most recent time being when he suffered the second stroke.




“While he had already started to undergo rehab therapy and was making progress, his family is struggling to deal with the second stroke and the unforeseen setbacks it will have on his prior progress,” writes Jensen. “We hope to assist Behrouz and his family with medical bills for his multiple hospital stays and related treatments that are crucial to restoring his health and independence.”




Additional speech, physical, and occupational therapy will be required to restore Nazari’s quality of life. “Behrouz's most important goal is to return home and lead a joyful and fulfilling life with this second chance,” Jensen continues. “Based on the skills he develops and the milestones he achieves, that roadmap may shift; but his goal is to be home in Miami and one day out on the dancefloor, putting smiles on your faces again.”




Nazari Grew up in San Francisco, where he held down long residencies at Club DV8 and 1015 Folsom. It was there that he met the house duo Deep Dish, who signed his music to their labels, Yoshitoshi and Shinichi, and represented him through their booking agency. He moved to Miami in 2007 and opened his club Do Not Sit On The Furniture in 2012.




At the time of writing, the fundraiser has cleared just less than half of its $350,000 target. Sven Väth, Timo Maas, Seth Troxler, Guy Gerber and Damian Lazarus are among the contributors. Donate and find additional information via GoFundMe.




Fundraiser Launched After Behrouz Suffers Second Stroke

ARC Music Festival organizers have announced a multitude of afterparties highlighting both its diverse set of headliners and the strong Chicago talent on the lineup. Highlights include Eric Prydz, Derrick Carter, Carl Craig, and Vintage Culture, to name a few.


Chicago is a city ripe with incredible music venues, and ARC is taking over the best of them on Labor Day weekend after the lights go off at the festival.



Radius, a massive purpose-built warehouse-style venue, will host Boris Bejcha, Get Real, Eric Prydz, and Adam Beyer. While its next-door neighbor Cermack Hall sees ANNA, Derick Carter, Ricardo Villalobos, and Gorgon City taking the decks.


On the North Side, Concord Music Hall will host Cloonee and Miane on Friday and a rare Ben Böhmer DJ Set on Sunday.


The legendary Spy Bar, open since 1995, welcomes Skream and Eats Everything on Friday, Seth Troxler and Carl Craig at Spybar, and Gioli and Assia performing a DJ Set on Sunday to close the festival weekend out.


ARC Music Festival held its inaugural event in 2021 and quickly expanded from two to three days in 2022. The festival exclusively books underground electronic music, focusing on the brightest names in house and techno with an emphasis on interactive art exhibits, honoring the roots of Chicago and strong brand partners like Elrow.


Combining top-level underground talent with local legends, ARC lets old-school techno cross paths with new-school tech house. The ARC team is committed to creating an event memorializing all that is good about Chicago.


Read below for the full afterparty lineup.






Friday 9/2/22

Boris Brejcha at Radius

ANNA at Cermak Hall

Cloonee & Miane at Concord

Nora En Pure at Prysm

Skream & Eats Everything at Spybar




Saturday 9/3/22

Green Velvet & Claude VonStroke at Radius

Derick Carter and Ricardo Villalobos at Cermak Hall

Joseph Capriati at Prysm

Seth Troxler and Carl Craig at Spybar

Honey Dijon at Smartbar

Mike Dunn and Mark Farina at Primary




Sunday 9/4/22

Eric Prydz and Adam Beyer at Radius

Gorgon City at Cermak Hall

Ben Böhmer DJ Set at Concord

Vintage Culture at Prysm

Gioli and Assia DJ Set at Spybar

Acid Pauli at Primary

DJ Three BTB Oona Dahl at No9



ARC Music Festival Announces ARC After Dark Lineups

After a successful Summer Edition at the end of July, Awakenings unveiled the lineup for its annual takeover for Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE). Awakenings has been organizing techno events in Amsterdam for more than 22 years and is one of the most popular showcases at ADE.


Awakenings ADE will take place from October 19-23 in two iconic locations in Amsterdam. With nine events spread between the mythical Gashouder, which has been home to Awakenings events since 1997, and the Ziggo Dome Arena, which has the largest capacity of any venue during ADE.


Gasholder, the prominent industrial event venue, is packed with expertly crafted lineups of heavy hitters in the techno space. The curated bills include Adam Beyer Presents Drumcode, Richie Hawtin From Our Minds, Joris Voorn Presents Spectrum, Joseph Capriati Invites, and Exhale With Amelie Lens.


In the contrasting Ziggo Dome, Awakenings returns as the largest indoor techno event during ADE. On Saturday, October 22, Carl Cox commands the daytime for his legendary Carl Cox Invites. The all live lineup includes special guests Reinier Zonneveld and KiNK, among others.


In the evening, techno queen and label boss Charlotte de Witte takes over the decks with her fellow KNTXT artists, FJAAK, I Hate Models, and Indira Paganotto.


In addition to the stellar night programming, daytime events are slated on Saturday, October 22, and Sunday, October 23, presented by Joris Voorn and Awakenings resident Amelie Lens. Lens will bring Ben Klock b2b Marcel Dettmann, ONYVAA, 999999999, and Helena Hauff to join the 2022 lineup.


Awakenings is an essential part of any ADE trip. Tickets are available now, do not miss out. To check out the complete event program, see below.






AWAKENINGS ADE OPENING NIGHT (10-19-22) | GASHOUDER

CERA KHIN, HÉCTOR OAKS, NINA KRAVIZ, PAULA TEMPLE, U.R. TRAX, VLADIMIR DUBYSHKIN




AWAKENINGS | ADAM BEYER PRESENTS DRUMCODE (10-20-22) | GASHOUDER

ADAM BEYER, ANNA, ILARIO ALICANTE, LAYTON GIORDANI, LILLY PALMER, PAN-POT




AWAKENINGS | RICHIE HAWTIN | FROM OUR MINDS (10-21-22) | GASHOUDER

ADIEL, AMORAL, FJAAKK, OBOSIL, RICHIE HAWTIN, SAMA' ABDULHADI




AWAKENINGS | CHARLOTTE DE WITTE PRESENTS KNTXT (10/21/22) | ZIGGO DOME

CHARLOTTE DE WITTE, ENRICO SANGIULIANO, FJAAK, I HATE MODELS, INDIRA PAGANOTTO, ONYVAA




AWAKENINGS | JORIS VOORN PRESENTS SPECTRUM (BY DAY) (10-22-22) | GASHOUDER

BEN KLOCK & MARCEL DETTMANN, JORIS VOORN, LEA OCCHI, LEN FAKI, ONYVA, ASETAOC MASS




AWAKENINGS | CARL COX PRESENTS AWESOME SOUNDWAVE (BY DAY) (10-22-22) | ZIGGO DOME

AN ON BAST (LIVE), CARL COX (LIVE), CHRISTOPHER COE (LIVE), HONEYSMACK (LIVE), KINK (LIVE), MARC ROMBOY (LIVE), REINIER ZONNEVELD (LIVE)




AWAKENINGS | JOSEPH CAPRIATI INVITES (10-22-22) | GASHOUDER

CHRIS LIEBING, DAVE CLARKE, JOSEPH CAPRIATI, KLAUDIA GAWLAS, SPEEDY J




AWAKENINGS | EXHALE WITH AMELIE LENS (BY DAY) (10-23-22) | GASHOUDER

999999999, AMELIE LENS, DARIA KOLOSOVA, FARRAGO, HELENA HAUFF, MILO SPYKERS






Awakenings Announces Lineups for ADE 2022

Bringing together innovators in music and technology, Beatport will debut their first ReConnect Summit this September in New York City. deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin will headline an impressive lineup of speakers, including artists like Gioli & Assia, A-Trak, UNiiQU3, Kerri Chandler, and Octo Octa, as well as senior executives from Meta, CAA, Women In Music, and more.




Launched during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Beatport created ReConnect to bring the industry together and support those impacted by COVID-19, world conflicts, and mental health. Since its inception, ReConnect has generated over $800,000 from its live stream events. The inaugural Beatport ReConnect Summit is a two-day event that will feature workshops and discussions focused on equity and health in music culture, along with dedicated activations and panels around emerging Web 3.0 technology in the music industry.




Taking place at 74 Wythe (Superior Ingredients) in Brooklyn, September 21-22, the Beatport ReConnect Summit will take over all three stages of the venue: The Roof, The Room, and The Lounge.




Guests can learn from industry discussions on wellness, diversity, and inclusion from organizations such as shesaid.so, Women In Music, and The Art of Areté while taking in stunning skyline views on The Roof.




The Room is Web 3.0 HQ—partners PIXELYNX and Audius will host headline speakers here and dig deep on the future of music technology.




Experience VR product demos and face-to-face A&R sessions in The Lounge, with activations from Beatport Group (Beatport, Beatsource, Label Radar) and event partners VOLTA XR and Red Pill VR. The weekend’s extensive programming includes nightlife safety workshops from DanceSafe and soon-to-be-announced DJ sets from their growing roster of confirmed artists.




Tickets are available now for Beatport ReConnect Summit, starting at $225 for a full two-day pass or $125 for a single day, which grants access to daytime talks, keynotes, workshops, rooftop DJ sets, and nightly events in the club’s main room. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased via Beatport's ReConnect website.









deadmau5 and Richie Hawtin Among Speakers for Beatport’s Inaugural ReConnect Summit in New York 

The Cross in London had a formidable run, remaining open from 1993 to 2007. On Friday, September 9, the historic nightclub will celebrate its grand reopening at a different King’s Cross address.




Masterminding the reboot is Bill Reilly, the original club's founder, and his wife Gemma Reilly, the managing director. The six-floor venue will fill the space formerly occupied by Bill’s gastropub, The Driver. Dubbed, The Cross 2.0, it will include a lounge and restaurant in addition to a rooftop bar with recurring themes including velvet and exposed brick.




“When I suggested my idea of relaunching, at first Billy thought it was nuts,” Gemma told Camdenist. “But we discussed it over a couple of glasses of wine one weekend during lockdown, and by the Wednesday morning he said, ‘right, let’s do it.’”




The Cross has grown up," Gemma continued. "The new venue brings some of the heritage and nostalgia elements, in that it's still right here in King's Cross [and] the club was six arches and now its six floors, but we're also making sure that we're getting the best quality marble fittings and designer upholstery throughout.”




The first iteration of The Cross was known for booking progressive house DJs and for long-running promoter residencies. Renaissance, the event brand famous for launching the careers of Sasha & Digweed, took place at the club, and artists like Danny Rampling, Dave Seaman, Judge Jules, and Paul van Dyk performed there as well.




King’s Cross was also home to nightclubs like Bagley’s and The Key before developers gave the area a makeover. It is now occupied by offices for The Guardian, Google, and Central St. Martins, in addition to an arts center and conference hall called King’s Place.




Bookings at The Cross 2.0 will only be promoted in-house, according to Camdenist. No lineup has been announced for the grand reopening at the time of writing. More information is available on the nightclub’s official website.






Storied London Club The Cross to Reopen After 15 Years

SoundCloud’s bumpy road to solvency will soon take it back through bleak territory. The company will let go of approximately 20% of its global workforce as part of “a significant company transformation.”




Billboard reports that SoundCloud CEO Michael Weissman broke the news to employees in a memo sent out via email. “Making changes that affect people is incredibly hard,” he wrote. “But it is one that is necessary given the challenging economic climate and financial market headwinds.”




There is a bright side, according to Weissman. He claims that in tandem with other financial decisions made by the company, the layoffs will put the music streaming platform “on a path to sustained profitability.”




A representative confirmed the decision in a statement. “During this difficult time, we are focused on providing the support and resources to those transitioning while reinforcing our commitment to executing our mission to lead what’s next in music,” they wrote.




Streaming Struggle

SoundCloud was founded in Germany in 2007 by Alex Ljung and Eric Wahlforss. Its lower barriers of entry for content creators differentiated it from then-new streaming services like Pandora and Spotify; anyone can create an account and upload audio to the site.




Monetizing this model through subscriptions and advertising proved difficult. By the time Ljung stepped down as CEO in 2017, Axios reported that the company had raised over $230 million to remain afloat — yet still laid off 40% of its staff. During Kerry Trainor’s tenure as CEO, the service expanded on its subscription model and introduced DJ gear integrations, among other things.




In February, Music Business Worldwide reported that the company’s year-over-year revenues increased by 31% to almost $219 million in 2020. Its losses, meanwhile, had decreased by 41% to only $17.4 million. While it’s not yet in the black, the company has maintained a positive trajectory since The Raine Group and Temasek Holdings acquired a dominant share of it in 2017.




In the fiscal year ending in 2020, SoundCloud reported having 392 employees, 359 of whom worked for the company full time.



SoundCloud to Lay Off Roughly 20% of Staff

Beyoncé’s new album Renaissance included a song titled “Energy” that sampled Kelis’ 2003 smash hit “Milkshake.” Kelis claimed she was neither approached nor credited for the sample. It is now no longer included in the version currently available on TIDAL or Apple Music.




Hours before the July 29 release of the album, Kelis (full name Kelis Rogers-Mora) aired her grievances in a comment on an Instagram post about “Energy.” She pointed out that while Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo (who produce music together as The Neptunes) are credited as writers, she is not. Williams and Hugo were also credited on the original “Milkshake.”




In a follow-up Instagram post, Rogers-Mora said that “this is really not about Beyoncé,” although she remarked that she would have appreciated the superstar reaching out to her directly. She instead brought up how Williams has been outspoken about artist rights but has writer credits on her records despite allegedly having never written any of her lyrics. She feels that his sampling of “Milkshake” was a deliberate slight.









“Pharrell knows better,” she said. “This is a direct hit at me [and] he does this stuff all the time… The reason I’m annoyed is because I know it was on purpose. This is not like some, ‘Oh, they were in the studio…’ No. No, this was an on-purpose, direct hit, which is very passive aggressive, it’s very petty, it’s very stupid…”




Renaissance caught the attention of dance music fans thanks to artist features like Honey Dijon, Nile Rogers, and Green Velvet. Other high-profile collaborators included Labrinth, Raphael Saadiq, Luke Solomon, and Kelman Duran. Its lead single, “Break My Soul” — which came out a month prior — prompted articles misguidedly praising the track for “resurrecting house music.”




Earlier this week, the track “Blast” off Renaissance was also changed to remove an ableist slur following online backlash.



Beyoncé Removes Unauthorized Kelis Sample from New Album

It is no secret that gender representation is skewed in electronic music. The Jaguar Foundation set out to determine just how underrepresented women and other marginalized genders truly are in the U.K. industry. The organization founded by British artist Jaguar has published its findings in a comprehensive report.




Progressing Gender Representation in U.K. Dance Music, as it’s titled, presents quantitative and qualitative data. Artists and industry professionals from the live events, radio, and streaming sectors helped with the research. Among them are DJ Paulette, Annie Mac, Jamz Supernova, and TSHA. The resulting report “uncovers evidence supporting long-held beliefs about gender disparity in dance music,” according to a description.




Below are three notable findings from the Progressing Gender Representation in U.K. Dance Music. The 84-page report covers numerous other topics, though. Download it in its entirety on The Jaguar Foundation website.




1. Safety is Still a Major Issue




The #MeToo movement of 2017 triggered a reckoning for sexual abusers that certainly made an impact in dance music. Nightlife environments nonetheless remain dangerous for women, nonbinary, and trans people, according to artists interviewed for the report.




“We’re dealing with people who are putting on the night who get too drunk and act inappropriately towards you,” said U.K. DJ Riva. “It’s not something you have to deal with as a male or face the same risks. So it becomes so hard to feel secure and feel like you’re going to work but rather you become scared.”




“It’s about being in an environment where there are men who will undoubtedly touch you up or approach unwantedly,” said Amy Wheatley. “It’s all of that stuff that comes along with going clubbing.”




2. Event Lineups are Largely Male (but Improving)




Using data provided by Viberate, the authors of the report compiled the gender breakdown of 22 festivals from 2018-2021 (and the 14 that have announced their lineups thus far in 2022) to give a snapshot of booking trends in the broader dance music live events industry.




2018 saw average male representation of 86% across the events analyzed, and the figure increased to 87% in 2019. Then, in 2021, male billings fell to 79%, only to fall even further to 72% in 2022. In all aforementioned cases, the remaining proportion was split between women and non-binary artists.




The report notes that these figures fall close to those published from the FACTS 2022 survey conducted by female:pressure, which found that 20.3% of acts were female only, 9.3% were mixed, and 0.5% were nonbinary. A BBC Shared Data Unit report found that 13% of event lineups were solo female artists or all-female groups.




3. Less Than 1% of Top 200 Airplay Dance Tracks are Female/Nonbinary




According to perhaps the most telling figure published in the report, less than 1% of the 467 dance/electronic tracks to reach the top 200 airplay charts of U.K. radio stations over 2020-2021 were credited to entirely female or nonbinary artists.




44% of the songs featured female artists, to be sure. Of those, however, 76% credited a male as the primary artist, while the remaining 26% named female or nonbinary artists first in their credits.




The data could be skewed by how many old tracks find their way onto the airwaves, according to the report, which found that 69% were released in 2019 or earlier. “This would go some way to explain the imbalance, given the weighting of the sample,” it explains.




It might surprise some that commercial stations played more tracks featuring female or nonbinary talent than their counterparts. Commercial stations averaged 49%, whereas the average for all stations was 40%.


Learn more about The Jaguar Foundation by visiting their official website.



3 Takeaways from The Jaguar Foundation’s Report on Gender Disparity in U.K. Dance Music

When COVID-19 restrictions forced clubs across the globe to shut their doors, De School in Amsterdam was also becoming mired in allegations of racial profiling and exploitation. In July 2020 the multi-space venue officially discontinued operations after remaining closed since March — but it has now shared plans to reopen on September 9.




It will only be a limited run. According to a press release, the “16-month finale” will close out the nightlife institution’s temporary lease by offering a “multi-dimensional platform for both the neighborhood and the city, focused on music, art, education, and food.”




Importantly, De School also claims to have made key changes to its team and company culture in response to its 2020 controversies.




This is the venue’s first public acknowledgment of said issues. In June 2020, queer collective X3 pulled out of a live stream at the establishment due to a perceived lack of diversity. The following month, allegations of sexual harassment by security staff were mentioned in a podcast with co-owner Jochem Wertheimer (whose surname was Doornbusch prior to his recent marriage). The club only cited “debts piling up” as its reason for shutting down.




The new announcement reveals that Wertheimer has taken on a lesser role following the July 2021 hiring of Erol Kiran, who now serves as director. Under Kiran’s leadership, De School underwent a “time of listening, learning and restructuring” in which over 500 hours of conversations were conducted with over 100 members of the community, per Resident Advisor.




“There was a huge need to dig deep to uncover problems, to create structure, for having painful but healing conversations and for creating an environment of trust for our employees, visitors, artists and everyone else that is part of this place,” Kiran said. “We have spent the past year having those conversations, listening to many of the people involved and affected, focusing on our responsibility towards our community, and creating new and much-needed structures.”




De School promises new door staff and building renovations as well as an updated code of conduct which it will share next week. An art curation program and education agenda look to utilize the numerous spaces in the onetime school building more effectively.




If all goes to plan, De School will end its 16-month run in January 2024. More information will be made available on their official website.




Amsterdam Club De School to Reopen for 16-Month Finale

In 1987, Alan Oldham says he paid a visit to Marvel’s NYC offices and handed the editors promo copies of his new comic book, JOHNNY GAMBIT #1. Imagine his surprise when in 1990, the world-famous publisher introduced a character named Gambit bearing a distinct likeness to his in the 266th issue of The Uncanny X-Men.



The years afterwards brought new creative horizons for Oldham. In the mid-‘90s he became a fixture of Detroit techno under the DJ and producer alias DJ T-1000, landing on labels such as Tresor and BPitch Control. The 2000s saw him revisit comics and illustration, delivering artwork that appeared in exhibits from Detroit to Berlin to Kobe, Japan.




After 25 years, Alan Oldham is giving Johnny Gambit a long-awaited reboot — but he needs your help.




September 5 marks the launch of a fundraising campaign for THE RETURN OF JOHNNY GAMBIT. Accompanying the 124-page, black-and-white graphic novel will be a double CD soundtrack compilation of music inspired by the story. Among the artists featured are techno mainstays BlakTony (of Aux 88), FBK, and Nino Sebelic.




Oldham told Gray Area that he’s worked on THE RETURN OF JOHNNY GAMBIT for over 15 years, having started in early 2007. “I finally had a story idea, then I ran with it,” he said. “So I did it part time around DJ gigs, production, other art projects, and other commitments.”




As an illustrator, Oldham’s work has given visual context to a broad swath of the techno landscape. He has delivered album artwork and merch designs for labels like Djax-Up-Beats, De:Tuned, I-Robots, Houndstooth, and Plus 8.




In February, Oldham released a five-track techno EP titled Don’t Complain, Don’t Explain on his own Pure Sonic Records that included a remix by Gene Richards Jr. Earlier in July, he performed at Rave The Planet — Dr. Motte’s reincarnation of the legendary Love Parade events.




Sign up to be notified when Alan Oldham’s crowdfunding campaign for THE RETURN OF JOHNNY GAMBIT goes live on September 5 via Kickstarter.




Alan Oldham to Bring Back Johnny Gambit Character for New Graphic Novel

In the five months since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, inhabitants of the latter country have found little cause for merriment. One volunteer organization called Repair Together has devised a way to lighten the mood while making an impact: “clean up rave” events in the northern village of Yahidne.




DJs at these gatherings play techno and house tracks while volunteers chop wood or haul damaged furniture from bombed-out buildings, taking occasional breaks to dance. A recent event focused on cleaning up the village’s House of Culture, but AP News reports that Repair Together’s previous efforts saw them help renovate 15 damaged homes in the village.









“They already repaired our windows, doors, and entrances,” local resident Nina told AP News. “We couldn’t do it ourselves with our salaries or pensions. I’m thankful that they helped us.”




Among the DJs who performed at the House of Culture repair event were Recid and Oleksandr Buchinskiy. “These are all young people that still have a passion for life, but they feel pain and are very sad and angry because of the war,” Buchinskiy told AP News. “But they feel a need to take part in this historical moment, and help people, and make Ukraine a better place with a smile on their faces.”




The lion’s share of the 200 volunteers hail from Ukraine — mostly its capital, Kyiv, but also the western city Lviv and nearby Chernihiv. Other volunteers came from the U.S., Portugal, Germany, and other foreign countries.




Bitter conflict has ensued on Ukrainian soil since Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two self-proclaimed separatist states in Ukraine’s Donbas region and sent in troops beginning on February 24. U.S. defense officials believe Russia is suffering hundreds of casualties per day, with totals estimated around 15,000 dead and 45,000 wounded, according to Reuters. In June, the New York Times reported that Kyiv officials said around 100-200 Ukrainians were being killed each day, amounting to roughly 22,000 dead.




“Volunteering is my lifestyle now,” said one of Repair Together’s organizers, Tania Burianova. “I like electronic music and I used to party. But now it’s wartime and we want to help, and we’re doing it with music.”




Repair Together plans to hold similar clean-up raves in the nearby town of Lukashivka, where they will build 12 houses for people whose homes have been destroyed. Donate to the organization here.




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