Electronic Beats Weekly

This week, Kikelomo speaks to Ryan C. Clarke of the Dweller festival and blog about their work centering and celebrating Black artists and perspectives. Plus: Weekend One of Coachella, a BPM ban in Chechnya, anti-LGBTQ laws in Georgia, and Earth Day initiatives from EarthPercent. Read the Dweller blog Learn more about EarthPercent The Week is a production by Telekom Electronic Beats and ACB Storie...

This week, Otto Kent speaks to returning guest Christa Belle about the enigmatic and very viral DJ/producer HorsegiirL – and what her popularity tells us about the current dance music. Plus: An awkward encounter with Tyler the Creator, music courses on Spotify, a new lease for the long-running Berlin venue YAAM, and a new database dedicated to gender equality projects in the music industries. Read...

As a queer, black, female artist working with everyone from Solange to PinkPantheress, Swarovski to Ferragamo, Kelela has been pushing boundaries on representation in music and fashion since the early 2010s. After disappearing from the public and taking an extended social media hiatus, Kelela reemerged in 2023 with the critically acclaimed album RAVEN. Her sound dances at the intersection of R&amp...

This week, Otto Kent speaks to the Berlin-based DJ and music producer Sarah Farina about her work with Chicago house vocalist Tish Bailey , and the frequent erasure of Black women from dance music history. What can be done to help change it? Plus: A new Beyoncé album, Wizkid disavows Afrobeats, YouTube introducing search by humming, and James Blake's new music platform. Read more about Tish Bailey...

Last week, UNESCO added Berlin techno culture to its list of "intangible cultural heritage." But what made Berlin eligible for this honor, how did it earn the recognition, and what impact does it actually have? Juba finds out more speaking to Ellen Dosch-Roeingh from Rave the Planet, the Berlin-based nonprofit that helped initiate and write the application to UNESCO. Plus: boycotts at SXSW, vinyl...

James Blake just went viral with a series of tweets about the state of the music industry, including one about artists not being able to live off streaming royalties. This isn’t news, we keep having the same discussion over and over again. Which leads us to the question: Does anyone actually care about streaming payouts? Juba joins OttO Kent in the studio to discuss this question. Plus: the Living...

It’s that time of the year again! OttO Kent invites two familiar faces to the studio to look back on everything 2023: Juba and Christa Belle. They talk about what to take into 2024 and what to leave behind: Bandcamp, BeReal, Dubstep, Fred again.., filming random people on the street? And of course they each crown their own personal record(s) of the year. Follow OttO Kent . Follow Juba . Follow Chr...

Why is there such a strong correlation between music and mental health? Our guest this week, Dr. George Musgrave, studies the psychological and working conditions of creative careers. The results turn out better for audiences than for artists. Plus: Retired detective becomes new nightlife mayor in New York and EU Parliament calls for new rules to regulate streaming. The Week is a production by Tel...

Harry Nuriev is an architect, a furniture designer, and an artist. He describes his approach as "transformism": creating new and exciting designs with what we already have, in contrast to producing something entirely new. Whether it is sofas made out of winnowed clothes, gamer chairs covered with lace, or a swimming pool tiled like a Photoshop transparency layer – with his company Crosby Studios ,...

With their soulful vocals and melodies divas bring themes of love, acceptance and power to the dancefloor. Kikelomo talks to someone who brings the same energy to their sets: fka.m4a. Plus: A campaign in the UK to stop the use of rap lyrics and videos as evidence in criminal trials, an AI model that can understand and identify South African languages, and streaming platform Nina Protocol launches...

Will “AI Pins” replace smartphone s? That's not the only question about new generations that we ask ourselves in this episode. OttO also talks to Anetha about intergenerational understanding and exchange in dance music. Plus: the Warehouse is returning as a touring party brand , Cassie sues Diddy for sexual assault and André 3000 releases his debut solo album . The Week is a production by Telekom...

Music taste and fandom have always been tied to our identities, but today it can seem like musical genres themselves are being replaced by identity-driven scenes. At least, according to music researcher Kriss Thakrar, who recently wrote a piece for the music industry blog Midia Research . OttO Kent invites Christa Belle to the studio to discuss this potential ‘tug-of-war’ between genre and identit...

After Songtradr bought Bandcamp, more than half of the staff has been booted out the door. In this episode Otto Kent talks to Ed Blair, one of the union's bargaining committee members. Plus: Listening to your favourite music actually acts as a painkiller, The Beatles released their final ever song with help from AI, and subcultures like “sad girl music” might replace genres afterall.  The Wee...

What a time to be online. In this week’s episode Kikelomo and OttO Kent discuss whether or not artists are obligated to post on social media in the wake of political crises. Plus: Fashion labels are recruiting and exploiting models from refugee camps, UMG is now NTS's largest shareholder, US states file a lawsuit against Meta accusing the company of harmful features, and can music hardware be envi...

Alcohol can be quite central and inescapable at clubs and parties. So what would happen if someone banned alcohol completely from their party? That’s basically what journalist Michelle Lhooq did at her ‘Shroom Raves’. OttO Kent talks to her about her inspiration for the idea and about what it means to create a space for experiencing other kinds of drugs. Plus: Drunk Brits are being banned from the...

Why is it more important than ever to create ‘safer’ spaces and awareness concepts in our club culture? And what can we all do, so that everybody feels safe while going out? Kikelomo talks to diversity consultant Lewamm Ghebremariam about the evolution of safer spaces, why she rather speaks about intentional spaces, and how the Netflix series “Sex Education” is a great learning experience for basi...

While West-African music is celebrating new milestones globally, the electronic music scene is still underrepresented. The Nyege Nyege festival in Uganda and its community have been a centerpoint for highlighting dance music and queer culture from East Africa. In this episode Kikelomo talks to Turkana, who’s part of the experimental Anti-Mass collective from Kumpala. She opens up about the danger...

Dance music from the Latin diaspora is making waves into the European scene – but who’s really profiting from the boom? This week OttO Kent talks to the Venezuelan writer and deputy editor of Crack Magazine Rachel Grace Almeida about the long-overdue attention that Latin American artists are getting, and why it’s problematic to lump all these artists and countries into one box. Plus: Bad Bunn...

Should we consider turning away from the DJ booth? That’s what an older generation of ravers is proposing on social media ? Kikelomo has some strong feelings about that – and even the science to back them up. She’s joined by co-host OttO Kent to dive into the debate and to talk about the history and evolution of the DJ booth. Plus: Songs as investments, UK bans laughing gas, the new iPhone as...

Are demons taking over pop culture? This week OttO talks to a mystic creature herself – the british artist Sarahsson – about the current trend of playing with the devil, cybersigilism being the new tribal tattoos and how a new generation is charging their Whoppers while remixing the forbidden. Plus: African music getting some long overdue global love, A$AP Rocky being honored with the Vi...

WTF was happening at Burning Man this year? First climate protesters were blocking the entrance, and then a rainstorm hit the desert playa so that people weren’t allowed to leave the ground. OttO – who’s an burner himself – talks to DJ Kim Ann Foxman, who’s been a Burning Man aficionado for decades. They talk about the reasons for people hating the festival and about what’s left of the origin...

How is the electronic music scene in Ukraine keeping up and evolving since the Russian invasion? This week OttO Kent talks to Ukrainian DJ, promoter and producer Human Margareeta about keeping a culture alive and the importance of daytime raves during the war. Plus: first results of Berlin’s drug-checking program, protests at Burning Man, the unexpected return of Fyre Festival, some shady support...

Can a DJ set be a guided meditation? This week OttO Kent talks to DJ Gigola about dance music as body music, her album “Fluid Meditations” and how everything is rhythmical. And since they both share a soft spot for ASMR, of course they had to try it in the studio. Plus: Burna Boy making history, Boiler Room Broadcast Lab, Albania as the hot spot for the summer, cashing in on noise complaints, and...

Do DJs have to be influencers nowadays? Why do some people feel that it’s embarrassing to be a DJ today? This week OttO Kent is talking to music journalist Shawn Reynaldo, who wrote about the changing perception of being a DJ in a recent essay that made a lot of waves. Plus: Tomorrowland partners up with TikTok up, why ‘Rave The Planet’ almost didn’t happen, things being thrown on stage at concert...

Did you notice sexual humour is making its comeback on the dance floor? For this week’s episode Kikelomo is talking to MCR-T and Miss Bashful about the legacy of sexually explicit songs in dance music. The couple just released what they call their “first born”: “Tootsie Pop”. Their debut album is full of horny club bangers. Plus: a pledge to boycott face-scanning at live venues, “The Warehouse” be...