In 2024, the outlook for grassroots music venues looks bleak. But across the country, enterprising music fans are bucking the trend, building new spaces where community – not commerce – reigns supreme.
Welcome back to Selections, a series of artist-curated playlists from those in the know.
The London-based menswear designer draws from the deep well of London’s eclectic music scene.
KESH takes us on a 46-minute ride through a head rush of different genres, with tracks from Burial, Namasenda and The Prodigy alongside plenty of rap and a handful of unexpected bangers.
Drum ’n’ bass shapeshifter gyrofield guides us through an hour of sounds they imagine us listening to late in the evening, packed in to warmly-lit basement rave.
Marcus Brown – a.k.a. the genre-defying syncretist Nourished by Time – began creating his dreamlike, uncanny sound as an escape from the crushing monotony of his day job. What started as a lifeline evolved into an opportunity to reshape his world.
For her Crack Mix, Berlin-based DJ and Morphine Raum affiliate Marylou takes us on an explorative journey through the sounds she’s gravitating towards right now.
On her latest project, Daisy Moon is feeling out new sonic spaces through abstract sound design, avant-pop, electro and broken techno.
From masterstroke diss tracks to bratty pop maximalism, via heady electroclash, trippy ambient arrangements, warping basslines and bittersweet nostalgia… these are the best tracks of 2024, according to Crack Magazine.
The last few years have seen the Michigan-born producer lean into his jazz heritage. On ‘Cherry Blossom Baby’, Shigeto fully embodies the role of bandleader – to remarkable effect.
For his Sunday Mix, musician and producer Alfa Mist takes us on an explorative journey through the sounds that have shaped his own music, from experimental jazz to hip-hop.
High Vis know the world is fucked. But by melding hardcore with flourishes of post-punk and anthemic Britpop, and righteous rage with unflinching social commentary, they are giving more reasons than most to put up a fight.
Alia Seror-O’Neill, a.k.a. Alias Error, moved to Berlin seven years ago, finding home as well as a new drive for her creative pursuits.
From ambient concréte to shapeshifting rap, via melancholy confessionals, hot-and-sticky bangers, bracing hardcore and some of the best capital-P Pop music since forever… these are the best 50 albums of 2024 according to Crack Magazine.
In 2024, TV on the Radio’s cryptic art rock was proof that, even in an era of indie sleaze hedonism, there were still bands turning out understated, cerebral classics.
Reflecting on one of their most recent tracks, ‘Details’, Ikonika reflects on incorporating their own vocals, translating the song into a live setting, and perfecting the production process with the help of Ableton Push 3.
Larry June’s health-giving blend of aspirational bars and lifestyle hacks have turned him into something of a life coach for hip-hop heads.
Welcome back to Selections, a series of artist-curated playlists from those in the know.
Hong Kong-born Kiana Li, a.k.a. drum’n’bass shapeshifter gyrofield, takes us back to the Eastern Margins club night that confirmed she was on the right track.
For the latest instalment of Crack Magazine and Love International’s Transmission to Tisno mix series, Hodge and EMA go b2b for a heads-down set filled with heavy heaters and impeccable vibes.
Sherelle and Tim Reaper connect to discuss the responsibility of being labelled scene leaders, rejecting the idea of genres as trends, and the enduring spirit of jungle.
Le Guess Who? Festival returned to Utrecht this November with a typically vast programme, bringing together future-facing artists and experimental heads from across the globe.
After breaking through with a suite of after-hours confessionals that captured the tumult of being a twentysomething, Tyson is approaching her creative practice with the self-assuredness that comes with motherhood.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Iceland Airwaves, artists from Reykjavík’s eclectic music scene joined acts from across the globe – including Bar Italia, Magdalena Bay and Lambrini Girls.
The Eritrean-born, Netherlands-raised artist spent years on the move before returning home and readying her best project to date.
Returning to Turin for its 22nd edition with the theme ‘Living With The Gods’, C2C Festival saw highlight sets from A. G. Cook, Nala Sinephro, Mica Levi, Mabe Fratti and more.
070 Shake’s moody, uncontainable sound has quietly left fingerprints across contemporary pop’s landscape. Now, with her adventurous new album and a carefully managed relationship with growing media glare, she’s ready to let in the light.
Known for sets that move through techno, hardgroove, dubstep, footwork and more, DJ and producer Neffa-T takes us on a high-energy ride through the sounds he knows best.
Keeping its promise to spotlight challenging music and original artistry, Semibreve’s carefully curated programme focused on intimate, high-impact shows.
Reflecting on Massive Attack’s pioneering low-carbon ACT 1.5 event in Bristol this summer, Robert Del Naja and UVA’s Matt Clark discuss their evolving artistic collaboration, the show’s themes and the legacy it will leave.
