Articles
09-03-2023
Striving for the right to dance around the world
On the front line of club music and activism.
Words by The Right To Dance
Premiered on our Instagram, this is a growing resource of the people, collectives and initiatives who are striving for the right to dance around the world, embodying the values of community, freedom, identity and self-expression that unite War Child's work in conflict zones, and underground club scenes on every continent.
The new compilation platforming Iran’s female artists in the ongoing movement for women’s rights.
Releasing ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ on their label Apranik Records, DJs Nesa Azadikhah and Aida Rez have come together to platform other female artists from their home country. Themed around “power, defiance, and ferocity”, and in the same boundary-pushing tradition of their forebears, the compilation amplifies the burgeoning movement, with proceeds from the release to be donated to women’s charities in Iran.
Buy the compilation on Bandcamp
DIY collective No Lite’s mission to save Atlanta’s treasured woodlands through rave resistance.
In a city where lush green covers almost half of the metropolitan landscape, No Lite’s forest raves are the last stand against a dual threat of gentrification within nightlife spaces and private development encroaching on Atlanta’s unique tree canopy. Following a lineage of political movements that have harnessed community action through rave culture, their long-running parties contribute to the ongoing ‘Defend the Atlanta Forest’ campaign, seeking to reclaim the city’s greenspaces through temporary autonomous zones and preserving the land for public use.
Listen to a DJ set from one of nolite’s parties last summer
Radio Alhara’s Sonic Liberation Front broadcast protesting violence against women in Iran and Kurdistan.
The two-day program was curated by Pouya Ehsaei in solidarity with the people of Iran and Kurdistan, following the murder of 22 year old Mahsa Amini in Tehran. Featuring 100% women and nonbinary artists from Iran, the project aimed to platform and amplify local voices, in defiance against the persecution and silencing of the protestors.
Listen to all 27 shows from the broadcast
Nyege Nyege overcome pressure from the Ugandan parliament for their 2022 festival
Power to Nyege Nyege in Uganda for going ahead with their 2022 edition last weekend, despite criticism from the speaker of parliament deeming it a “breeding ground for sexual immorality” and “homosexuality” due to its ties to the LGBTQ+ community and attraction of tourists. Comments intended to push a ban against the festival in turn helped it completely sell out, welcoming another year of cutting edge music and inclusive energy after a two year hiatus.
💡In the Luganda language of Uganda, “nyege nyege” is translated as “an irresistible urge to dance”.
Watch DJ Kampire’s set from Nyege Nyege 2018
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Jaguar highlights the struggles of women in the industry on BBC Women’s Hour.
Invited on the BBC Radio show, the DJ, broadcaster, and journalist discussed her new project—The Jaguar Foundation—responsible for commissioning a report on gender inequality in UK dance music. Alongside other gendered issues, the report revealed that only 5% of dance music in the UK charts has a woman as the lead artist, and in turn aims to tackle the inequity through recommendations such as inclusivity riders.
Listen to the full interview via BBC Sounds
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Pause For The Cause: A memento of early rave ads from 1991-1996.
Billed as the “audio equivalent of the rave flyer” this project from archivist label Death Is Not The End and audio archeologist Luke Owen compiles UK pirate radio adverts from the hardcore and jungle scene. Accompanied by notes from music journalist Simon Reynolds, the compilations are described by him as “valuable deposits of sociocultural data”, capturing the energy, nostalgia, and euphoria of the underground.
Listen and buy via Bandcamp
Young Ukrainians are organising ‘clean-up raves’ to rebuild from the devastation of war.
Like this example in Yahidne, northern Ukraine, volunteers have invited DJs to accompany them during the clear-up effort to help restore a sense of normality in the absence of festivals this summer.
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