Paul Oakenfold has possibly taken the craft of DJing to the world’s biggest heights (Mount Everest Base Camp) and its most sacred sites (he is the first artist to ever perform Stonehenge). Paul’s latest endeavour took him to the sands of Abu Dhabi where on Wednesday, 10 March, he performed a DJ set surrounded by more than 7,500 athletes and 3,000 coaches, representing 200 nations at the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics World Games 2019 at Zayed Sports City.   

Ultra Records has just released their annual compilation ‘ULTRA Music Festival 2019’ featuring 16 tracks from some of the biggest artists performing at the festival. Ultra Records’ roster consists of some of dance music talent, with label signings Black Coffee, NGHTMRE, Solardo and Kayzo all playing ULTRA Music Festival this year; as well as MK, NGHTMRE, Kayzo and Deorro speaking on Winter Music Conference (WMC) panels.

As the summer months are fast approaching, Lίo Ibiza recently announced their first resident joining them for the 2019 season. Taking over the Ibiza venue every Thursday from May to October, Chicago’s Felix Da Housecat steps up for a new weekly concept; Night Fever.

Following up on the soundscapes of 'On A Hilltop Sat The Moon', Amon Tobin returns with 'Vipers Follow You', the second single from his forthcoming studio album ‘Fear in a Handful of Dust’, which will be released 26 April on his new Nomark label.

Frankfurt DJ/producer Oliver Lieb released his 3-track ‘Epoxi EP’ in 2018, and contributed ‘Osyris’ for ‘Bedrock XX’ and ‘When It’s Dark Outside’(in his L.S.G. guise) for ‘Live In Tokyo’. Now, he makes his Bedrock return with his latest release, the ‘Phosphorous EP’.

In summer 2019, an experiment will convene in Ibiza that will aim to change the ways clubbing is experienced there. On 24th of May Dixon will bring his new project, Transmoderna to Pacha, returning every Friday for 20 weeks. However Transmoderna is apparently more than just a residency. It is ‘a navigation through global phenomena, in real life and in virtual reality.’ Over the season, Dixon will invite collaborators, conspirators and competitors to join him in order to…

Glitterbox recently revealed the full line up for its 20-date 2019 season at Hï Ibiza. Running every Sunday from 26 May to 6 October, the brand returns to Ibiza after a top 2018 series, bringing Armand Van Helden, Masters At Work, Honey Dijon, Dimitri From Paris, DJ Harvey, Purple Disco Machine, Horse Meat Disco, Basement Jaxx, Nightmares On Wax, Joey Negro, Groove Armada and many more. 

International Music Summit (IMS) recently announced 19 topics for its 2019 summit. For its 12th edition, speakers and delegates will assemble in Ibiza for discussions on new technology, advances in business thinking, gender parity, diversity and inclusion, social conscience and mental health awareness, to aim to bring about positive change and progress.

Following its biggest London event to date, selling out the 5,000 capacity Printworks last month, Glitterbox recently announced its return to Ministry of Sound for a five-date residency. The next five London parties on Saturday 13 April, 27 July, 12 October, 9 November and 14 December will see the brand at Ministry Of Sound, its long-time home in London.

Farris Wheel heads to Miami to host a label party at Miami Music Week. With the Winter Music Conference in its 34th year and still attracting house music fans from across the globe Farris Wheel will be throwing this event on the rooftop of The Langford Hotel, downtown Miami.

Pacha Ibiza recently announced the launch of a Claptone’s The Masquerade. ‘The Masquerade’ will apparently be a place where one can live out their deepest desires, full of masked faces, complimented by some of Pacha’s costumed dancers, and will be held every Monday throughout the summer. Commencing on Monday 27 of May and continuing weekly until 29 September, the new night will see some of the ‘scene's most adventurous DJs join in on the hedonism.’

David Morales returns in 2019 with ‘D-Tension’ on DIRIDIM Records, the first in a series of releases from David forthcoming in 2019. It’s available as a Red Zone Mix and a Red Zone Edit as between 1989 and 1992, Morales held a storied residency at a New York club on West 54th Street, where he explored a more underground, experimental side to his sound: the Red Zone. 

Pacha Ibiza takes over Austrian club, AsitzBräu for a two week residency from 15-30 March 15th 2019. Setting up shop in the Austrian Alps, AsitzBräu becomes the hotspot of the Leogang clubbing scene, welcoming Pacha to the Salzburg mountains. 

Glitterbox recently announced Purple Disco Machine’s debut mixed compilation, ‘Glitterbox - Discotheque’. Tino Piontek, aka Purple Disco Machine, has distilled his DJ sets into two mixes; ‘Purple Disco Day’ and ‘Purple Disco Night’. Featuring over 30 tracks of soulful, funk-laden beats, he showcases a decade-spanning repertoire of tracks, from under-appreciated golden-era disco to newly-released vocal house, plus two exclusive edits from the artist himself, all mixed together.

Detroit’s Inner City head on a celebratory tour which sees their first live performances outside of America in 20 years. With new music also on the horizon this marks a new era for the group. The next phase sees Kevin Saunderson now joined by his son and creative protégé Dantiez as a full-time member, plus guests such as vocalist Steffanie Christi’an. Last year, the new set up was premiered at the 2018 Movement Festival setting the stage for the group’s new era which continues this year. 

Annie Mac recently announced details of the AMP LONDON Conference Days, held from 12 noon to 5pm at Moth Club in Hackney on Friday 29 March for ‘The Industry’ day and Saturday 30 March for ‘The Next Generation’ day. Encompassing debate and discussion around the future and evolution of today’s music artists and industry, the event aims to provide a hub for all those engaged and interested in music, inspire conversations about how the landscape of the business is changing, and highlight what’s going on behind the scenes that will shape the future.

With several decades worth of experience as a DJ and producer, Mallorca Lee was a member of the electronic music groups Ultra-Sonic and Public Domain. He has released over ten albums, three of them solo and countless EPs within acid house, rave, hip-hop and rock.

‘Felonious’ is the second album from Carsten Mørch-Bentzen (vox) and Jens Christian Madsen (synths), aka Danish duo Sparkling, an act that likes to take its time between releases, having previously released only one album and an EP since 2002. Like a Scandinavian Future Islands meets Foals, the first single from ‘Felonious’ came out late 2018 entitled ‘Say Goodbye To The Ragged Tiger’. A song about the knots and beauty of life. Casting off the entanglements of the past little by little as new perceptions become apparent through its progressions. 

After the apparent success of last year's Belgium debut, elrow Town Antwerp returns with a pre-party on Friday 5 July 2019 and all day festival on Saturday 6 July 2019 with Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Loco Dice and more. Settling once again in the picturesque lake-park surroundings of Middenvijver, founder & CEO of elrow Town, Rowgelia, and best friend Rowmeo, are bringing the party back to Belgium with a guest line-up of DJs.

Defected is set to host its first ever FSTVL in the capital this September at Central Park in East London. Defected London FSTVL aims to celebrate the best in house music from the UK and beyond, inspired by its array of sub-labels. Taking place on Saturday 14 September 2019, the one day event will feature five outdoor stages, hosted by the brand’s label imprints; The Defected stage, Glitterbox, Classic Music Company, 4 To the Floor and Dvine Sounds.

Help The Cause celebrate the music The Prodigy’s Keith Flint rose to fame around and raise funds to help others suffering. Male suicide is the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK. Mental health affects us all and raising awareness of this was one of the key factors in establishing The Cause. News reports earlier this week state that Keith Flint took his own life and had suffered from depression, an issue close to the heart of The Cause and its mission to raise awareness. 

For the better part of three years now Skullduggery’s been making moves within trance and, looking to bring something new to genre’s fore, in 2015 he convened a group of studio souls to form its label core. Now, chief Skull Greg Downey has gotten together with Stoneface & Terminal to portrait the imprint through the ‘The Art Of Skulduggery’. 

Bringing USPs to his longplayers is something Prague native, Juraj Klička’s, developed a track record for. With its hybrid orchestration, his first album (‘R(E)volution’) connected the worlds of electronic and classical music, while last summer’s ‘Invitcus’ meanwhile upped the ‘original’ ante further, with its half music/half audiobook concept.

Shy FX recently released the music video for brand new single ‘Rudeboy Lovesong’ featuring Sweetie Irie and Cara Delevingne. Directed by Felix Brady and shot in London, the accompanying music video features Ben Cawley and Cara Delevingne trapped and disorientated in a dystopian world. 

Sven Väth’s Cocoon Ibiza party recently announced that their Ibiza summer will begin with a one-off event at Ushuaïa on 25 May 2019. When the brand arrived on Ibiza in 1999, the sound of the island was slightly different. It took several years of Väth, amongst other artists and brands, and his team’s dedication to underground house and techno before people started to understand and appreciate the style. Along the way, the party helped make big name DJs and grew to become one of the most popular nights on the island.

Danny Howard and Harry Romero rework the 1997 track ‘Are You Ready To Play The Game’. Featuring the vocals of George Morel, they release ‘The Game’ which sees them rework the Morel Inc. track into a groove-infested house cut. A presenter and producer, Danny has apparently amassed more than a million listeners every Friday night on his Radio 1 show, and he looks to represent all 360 degrees of the dance music world as he continues with his production game.

About to embark on an Australian tour, Twitch and Wilkes of Optimo have nearly 60 years of DJ experience between them. Developing their style amidst an Eastern Belfast background in the ‘80s, venues such as Sub-Club and their very own club Pure, acted as the vehicles for the pair to express their DJ style freely, and in turn become synonymous with the heavy tech-electronic sound that Glasgow is known for. 

Following its earlier announcement, Cream Classical recently revealed the line-up for the all new 20,000 capacity event at Liverpool’s Sefton Park on Friday 19 July. 

As the club hits full stride in 2019, fabric locks in huge names for FABRICLIVE, Forms and Saturday night parties. On Friday 12 April, SW4 bring a first taste of the Clapham Common festival to Farringdon's doorstep, while D&B artist A.M.C returns with Energy and pirate radio station Flex FM lock down Room Three. 

Miami’s promotional outfit Seven Lines Group recently unveiled the line-ups for its series of Miami Music Week parties. As well as a debut back-to-back showcase from Deeperfect and Descend, brands like ANTS, MK's Area 10, Armada and Chuckie & Friends will also host events. Headliners like Stefano Noferini, Cuartero, Mathias Kaden, MK, Lee Foss, Detlef, EDX, Arty, Goldfish, Morgan Page, Steve Lawler, Davide Squillace, Martin Buttrich, Matthias Tanzmann, Tiga and more will all provide the soundtrack.

International Music Summit (IMS) earlier this week announced first details of their Dalt Vila event in Ibiza Old Town, the closing celebration of the 12th edition of three-day summit and flagship event of IMS Week 2019. The 2,500 year old former fort and UNESCO World Heritage Site will witness established artists sharing the stage with new talent, framed by a backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea and the historic Catedral de Eivissa.

Fresh off the back of his Brits win Calvin Harris recently announced his return to the UK this summer. After a three-year hiatus he’s back for a festival exclusive, headlining the Arc Stage at Creamfields on Saturday 24 August Bank Holiday weekend. As one of the biggest Brit Award winners, scooping two awards for Producer of the Year and British Single Of The Year for his track ‘One Kiss’ with Dua Lipa, the Scottish DJ/producer is now a global superstar. 

Defected recently revealed the line-up for its 2019 Ibiza season at Eden, locking in Armand Van Helden, Gorgon City, Kenny Dope, Basement Jaxx, MK, Low Steppa, Derrick Carter, Darius Syrossian, David Penn and the Defected residents Amine Edge & DANCE, Sam Divine, Simon Dunmore, Jess Bays plus many more. Taking place every Fridays in San Antonio, the brand’s new weekly spot will be building on the success of the two previous seasons at the club. To mark the label’s 20th year, advance tickets for all 20 dates will be available for €20, up to a week before each event. 

The International Dance Music Awards (IDMA) recently announced a refreshed approach to its program for 2019 and beyond. For the first time since its inception, the IDMAs will undergo a complete update to its governing body, categories, and voting processes. Electronic Music will now have its very own advisory board that will help to define what the IDMA’s become, aiming to bring a new credibility to the awards. The IDMA Advisory Board is comprised of players within the electronic music community including artists, managers, agents, publicists and promoters, among others. 

Electric Fields recently announced the first wave of artists for this year’s festival and to help them celebrate their sixth year they have curated a lineup of possibly some of the most exciting bands and artists around to join them in the Scottish countryside, in the grounds of the 17th century Drumlanrig Castle.

TRNSMT Festival organisers DF Concerts yesterday revealed that Stormzy, Catfish and the Bottlemen, George Ezra, Gerry Cinnamon and Snow Patrol, plus many more will play the Main Stage at the 2019 edition of the Glasgow city-centre festival. The festival will take place in Glasgow Green from 12-14 July 2019, with tickets on sale this Friday 22nd February at 9AM. 

The Room Two parties are now legendary within the Central Scotland clubbing scene. Catering for a demographic that is mostly upwards of 35 years old, they began in 2016 targeting the clubbers that went to the original Tunnel Club in Glasgow in the ‘90s with an offering of original cool and credible house, progressive and trance music. The parties steer clear of the cheesy old skool nights that saturate Glasgow, preferring to offer a more educated trip down dance music’s memory lane, catering for the original clubbers who attended one of the most-famous clubs in the UK at that time.

Cross The Tracks, a brand new music and food focused event for South London, recently announced their arrival for Sunday 9 June at Brixton’s Brockwell Park for a day of music, food, workshops, talks and more. The event invites a mixture established and upcoming artists representing a hybrid of jazz, soul and funk whilst welcoming over 40 of London’s street food traders, alongside some of the city’s finest craft beer brewers.

Brighton Music Conference recently announced 180 artists and speakers, including David Morales, Ultra Music, Defected, Irvine Welsh and more from across the music, nightlife, tech and digital industries for BMC19 at British Airways i360 beachfront centre on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 April 2019.

Lollapalooza festival found a new home last year at the Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park Berlin, and now returns again on 7-8 September 2019. As part of the first wave of announcements, Kings of Leon, Swedish House Mafia, and Kraftklub have all been confirmed. 

The Night League, the team behind Ushuaïa and Hï Ibiza, recently unveiled Odyssey, a brand new concept. The debut Odyssey will be the first time the Ibiza clubs will come together to throw a 24-hour, outdoor-indoor extravaganza. Marking the official opening of both clubs and aiming to herald the official start to the 2019 Ibiza season, this is set to be a great start to the summer. 

Since his first radar appearance back in 2014, Tim Penner’s released deeper sided cuts on Slideways, JOOF, Cycles, and a half dozen other labels. To date a singles-focussed producer, the onset of 2019 will see the debut of Tim’s first mass body of work with his debut album ‘Radio Silence’.

Glitterbox recently announced its first international tour of 2019. Following its biggest year to date, the brand has revealed its Work Your Body Tour, which will bring its club culture theme to venues in New York, Dubai, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Unlimited festival in Chamonix, We Are FSTVL in London, Tomorrowland in Belgium and more.

Afrodeutsche - the latest signing of Manchester based label Skam, which is home to early releases from Autechre and Boards Of Canada - layers ‘Day Dreaming’s haunting synths over analogue kicks and chopped-up, skittering snippets of Marie’s mantra-like spoken text: “A driver will drive you / A booker will book you / A promoter will pay you / A player will play you”. The remix, which is out now - comes backed with a ‘Beat Free’ version.

Apparently said to have invented concert techno, Berlin-based solo artist and bandleader Jan Blomqvist has released a series of remixes from his album ‘Disconnected’. 

Earlier this week it was announced that English electronic music band The Prodigy is poised to take over North America this May with its first headline tour in ten years. The band will combine solo headline shows in Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Boston and New York City with main stage performances at some of North America’s music festivals including Welcome to Rockville, Epicenter Festival, Sonic Temple and Chicago Open Air. 

Pardon My French - a collective of French DJ/producers DJ Snake, Tchami, Malaa and Mercer - join together for the first time since 2016 at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on 26 April. The amphitheatre is apparently a geological phenomenon – the only naturally-occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheatre in the world. 

On Saturday 6 April Defected heads to one of London’s newest warehouse venues for a hometown event for the label. After recent sell out shows at Studio 338 and Printworks, the label brings a line-up to E1 that includes Karizma, Defected’s Sam Divine, Riva Starr, David Penn and Robosonic, as well as emerging DJ and producer Austin Ato.

Following the success of the brand’s series of sell out Cream Classical shows at Liverpool Cathedral, Cream recently announced plans for an all-new 20,000 capacity festival in their spiritual home Liverpool - ‘Cream Classical In The Park’ on Friday 19 July 2019. 

Above & Beyond recently announced a new “Group Therapy Weekender” festival on 27 and 28 July at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington State. Ever since their sold out 25,000 capacity show at the Gorge in 2017, their fans have been pushing a return to the Amphitheatre and the trio have responded with the creation of a new summer festival, featuring two nights of Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep artists. 

Renaissance returns to Birmingham on 2 March for a one-off show, featuring Innervisions boss Dixon for a three-hour set. Also featured on the line-up will be Innervisions cohort Trikk with UK born, L.A based Eagles & Butterflies completing the line-up in the main room. Following the brand’s previous jaunt to the city where Tale Of Us & Sasha went B2B for a headline set, it will take over the newly opened event space, The Mill, formerly  Rainbow Warehouse. 

Free Your Mind is apparently one of the first and most established dance festivals in The Netherlands and after a 15-year anniversary organising multiple events throughout last year, it’s time for their annual festival in Arnhem again. 

Taking place from from 3-5 May 2019, The Masked Ball festival now enters its 12th year and returns with another great party. The intimate 3000 capacity themed electronic festival takes places just outside the Cornish fishing village of Porthleven. The event has an open door policy with admission meaning ticket holders are welcome in and out to go and sample the local pubs and restaurants a short walk away. 

To celebrate their 25th anniversary, Sankeys are hosting a run of events across the UK in 2019, with the line-ups for the first run of parties now confirmed including a five stage festival in Manchester this July. The Sankeys 25th anniversary tour kicks off in London at Studio 338, with two headliners in Steve Lawler – who will be playing a special extended set – and Bontan: two Sankeys favourites and a great way to set the tone for its run of events.

Having apparently already secured exclusives with some of the biggest names in electronic music, Creamfields recently announced the first wave of acts for this year’s huge festival which again takes place in Daresbury, Cheshire, UK on Thursday 22nd – Sunday 25th August Bank Holiday Weekend 2019.  

From ABBA to Celine Dion, the Eurovision Song Contest is an annual event steeped in history, celebrating the most diverse acts from across the continent. Now for 2019, Finland will be represented by Darude for this year’s competition. Famous for his old skool anthem ‘Sandstorm’, Darude is one of the most successful Finnish artists of his time. 

As festival season approaches, Defected Croatia 2019 recently announced over 20 additional artists that have been added to the festival, which is taking place in Tisno, Croatia 8– 13 August 2019. For this Phase 3 announcement there is an emphasis on live acts, with more singers and performers on the bill than previously in the festival’s three-year history. Some of the newly announced live acts include Amp Fiddler, Dames Brown, Julie McKnight, Lorenz Rhode and Teni Tinks. 

For US-based DJ/producer, Myon, the mixcomp was the go-to medium to get music. Now though, he feels they have lost some lustre and through his mixcomp, ‘Tales From Another World’, it’s something he’s aiming to try and re-establish. It’s his first in a series that will go to new, and indeed he believes the furthest lengths to concentrate the essence of its settled-upon city, country or continent. Myon’s .01 debut rests inside that latter parameter.

Released in 2018, ‘How I Feel’ illustrated how the partnership between Kings Of Tomorrow and April Morgan has been working well over the past 7 years, as once again she lent her soulful vocals to Sandy Rivera’s production. 

After first emerging back in 2015 with his debut EP ‘Float’, Swedish producer August Landelius has been quiet ever since. But after three years of developing and honing his sound in his home studio, he returns with his new single ‘All You Can Eat’, set to feature on his forthcoming debut album. With its warped and ethereal atmosphere, the track sits as a haunting yet captivating return for the frontman. Filled with pulsing basslines and his own sombre vocals placed delicately over the top, the new single continues the presence he produced on his first EP.

Shawn Christopher has been making house hits since the late-80s, including providing the vocals for Lil Louis’ #1 ‘French Kiss’ and singing for Chaka Khan. Her experience shows on ‘You Can Make It’, produced by house music artist Ron Carroll, an original classic on Soulfuric. 

R&B vocalist Kaleem Taylor drops a new track ‘Not Alone’ which is taken from his forthcoming new ‘Surface’ EP due late March on A4ward Records. Kaleem has been quietly carving out a following for his minimal 3am Soul, having possibly made a name on Tchami’s track ‘Promesses’, which was released on A-Trak’s label Fool’s Gold. Having had his horizons broadened by the apparent success of the collaboration, the Hertfordshire vocalist went on to work with producers such as Snakehips, Memeb, Shy Luv and The Code, as well as sharing stages with the likes of Miguel. 

Winter Music Conference at Faena District [WMC], which is set to take place 25-28 March 2019 at the Faena Forum, Miami Beach. recently announced its first keynote speakers, programming and additional partnerships. Dr. Douglas Rushkoff - named one of the “world’s ten most influential intellectuals” by MIT - will be delivering a keynote presentation centred around his “Team Human” Podcast and forthcoming book which grapples with complex issues of agency, social justice, and all those quirky non-binary corners of life. 

Anjunadeep, the UK label known for breaking acts like Dusky, Lane 8, Yotto, Cubicolor and Eli & Fur, presents the tenth instalment of their annual compilation series. With label co-founder and A&R James Grant and Bristolian DJ Jody Wisternoff at the helm, the pair now mix their sixth compilation together - ‘Anjunadeep 10 Mixed by James Grant & Jody Wisternoff.’

Kicking off 2019, Canada’s Zeds Dead and the UK’s Delta Heavy join forces with for their new collaboration, ‘Lift You Up’, which is out now on Ram Records and Deadbeats. ‘Lift You Up’ combines drops, fluttering vocal samples and switches in energy levels wrapped up in layers of melodic percussion that keeps one foot soaked in the world of D&B, the other steeped in Stateside-style dub and bass. 

A new year for electronic music continues as John Digweed’s Bedrock label unveils the new Buraki project. Opening with ‘Silk’, he teases out a melodic mantra with heartfelt emotion. It’s the symmetry that cements the EP’s style here, as ‘Cordoba (Into The Light Mix)’ broods and soars with energetic abandon. Then, in juxtaposition, ‘Cordoba (Into The Dark Mix)’ engages in a finale of hypnotic shadow play, bringing the EP to conclusion.

Music On Weekend 2019, the musical experience hosted by Marco Carola, invites Jamie Jones, The Martinez Brothers, Loco Dice, Paco Osuna, Nic Fanciulli, Danny Teneglia and many more to perform this year. The festival in Amsterdam will be preceded by shows in London, New York, Miami, Detroit, Las Vegas, and afterwards Music On will head to Ibiza for its 8th annual residency.

Today is 18 January, the birthday of the ‘Godfather of House’, Frankie Knuckles, who would have been celebrating his 64th birthday today. In commemoration, long-time friend and writing partner Eric Kupper announced an album that will bring together the definitive collection of ‘Directors Cut’ works, the last works ever created by Frankie. Featuring original productions and remixes, the new collection is due for release this spring.

The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) was recently announced to take place from the 16-20 October 2019, with the organisers expecting around 400,000 national and international visitors for the 24th edition.

Carl Cox returns to San Francisco on 22 March to perform at the Midway to raise funds for his theme camp, Playground. All proceeds go toward the camp with all DJs donating their services. The fundraiser is the only such event done for the benefit of the theme camp and will be one of only a handful of US performances that Carl will do in 2019. This will be his first US show of 2019.

New York State's own melodic punks, Such Gold and now Brooklyn resident, KOJI return to the UK next week, kicking off an extensive tour throughout January. Support on all shows comes from Norwich DIY-punks, Ducking Punches. Currently touring in support of their ‘Deep In A Hole’ EP, out now through Bird Attack Records, Such Gold are possibly a household name when it comes to punk rock. Having toured the world, the band have apparently built a solid fanbase on every continent, with the UK becoming a second home for them.

Originally released on Sex Trax in the ‘90s, Matt Edwards’ R-Time Records reissues two Roy Davis Jr. remixes of Nate Williams. Roy is probably one of Chicago’s finest house music producers, releasing on labels like Peacefrog, FXHE, Large Records, Cajual, Strictly Rhythm and Daft Punk’s Roulé, producing for artists like Faith Evans, Mary J Blige, Patti LaBelle and Morcheeba, not to mention creating possibly one of electronic music’s greatest anthems, ‘Gabriel’. 

Flipping raps into electro, Do It Big recently released their New Noise debut ‘Payback’. Hailing from Minsk, Belarus, Do It Big has a passion for delivering heavy deep sounds, pulling influences from bass house, future house, g-house, techno and trap. 

An artist in his seventies, Brazilian drummer Ivan ‘Mamão’ Conti has been experimenting and possibly innovating for the last half a century. As one third of Rio jazz-funk trio Azymuth, Mamão was at the root of the group’s ‘samba doido’ (crazy samba) philosophy, which warped the traditional samba compass with jazz influences and space age electronics. 

The Electric Frog and Riverside Festival today announced the first artists that will be performing at this year's event. The electronic music festival, which takes place in the grounds of the Riverside Museum in Glasgow, situated on the banks of the River Clyde, brings together some of the biggest and best electronic artists and DJs for one weekend of madness at this iconic location.

Eva Be has possibly been a key figure in the development of Berlin underground club culture, going back to the ‘90s and her involvement with the Sonar Kollektiv crew that included the likes of Dixon, Ame and Jazzanova, to name a few. A producer and DJ, her latest EP on Poker Flat Wax showcases her production skills.

BigCityBeats, the company behind World Club Dome, recently announced a new collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) for 2019, combining electronic dance music and space travel. After last year’s mission with the ESA for World Club Dome Zero Gravity, which apparently saw the first-ever club created in weightlessness, this year’s will be taken to greater heights with another Zero-G event planned among many more events that aim to link dance music and space travel.

Horse Meat Disco and Amy Douglas aim to achieve peak nu-disco euphoria with their track, ‘Let’s Go Dancing’. Backed by all-original and live-recorded instrumentation, their recognisable style compliments Amy’s vocal range as it attempts to capture the energy of an entire nightclub dancefloor. 

Paris-based Madben heads to A-Traction Records this month to deliver ‘Acid Madness’, accompanied by remixes from Scan X, Marc Ayats & Owlk and Yann Lean. Having released on a host of imprints including Bedrock, Astropolis Records and Ellum, French DJ/producer Benjamin Leclerq aka Madben has possibly established himself as a key name within France’s current electronic landscape. 

Daniel Steinberg returns to his Arms & Legs imprint this January to release three house cuts entitled the ‘Twilight EP’. Daniel has been involved within the electronic music world for over a decade now, apparently garnering interest from both the commercial and underground scenes alike.

We Are FSTVL recently announced more names to their 2019 line-up, including Mike Skinner, Loco Dice, Claptone, Double 99, Preditah, Artful Dodger, Shola Ama, Luck & Neat, Kele Le Roc and Dubfire plus many more. Whether it’s old skool garage, alternative hip-hop or classic party hits, the festival’s recent announcement will join a bill with headliners include Chase & Status, Basement Jaxx, Craig David, Andy C and Sigma. In addition, Ultra’s techno and house brand, RESISTANCE will also host their very own arena for the first time ever.

2019 kicks off at Blumoog music with Dan Curtin stepping up with three new cuts and a remix from label head M.R.E.U.X. With over 70 singles and nine LPs to his name, American artist Dan has possibly helped shape underground house and techno. Since 1992, he’s released on outlets like Peacefrog, Mobilee and Strictly Rhythm, and has a futuristic style that finds serene synths layered over driving drums. 

Lee Foss’ Repopulate Mars returns in 2019 with two cuts from London’s Martin Ikin entitled ‘No No’ EP. Martin has been involved in the electronic music scene for nearly 30 years now and his discography goes back to the early-90s which includes contributions on UK labels under the monikers DJ Mayhem, Soul Purpose and more. 

There was a wave of music emanating from Antwerp’s Sportpalais in December as Belgian DJ duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, in partnership with Tomorrowland, delivered the newest chapter in their annual homecoming shows with the winter edition of ‘Garden Of Madness’.

UK techno artist Mark Broom returns to Rekids on 8 February to release four cuts in the form of his ‘Break 97’ EP. Mark’s musical career has seen over 150 releases over the past 25 years, on top of regular gigs around the world, he’s also worked with labels such as Warp, R&S, Ifach and Soma, and in more recent times Blueprint, EPM Music, Red Sonja Records and his own Beard Man Records.

Maceo Plex’s Ellum Audio rounds off the year with a new EP from Dino Lenny that features remixes from the boss himself plus FibrerRoot. Italian producer Lenny is the Fine Human Records label head who has been making music since the ‘90s. He’s remixed names like Missy Elliott and Wu Tang Clan but has also been named as "a wizard of electronic music" by the Chemical Brothers, played live with Underworld and released on the likes of Innervisions and Diynamic. 

In ‘1998’ trance was at its peak and a few lads from the UK got together, wrote a piece of music on a Yamaha W7 workstation and saw it become a seminal record that would impact the lives of countless dance music fans around the world. This year that track, ‘1998’, celebrates its 20th anniversary and it does so with a brand-new 2018 version from Binary Finary themselves and remixes from Marc Sixma and Dosem.

Eat More Cake recently released their new single, ‘Bang Bang Bang’ featuring River, on Hoxton-based management company and label, Perfect Havoc. The new single has been added to New Music Friday UK and Australia/NewZealand on Spotify, and follows recent releases including ‘Memories’ and ‘Heat Of The Night’.

Morgan Page wraps up 2018 with his final release of the year, the full 9-track album of ‘The Longest Road’ remixes, out for download and to stream worldwide exclusively on Armada Music. Featuring brand new edits from Husman, Manuel Riva and a sunset edition from Page himself, the package also includes previous remixes from Deadmau5, Steff da Campo, Vicetone, LIFELIKE and Ruben de Ronde & Elevven.

ilan Bluestone’s ’Scars’ debut artist album was released in April 2018 and demonstrated ilan’s love for all aspects of electronic music. From ‘Will We Remain?’, ‘Let Me Know’ and ‘Frozen Ground’, to the reflective moments of ‘Guru’ and ‘Eclipse’, the record took an ecliptic path through the sounds of trance, house and ambient.

Maya Jane Coles presents her latest EP ‘Waves & Whirlwinds’, via her very own label, I/AM/ME. Inaugural title track ‘Waves & Whirlwinds’ provides a melodic and celestial intro to an otherworldly EP project. Moving forward, former single ‘Don’t Leave’ introduces guitar-like synth lines and droning bass, building in pace and tempo. 

This month sees BT return to a musical realm in which he is uniquely versed. Since cutting his teeth scoring cult crime caper Go in 1999, the US composer has provided OSTs for a diversity of films. He’s written scores for everything from The Fast & The Furious to Oscar winning Monster and even Pixar shorts. In association with Black Hole Recordings, this month sees him release an intricate, modular hybrid score, one that presented the composer with a myriad of new and distinct challenges.

Following its 2018 edition, Boomtown has announced the introduction of AREA 404; a techno haven featuring some of electronic music’s most influential figures. The four-day 60,000 capacity festival set in the Matterley Bowl in Hampshire, UK on the second weekend of August, will construct a theatrical led new stage area; the industrial, post-apocalyptic AREA 404 will be dedicated to the raw sounds within the electronic music spectrum.

After their 2010 collaboration ‘I Will Be The Same’, and off the back of their recent live acoustic cover of Avicii’s ‘Without You’, frequent live collaborators Gareth Emery and Emma Hewitt have joined forces on new single ‘Take Everything’, which came out earlier this month.

After announcing a return to Studio 338 this month, elrow lock in Eats Everything, Iliario Alicante and Erick Morillo to mark the occasion, with further 2019 dates unveiled. Apparently considered elrow's spiritual home in London before suffering a major fire and closing down, Studio 338 welcomes the party for the first time since reopening with revamped production, sound and design.

Writer Marcus Barnes has just released his third book ‘Around The World In 80 Record Stores’, an in-depth research-based guide to a variety of vinyl outlets all over the globe. Music in its physical form is still so highly-regarded, with a huge resurgence in vinyl sales over the last few years fuelling the return of several pressing plants and even a few new ones popping up to meet increasing demand. 

Paul van Dyk’s latest album, ‘Music Rescues Me’, is the ninth collection to be delivered by the electronic musician, composer and performer. Containing collaborations with Alex M.O.R.P.H., Sue McLaren, Jordan Suckley, Plumb, Saad Ayub, Lostly and a host of other talents, the album us out now.

Off the back of single ‘Hipcats’ (with David Penn), follow-up ‘Huh Huh Huh’ and signing with Armada Subjekt on an exclusive basis, ATFC has lined up his next track. In tandem with Parisian electronic music DJ/producer and Pardon MY French member, Mercer – who’s recent singles include tracks such as ‘Let’s Get Ill’ (with DJ Snake), ‘Neo Disco EP’ and ‘Boss’ (released on DJ Snake’s Premiere Class Records)) – the Anglo-Turkish house artist releases ‘Twisted’.

Taking their influence within house music one step further, London-based clubbing brand Defected recently announced its first ever stand-alone UK festival on 14 September 2019. During the year that celebrates the independent house music label’s 20th birthday under the slogan ‘HOUSE MUSIC ALL LIFE LONG’, Defected London FSTVL aims to bring together over 10,000 people to showcase some of the best headline house acts, underground artists and crossover DJs that showcase the label. 

Global Underground presents the latest edition in its signature city album series with ‘GU42: Patrice Bäumel - Berlin’, due for release on Friday 29 March 2019. The album, which follows the last Global Underground city series instalments by Solomun, and James Lavelle, is part of the DJ mix album series which includes alumni such as Sasha, Carl Cox, Deep Dish, Paul Oakenfold, Danny Tenaglia and John Digweed.