Radio Ma3azef is the natural extension of almost a decade of Ma3azef online magazine covering regional and global music in Arabic. The newly launched radio is a platform that attracts divergent realities to the same sonic environment. At its core, Radio Ma3azef aims to reinvent the role of a traditional satellite radio, encompassing everything from DJ sets to talk shows and teleplays, and bringing together audiences from fringes of the internet to barber shops in Arab cities.

Ma3azef Radio راديو معازف is a station based in Tunis, Tunisia, affiliated with the magazine Ma3azef. Follow Ma3azef on Twitter, Instagram, SoundCloud, YouTube and Facebook

SARAH HARAS, BAHRAIN

FIRAS SHEHADEH, AMMAN

MARWA BELHAJ YOUSSEF, TUNIS

SAFA, BEIRUT

DROWNED BY LOCALS, AMMAN

Being eclectic and non predictable is part of the Mitamine essence, that's why our selection of best mixes of the year is based in a pretty extensive — almost enciclopedic — universal musical knowledge.

First some mind blowing heavy rhythms from Gabber Eleganza for the amazing Cxema series from Ukraine, while you listen you will see a random comment that says 'best mix of the year' and yeah... indeed. Then some spoken word/storytelling unreleased selections by Laurel Halo for the Camden Arts Centre, presented by the Haus der Kulturen der Welt and Ignota Books, a sonic fiction inspired by The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin.

Another Mitamine favorite of the year is of course Low Jack for Études, curated by our lovely friends from AM, this has been constantly on repeat since the quarantine started here in Mexico City. The next is a pretty chessy one... Kate NV for Sreda (V-A-C Foundation) from Moscow, lots of goofy guitar madness and delicate pop there. This will be a Mitamine fav, forever and ever. We also need to support the Latin American talent so we have chosen this Real LATINX JOTX VICIOSA mix by Tayhana, a mix A-MA-ZING-LY crafted that we almost forgot we are still in lockdown!

Finally, one of our own series, the mix that Florian T M Zeisig did for Mitamine is full of energy, he's a very promising talent from Berlin currently studying under Alva Noto at the University of Fine Arts Dresden. He's also part of the OCA project and his third and most developed solo work to date deals with the artist’s employment at the world-renowned techno club Berghain. Florian T M Zeisig is for sure an artist to watch in 2021.

Mitamine LAB is a mix series and crew of cultural curators based in Mexico. Follow them on SoundCloud here

It was really hard to select only five mixes. Since the founding, a large number of amazing artists have been involved and contributed to development of Mutant Radio. The main criteria while selecting these mixes was to share with you the ones that are diverse and have various emotions.

Due to the pandemic, our physical space (wagon and bar) is shut down. As a result, our radio can't work at its maximum. As you may know, the social, economic, as well as political situation in Georgia is really turbulent, therefore, it is crucial for our society to have radios, bars, clubs, record shops, etc. These kinds of spaces create some kind of a ‘safe space’ for our population and help them escape tough reality. Moreover, these kinds of spaces play a crucial social role.

The music scene in Georgia isn't supported by the state and in these hard times, and a number of people who are involved in the local music scene are jobless without any governmental support. There's no governmental program to somehow compensate for the loss we are facing. Nevertheless, despite the pandemic hurting us a lot, we are still trying to keep everything alive. We believe that we need to be more active and support artists by sharing with them our platform and giving them a possibility to share their music. We think that our work has become even more meaningful now.

Mutant Radio is based in Tbilisi, Georgia. Follow the station on Facebook, Instagram and SoundCloud

JD J, aka Jaba Ujmajuridze. In 2016 he founded a label Zeinkali with his friend, Nachkebia and they eventually started DJing under the moniker Zeinkali. Most frequently, Jaba performs as JD J. He also co-runs Vodkasts Records (record shop, label, podcast series and party nights).

Ryogyry, aka Giorgi Antadze is a Tbilisi-based experimental music producer and a DJ. He also hosts a monthly show: ‘Superposition’.

Malice Nap, Georgian sound artist, with a release on the label Memory No.36 Recordings and a member of Blue Yogurt Collective.

Chris Mitchell, best known for his time with Vanguard Sound and Annunaki Cartel. He is now working on a self-released label, which will debut in the near future. Chris is a host of ‘I'm Declining’ monthly show on Mutant Radio.

Frak, an experimental techno trio from Sweden. They have released their music under the labels, such as Börft Records, Echtzeit, Kontra-Musik, Sextags Mania, mnml ssgs, etc.

DJ Edott at Recess Weekender

DJ Edott takes us on a wild ride from Congo through to Cameroon all the way to Cote D'Ivoire for Recess Weekender on No Signal. Putting the best music from the Francophone countries on show. Catch him on #FrancophoneParty Sundays bi-weekly on No Signal.

DJ Emz at Recess Weekender

DJ Emz pulls out the old-skool hip hop and r'n'b crate for Recess Weekender on No Signal. Displaying her juggling skills, Emz also shows us her vast knowledge of both genres. Catch her Fridays at 11 on No Signal.

Mercedes Benson on Warm Up with Mercedes

Mercedes Benson warms us up for our Saturday night with this smooth mix of our favourite hits. She goes from Afrobeats, hip hop to Afro House and Amapiano, all in an attempt to get us ready for that Saturday night turn up. Catch her on Warm Up With Mercedes Saturdays bi-weekly on No Signal.

Super Midz on RecessLive

Super Midz provides us with a super mix on a night that should have been Recess but was cancelled due to COVID-19. Instead, we stayed safe and turned up at home to this set that takes us from Afrobeats, Zouk to dancehall and reggae *chefs kiss* Catch him on 4UByMidz Fridays weekly on No Signal.

RBC on SlowJamsWithA

RBC is on guest mix duty for the first hour of the infamous #SLOWJAMSwithA. From artists like Victoria Monet, Ari Lennox and Snoh Aalegra, RBC definitely got us in the mood to text our currents and ex's. (Catch #SLOWJAMSwithA on Sundays weekly at 11 on No Signal) (Catch #MorningsWithRBC every weekday morning at 10am on No Signal.

No Signal is a radio station based in London. Check out the Mixmag feature here and check out its website here

Noods is a radio station based in Bristol. Check out its website here

We are Paranoise Radio, a community of diggers, DJs and producers sharing our passion for interesting and uncompromised music through daily radio shows on the web. Paranoise Radio started broadcasting in April of 2008 from Thessaloniki, Greece. Today we are around 50 residents, broadcasting from major Greek cities, but also from Barcelona, Brussels, Berlin, Glasgow, Manchester and Zurich (follow the brain drain).

Choosing the five best mixes that aired on Paranoise in 2020 is an impossible task. Too many mixes and too many different directions to be able to rate. We tried instead to represent different profiles one can find in our roster, different approaches, different vibes. Shout out to all our residents, our extended family without whom Paranoise wouldn’t be.

Paranoise Radio is primarily based in Thessaloniki, Greece. Follow the station on Facebook, Mixcloud and Instagram. You can support the community owned and funded Paranoise Radio by making a donation on PayPal here

Heatnavi - Submerged S01E04

Heatnavi or Evie, joined Paranoise in September of 2019 and already in her early ‘Submerged; radio shows we could feel a very distinct vibe coming from her selections. Don’t be hasty with this one, it’s a 120 minute affair; listen good, listen loud, you are certainly in for a treat. We are looking forward to a post lockdown party to move our bodies with Heatnavi at the controls. Evie is originally from Thessaloniki and currently resides in Glasgow. She is active in a couple of other radio projects as well as monthly on Paranoise.

Plughead - Nervous Tribe S08E17

Plughead aka Stefanos showed up on Paranoise from the once bustling underground bar DJ scene, around a decade ago. His ‘Nervous Tribe; radio show is today at its ninth season and has been airing from Thessaloniki, Copenhagen, and currently Brussels. During his shows, Stefanos digs in his collection pulling records and bending genres on air. In this episode he navigates through jazz, abstract electronica, braindance and IDM, hip hop and beats with all sorts of twists and turns in between. Nervous Tribe air biweekly on Mondays.

ΠΕΡΑ ΣΤΑ ΟΡΗ - Ylem S01E01

We were very happy to have ΠΕΡΑ ΣΤΑ ΟΡΗ joining our roster in November 2020. ΠΕΡΑ ΣΤΑ ΟΡΗ is a project of George Kontogiannidis from Edessa, who is also owner of Numb Capsule Records. 2020 has been a very creative year for George with sold-out vinyl editions, compilations and remix albums on various labels such as Furthur Electronix, Brokntoys, EVEL, Mindcolormusic and Detroit Underground. Still, he had the time to take up a bimonthly show on Paranoise and prepare this beautifully fierce and diverse mix for his debut.

Noisetape 83 - Flynt - Peace & War

Apart from their steady radio shows, we ask our producers to contribute to a special mix series entitled ‘Noisetapes’. The series has gathered 85 mixes so far, from current and former residents. Six months ago, our resident Flynt pleasantly surprised us with his ‘Peace & War’ noisetape. Here’s what he wrote about it: “This mix is inspired by all the stuff I am currently watching about the wars in the Middle East, the coups and political conspiracies carried out in the name of religions, oil and geopolitical power plays. This mix narrates a transition from the world of peace to that of war”. Flynt is teaching science to high school kids during the day and play on air weekly on Wednesdays at midnight.

Guest mix 219 - Athens Computer Underground

Our guest mix program has been airing weekly on Saturdays for quite some years now. Mainly, featuring mixes from the underground Greek scene with over 200 mixes, this program documents the musical tendencies of an entire generation of DJs and producers. One of the most recent guest mixes comes from Athens Computer Underground, a project of Pantelis Theodoridis, also a member of the synth/punk band Regressverbot. ACU prepared for us a production-only mix, featuring jams on his beloved Roland TB303 and SH101 and other gear. Featuring lush electro sounds and generous breaks with cinematic intervals, ACU’s guest mix could easily stand as an LP in its own right.

Thank you for listening.

Nine months into Radio Alhara, selecting five best mixes was not an easy task. With 120 residents and thousands of shows, we have decided on these, because we felt that in their totality, they represent the general sound and sonic textures of Radio Alhara, which is generally more about selections and a mood rather than technical mixing, and an overall home listening aesthetic.

Radio Alhara is a radio station based in Palestine. Read the Mixmag feature here and check out its Instagram here

Launched at the end of 2018, Paris-based Radio Flouka has relied on the goodwill of volunteers and a steady stream of Middle Eastern talent for the ultimate goal of redefining how the world sees contemporary music from the region. In spite of the tough situation that we all have been through this year, we are still satisfied with what we have accomplished, we have increased our audience and made a lot of new collaboration and partnerships.

Radio Flouka is an independent web-radio based in Paris promoting sound culture in the Arab world, North Africa and around the Mediterranean Sea. Follow it on SoundCloud here

No Borders Show with D3M0R & GALLEGOS

D3M0R is a Paris-basedDJ, producer and founder of Radio Flouka, hosts a bi-monthly show featuring rising names in the bass and club music scene. This mix features Gallegos, a rising DJ and producer from London, specialising in 90s rave music.

Psyche Morning with Tom Debords

Tom Debords is a radio producer on Radio Flouka, specialising in the groovy side of the radio station. He hosts a bi-weekly show where he features the most psychedelic beats and funky tunes.

ARCHIDI

Archidi is one of the first resident DJs on the station, he hosts a monthly show featuring cold-wave, IDM and electronica

Déviances with Vanda Forte & Lugal Lanbada

Déviances is a bi-weekly show hosted by the Moroccan, Marseille-based DJ Vanda Forte – in this episode she invites Lugal Lanbada for a sensual 2 hour mix

TOUMBA with JGuy

Toumba is a Jordanian DJ and producer, he's one of the first guys to make a monthly show with us, in this mix he invites JGUY for 2 hours of UK club music.

Rádio Quântica is a Portuguese underground collaborative radio that works daily to be a safe haven and a platform for underground artists and activists from all backgrounds and walks of life.

As it did with most of the world, 2020 has also tried its best to kick our asses (with some degree of success, ngl), but we at Radio Quântica, as a community based collective, have come together to support and uplift each other even more – after all, isn’t that what community is for? This resulted in a great crop of new creative output from our residents, of which we have selected our top picks below. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Rádio Quântica is based in Lisbon, Portugal. You can donate to support RQ at www.radioquantica.pt and follow the station on Facebook and Instagram

DADDY ISSUES #8 By Chungadaddy w: @JLZ

Chungadaddy - once part of one of the most iconic DJ duos in Lisbon (CARA//VAG//YO) with King Kami - is now flying solo and always invites the most exciting guests to her monthly slot here at Quântica such as Vanyfox, oseias and DJ Doraemon, but in this mix she outdid herself by inviting JLZ, one of the most promising producers in Brazil. Expect some serious baile funk and hardcore blends.

Bok Bok (special guest mix)

This guest mix was such a blessing from heaven, we were all missing parties and music so much because of the lockdown and a friend connected us with Bok Bok who was in Lisbon at the time - he gladly accepted our invitation to stop by and play for a bit, and needless to say we all had a massive fangirl moment since we're all such Night Slugs fans. It was an unforgettable moment for sure.

Studio Bros #1

One of the coolest and nicest duos in Lisbon, Studio Bros are bringing some serious fire on their Quântica debut. Expect the perfect amount of Afro house, percussive depth and everything in between.

Paraíso w/ Dj Ze MigL

Paraíso, being one the most prolific labels in Lisbon with a lot of amazing releases under its belt, deserves a big spot on our hearts. This guest mix with one of the forefathers of 90s rave culture in Portugal Dj Ze MigL got us all reminiscing about the past and wishing we'd all be together dancing as one.

Danykas Joy Time #3 w/ Satelite

The crew behind Seres Producoes, one of the oldest and coolest Afro house labels around, are seriously the cutest people ever. Mix that with the sickest music and bam, you have this incredible set by power couple Danykas & Satelite. Expect some badass Afro house plus a bunch of Seres Producoes hidden gems for good measure.