Scene reports - Mixmag

SQUARE Festival joins the dots between transatlantic artistry

Billed as a “picture of contemporary production” linking the continents bordered by the Atlantic, the debut edition of showcase festival SQUARE proved a success, an ambitious event drawing 1,000 people to northern Portugal over the course of a weekend

Rave against the regime: Serbia’s club scene is helping to fuel a revolution

As the country is gripped by the biggest protests in decades, Kelly Projects speaks to key figures in the Serbian underground scene to find out how the club world is mobilising against the authoritarian government of President Aleksandar Vučić

Tresor.West founder praises “very successful” Community Nights with free entry and no headline DJs

With more than three decades experience running the world class Tresor club in Berlin, Dimitri Hegemann is now finding success with an alternative strategy at the struggling sister venue in western Germany, and is dedicated to sharing the knowledge of successful club management across Europe and beyond. Patrick Hinton reports

Here's everything that went down during the Burn Energy Tour 2024

Four cities, 17 artists and thousands of dancers... here's how Burn Energy and Mixmag set the Burn Energy Tour alight in 2024

Mind, Body & Soul: New York club night Soul Connection is honouring the overlooked Black women of house music

Jamaal Johnson sits down with Soul Connection founders Lovie and Honey Bun to chat about creating a safe space on the dancefloor, and the importance of acknowledging dance music’s Black roots

“A fundamental voice for little-known internet music”: 10 years of TT

TT has created its own lane in electronic music, repping singular sounds and building a catalogue that is unlike any other label. A decade into its lifespan, Christian Eede speaks to founder DJ Pitch and key members of the crew about its origins, evolution and purpose

Dankie Sounds is spreading diasporic dancefloor delight worldwide

The London-based collective is going global with its vibrant parties and fusion of sounds from southern and western Africa and the Black dance music diaspora. Shirley Ahura reports from the transcendental Dankie Sounds Ibiza Weekend

5 reasons why Barcelona’s radical music and arts scene is hitting new heights

Ahead of the fourth and final stop of the Burn Energy Tour 2024 in Barcelona, we look at the burgeoning experimental scene helping to continue the Catalan capital's rebellious artistic legacy

Picó sound systems: The beating heart of Colombian bass culture is on its way to global impact

Originating in the 1950s, Colombia’s beloved picó sound systems power some of the most raucous parties in the world, known for an experimental blend of sounds, fierce picotero rivalries, and their own mythology and visual aesthetics. Though there have been repeated attempts to suppress picó culture over the years, the attitudes of authorities and mainstream cultural institutions have started to change, and the associated music styles are connecting with new generations of fans at home and abroad. Wil Crisp reports

Meakusma Festival doesn’t stick to a conventional sonic blueprint

Now in its sixth edition, Belgian experimental festival Meakusma has come into its own as an intimate four-dayer, with a focus on emerging and undiscovered artists

"Transitioning together": Ponyboy is Glasgow's hair salon-cum-club night combining music, art, and performance

Named after a song by SOPHIE, Ponyboy creates a world where trans beauty is celebrated and archived. Meena Sears speaks to co-founder Dill about creating safer spaces for Glasgow's trans club community

How underground techno has taken hold in La Serenìssima, ‘the most serene’ city of Venice

Despite challenges from government crackdowns to difficulties running events across the city’s fragile spaces, an exciting techno scene is building momentum in Italy’s most peaceful city. We chat with local scene stalwarts ahead of the next stop on the Burn Energy Tour in Venice

Inside Captain Morgan and Pepsi Max's The Mixer pop-up in East London

Convenience store by day, raucous house party by night — find out what went down at Captain Morgan and Pepsi Max's perfectly blended Shoreditch pop-up

Abrupt festival is an intriguing, unpredictable showcase of global sounds and subcultures

The first edition of the Brussels-based festival championed unconventional music in unconventional spaces

“Dedicated to the music”: Halfmoon Festival is the underground gem of Thailand's island party scene

Founded as an alternative to the commercial parties dominating Koh Pha-ngan, Halfmoon Festival has been building its reputation as a go-to event for dance music lovers for more than 20 years

17 of the best images from BEONIX festival's captivating 2024 edition

This year saw 25,000 people descend on Cyprus for BEONIX's first ever sold-out festival, with highlights including a new stage aimed at platforming emerging DJs

“A unique and special moment”: Margins United is Europe’s first festival celebrating alternative ESEA culture

Ahead of the debut festival from Eastern Margins, Meena Sears speaks to organisers and artists about the pioneering event, championing East and South-East Asian culture, and changing the music industry

The lesser told story of broken beat, the enigmatic sound that is yet to ‘break’ the mainstream

As broken beat slowly returns to the collective consciousness following years in the shadows, Jamaal Johnson takes a look at the lesser-told story of the West London-born subculture, chatting with scene stalwart IG Culture and the up-and-coming Donsurf. They discuss the sound and why it has remained underground, as well as looking at the reasons for its resurgence, considering the changes we might see with the newest wave of broken beat

100% independent: Why Draaimolen isn’t your average dance music festival

Draaimolen's independent and collaborative approach allows for unique worlds to exist within the Dutch festival, with flawless soundsystems, production and sets that can move you to tears. Sophie McNulty reports

Budapest’s thriving drum ‘n’ bass scene is energising the city’s youth culture

Ahead of our first stop on the Burn Energy Tour in Budapest, we look at the Hungarian capital’s deep-rooted relationship with drum ‘n’ bass, and how the city’s youth is keeping it alive today

Review: Bilbao BBK Live 2024, an eclectic blend of music and nature in Kobetamendi

Bilbao BKK Live serves up world-class music in a captivating setting