Brighter Days Family are the DJ, MC and producer collective whose shared love for music translates into genre-bending output and a rejection of the industry’s tendency to “act bad”. With a debut album on the horizon, they speak to Meena Sears about their organic formation, disparate influences, fierce loyalty and making the choice to be positive

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

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

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

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

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