DJ Mag March 2022 (North America) - digital

It’s March — and even though we’re just getting out of the latest surge, and even though the once-sprawling Winter Music Conference seems to be in hibernation, March means sun-soaked Miami. After all, there’s still the Ultra festival, not to mention the scrum of dance-music revelry surrounding Miami Music week. And who among us isn’t up for a good party right now? To help guide your way, you’ll find some of the best events to check out on page 60, including, of course, DJ Mag’s own Epic Pool Party at the Sagamore Hotel on March 23rd. If you’re in town, come on over — we’d love to see you.

The headliner for our soiree is this month’s cover artist, Chicago’s John Summit, who’s a guy who knows a thing or two about having a good time. But he’s also a serious producer with a deep knowledge of his hometown’s house history — and he puts that knowledge to good use in his music, sprinkled with the kind of joy and love for what he does that makes him stand out. Megan Venzin recently caught up with the highflying artist to talk about his music, his new label, and his fight to be taken seriously.

Being taken seriously has rarely been an issue when it comes to the electronic music that comes out of Detroit — and few Motor City albums are more serious, and more revered, than the 1996 ambient techno classic ‘Soundtrack [313],’ credited to The Detroit Escalator Company. The LP’s been re-released by the Musique Pour La Danse imprint, and the man behind the music, John Ollivierra, fills us in on the inspirations behind the recording and what he’s been up to in the years since.

As always, there’s more to peruse as well. You’ll find interviews with house hero Dennis Ferrer, Space Miami resident Layla Benitez and the UK clubland lifer Eats Everything, among many others; a look at the ever-evolving South African house sub-genre amapiano; a deep dive into Jeff Mills’ world-changing ‘Waveform Transmission Vol. 1’; reviews, tech reports and so much more.

Bruce Tantum

Editor