I love festivals — don’t we all? This month sees the start of the festival season proper, as the international scene bounces back from the pandemic shutdowns. To mark this milestone we’ve brought back our Festival Guide, 14 pages of event highlights for the coming months in the UK, Europe, USA and the rest of the world. The listings begin on page 43 — which ones are you looking forward to this summer?
We’ve got Batu on the cover this month, the Bristol artist who’s bolstered the scene — and his own stock — over the past decade or so via his pioneering Timedance parties and blistering DJ sets. His debut artist album, ‘Opal’, takes a more leftfield, introspective turn, a highly personal body of work that’s challenging but ultimately highly rewarding. His story is expertly told by Chal Ravens from page 22 onwards.
Elsewhere in this mag we go on the road with Brazilian superstar DJ Alok (page 36), report extensively from the recent return of Miami Music Week (p62), catch up with Glasgow duo Optimo around their favourite local haunts (p72), profile the author of a new book on hip-hop enigma J Dilla (p82), and chat to Mr. C about 20 years of his cutting-edge Superfreq parties around the globe (p86). It’s another jam-packed issue, and I hope you enjoy it.
Finally, we’re sad to be waving goodbye to features editor Lauren Martin after this issue goes to print. Lauren has made an immeasurable difference to the quality of the mag over the past three years or so that she’s been with us, and she’ll be greatly missed. The whole DJ Mag team wishes her well on her future endeavours.
Carl Loben
Editor