In some corners of clubland’s underbelly, 2021 was the year of ‘Sick Bitch’ — you know, the one that goes “I’m a sick bitch and I like freak sex” — along the EP from which the sexed-up song sprang, ‘Dedicated 2 Disrespect.’ To those outside of those corners, it might have seemed as though the fierce presence behind those tracks, the producer and performer known as LSDXOXO, had somehow emerged from thin air — but in truth, of course, the artist born Raushaan Glasgow had been thoughtfully working on his music and his persona for years, starting from his days in Philly as an edit-happy teen, though his nights in NYC as a nexus of the underground scene, to his current status as a Berlin-based, world-trotting DJ and performer. “It’s always been really sex-positive, and a celebration of the queer identity, and celebration of femininity,” Glasgow, who recently contributed his production skills to Kelela’s breathtaking ‘Raven,’ says of what he does — and with a new EP on the way and a debut album in the works, there’s a lot more to come.
Lasha Mamulashvili, better known as Nitepunk, found success through a far different route — enrolled in dance classes as a kid, the Republic of Georgia native began crafting his own beats to accompany his routines. A brush with robostep (via Georgia’s Got Talent, of all places), a viral video, a Hollywood connection and a green card later, Nitepunk was born. Now based in LA, Mamulashvili’s latest long-playing opus, ‘HUMAN’ — an album that synthesizes a kaleidoscopic array of festival-sized sounds — was released earlier this spring, giving DJ Mag a good excuse to find out more about the ascendant artist.
Also within these pages, you’ll find a dive into the nightlife of Tbilisi and Taipei, a chat with footwork producer Dj.Mc, a visit with Panorama Bar resident Virginia and a look at Chaos in the CBD’s top 10 underappreciated house tracks, along with a complement of reviews, tech news and more. Happy reading!
Bruce Tantum
Editor