The new year is kicking off with a bang — and lots of those bangs (and bass, lots of bass) are coming straight from this month’s cover artist, RL Grime. The man born Henry Alfred Steinway, an alumnus of LA’s WeDidIt collective — and more broadly, that city’s flourishing beats scene — has been through several musical metamorphoses throughout his career, before settling on his current sound. Make that several current sounds — his recent album, ‘PLAY,’ released on his own Sable Valley, ranges from heads- down introspection to melodic, festival-sized stormers. On the eve of the release of ‘PLAY: THE REMIXES,’ we caught up with Steinway to find out how he’s found success without succumbing to the workaholic pressures that do a number on so many of his music-making peers.
Here at DJ Mag North America headquarters, we sometimes think of the United States, the birthplace of disco, house and techno, as the center of the dance music universe. Needless to say, we’re wrong, as plenty of other countries hold an equal stake in that claim. One of them, of course, is the UK — and it’s time for our annual Best of British awards. This year, the poll’s top vote-getters, out of a super-strong array of nominees, include Ewan McVicar (Best DJ), Solid Grooves Records (Best Label) and Flowdan (Best MC) — in this issue, we check in with all the winners, and take a deep dive into the world of Ben Hemsley, who took home the gold in the Best Producer category.
The four glittering horsemen of Horse Meat Disco are from the UK as well — but we like to think of the London DJs as honorary North Americans, as they’ve made oodles of fans on this side of the ocean via some of the most fun parties you can imagine, and we caught up with HMD’s Jim Stanton, James Hillard, Severino Panzetta and Luke Howard as they prepare to celebrate 20 years of disco magic. Elsewhere, you’ll find live reviews of Jayda G and the Prodigy, discover the artists who have influenced the work of Toronto’s Ciel, and plenty of interviews, reviews and tech news to get your 2024 off to a busy start.
Bruce Tantum
Editor