When UK garage broke through in the late 1990s, it looked like it was in the spotlight for good. Accessible, melodic and hellbent on good vibes, UKG crashed the pop charts with a string of hits before evolving into the MC-led grime sound and then the warping sound design of dubstep.
Of course, UKG never totally went away, and there have been various moments this century when it’s raised its head above the parapet again, but just now — in 2024
— it feels like it’s at its most popular since its millennial heyday. Girls Don’t Sync, Interplanetary Criminal, the return of MJ Cole, Conducta still poppin’ off, Sunship’s remix of Jhelisa’s ‘Friendly Pressure’ going viral on TikTok, and the explosive success of Sammy Virji — not just in the UK, but Ibiza, parts of Europe and the US as well — all point to this summer being a Summer Of Garage. Globally.
We’ve been with Sammy Virji all the way at DJ Mag, his HQ live stream for us being a crucial part of his journey, so it’s fitting that we welcome Sammy to our cover this issue. His story is expertly told by Nathan Evans from page 38 onwards.
Elsewhere, we look at what’s happening in all the clubs in Ibiza this summer (page 52), chat with Defected CEO Wez Saunders about 25 years of the rulin’ independent house music label (p63), profile the scene in Nairobi, Kenya (p71), meet Irish language hip-hop fiends Kneecap (p81), and a lot more besides.
Carl Loben
Editor