Collaboration is intrinsic to creative jobs. Whether you're a lone wolf or a team player, it's impossible to avoid partnerships and group coordination. But working with other people can get messy, especially when ego is involved. As part of Resident Advisor's ongoing collaboration with Black Minds Matter, this episode of the Exchange explores how alliances affect an artist's craft and wellbeing. In separate conversations with UK singer-songwriter Aluna and Hamburg-based DJ crew SLIC Unit, host Vanessa Maria asks them about the challenges of building collectively versus individually.

For SLIC Unit, being part of a network is all about mutual trust. Each person brings different talents to the table so it's important to reinforce each another while streamlining the decision-making process, founding members Nissa and SENU describe. "Being together or being in a collective always means more work," they say, referring to the need for clear communication, empathy and making time for everyone's projects. SLIC Unit practices what they call "radical solidarity," a support system that reduces chaos and stress while enabling them to have fun while working.

Aluna, on the other hand, has a solo career in addition to being one-half of the duo AlunaGeorge. For her, going solo meant confronting her relationship with fear. Being in a band provided her with a sense of safety but that ultimately became a warning bell, she explains. "I knew that I was using it as a safety net from a place of either displacement or fear," she continues, alluding to her issues with racism and sexism. At the end of the day, it's important for artists to establish stability and security within themselves before they can join a group, she notes.

For more insights on how creatives can preserve authenticity and self-worth in a team environment or on their own, listen to the hour-long podcast.

EX.612 Source Material: Collaboration & Mental Health

Reflections, a new addition on the RA Exchange, takes a magnifying glass to long-form journalism on our website. On each episode, writers break down their latest feature in an effort to shed more light on underlying issues surrounding the story.  

As part of Resident Advisor's technology month, senior staff writer Nyshka Chandran investigated how blockchain networks known as Decentralized Autonomous Organisations (DAOs) are looking to disrupt the global nightlife industry. Here, she outlines how she came across the niche world of Web3 nightlife and explains the cautious sentiment behind this fast-growing sector.  

While several DAOs throw parties featuring electronic music artists, only a few seek to operate their own venues and transform the process of event curation, she notes. But their lofty ambitions are tied to the fate of the cryptocurrency market, which could ultimately make or break a DAO, she warns.

Listen to the full conversation for more details.

EX.616 Reflections: Web3 in Nightlife

New music, community-driven parties, tech talk and more from RA staffers.

Every month, members of Resident Advisor's global team highlight their favourite artists, exciting labels and industry trends on the Critics' Roundtable podcast. This edition, featuring senior designer Lucy Ross, senior US partnerships lead Lottie Moore and senior staff writer Nyshka Chandran, jumps across genres and regions in a reflection of the trio's myriad tastes. 

Selections feature records with an introspective touch, setting the tone for a mindful summer. From the furious breaks of NIGELTHREETIMES to V.C.R's gospel-inspired soul to Joy Orbison collaborator KEYAH/BLU, the group describes how each artist incorporates a cinematic gloss into their respective compositions. Elsewhere, Honolulu-based label Aloha Got Soul gets a mention for its commitment to showcasing Hawaiian funk and jazz, as does young amapiano star Uncle Waffles, whose global footprint keeps expanding.

Recent developments impacting the electronic music ecosystem are also discussed. Moore looks at community-building initiatives of promoters, highlighting Los Angeles' Mapamota and noting the potential of chat platforms such as Discord to strengthen ties with punters. Ross, meanwhile, summarises how AI is influencing brand identity from a designer's viewpoint.

Listen to the full podcast for more.

EX.618 Critics' Roundtable [July 2022]

Mor Elian - 01 August 2022

Hertfordshire producer On Man is reaching deeper into his electronic inclinations, piecing together a dark and evocative soundtrack for the early-hour lurkers.

CLASH DJ Mix - July 2022

Clash Mix - On Man

What did your summer sound like? For the RA staffers featured on this month's episode of the Critics' Roundtable, the answer ranges from dubby jungle to cheeky UKG to hazy krautrock.

Looking back on their favourite records from recent months, managing editor Chloe Lula, Mexico City manager Valeria Martin del Campo and senior writer Nyshka Chandran highlight Dax J's Soul Enforcer,Prelude by Barbie Bertisch and Lichi's latest fruit-inspired compilation.

The conversation then shifts to special live performances. Aquarian's dextrous mixing at Dekmantel gets a mention, as does SCHNITT and Gianluca Sibaldi's captivating AV performance at MUTEK Montreal, where they scanned audiences in real-time. Moving onto industry trends and significant news stories, the trio discuss the significance of Mexico City online radio station Aire Libre shutting down, the impact of algorithmic populism on artists and the massive labour crunch in event production jobs.

For more details on each of these topics, listen to the full conversation.

EX.627 Critics' Roundtable [September 2022]

CAIXA ALTA - O BRILHO NEON DA ITALO DISCO

CAMILO ROCHA (primeira hora)
https://soundcloud.com/camroc

1 - Gaz Nevada - Secret Agent Man (Female Version)
2 - B.W.H. - Stop
3 - Cyber People - Void Vision
4 - NOIA - Stranger in a Strange Land
5 - IMS (International Music Systems) - Nonline
6 - Expansives - Life With You
7 - Amin Peck - Coda
8 - Cruisin' Gang - My Man
9 - Moses - We Just
10 - Magenes - Back to Singapore
11 - Faxe - Time For Changes
12 - Klein & MBO - Dirty Talk
13 - Casco - Cybernetic Love (Instrumental)


VERMELHO (segunda hora)
soundcloud.com/vermelho

1 - Mirage - Woman
2 - Franz Scala - One Way Love (Italo Version)
3 - Diana Est - Tenax (Armonics Edit)
4 - Guiseppe Manuelle - Are You Down (Vermelho Edit)
5 - Equip - Equip XXXO
6 - TJOR - Drive
7 - My Mine - Hypnotic Tango
8 - B Evolution (L&L) - Radio (Armonics Remix)
9 - Eye BM - Uno
10 - Alexander Robotinick - The Hidden Game (Passarani Legacy Mix)
11 - Romain FX - Guanmu Cong
12 - The Parallax Corporation - Crocodiles In The Sky
13 - Marcello Giordani - Fase Rem
14 - Ris - Love n Music (Headman Remix)
15 - Muravchix - Replicant’s Lament (Vermelho Edit)
16 - New World - Poème

TASCAM DR-05

Caixa Alta com Camilo Rocha e Vermelho 16.09.22

In a way, every Critics' Roundtable episode feels like a time capsule. Each month, the show documents the tracks and talents on the personal playlists of RA staffers, serving as a snapshot of the musical zeitgeist at the time. On this edition, staff writer Kiana Mickles, software engineer Alex Wanyoike and senior writer Nyshka Chandran outline their most listened to records from the past three months and noteworthy artists in their respective cities.

Discussing Kelela's long-awaited return from a long hiatus, the trio note how her new single marks a departure from her earlier club-oriented cuts. Moving onto the production duo of Abdul Raeva, whose heavy-hitting style brought back memories of the '90s UK label Orbital Records, the conversation gets into the ever-evolving palette of rave music. Djoser in Washington, DC, is more percussive techno than pure rave but he's a key US name who's leading the way for innovative club music and his dextrous drum work on his latest EP, Expand, gets a mention here.

Shifting gears, the trio go on to describe some of their favourite local acts such as Damo B, a Manchester veteran with an extensive radio career. River Moon in New York also wins praise for breaking the mould of "techno stoicism," a term that describes when artists take themselves far too seriously.

For more details on artists to watch and the trio's favourite RA's mixes of the year, listen to the conversation.

EX.630 Critics' Roundtable [October 2022]

This past August, a panel of artists, creatives and various members of club communities gathered in Berlin to discuss the threats weighing on global nightlife. Part of Jägermeister's #SAVETHENIGHT initiative to rejuvenate the after-dark economy as well as Tresor's 31st anniversary celebrations, the discussion touched on a variety of social, economic and community issues such as gentrification, inclusion and safety that Resident Advisor later unpacked in a digital feature.

The latest instalment of Reflections, a new series on the Exchange that explores content on RA's site, goes deeper on some of these topics. Discussing the sustainability of club culture, Bernard Koomson from Berlin-based creative studio DeadHype notes how more collaboration has helped build critical infrastructure while knowledge sharing can help a younger generation learn from their predecessors. Manchester promoter Alice Woods, who co-runs the Meat Free club nights as well as her own event for people with disabilities called All Under One Roof, emphasises the importance of parties as a welcoming arena for all individuals. "People with disabilities are still quite left behind," she describes. "That's a wider societal issue but I think as a nightlife industry as, as a clubbing sector, I think we can be ones to lead the way on that."

For more details, listen to the conversation in full.

https://save-the-night.com

EX.631 Reflections: Protecting the Future of Nightlife

DJ STEPDAD is an ambient house project from Brooklyn-based writer Ted Davis. You can find his music on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. You are in for a chill mix of beat-driven ambient, house and downtempo!

DJ STEPDAD @ The Lot Radio 10 - 27 - 2022

Rinse FM Podcast

Sean OD with DJ Magal - 26 November 2022

The weekly RA Exchange is a series of conversations with artists, labels and promoters shaping the electronic music landscape.

EX.627 Critics' Roundtable [September 2022]

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