Reflections, a mini series within the RA Exchange podcast, takes a magnifying glass to the 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. 
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Reflections

On the debut episode of our new Reflections series, New York staff writer Kiana Mickles analyses recent developments in local nightlife following the closure of a treasured Brooklyn venue.

Resident Advisor publishes several pieces of long-form journalism per week but due to word count limitations, there's only so much information our reporters can pack in. To ensure important stories get the full coverage they deserve, we've started a new series on the RA Exchange. Reflections takes a deeper dive into the editorial content on our website by inviting writers to dissect one of their recent features. A behind-the-scenes look into the conceptualisation and research behind these articles, Reflections aims to provide updates on the highlighted topic as well as shed light on the journalistic process.

For the inaugural episode, New York staff writer Kiana Mickles discusses her feature on Bossa Nova Civic Club from February this year. Ever since a fire forced the iconic venue to close indefinitely, Brooklyn nightlife hasn't been the same, she explained in a conversation with Martha Pazienti Caidan. The club was celebrated for its weekday programming but now that it's shut, Brooklynites have fewer party options on school nights, Mickles described.

Bossa's fire is one of many disturbing incidents in New York nightlife this year, she continued. Recent episodes of violence and crime in various clubs have shaken artists and punters, particularly those from minority backgrounds. Mace-like fumes were reported at Nowadays, Rash was the victim of an arson attack and allegations of drink spiking at popular venues remain rampant.

Listen to the full conversation below for more details on these issues.

https://ra.co/exchange/610

Tracklist: 
quest?onmarq - Tropical Goth https://questionmarcdj.bandcamp.com/album/tropical-goth-rave-water
Ben Bondy - Everything I Can't Be [Quiet Time] https://benbondy.bandcamp.com/album/ben-bondy

EX.610 Reflections: Volatility In New York Nightlife

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

Berlin has witnessed an alarming number of drug and needle spiking incidents in recent months, raising worries about nightlife safety in one of the world's top clubbing destinations. In this edition of Reflections, a new series on the RA Exchange that breaks down important journalism on our site, staff writer Anu Shukla and managing editor Chloe Lula examine the context surrounding recent spiking claims.

Shukla, discussing her article on the topic, describes how she spoke to two women who said they were spiked with needles at Berghain and Sisyphos. Their stories have pushed others to share their own experiences with spiking, Shukla says. Lula, who has been looking into the socio-economic and political climate behind spiking, notes how some clubbers may now feel unsafe going out alone. The pandemic has brought about a rise in anti-social behaviour and regressive attitudes towards sex, which could be a factor behind spiking, she describes.

Listen to the full conversation to understand how spiking poses serious implications for women and minorities in nightlife.

For resources on community care, harm reduction and mental health, revisit our list from earlier this year: https://ra.co/features/3961

EX.620 Reflections: Inside Nightlife’s Spiking Epidemic

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

New York's dance music culture evolves every weekend. A constant wave of new collectives, promoters and artists, combined with a host of legacy names and an ever-growing batch of enthusiastic ravers, infuse the city with a vivacious energy that's hard to find elsewhere. This episode of Reflections, a series that digs deep into RA content, pays tribute to New York nightlife through three heartfelt anecdotes that capture the vibrancy of past and present communities.

Taken from RA's new limited-edition book Sacred Spaces, each message focuses on special party moments. Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy describes her quest to seek spirituality and communal transcendence through music, focusing on her experiences at David Mancuso's seminal The Loft party. Sharon White, a veteran name in New York's clubbing history, recounts the night of her unexpected debut at The Saint, an East Village spot that operated during the 1980s. The impromptu set went until 2 PM in the afternoon, leading the way for White to become one of the top grossing DJs on The Saint's roster. Finally, RA's editor-in-chief Whitney Wei describes coming of age at Palisades, an intimate Bushwick venue that lasted only two years but considerably shaped her club experiences.

Sacred Spaces, available for £29.99 via the RA Store, features 26 tributes to the dance by the likes of Kevin Saunderson, Róisín Murphy, Eris Drew and Octo Octa, among others.

EX.634 Reflections: Sacred Spaces

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