RA Podcast

"The Budots Three" showcase the thrilling sound of Filipino dance music. If you were on TikTok in the summer of 2024, there is a good chance you heard "Emergency Budots (Paging Doctor Beat)." The DJ Johnrey track spread fast, soundtracking countless dance clips, and just as quickly sparked a wave of corrections. Budots, viewers were told, wasn't new. And most people weren't dancing it right. To understand Budots, DJ Love, DJ Danz and DJ Ericnem are a useful starting point. The three producers have been making Budots music since the early 2000s, developing the genre largely outside formal club infrastructure, and across the trio's RA Mix, the genre's playful character comes into focus. Bouncy like a ball, it's primary elements are clipped vocal samples, pitched-up synth hooks and tightly looped rhythms. Heard in full, RA.1018 plays out as an hour-long joyride, making it difficult to square the music’s buoyancy with Budots' earlier local associations with disorder and crime. DJ Love has been central to reframing Budots, positioning it as a form of release for the working-class neighbourhoods he calls home. "People fight in the slums," he told The Face. "I wanted to turn that energy into enjoyment." RA.1018 offers a glimpse into that world. Working collectively as The Budots Three—extra points if you catch the nod to a certain pioneering Detroit outfit—Love, Danz and Ericnem showcase the richness beyond TikTok's compressed snapshots. Across the hour, the mix moves between classic Budots reworks and newer mutations, tracing both the genre's roots and where it might head next. It's Budots, in full view. Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/1037 @easternmargins

The Leisure System co-founder talks psychology, behavioral science and his standout album of the year, Stochastic Drift. Sam Barker's influence on contemporary electronic music culture spans many levels—not only as a producer and DJ pushing against traditional genre boundaries, but also as key figure behind the scenes as head of the label Leisure System. He came into RA HQ to talk about the central thesis in his current work: exploring organic, human timing in a genre that has become increasingly obsessed with mechanized grids. The Berlin-based artist tells us about how he puts this theory into practice in his standout album of the year, Stochastic Drift, and his recent collaborative project with saxophonist Bendik Giske. Beyond the technical, he also reflects on the evolution of the Berlin scene, the surprising arguments for liberation in the streaming economy and the role of art in imagining a utopian future. Listen to the episode in full.

The London-via-Bilbao DJ marks 15 years of Cartulis with two hours of punchy techno and electro, recorded live at FOLD. When you think of London label and party Cartulis, dark, muscular electro and tough tech house spring to mind. But the name is more revealing than it first appears: in founder Unai Trotti's native Bilbao dialect, cartulis translates to "nerd." Like any labour of love, the project is driven by a deep, obsessive dedication, centred around sound, mood and community. Recorded at Cartulis' 15th anniversary party this autumn, RA.1017 captures why Trotti is such a compelling DJ. Playing only vinyl, he has a deft ability to balance functional club pressure with more leftfield selections, and as he outlines in his Q&A below, it comes from a belief in creative limitation, committing to a finite set of records and trusting instinct over abundance. Across the two hours, there are plenty of big, physical tracks built for the dance floor, but also some genuinely strange, confrontational stretches. Around the 15-minute mark, church bells ring out as a gothic female vocal looms overhead—David Lynch, if he needed an electro soundtrack. It's the kind of material you only hear at parties where dancers feel truly at ease, unafraid of the weird. That's Cartulis. @unai-trotti @cartulisday Read more at ra.co/podcast/1036

One of the defining producers of the 21st century steps up for a rare, era-spanning mix. We've been in a reflective mood lately: mulling emergent icons, modern classic and the cyclical nature of trends. All things bend around eventually, but if you lived through the mid-'00s the first time, it felt tricky to envision some specifics of those interim years making a second splash. More fool us. Amongst many other things, dubstep is well and truly back. This resurged appetite for low-end has been a central storyline in 2025. Clear tells were there in the form of Introspekt's Moving The Center and Tracey's "Sex Life," two major highlights of the past 12 months. Alternately, cup your ear to the tremors rumbling across the world and you'd find Mala packing up crowds with gusto. Which makes closing out the year with a mix from the man himself serendipitous. The South Norwood-born sub sensei has held an anchor role in the movement since its earliest days. A little like what Upsetter was to Black Ark, the principles Mala, Coki and Loefah's DMZ laid down have been expanded on by Deep Medi, a label that has cultivated a loyal fandom who watch over the catalogue like a hawk. (Six years of frothy debate and knowing in-jokes between MEDi 99 and MEDi 100 paints a picture of both steep expectations and an affinity for gently ribbing their leader.) But Mala's banner 2025 hasn't relied on the heads alone. The adrenaline of his fissuring basslines and barrel-chested vocals have drawn people into his orbit, and there are rarer qualities at play, too—like pacifism, winked at by the demilitarized name and reinforced on their all-time greatest tune; or contemplation, inked on flyers beseeching the crowd to meditate on bass weight. In that spirit arrives a mix we've asked after for years. Subtitled The Listening Session, it's rare on two counts. Despite his enduring popularity, Mala is a conspicuous absence on most DJ series. (It's not that he doesn't enjoy recording, just gets spooked by the reaction.) A nearly-three hour studio set—spaciously paced and laced with a combination of 2025 highlights, freshly-cut dubplates and some of the biggest anthems in the genre's history—is unheard of. No tracklist for now, on Mala's request. Soon come. RA.1016 is the kind of document that jogs the memory back to when dubstep was a discrete enterprise, something you could only fleetingly access by, say, dialling into Youngsta on Sub FM, ripping 320s of "Circling" off long-forgotten blogs or hugging the back wall of Mass. Which, in service of thinking the evolution of 21st century electronic music, is pretty perfect really. – Gabriel Szatan Find the interview at ra.co/podcast/1035 @maladmz @deep-medi-musik

A statement mix from the Dutch artist also known as A Made Up Sound, 2562 and ex_libris. What makes something sound like Dave Huismans? His music carries a signature you can't quite name, a tension which has defined every chapter of his career. And unlike most producers, he really does operate in phases. A man of many monikers, Huismans resurfaced this year after nearly a decade away with two new aliases, ex_libris and In Transit. His latest ventures, though sonically a world away from the work under his most recognised projects, share the same slipperiness, intricacy and disregard for tidy genre borders. "Naiveté and a lack of prejudice… a really wide-eyed type of open-mindedness," Huismans once told RBMA, recalling his youthful forays into dance music and that ethos is alive and well on RA.1015. Huismans's second RA Mix is as equally thrilling as his first one 15 years ago, traversing a map of influences from Madlib and Gyrofield to Prince and Autechre. There's no shortage of atmosphere (Losoul's "Sunbeams and the Rain" is one particular highlight), but the throughline is groove: soulful, vocal deep house into driving techy depths, walls of glitchy drums and frantic percussion into guitar funk. "I got carried away a bit," Huismans says of RA.1015 below. And that's no bad thing. It sounds like someone enjoying himself again, and perhaps, after letting a few old skins fall away, Huismans is ready to shift shape once more. And if it's anything like the last time, a lot of good music awaits. Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/1034 @2562amadeupsound

A sun-soaked broadcast from two of Naarm's most loved selectors. Asked once how the name for their joint project started, Simon TK and Edd Fisher responded casually: "We were asked to produce a record fair many moons ago, Wax'o Paradiso was the name of that event," they recounted in an interview. Happy accident or not, the name rings true more than a decade later. What started as a record fair has since evolved into an event series and now a record label, with Fisher and TK becoming true pillars of Naarm's local scene in doing so, crafting paradisiacal musical worlds wherever they go. Wax'o Paradiso is a live act first and foremost. Rarely relying on conventional venues, their parties have become the stuff of urban lore, held everywhere from Fairfield Amphitheatre to an old convent and even a children's farm. Often outdoors, these gatherings carry a breezy, open-hearted feeling, and that flows directly into their sets. Think of it as Australian Balearic: eclectic explorations through warm and rolling shades of dance music, laced with licks of '90s prog and tech house, the spiritual foundation of any good bush doof. Their RA Mix captures the essence of why the pair have become stalwarts of their local circuit. It isn't a recreation of those beloved open-air sessions, but at nearly three hours long, it settles around you like a summer night—and, for listeners in colder climates, perhaps a bittersweet reminder of one. Most tellingly, RA.1014 is bookended by tracks from two Australian artists across two generations. Ten years in, TK and Fisher's focus remains steady: build community, elevate local voices and share the eclectic, joyful sound that has made them a cornerstone of Naarm's scene. Their RA Mix is a clear extension of that mission: warm, generous and rooted in the place they call home. Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/10333 @waxo-paradiso

Kilopatrah Jones, a vibrant NYC-based DJ and Lot Radio resident known for their eclectic blend of house and techno, takes the listeners on a thrilling auditory journey. They share their passion for 'diva house' and the influence of icons like Junior Vasquez. Through their high-energy mix, they champion the dancefloor as a space for joy and liberation, emphasizing the importance of presence, intimacy, and community connection. With nostalgic references to club legends, Kilopatrah's mix celebrates glamour, resilience, and the transformative power of music.

57 minutes of sharp, fast, freaky techno from the underground pop star. Long before SoundCloud made him famous, RJ Glasgow was already producing edits from his bedroom in Philadelphia. The artist now known as LSDXOXO spliced R&B classics with DMX Krew and Madonna, then graduated from bedroom producer to internet provocateur with his 2010 mix series Spit or Swallow, where La Roux met Ratatat and Rihanna collided with Crystal Castles. A decade later, that same DIY energy has taken him far beyond the online underground. Now based in Berlin, Glasgow has opened for Beyoncé on her Renaissance tour, remixed Kelela, Lady Gaga and Björk, and taken his Floorgasm party worldwide. His RA Mix captures that evolution in full flight. Across 57 minutes and 26 tracks, RA.1012 tears through shades of contemporary techno—from big-room precision (Adam Beyer) to looping hardgroove (Italia 90, River Moon) and razor-sharp edits (EsDeeKid & Fakemink). “Maybe my music invokes that freaky feeling,” he told Resident Advisor in 2022. “A lot of people have that inner freak.” That spirit still drives him today—sensual, chaotic, unapologetic—and reminds us that wherever he plays, LSDXOXO will always be a club kid. Find the tracklist and Q&A at https://ra.co/podcast/1031 @lsdxoxo

Guy Brewer, known as Carrier, is a UK electronic artist with a unique sound that fuses dub pressure and ambient elements. In this conversation, Brewer dives into the creative process behind his album Rhythm Immortal, describing it as a journey through eerie soundscapes. He reflects on the genre-blurring nature of modern music, emphasizing excitement found beyond strict definitions. Brewer also touches on the primal energy that drives his work, making it a captivating exploration of sound that challenges traditional forms.

The German legend talks about the state of modern trance, what it takes to create a legacy and writing his most recent album. Poll the average dance music fan and they'll have almost certainly heard of Paul van Dyk. The German DJ and producer is so synonymous with trance that it's impossible to talk about the genre's history without mentioning his name. He's also been one of the most successful electronic artists full-stop since the '90s, when he first started touring around Berlin. His 1994 hit "For an Angel" launched him into the limelight, and he's been selling out clubs and arenas ever since. In this RA Exchange recorded at the Berlin Synth Museum, he reflected on the current state of trance and how its modern DJs are missing the mark; his lifelong engagement with politics and his efforts to enlist Americans to vote alongside Bono; his experience growing up in East Berlin; and a life-threatening accident he suffered at a festival in Utrecht, which left him with multiple spine and brain injuries. He said the experience taught him to cherish every part of life, and that love is the greatest and most healing power that exists. Van Dyk's most recent album is called This World is Ours, and in this conversation he unpacks the accompanying tour and some of the key themes that run through the tracks—namely, the rise of AI and our need to unite in the face of a non-human ruling elite. You can watch it on our YouTube channel, or listen to the episode in full. -Chloe Lula