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.

Pirate radio, dubstep and documentary filmmaking—the many faces of Heny G. Malcolm Christopher Gustave, AKA Heny G, is a name synonymous with pirate radio and dubstep. Through his own shows and station, he championed a melodic style of the syncopated, sub-bass sound that's since influenced several of the genre's stalwarts. Speaking with Resident Advisor contributor Marcus Barnes, Gustave explains how his love for radio pushed him to champion diverse artists in dance music. Tracing the trajectory of his time in the industry, Gustave describes how he started in pirate radio at the age of 13. Developing an obsession with jungle, garage and house music, he went onto work at Rinse FM during the 2000s when it was still an unlicensed platform. Around that tinme, he also launching his own station, React FM. While DJing and presenting, Gustave fine-tuned his signature style of emotive dubstep. Nine years since the release of his debut album Child Hood, his soulful productions continue to resonate with old and new heads alike, as Barnes points out. Over the past year, Gustave has been working on a documentary called The Last Weekend. Chatting to Barnes about the creative process, he outlines his entry into filmmaking and how the art form has added another layer to his ever-evolving career. Listen to the discussion for the full details.

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

Live from Rewire Festival, Planet Mu affiliate Jana Rush and sound researcher Caroline Claus discuss gender politics, audio equipment and urban landscapes. At this year's instalment of Rewire Festival, which took place in The Hague from April 8th to 10th, artists were paired with sociologists and anthropologists for a series of stimulating conversations. One discussion between Chicago producer Jana Rush and Caroline Claus, a Brussels-based sound researcher, stood out for its interconnections between dance music and urban environments as well as gender and technology so for this week's Exchange, we're presenting their chat. Rush, known for her experimental forays into footwork and juke, incorporates a range of textures in her albums. From industrial to funky, her tracks frequently enter the realm of sound art but no matter how avant-garde she gets, her city remains a constant source of inspiration. Whether evoking the groove of house vocalists or the Windy City's politically-charged jazz movement, she's been a pillar of Chicago's club community for years. Claus, meanwhile, focuses on a topic known as "sonic urbanism," or how noise and vibrations impact city spaces such as railways and parks. Whether using field recordings for urban planning or engaging with the concept of sonic warfare, her studies explore interactions between individuals and spaces through sound. It can be said that both Rush and Claus are rooted in a sense of place—albeit in different ways. Rush, for instance, explained how she draws inspiration from music played in passing cars. The two also tackle the role of gender on their respective equipment. Claus mentions how her identity shapes the intentions of her recordings while Rush describes how she felt compelled to master technical equipment because "if you don't know what you don't know, people are gonna capitalise off that and they're not gonna let it go because you're a female." During their 25-minute long talk, Rush also explains how she uses binary code and how people often perceive her as aggressive. Listen on for the full details. Tracklist: Jana Rush - Clown [Planet Mu]

Every day at Resident Advisor, we discuss the latest interesting music but there's only so much information we can pack into features, reviews and news. The Critics' Roundtable podcast, part of our Exchange series, is a chance for the team to go deeper into striking artists, records and industry trends in the global club underground. This instalment, featuring senior staff writer Nyshka Chandran, music editor Andrew Ryce and chief creative and brand officer Kazim Rashid, touches on recent releases in London, Ecuador, Atlanta and beyond. First, each highlight their favourite albums from the past four months, with selections ranging from Terrence Dixon's supremely abstract techno to Marcela Dias Sindaco's sexy electro. Next, contributors discuss an artist or platform of note. Washington DC label PPU gets a mention, as do the hard-hitting bass mutations of Nikki Nair and Colombian label Insurgentes. Finally, Nyshka, Andrew and Kazim reflect on significant developments in the electronic music world, commenting on the ongoing attempts to get artists paid for online mixes, the intersection of club music and theatre and the recent passing of hip-hop icon DJ Kay Slay. Tracklist: Alabaster DePlume - Visitors XT8B – Oak [International Anthem] Terrence Dixon - Aurora - Other Dimensions [30D Records] Marcela Dias Sindaco - À Flor Da Pele - Rio de Janeiro 3025 EP [Fixed Rhythms] Nikki Nair & Nala - The World Is Always Ending - The World Is Always Ending [Dirtybird] Dwight Sykes - You’re Exactly - On The Rocks [PPU] PVSSY & Entrañas - Manía (Menzi remix - Fervor [TraTraTrax] Terrence Dixon - Aurora - Other Dimensions [30D Records]

Zepherin Saint's first release, 1988's Give Me Back Your Love as Boyz in Shock featuring Carol Leeming, was one of the first soulful house records to hit the UK. Saint played a key role in the UK's dance music scene, but as journalist Marcus Barnes highlights in this week's Resident Advisor Exchange, the influence and value of his work over the years has often been overlooked. Saint grew up in Harrow, North West London. His earliest experiments with music happened at school, playing the drums in a band making music that he describes as "Spandau Ballet funk, soul and pop tracks." The tunes were so good that their teacher organised studio time so they could make a demo. Handed down one of Harrow's key soundsystems from his older brother, Saint would go on to build rigs, and recording studios, of his own, supplying the sound for many acid house nights as the scene exploded. He worked at legendary London shop Black Market Records and spent time in the US managing R&B artists like Terri Walker, before returning to the UK to launch Tribe Records, bringing dance music from South Africa and establishing the blueprint for what is now the Afro house scene. Today, Saint is based in Melbourne, where he's started a new label, Inner Sauce, to celebrate the live house sound bubbling there. In an enlightening conversation with Barnes, Saint discusses Melbourne's return to partying post lockdown, building soundsystems, finding his identity in London as a young West Indian man, working at Black Market Records and how he's now turning his focus back onto his own productions.

Nik Colk Void's new LP, Bucked Up Space, is her ninth studio album, but her first as a solo artist. Based in Norfolk, Void is an electronic musician and analogue synthesiser virtuoso who forms part of both Factory Floor and Carter Tutti Void (with Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti of pioneering industrial group Throbbing Gristle). Her work has been released on iconic labels like DFA, Mute and Throbbing Gristle's Industrial Records, and in late 2017 she released 33 33, a collaborative record as NPVR with the late Peter Rehberg of Editions Mego. In this week's Resident Advisor Exchange, Void talks about her relationship with Rehberg and how her confidence grew significantly through their working together. Without him, she explains, she may not have found the voice and the language she was looking for to put out her own full-length record. It is fitting and meaningful, therefore, that on April 8th, Bucked Up Space came out on Editions Mego. In conversation with RA writer Katie Thomas, Nik Colk Void discusses her album, the process of mastering analogue synths, the art and value of collaboration and affirming performances—plus details about a new Factory Floor record that's on the horizon. Tracklist: Nik Colk Void - Big Breather (Editions Mego) Nik Colk Void - FlatTime (Editions Mego)

This week's Resident Advisor Exchange was recorded in January, live from Southbank Centre in London. Shortly before their Royal Festival Hall performance with The Outlook Orchestra, drum & bass and jungle originators Fabio & Grooverider sat down with Heléna Star to talk about the show. As you can hear from the applause and roars of laughter throughout the recording, the audience was besotted. The UK dance music scene would look very different without Fabio & Grooverider's contributions over the last few decades. Coming from pirate radio, where they first teamed up in 1987 on Phase One, the duo would go on to carve out the path for drum & bass and jungle, as well as to influence the trajectories of house, techno and breakbeat. Grooverider captures their legacy best when he says: "We are this music." Launched in 2017, The Outlook Orchestra has collaborated with other pioneering artists like David Rodigan and Mala. The show with Fabio & Grooverider, which they will perform again at Outlook Festival in June, saw 30 years of drum & bass history packed into 31 tracks. In conversation with Heléna Star, Fabio & Grooverider discussed how the show came together, as well as their staying power in the scene, the legacy of their seminal club night Rage, how drum & bass is still growing and how humour is a vital part of their relationship. Fittingly, they also cracked a lot of jokes.

This week's Exchange was recorded in November 2021 as part of our Full Circle series, which celebrates women in electronic music. DJ, producer and community organiser JADALAREIGN sat down with two of Resident Advisor's staff writers, Kiana Mickles and Nyshka Chandran, at our New York office. JADALAREIGN was raised about an hour north of New York City, in a musical household soundtracked by funk, soul, hip-hop and R&B. Growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood impacted how she operates today—her work prioritises cultivating community, as community wasn't always something she felt she had. After playing instruments, studying fashion and ending up in a corporate job, JADALAREIGN became increasingly engaged in music through her side hustle as the music director for an entertainment blog. In 2015, she took her first DJ lesson and felt instantly drawn to the craft. Gradually, she grew more and more immersed in the New York scene. Today, JADALAREIGN is a booker for leading New York club Nowadays, using her role heading up the Friday night programming to create more space and opportunity for people of colour in dance music. She also runs a workshop series called SKILLSHARE, which supports other women of colour, as well as queer folks, non-binary people and trans people, wanting to learn about the ins and outs of the music industry. In 2020, she launched In Sessions with Sam Law and FIVEBOI, a digital production camp that, when it first launched, reached around 300 people daily from 30 different countries. In this Exchange, JADALAREIGN discusses her work and community projects, how New York's dance music culture has changed in recent years and the importance of the scene's players engaging in honest reflection to increase diversity. She also touches on the value of mentorship for marginalised creatives and what can be done to prevent artists of colour feeling tokenised. Tracklist: JADALAREIGN - 2B2S (HAUS of ALTR)

This week's Resident Advisor Exchange, recorded live at AVA London with journalist Kieran Yates, forms part of Elijah's guest-edited month. Throughout March, we've run curated content published with the intention of demystifying the music industry. Elijah & Skilliam began DJing together in 2007. In 2010, they launched a label, Butterz, putting out music from the likes of Terror Danjah, Royal-T, Flava D and Murlo. Over the course of the next decade, they played a vital role in the way grime developed and exploded in the UK. Elijah is also an artist manager, looking after the careers of Flava D, DJ Q and Swindle. He uses his platform and deep understanding of the inner workings of the music industry to share tips and probing questions to help shape the future of electronic music. As we wrap up Elijah's guest-edited month, he spoke to Yates about how the industry has changed since his early years as a DJ, the difference between creating art and creating content, the limitations of not engaging with electronic music outside of Europe, and how the measure of your legacy as an artist won't just be about your art, but about how you interacted with others and shared your knowledge. Tracklist: Phil Keiran - No Life (Roman Flügel Remix) (Hot Creations) KiNK - Disco Spectrum (Sofia)