Carl Cox Carl Cox has been awarded an OBE in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours List in recognition of his services to music. The honour marks another major milestone in a career that has helped shape global electronic music culture for more than four decades. From the early UK rave movement through to worldwide festival headline sets and long-running Ibiza residencies, Cox has remained one of the most influential and recognisable figures in dance music history. Official government records listed Cox, born Carl Andrew Cox, among this year’s OBE recipients for his contribution to music and broadcasting. Following the announcement, Cox shared a statement expressing how meaningful the recognition felt after dedicating his life to music and connecting with audiences worldwide through electronic culture. The award is also being widely viewed as a significant moment for dance music itself, with many across the electronic community describing the honour as long-overdue recognition for a culture that has played a major role in shaping modern British music and nightlife. Cox’s influence stretches far beyond DJing alone. Alongside his globally respected performances, the Manchester-born artist has consistently championed underground electronic music through radio, mentoring, label work and continued support for emerging artists and scenes worldwide. Even after decades at the forefront of electronic music, Cox remains one of the busiest artists in the industry. This summer alone includes another major Ibiza residency at UNVRS Ibiza alongside appearances across Europe and beyond. The 2026 King’s Birthday Honours List also recognised several other figures from music and entertainment, including Judge Jules and Tony Iommi.

Oliver Tree Oliver Tree has reportedly died aged 32 following a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to reports from Brazilian authorities and multiple international news outlets, two helicopters collided mid-air above the Recreio dos Bandeirantes district on Sunday morning, killing all six people onboard. One of the aircraft later crashed into a car dealership, causing a major fire that reportedly destroyed multiple vehicles. While official identification processes were still ongoing due to the severity of the incident, Oliver Tree was listed among the passengers on the flight manifest. Born Oliver Tree Nickell in Santa Cruz, California, the artist became one of the internet era’s most recognisable alternative pop figures through a combination of viral music, surreal visuals and deliberately eccentric character work. Tracks including Life Goes On, Miss You and Alien Boy helped establish a global audience spanning electronic music, pop and online culture. ICYMI: SoundCloud Cuts Hypeddit API Access, Disrupting Free Download Campaigns Carl Cox Awarded OBE In King’s Birthday Honours List Criminal Complaint Filed Against Shlømo In Paris Court Tree first gained wider attention following the viral success of ‘When I’m Down’ before signing to Atlantic Records and releasing projects including ‘Ugly Is Beautiful’, ‘Cowboy Tears’ and most recently ‘Love You Madly Hate You Badly’ earlier this year. Known for directing many of his own music videos and blending absurdist humour with emotionally vulnerable songwriting, Tree built a career that often sat outside traditional genre boundaries while still connecting with massive online audiences worldwide. Tributes from artists, creators and fans have already begun appearing across social media following news of the crash, with many reflecting on the unique creativity and individuality that defined Tree’s work and public identity. An investigation into the cause of the collision remains ongoing.

Nutritious Nutritious has spent decades moving through different corners of dance music without ever sounding tied to one particular scene. Raised in New York during an era when club culture still revolved around local communities, long-form sets and physical spaces, he developed an approach shaped less by genre and more by feeling, movement and atmosphere. That mentality still defines his work today. Whether blending cosmic disco, deep house, indie dance, nu-disco or techno, there is always a clear sense of musical identity running through it all, something rooted in instinct rather than category. It is a perspective that has taken him from East Village all-night sessions to major stages including Art Basel, Ultra Music Festival, Pikes Ibiza and Miami Music Week, while also helping establish his own imprint Liquid Culture as a platform centred around depth, intention and community. His latest EP ‘Freefall’, currently climbing Beatport’s Top 10 Releases chart, captures that philosophy clearly. Built around themes of surrender, movement and emotional release, the project continues a strong run of recent material following ‘Ether’, which became one of the most played tracks on SiriusXM with over 400 spins to date. For Nutritious, though, everything still begins with understanding energy on a human level rather than approaching DJing or production as purely technical exercises. “Some people think about reading a room like it’s a technical skill,” he says, reflecting on his formative all-night sets in New York’s East Village scene. “But at the centre of it, it’s very human. People came to dance, connect and feel something.” Those marathon sessions became foundational to the way he still approaches music today. “The room tells you what it needs,” he explains. “The hour, the sound system, the lights, the energy on the floor, the first record that makes people loosen up. You learn when to push, when to let something breathe and how to keep the whole night alive by choosing incredible music played with complete conviction.” That openness to movement between styles has remained central throughout his career. Rather than seeing genre as identity, he views taste and emotional consistency as the true connective tissue between records. “I don’t believe identity comes from genre,” he says. “Genre is too scattered now to carry that much meaning.” Instead, what matters is whether the music itself feels honest and emotionally undeniable. “If the songs are honest, well produced and the sequence feels right, you can move through a lot of worlds without losing the thread,” he explains. “I trust my ear more than categories.” Part of that instinctive approach comes from learning during an analogue era built around cassette tapes and vinyl rather than digital precision. “When you come up in the analogue domain, nothing is smoothing the edges for you,” he says. “You have to understand imperfection, timing, tension, texture and physical movement.” That process forced DJs to become more instinctive and adaptable. “With vinyl, you have to earn the transition,” he explains. “That made me musical in the booth and on stage. More physical, more alive to what can happen in the moment.” For Nutritious, a great set should feel completely unique to the environment surrounding it. “A set should feel like it could only have happened once,” he says. “At that time, at that place, with those people.” That same philosophy runs through ‘Freefall’, a record built around emotional momentum and surrender rather than pure functionality. “Love, passion, faith,” he says when describing the EP’s central feeling. “‘Freefall’ is about surrendering to something more powerful than control.” Across its three versions, the project explores that emotional space from different angles. The title track leans into movement and forward motion, while ‘Spiral’ introduces more raw soul, classic house influence and spiritual energy. “Three songs,” he says. “One feeling explored from different angles.” Alongside the release itself, his Liquid Culture imprint continues becoming a deeper reflection of where he sits creatively right now. Rather than functioning simply as another dance label, Nutritious sees it as an extension of a broader philosophy around music, wellness and cultural connection. “Music isn’t decoration,” he says. “It’s essential to life. Like sunlight, air or water.” That mindset also explains the meaning behind the name Nutritious itself, something tied closely to his wider work across wellness, publishing, film and mental health spaces outside club culture. “Music is energy like food is energy,” he explains. “A performance is energy.” For him, ancient ideas around rhythm, ceremony and emotional connection still feel deeply relevant to modern electronic music culture. “Ancient cultures understood that sound, rhythm, movement and ceremony weren’t separate from wellbeing,” he says. “They were part of how people stayed connected to themselves and each other.” That wider worldview naturally feeds back into his creative process too. Across publishing, psychedelics media, film scoring and cultural projects, he sees all disciplines sharpening the same creative instinct rather than existing separately. “Film deepens your sense of scene,” he says. “Publishing teaches you how ideas move. Psychedelics and wellness point towards perception, transformation and what people are really seeking beneath the surface.” Ultimately though, whether behind the decks or in the studio, the core intention remains simple. “I’m more interested in music that carries depth and beauty and lifts people,” he says. Rather than chasing intensity for its own sake, he wants records and performances to leave listeners feeling expanded rather than depleted. “That’s what interests me,” he says. “Music that opens minds, raises the vibe and leaves people feeling more alive.” Nutritious https://www.instagram.com/djnutritious https://open.spotify.com/artist/5H2UfM6XZEtSjQxksRLqCz https://soundcloud.com/djnutritious

Qolaj Filipino producer Qolaj approaches club music differently to most. While many artists treat genre as a fixed identity, his latest EP ‘Re-Adoption’ feels more interested in mutation, reconstruction and emotional movement than staying inside neat stylistic lines. Built around hardgroove, techno, breakbeat experimentation and flashes of Jersey club energy, the release uses existing tracks as raw material, reshaping them into something entirely new rather than delivering straightforward remixes. Released via Angry Dog Records, the EP arrives following Qolaj’s win in Beatport’s 2024 Global Remix Challenge, a breakthrough moment that led to an official release with Warner Music Group and reinforced his instinct to push beyond traditional club frameworks. Across ‘Re-Adoption’, that mindset becomes the entire concept. “I’ve always been fascinated by transformation,” he explains. “A lot of remix culture focuses on enhancing or updating a track, but with ‘Re-Adoption’, I was more interested in asking what happens when a song is given an entirely new life.” That idea sits at the centre of the project. Rather than preserving the originals, Qolaj treats them almost like relocated identities, shaped by new environments, emotional contexts and physical energy. “The original DNA is still there,” he says, “but the context, energy and perspective have changed so much that they become something else entirely.” The title itself also reflects the way he views artistic growth more broadly. “I don’t see identity as something fixed,” he explains. “We’re constantly evolving through our experiences, communities and influences. ‘Re-Adoption’ reflects that process of revisiting something familiar and choosing to redefine it rather than simply preserve it.” That mentality runs through the entire EP, particularly in the way genres collide and overlap. Hardgroove sits alongside breakbeats, techno and rhythmic club mutations without ever feeling forced or disconnected. “When I’m producing, I’m usually asking myself what the track needs rather than what scene it belongs to,” he says. “Sometimes it needs urgency and bounce. Sometimes it needs unpredictability or momentum.” For Qolaj, genre blending is less about collecting influences and more about creating dialogue between cultures, communities and different musical languages. “I think identity comes less from the genres you’re using and more from your perspective,” he says. “I’m consistently drawn to music that feels kinetic, emotionally charged and physically engaging. That’s the thread connecting everything.” That emotional element is crucial to how he approaches dance music. Despite the aggression and warehouse energy running through the EP, there is also a clear sense of tension, vulnerability and atmosphere underneath the percussion. “A lot of that comes from my roots in grunge and alternative music,” he explains. “What always resonated with me was the balance between aggression and emotion. The music could be intense and raw while still carrying vulnerability and depth.” That balance becomes particularly noticeable on the VIP version of ‘Incite Revolution’, rebuilt here into a more spacious and groove-focused version of the original. “With the VIP version, I wanted to simplify the arrangement and create more space for the groove and energy to breathe,” he says. “At the same time, I wanted to inject a greater sense of joy into the track.” While the original leaned heavily into urgency and intensity, the new version carries a more celebratory emotional tone. “The message is still there,” he explains, “but it’s being expressed through a different emotional lens. Instead of pushing forward through tension alone, this version embraces the idea that joy can be a form of revolution too.” That willingness to trust instinct and push outside expected frameworks has only accelerated following his Beatport Remix Challenge success. More than simply opening doors professionally, the experience validated a deeper creative shift already happening internally. “The remix was one of the first times I fully leaned into breaks, syncopation and rhythmic structures beyond traditional four-on-the-floor,” he says. “It showed me that taking creative risks and following my own curiosity could resonate with people.” Interestingly, Qolaj only discovered hardgroove relatively recently, despite now operating comfortably within its growing global resurgence. “Even a year ago, I wasn’t really listening to hardgroove or some of the faster styles,” he says. “My taste has expanded a lot over the past year.” What attracts him most is the genre’s physicality and directness. “It’s unapologetically about movement and momentum,” he says. “I think people are really responding to that again.” At the same time, he believes the future of hardgroove lies in continued hybridisation. “People are less attached to strict genre boundaries now,” he explains. “So hardgroove will probably keep merging with other fast-moving styles and evolving into something even more global.” As a Filipino producer building space within international electronic music, that sense of cultural movement and openness also shapes how he views the wider scene. “There aren’t always clear pathways or representation in some of the spaces I move through,” he says. “You end up having to carve out space rather than step into it.” At the same time, that lack of fixed expectations has also become a strength. “It pushes you to develop a more individual perspective,” he explains. “You don’t rely on existing templates of what an artist in this space is supposed to look or sound like.” That sense of community and participation sits at the heart of how he views rave culture too. Rather than treating dancefloors purely as escapism, he sees them as collective environments built around connection, learning and shared energy. “My first major moment was Coachella 2017,” he says. “That was when I was properly introduced to electronic music and the wider scene.” More recently, his involvement with Dance Music Initiative has reinforced that philosophy further. “It reminds me that this culture is not just about performance,” he says. “It’s about sharing knowledge, building access and creating spaces where people feel included.” Even while optimistic about the openness of modern dance music, he remains cautious about how quickly underground sounds can become commercialised once they gain traction. “There’s a subtle gentrification happening in certain scenes,” he explains. “Sometimes the aesthetic gets prioritised over the roots and communities that created the culture.” Rather than allowing that to make him cynical, though, it has simply sharpened his focus on experimentation, authenticity and cultural awareness within his own work. When listeners finally reach the closing moments of ‘Re-Adoption’, there is one feeling he hopes remains after the intensity fades away. “The EP starts with urgency and momentum and gradually moves toward something more grounded,” he says. “By the end, there’s a sense of contentment or peace that emerges.” Ultimately, that emotional arc feels like the real core of the project. Beneath the warehouse energy, rhythmic aggression and genre mutation, ‘Re-Adoption’ is less about destruction and more about rebuilding. “I hope people leave the experience feeling a bit more settled than when they entered it,” he says. Qolaj https://www.instagram.com/qolaj https://open.spotify.com/artist/2OPKwijeJpTOUtAQMq7ozn https://soundcloud.com/qolaj

Various 4TheFans Fan Parks Will Host World Cup 2026 Games Nightclubs, music venues and nightlife spaces across the UK are embracing World Cup 2026 fever by turning match screenings into late-night club events, festival takeovers and rave-inspired fan zones. With this year’s tournament taking place across the US, Mexico and Canada, many fixtures are kicking off late into the night for UK audiences, creating an unusual crossover between football culture and club culture. As a result, venues traditionally associated with electronic music are now hosting screenings alongside DJs, afterparties and all-night events. Venues including XOYO, Ministry of Sound, Village Underground, Colour Factory and MOT are all hosting World Cup screenings combined with DJ programming and club-focused experiences. Elsewhere, festivals and large-scale nightlife spaces are also getting involved. StadiumMK’s SMK Live Festival plans to show England vs Panama on giant stadium screens, while Manchester venues linked to The Warehouse Project and Freight Island are hosting large fan-zone style events with DJs before and after matches. The growing overlap between football and nightlife was already being encouraged by the Night Time Industries Association last year, which argued that late-licensed clubs were perfectly positioned to host World Cup fan zones due to existing infrastructure, security and late operating hours. Many London venues are also expanding the concept beyond traditional sports bars. Spaces including Between The Bridges, KERB Social Club and TOCA Social are combining large-scale screenings with food traders, DJs, terraces and immersive event production. As the tournament continues, the blending of football fandom and electronic nightlife culture is quickly becoming one of the defining social trends surrounding World Cup 2026 across the UK.

Shlømo A criminal complaint has been filed against French techno artist Shlømo before the Paris Judicial Court in relation to alleged acts of rape, psychological violence and death threats. According to statements shared by advocacy collective METOODJS and lawyer Maître Inès Davau, the complaint was formally submitted on Friday 5th June on behalf of an anonymous complainant. At this stage, the filing of a criminal complaint does not represent a formal charge or finding of wrongdoing, nor has it been confirmed whether a formal investigation has been opened. ICYMI: Electronic Music Industry Pays Tribute Following Death Of Artist Manager Leticia van Riel UK Nightlife Venues Turn World Cup 2026 Into Late-Night Club Culture Experience Carl Cox Awarded OBE In King’s Birthday Honours List The case marks another significant development in the wider scrutiny currently surrounding parts of the hard techno scene following months of allegations and industry discussion around misconduct, abuse of power and artist accountability. Earlier this year, several promoters and festivals removed performances involving multiple artists after allegations circulated online across social media and industry platforms. In its statement, METOODJS said the complainant was seeking for “her voice to be heard” and for the allegations to be examined through a formal legal framework. The collective also reiterated the importance of allowing victims to report abuse without intimidation or retaliation. Shlømo, real name Shaun Baron-Carvais, has become one of the defining figures within modern hard techno through releases, live performances and his involvement with the Taapion collective. In recent months, several events and organisations had already distanced themselves from artists connected to wider allegations circulating within the scene. The legal proceedings remain ongoing.

Deezer Deezer has launched a free AI music detection tool allowing users to scan playlists across 20 major streaming platforms for AI-generated music. The new feature works across services including Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud and YouTube Music, giving listeners the ability to identify potentially synthetic tracks within their existing playlists regardless of where they stream music. Users simply connect their streaming accounts through Deezer’s online AI detector platform, which then scans imported playlists for AI-generated content. The tool can also generate shareable results once analysis is complete. The move further positions Deezer as one of the most proactive streaming platforms currently addressing the rapid growth of AI-generated music online. The company was previously the first major streaming service to begin explicitly tagging AI-created tracks on its own platform. According to Deezer’s latest figures, AI-generated music now accounts for roughly 44% of all daily uploads to the platform, equating to nearly 75,000 tracks every day. Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier said the decision to make the detector publicly available came after limited uptake from competing streaming platforms despite previously offering the technology commercially. The wider rollout also arrives amid growing industry concern around copyright, royalty dilution and streaming fraud linked to synthetic music uploads. Deezer previously stated that up to 85% of streams on AI-generated tracks detected on its platform were considered fraudulent. Alongside consumer access, Deezer continues licensing its AI detection technology to parts of the wider music industry, including partnerships such as its agreement with French royalty agency Sacem earlier this year. The launch reflects increasing pressure on streaming services to improve transparency around AI-generated music as synthetic uploads continue accelerating across the global music ecosystem. You can check it out here.

Model Man Model Man returns with ‘When You Smile’, a deeply reflective electronic release balancing warm house textures, emotional songwriting and understated late-night energy. Released via Headroom Records, the single marks another important step following the producer’s recent return after nearly two years away from releasing music. Built around warm piano chords, airy vocal fragments and rolling percussion, the track drifts between emotional introspection and subtle dancefloor movement without fully settling into either space. There are traces of Chicago house and classic soul woven throughout the arrangement, though the production never feels nostalgic for its own sake. Instead, ‘When You Smile’ carries a feeling of emotional distance and quiet tension, balancing movement with reflection in a way that has increasingly become central to Model Man’s sound. The Essex-born producer, originally trained on piano by his mother, has long explored the space between classical structure and UK garage energy. On ‘When You Smile’, though, the production feels looser and more emotionally exposed than previous material, allowing atmosphere and vulnerability to breathe naturally within the track’s framework. That emotional openness reportedly emerged during a recent period of introspection and personal reflection, where conversations with his father helped uncover a sense of inherited emotional distance that had shaped much of his life and creative process. The result is a release that feels both personal and universally relatable. Functional enough for late-night sets and open-air dancefloors, yet emotionally detailed enough to reward quieter and more reflective listening moments. Support from Pete Tong alongside stations including BBC Radio 1, 6 Music and KEXP further reinforces the growing impact of the release. With ‘When You Smile’, Model Man delivers one of his most emotionally resonant tracks to date, continuing to refine a sound built around atmosphere, movement and unresolved feeling. Model Man https://www.instagram.com/modelmangrams https://www.youtube.com/@ModelMan https://www.tiktok.com/@modelmanmusic

Miss Monique Miss Monique has announced three major new dates for her ambitious live concept ‘Miss Monique presents Biorhythm’, including its world premiere at Tomorrowland on 17th July. The Ukrainian DJ and producer will debut the show on Tomorrowland’s Freedom Stage before bringing the concept to Pacha NYC on 13th November and Phantom Paris on 27th November. The newly announced dates join an already strong response for her upcoming Buenos Aires performance at Mandarine Park on 3rd October. Tickets - Mandarine Park, Buenos Aires / Pacha NYC / Phantom, Paris Described as a year-long labour of love, ‘Biorhythm’ explores the relationship between nature and electronic music through a fusion of immersive visual design and melodic club culture. The project combines real-time generative industrial graphics with organic visual elements, creating a live environment intended to blur the line between machine-driven production and natural emotional connection. “I hope that Biorhythm shows that despite our industrial world, nature never disappears,” Miss Monique explained. “Nature gives us hope for our future, and for generations to come.” “To launch the concept at Tomorrowland on the Freedom Stage is a dream come true for me.” The announcement continues what is already shaping up to be the biggest year of Miss Monique’s career to date. Alongside a second season residency at Hï Ibiza, the producer is also set to perform at festivals including Kappa FuturFestival, Ultra Europe, Awakenings and Brunch Electronik, alongside multiple appearances at UNVRS Ibiza with David Guetta, Anyma and Carl Cox. Fresh from winning Best Progressive / Melodic House DJ at the Ibiza DJ Awards 2025, Miss Monique continues cementing her position as one of the defining names in modern melodic electronic music. Miss Monique Instagram / TikTok / FB / Spotify / YouTube

Hot Since 82 Hot Since 82 has announced new album ‘Obsessions’, arriving 4th September via his Knee Deep In Sound imprint, alongside lead single ‘Shaded’, released 12th June. Written across a period shaped by constant touring, movement and introspection, the album reportedly reflects the tension between intensity and stillness that has increasingly defined Daley Padley’s life both personally and creatively. Rather than functioning as a straightforward club record, ‘Obsessions’ appears positioned as a more reflective and emotionally layered body of work rooted in experience and instinct. Lead single ‘Shaded’ draws directly from Sound Of Eden, the iconic rave anthem created by pioneering UK trio Shades Of Rhythm during the height of the early 90s underground explosion. Originally written as a theme track for a planned rave called ‘The Garden Of Eden’, the record evolved into one of the defining tracks of the UK rave era following a major rework involving new drum breaks, basslines and vocals from Jo Middleton. The rave itself never happened, though organiser Ziggy Chowdary would later go on to manage The Prodigy. For Hot Since 82, revisiting the record carried personal significance. “Moments like this don't come around often. Taking a record you've loved for years, being invited inside it, and then helping introduce it to a new generation of dancefloors is something I'll never take for granted,” Padley explained. Rather than simply recreating the original, ‘Shaded’ reframes its emotional core through Hot Since 82’s deeper and more refined house-driven lens, bridging classic rave lineage with modern club functionality. As anticipation builds towards ‘Obsessions’, the release signals another evolution from an artist who has consistently balanced underground credibility with global electronic reach while remaining guided more by instinct than formula. Hot Since 82 https://www.instagram.com/hotsince82 https://open.spotify.com/artist/1tRBmMtER4fGrzrt8O9VpS https://soundcloud.com/hotsince-82

Heard Right & MØØNE Out now via Armada Chill, ‘Evangeline’ brings together two artists whose music thrives on atmosphere, emotion and detail. Heard Right’s melodic production style meets MØØNE’s unmistakable vocal delivery to create a track that feels immersive without losing its dancefloor pull, balancing cinematic textures with intimacy and restraint. For Heard Right, the release continues a strong run across labels including Purified, Colorize, Rose Avenue and Monstercat Silk, while MØØNE’s voice has become increasingly recognisable through collaborations with artists such as Yotto, Le Youth and Manuel Riva. For this special back-to-back edition of Hot Picks, both artists select five tracks that continue shaping their approach to songwriting, emotion and electronic music production. Heard Right Trilucid – Calling "Probably one of those tracks that gets stuck in your head for a long time and the main melody is something really special that makes you feel a sense of euphoria." Klur – Like You Do "I remember hearing it for the first time and just falling in love with this incredibly beautiful track, where the vocals and instruments complement each other perfectly. It is probably one of the most beautiful tracks I have heard in recent years." PRAANA, Danni Carra – Moment "When you hear this track, you will understand why it is in my top five on this list. It is a very beautiful performance from the vocalist that touches the depths of the soul and makes you experience special feelings." Helsloot & Mees Salome – Solace "A very special track that will forever be in my memory. I remember playing it at my first gig in Prague and it was just amazing how it works on the dancefloor." Nordfold – Pathways "The incredibly talented musician who made this track has a unique style that inspires me to create special pieces for my performances. This track exemplifies what dance music should be." MØØNE Planet of Souls, Lily Papas | One – UNKLE Reconstruction "Such a fan of Lily Papas' voice. I’m always drawn to voices that make you feel something and those ad libs at 2:04 give me goosebumps every time." Sarah Kinsley – Ascension "I have been so inspired by Sarah Kinsley lately when it comes to shaping my harmony stacks as well as my ad libs and creating as much emotional atmosphere as possible." George Fitzgerald, Boxed In – Full Circle "George Fitzgerald was one of my biggest inspirations when I got started. I would drop the whole discography in here if I could, but out of all the songs from this album this one has truly stood the test of time for me. I probably listen to it every week." London Grammar – Lose Your Head "Memorable hooks, honest lyrics, emotive instrumentation... what more could you want?" Bon Iver – Wash "Another artist that has shown me the importance of creating an emotional atmosphere through harmonies, layers and ad libs. This track holds such a special place in my music journey." Although Heard Right and MØØNE approach music from different creative angles, there is a clear overlap running through both selections. Atmosphere, emotion and melodic depth sit at the centre of nearly every record here, whether through immersive production, vocal performance or subtle songwriting detail. That same balance is what makes ‘Evangeline’ work so naturally. Rather than chasing obvious peaks, the track leans into feeling and texture, allowing both artists’ strengths to meet somewhere in the middle. Heard Right https://www.instagram.com/heardrightmusic https://open.spotify.com/artist/3KdFNDrWsHS0EePg8svgRl https://soundcloud.com/heardrightmusic MØØNE https://www.instagram.com/listentomoone https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kKL0Z6mypwMkgCevMfuQ6 https://soundcloud.com/moone-489760051

See How See How’s music sits in an interesting space. On the surface, records like new single ‘Kick It’ feel immediate and uplifting, built around warm synth work, chopped vocals and the sort of momentum that naturally pulls people towards a dancefloor. Spend a little more time with it though and there is usually something else sitting underneath. That tension runs throughout his forthcoming debut album, ‘Amusing Ourselves To Death’, arriving in September. Across nine tracks, the project explores themes of digital overload, modern belief systems and the ways technology increasingly shapes everyday life, but it does so without becoming heavy-handed or losing sight of the emotional release that dance music can offer. The contrast between new single ‘Kick It’ and previous release ‘My Religion’ illustrates that perfectly. While ‘My Religion’ leaned into more introspective territory, ‘Kick It’ feels brighter and more direct, something See How says was important when thinking about the wider shape of the album. “Yeah that was super important,” he explains. “‘Amusing Ourselves To Death’ is full of light and shade, joy and despair, and when planning out the singles I wanted to take listeners on a journey that reflected that. Some tracks are more immediate, others are more introspective, but all of it comes from the same place.” The album itself is rooted in observations around distraction, technology and the increasingly blurred line between escape and dependency. For See How, those ideas were impossible to ignore. “There’s a lot going wrong in the world right now,” he says. “Electronic music has long been a tool for escapism, but when the world is on fire, dance music can take on this weird nihilistic edge.” Rather than creating music that simply ignores what happens outside club walls, he wanted to confront those feelings directly. “The thing that gets me is the way we’re encouraged to zone out and self-regulate by using apps literally designed for addiction,” he explains. “Of course everyone needs an escape, but when that escape becomes monetised, addictive and divisive, then I think that’s a problem.” What stops the project becoming weighed down by those themes is the way he approaches them sonically. ‘Kick It’ in particular carries a strong emotional warmth through its vocal textures and nostalgic details. “I’ve always loved those kinds of innocent, childish textures and voices in my productions,” he says. “When it’s paired with the themes of the album, it gives it a real counterpoint and poignancy.” There is an interesting contradiction at work throughout the project too. While comparisons to artists such as Jamie xx, Joy Anonymous and Barry Can't Swim make sense sonically, there is a more reflective quality beneath the movement and groove. “To be honest, I’m not sure I’m able to do anything else,” he laughs. “My productions always lean commercial, but I can’t help pouring some deeper anxieties and meaning into them.” Rather than fighting against that, he has started embracing it. “If people hear ‘Kick It’ and like it because it sounds summery, perfect. If they dig a little deeper and start thinking about screen addiction, algorithms or the way technology shapes our lives, then great.” That idea of “interrupting the loop” sits at the centre of how he describes the single. Even if music cannot fix the wider systems surrounding technology and distraction, he still believes it can create small moments of interruption. “On the surface of it, no,” he says when asked if dance music can genuinely pull people away from modern routines. “The music industry, big tech and media are all set up to monetise distraction.” But there is still value in asking questions. “I don’t want my creativity to be in service of the status quo,” he says. “So I make accessible-sounding music that questions things and interrupts the loop, however briefly.” Interestingly, ‘Kick It’ itself clocks in at under three minutes, which feels unusual for electronic music built around club energy. But for See How, shorter structures have always felt natural. “I can’t help but make short pop structured tracks. It’s just in my DNA,” he says. “The album itself was made more for headphones, for listening at home or going about your day. The longer mix I’d leave for a live show.” There is also an awareness that technology itself is not the enemy. Throughout the album, many of the same tools being questioned also became part of the creative process. “I used AI to separate sample stems and I used Instagram to sample vocals,” he explains. “The whole album is infused with technology in order to critique that same technology.” That contradiction feels central to the project itself. Rather than offering answers, ‘Amusing Ourselves To Death’ seems more interested in opening conversations. “It’s not as simple as saying it’s all bad,” he says. “It’s more about posing the question, what kind of world do we want to build?” And when listeners eventually reach the final moments of the album later this year, there is one feeling he hopes stays with them after everything fades out. “Warmth,” he says. “The themes might be heavy, but the music is mostly euphoric, and I think there’s a cathartic release to that.” See How https://seehow.link/instagram https://seehow.link/spotify https://seehow.link/applemusic https://seehow.link/bandcamp https://seehow.link/soundcloud