Real Scenes: Johannesburg

RA tells the remarkable story of the South African city's thriving house scene.
South Africans are the biggest consumers of house music in the world, and Johannesburg is the beating heart of their scene. If you're looking for proof, there is no need to visit a nightclub. In turning on a television, listening to the radio or walking down the street, it's clear that a 4/4 pulse is the metronome of everyday life. The city's preferred sound—vocal-led, percussive, melodic—is largely at odds with what's popular in other international markets; this coupled with cripplingly slow internet speeds goes someway to explaining SA's absence from the global house music conversation.

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Music in order of appearance: 
Culoe De Song- Webaba [Soulistic Music] 2010
Black Motion- The Documentary [Kalawa Jazmee] 2013
TKZee- Palafala (Midnight Lover Mix) [BMG Records Africa] 1998
Vinny da Vinci- We Love House Music [House Afrika Records] 2004
Culoe de Song- Ambush (Culoe De Song's Voyage Dub) [Soulistic Music] 2010
TKZee- Dlala Mapantsula [BMG Records Africa] 2012
Black Motion- Manghoro [Kalawa Jazzmee] 2013
Infinite Boys ft Coco- Teka Teka [Kalawa Jazmee] 2012
Black Coffee- Trip To Lyon [Soulistic Music] 2010
Black Motion- Thrills [Kalawa Jazzmee] 2013
Jullian Gomes ft Bobby- Love Song 28 [Soul Candi Records]2011
DJ Shimza- Never Loved Anyone [Soul Candi Records] 2012

Real Scenes: Mexico City

Sep 16, 2015

Life in the Mexican capital throws up many obstacles, but as we found out in the return of our long-running film series, a small number of dedicated people are trying to build an electronic music scene in one of the world's most chaotic cities.

Mexico City is one of the largest and most vibrant metropolises in the world, but its electronic music scene has yet to truly flourish. It's a city where vast inequality, crime and widespread corruption are everyday realities, and where nightclubs are largely reserved for the moneyed elites. For those who put music first, there are many obstacles—a lack of venues, a limited audience, very little financial gain. Whether you're putting on parties, releasing music or hustling for gigs, making ends meet is a constant struggle.

But the issue also runs deeper. Malinchismo, which means a preference for the foreign over the local, is a term you hear a lot in Mexico City, and it spills over into all aspects of life. In dance music, Mexican fans and DJs will avidly follow artists from Berlin or London but pay little attention to national talent. The domestic scene therefore suffers, unable to develop an identity of its own.

In our latest Real Scenes film we travelled to the colourful, chaotic capital to meet the people who are trying to make dance music work in Mexico City. We found a core community as dedicated, talented and passionate as any in the world.

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Real Scenes: Detroit

You can't talk about electronic music without mentioning Detroit. The city's DJs and producers birthed the genre we now call techno. Detroit, however, has always had a creative streak, due in large part to the boom and subsequent bust of the auto industry. Quite simply, Detroit is a city of extremes, and its music reflects that. Detroit's importance in the global electronic music scenes is often referred to in the past tense. With the recent emergence of Kyle Hall and other young Detroit producers, however, it's clear that a spark remains. When we visited, we found a number of artists with their eyes (and ears) firmly set towards the future. After our time there, it's clear that Detroit will endure and innovate for years to come.

- Resident Advisor

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Music in order of appearance:
Scott Grooves- New Day (Part 1) [Soma Quality Recordings] 1997
Mike Huckaby- The Deep House World [Third Ear Recordings] 2010
Nick Speed for Nix Productions- Streets of Detroit [Nick Speed Music] 2011
The New Dance Show Theme- The New Dance Show (1988-1995)
Ectomorph- The Last Days Of Skylab [Interdimensional Transmissions] 1995
Norm Talley- Change (Mike Huckaby 2010 Remix) [Third Ear Recordings] (2010)
Electric Deluxe- Electric Deluxe [Plus 8 Records] 2000
Reference- Best Day in Detroit [Planet E] 2010
Drexciya- Devil Ray Cove [Tresor] 2000
Reference- Another Place [Planet E] 2011
Reuel Walker- Jazzy Hip Hop [Unreleased] 2011
Kyle Hall- Ghosten [Third Ear Recordings] 2010

Real Scenes: Berlin

RA goes to one of the most special places for electronic music in the world: Berlin. When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, techno became the underground soundtrack to the reunion between East and West. In recent years, it's become an international destination for ravers—a cheap place to party with clubs that are renowned throughout the world.

Techno has become a business in the meantime. Yet Berlin still maintains a credibility that other cities lack. To understand why, RA went to the German capital eager to find out about its unique history and the reasons behind its continued relevance.

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