Ria Hylton

London

Albums Editor at DJ Mag TM

Album reviews editor @DJmag, NCTJ-trained journalist. Views are all mine I [email protected]

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Articles

DBN Gogo: connecting the dots

1 week ago | djmag.com | Ria Hylton

Credit: @mini__photography Saturday evening, mid-March 2020. Mandisa Radebe steps into the DJ booth at Soweto’s Moja Café for a mix that will make an impact far beyond Gauteng. The first half is pure South African old school — beloved house cuts from the early ’00s through ’10s — followed by a final hour of amapiano that will command the crowd into chorus.
Losing sleep in Tromsø, Norway's techno capital

Jan 14, 2025 | djmag.com | Ria Hylton

Insomnia 2024 opens on sacred land five kilometres outside Tromsø’s city centre. A 30-minute walk through the forests of Tromsdalen takes us to an open-air stage flanked by a small campfire down slope and a traditional Sámi hut, offering hot drinks for new arrivals. Tromsdalstinden, a holy mountain, overlooks the stage, its steel frame wrapped in forest branches flooded in a devilish red light. By 6:30pm the sky is pitch-black.
Fresh Kicks 215: Mera Bhai

Oct 16, 2024 | djmag.com | Ria Hylton

Credit: Dav Stewart (@davstewart)“I’ve been in this industry for so long that I just know how it works,” Mera Bhai tells DJ Mag. “You’re constantly giving away your power, attributing your value to other people — labels, agents, management — you’re constantly giving it away.” We’re on the topic of Bhai’s Instagram page, which has grown from 3,000 to 64,000 followers in a short span of time.
On Cue: Jeremy Sylvester, UK dance music’s underground champion

Oct 9, 2024 | djmag.com | Ria Hylton

Jeremy Sylvester’s debut album says it all. ‘Underground Hero’, released in August this year, is a clear nod to his 2022 DJ Mag Best of British award win, but it’s also a deep dive on his musical roots: dubbed-out breakbeat, warbling garage, classic 2-step, lush 4/4 — it’s all there. The producer witnessed the hardcore-into-jungle evolution, dropping a few breaks classics himself, and rode the UKG wave into the charts at the turn of the century.
30 years of the CDJ: the technology that revolutionised DJ culture

Sep 25, 2024 | djmag.com | Ria Hylton

The CDJ officially turns 30 this year. Its sleek metallic casing, weighty, ribbed jog wheel and increasing precision have made it a booth staple world-over, supplanting the Technics 1210 as the industry standard. And though clearly modelled on the wheels of steel, AlphaTheta — previously known as Pioneer — has kept pace with a rapidly changing digital landscape, in a way its analogue forerunner never could.
30 years of the CDJ: the technology that revolutionised DJ culture

Sep 25, 2024 | flipboard.com | Ria Hylton

New solar cells break efficiency record – they could eventually supercharge how we get energy from the SunThe sight of solar panels installed on rooftops and large energy farms has become commonplace in many regions around the world. Even in grey and …
10 essential house music documentaries to watch online now

Jul 30, 2024 | djmag.com | Ria Hylton

Disco’s revenge turns 40 this year. In 1983, a young Chicago DJ by the name of Jesse Saunders linked up with record producer Vince Lawrence to recreate a record that had been stolen from his bag — a bootleg disco megamix by Mach titled ‘On & On’.
Fresh Kicks 210: Stella Zekri

Jun 12, 2024 | djmag.com | Ria Hylton

When French singer Stella Zekri arrived in Berlin nearly a decade ago she had “zero interest in club culture”, only dreams of building on her vocal chops. Her first DJ gig was as an impromptu fill-in at her local corner pub when someone failed to show. She nipped home, returned with some 40 records and began learning on the job, spinning hip-hop, R&B, neo soul, funk and disco for around four hours. “It really flew by,” she tells DJ Mag.
Quality time: the new era of hi-fi listening bars

Jun 6, 2024 | djmag.com | Ria Hylton

Credit: Tom Van HuisstedeThis feature was originally published in DJ Mag's May 2024 print edition, shortly before JAZU announced that it would be leaving its Peckham venue. The team have now revealed they will be opening a new space in South East London this summer. Learn more here. South London’s JAZU belongs to a new generation of hi-fi audio bars.
On Cue: Marcia Carr’s passion and faith

May 1, 2024 | djmag.com | Ria Hylton

“There were times, I can’t do it now — don’t even ask me — where I ran up walls and did backflips.” On what feels like one of the coldest days of the year, DJ Mag is sitting opposite Marcia Carr, electronic music aficionado and stalwart of the UK underground.