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NOTION stars on the cover of Mixmag.

It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Rob Penny. After releasing one the biggest dance remixes in recent memory, the career milestones haven’t stopped piling up. But the hype isn’t going to his head, and the plan remains the same: make the music he wants to make, forever.

Read the cover feature on mixmag.net — and stay tuned for NOTION in the Mixmag Lab London dropping this Thursday.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

NOTION stars on the cover of Mixmag.

It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Rob Penny. After releasing one the biggest dance remixes in recent memory, the career milestones haven’t stopped piling up. But the hype isn’t going to his head, and the plan remains the same: make the music he wants to make, forever.

Read the cover feature on mixmag.net — and stay tuned for NOTION in the Mixmag Lab London dropping this Thursday.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

NOTION stars on the cover of Mixmag.

It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Rob Penny. After releasing one the biggest dance remixes in recent memory, the career milestones haven’t stopped piling up. But the hype isn’t going to his head, and the plan remains the same: make the music he wants to make, forever.

Read the cover feature on mixmag.net — and stay tuned for NOTION in the Mixmag Lab London dropping this Thursday.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

NOTION stars on the cover of Mixmag.

It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Rob Penny. After releasing one the biggest dance remixes in recent memory, the career milestones haven’t stopped piling up. But the hype isn’t going to his head, and the plan remains the same: make the music he wants to make, forever.

Read the cover feature on mixmag.net — and stay tuned for NOTION in the Mixmag Lab London dropping this Thursday.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

NOTION stars on the cover of Mixmag.

It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Rob Penny. After releasing one the biggest dance remixes in recent memory, the career milestones haven’t stopped piling up. But the hype isn’t going to his head, and the plan remains the same: make the music he wants to make, forever.

Read the cover feature on mixmag.net — and stay tuned for NOTION in the Mixmag Lab London dropping this Thursday.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

NOTION stars on the cover of Mixmag.

It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Rob Penny. After releasing one the biggest dance remixes in recent memory, the career milestones haven’t stopped piling up. But the hype isn’t going to his head, and the plan remains the same: make the music he wants to make, forever.

Read the cover feature on mixmag.net — and stay tuned for NOTION in the Mixmag Lab London dropping this Thursday.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

NOTION stars on the cover of Mixmag.

It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Rob Penny. After releasing one the biggest dance remixes in recent memory, the career milestones haven’t stopped piling up. But the hype isn’t going to his head, and the plan remains the same: make the music he wants to make, forever.

Read the cover feature on mixmag.net — and stay tuned for NOTION in the Mixmag Lab London dropping this Thursday.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

NOTION stars on the cover of Mixmag.

It’s been a whirlwind 18 months for Rob Penny. After releasing one the biggest dance remixes in recent memory, the career milestones haven’t stopped piling up. But the hype isn’t going to his head, and the plan remains the same: make the music he wants to make, forever.

Read the cover feature on mixmag.net — and stay tuned for NOTION in the Mixmag Lab London dropping this Thursday.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

Sometimes it feels like the global garage resurgence just can’t balloon any bigger than it already has, reaching peak after peak since its return to the big stage and chart success in the last few years. But just when you think it can’t go any more supersonic, another UK bass torchbearer steps in to take it to the next level.

Breaking through with her first major livestreamed DJ set that catapulted her to the dizzy heights of UK garage greatness in 2025, Tokyo-born, London-based @floating_riri hit a turning point. “Suddenly, things started happening that I couldn’t have imagined before,” she says.

Since watched by almost five million people around the world, that very performance showcased her immaculate ability to blend a wide array of electronic styles, from UKG into reggaeton, amapiano into Jersey club.

It’s been nothing short of a whirlwind year for the rising bass star. After embarking on a European tour in April, we caught up with riria to talk digging through strangers’ SoundCloud collections, staying true to her instincts, and helping producers’ tracks go viral with her breakout set.

She also shares a full-throttle club mix paying homage to the UK bass music she’s been influenced by since moving to London.

Read the interview and listen to her instalment of The Mix via mixmag.net.

✍️: @fooals
📸: @georgeccarr

Sometimes it feels like the global garage resurgence just can’t balloon any bigger than it already has, reaching peak after peak since its return to the big stage and chart success in the last few years. But just when you think it can’t go any more supersonic, another UK bass torchbearer steps in to take it to the next level.

Breaking through with her first major livestreamed DJ set that catapulted her to the dizzy heights of UK garage greatness in 2025, Tokyo-born, London-based @floating_riri hit a turning point. “Suddenly, things started happening that I couldn’t have imagined before,” she says.

Since watched by almost five million people around the world, that very performance showcased her immaculate ability to blend a wide array of electronic styles, from UKG into reggaeton, amapiano into Jersey club.

It’s been nothing short of a whirlwind year for the rising bass star. After embarking on a European tour in April, we caught up with riria to talk digging through strangers’ SoundCloud collections, staying true to her instincts, and helping producers’ tracks go viral with her breakout set.

She also shares a full-throttle club mix paying homage to the UK bass music she’s been influenced by since moving to London.

Read the interview and listen to her instalment of The Mix via mixmag.net.

✍️: @fooals
📸: @georgeccarr

Sometimes it feels like the global garage resurgence just can’t balloon any bigger than it already has, reaching peak after peak since its return to the big stage and chart success in the last few years. But just when you think it can’t go any more supersonic, another UK bass torchbearer steps in to take it to the next level.

Breaking through with her first major livestreamed DJ set that catapulted her to the dizzy heights of UK garage greatness in 2025, Tokyo-born, London-based @floating_riri hit a turning point. “Suddenly, things started happening that I couldn’t have imagined before,” she says.

Since watched by almost five million people around the world, that very performance showcased her immaculate ability to blend a wide array of electronic styles, from UKG into reggaeton, amapiano into Jersey club.

It’s been nothing short of a whirlwind year for the rising bass star. After embarking on a European tour in April, we caught up with riria to talk digging through strangers’ SoundCloud collections, staying true to her instincts, and helping producers’ tracks go viral with her breakout set.

She also shares a full-throttle club mix paying homage to the UK bass music she’s been influenced by since moving to London.

Read the interview and listen to her instalment of The Mix via mixmag.net.

✍️: @fooals
📸: @georgeccarr

Sometimes it feels like the global garage resurgence just can’t balloon any bigger than it already has, reaching peak after peak since its return to the big stage and chart success in the last few years. But just when you think it can’t go any more supersonic, another UK bass torchbearer steps in to take it to the next level.

Breaking through with her first major livestreamed DJ set that catapulted her to the dizzy heights of UK garage greatness in 2025, Tokyo-born, London-based @floating_riri hit a turning point. “Suddenly, things started happening that I couldn’t have imagined before,” she says.

Since watched by almost five million people around the world, that very performance showcased her immaculate ability to blend a wide array of electronic styles, from UKG into reggaeton, amapiano into Jersey club.

It’s been nothing short of a whirlwind year for the rising bass star. After embarking on a European tour in April, we caught up with riria to talk digging through strangers’ SoundCloud collections, staying true to her instincts, and helping producers’ tracks go viral with her breakout set.

She also shares a full-throttle club mix paying homage to the UK bass music she’s been influenced by since moving to London.

Read the interview and listen to her instalment of The Mix via mixmag.net.

✍️: @fooals
📸: @georgeccarr

Sometimes it feels like the global garage resurgence just can’t balloon any bigger than it already has, reaching peak after peak since its return to the big stage and chart success in the last few years. But just when you think it can’t go any more supersonic, another UK bass torchbearer steps in to take it to the next level.

Breaking through with her first major livestreamed DJ set that catapulted her to the dizzy heights of UK garage greatness in 2025, Tokyo-born, London-based @floating_riri hit a turning point. “Suddenly, things started happening that I couldn’t have imagined before,” she says.

Since watched by almost five million people around the world, that very performance showcased her immaculate ability to blend a wide array of electronic styles, from UKG into reggaeton, amapiano into Jersey club.

It’s been nothing short of a whirlwind year for the rising bass star. After embarking on a European tour in April, we caught up with riria to talk digging through strangers’ SoundCloud collections, staying true to her instincts, and helping producers’ tracks go viral with her breakout set.

She also shares a full-throttle club mix paying homage to the UK bass music she’s been influenced by since moving to London.

Read the interview and listen to her instalment of The Mix via mixmag.net.

✍️: @fooals
📸: @georgeccarr

Sometimes it feels like the global garage resurgence just can’t balloon any bigger than it already has, reaching peak after peak since its return to the big stage and chart success in the last few years. But just when you think it can’t go any more supersonic, another UK bass torchbearer steps in to take it to the next level.

Breaking through with her first major livestreamed DJ set that catapulted her to the dizzy heights of UK garage greatness in 2025, Tokyo-born, London-based @floating_riri hit a turning point. “Suddenly, things started happening that I couldn’t have imagined before,” she says.

Since watched by almost five million people around the world, that very performance showcased her immaculate ability to blend a wide array of electronic styles, from UKG into reggaeton, amapiano into Jersey club.

It’s been nothing short of a whirlwind year for the rising bass star. After embarking on a European tour in April, we caught up with riria to talk digging through strangers’ SoundCloud collections, staying true to her instincts, and helping producers’ tracks go viral with her breakout set.

She also shares a full-throttle club mix paying homage to the UK bass music she’s been influenced by since moving to London.

Read the interview and listen to her instalment of The Mix via mixmag.net.

✍️: @fooals
📸: @georgeccarr

“Absolute honour to get in the Mixmag Lab last week, unreal energy from everyone in the room start to finish! Hope you have as much fun watching it back as I did playing the set” - @notion_dj

Our latest cover star NOTION lays down a peak-time set in the Mixmag Lab London 🔗

“Absolute honour to get in the Mixmag Lab last week, unreal energy from everyone in the room start to finish! Hope you have as much fun watching it back as I did playing the set” - @notion_dj

Our latest cover star NOTION lays down a peak-time set in the Mixmag Lab London 🔗

“Absolute honour to get in the Mixmag Lab last week, unreal energy from everyone in the room start to finish! Hope you have as much fun watching it back as I did playing the set” - @notion_dj

Our latest cover star NOTION lays down a peak-time set in the Mixmag Lab London 🔗

“Absolute honour to get in the Mixmag Lab last week, unreal energy from everyone in the room start to finish! Hope you have as much fun watching it back as I did playing the set” - @notion_dj

Our latest cover star NOTION lays down a peak-time set in the Mixmag Lab London 🔗

“Absolute honour to get in the Mixmag Lab last week, unreal energy from everyone in the room start to finish! Hope you have as much fun watching it back as I did playing the set” - @notion_dj

Our latest cover star NOTION lays down a peak-time set in the Mixmag Lab London 🔗

“Absolute honour to get in the Mixmag Lab last week, unreal energy from everyone in the room start to finish! Hope you have as much fun watching it back as I did playing the set” - @notion_dj

Our latest cover star NOTION lays down a peak-time set in the Mixmag Lab London 🔗

“Absolute honour to get in the Mixmag Lab last week, unreal energy from everyone in the room start to finish! Hope you have as much fun watching it back as I did playing the set” - @notion_dj

Our latest cover star NOTION lays down a peak-time set in the Mixmag Lab London 🔗

It’s back! We’re teamed up with @burn_energy once again for the Burn Energy tour 2026 — the international party series that brings together some of the biggest names in dance music and the next wave of collectives powering underground communities.

Following two fiery editions of the Burn Energy Tour in 2024 and 2025, the third iteration will see us expand across Europe and Morocco, touching down in seven cities and visiting some of the world’s most vibrant underground music scenes.

Some of the names set to be involved in the Burn Energy Tour 2026 so far include @shanticeleste, @tshamusic,@drbananana, @mozeydnb, @kolegajj and @nicomoreno_music.

This year’s edition will put even more of a focus on the hardworking collectives powering some of the world’s hottest underground music scenes, including @echo.7000, @saknys.culture, @detgodeselskab_records, @antidoto.club, @_crimecrime, @safeandsoundro, and @exist.pl.

Find all the details on Mixmag.net.

It’s back! We’re teamed up with @burn_energy once again for the Burn Energy tour 2026 — the international party series that brings together some of the biggest names in dance music and the next wave of collectives powering underground communities.

Following two fiery editions of the Burn Energy Tour in 2024 and 2025, the third iteration will see us expand across Europe and Morocco, touching down in seven cities and visiting some of the world’s most vibrant underground music scenes.

Some of the names set to be involved in the Burn Energy Tour 2026 so far include @shanticeleste, @tshamusic,@drbananana, @mozeydnb, @kolegajj and @nicomoreno_music.

This year’s edition will put even more of a focus on the hardworking collectives powering some of the world’s hottest underground music scenes, including @echo.7000, @saknys.culture, @detgodeselskab_records, @antidoto.club, @_crimecrime, @safeandsoundro, and @exist.pl.

Find all the details on Mixmag.net.

The Mixmag Photo Entry is open!

Once again, we’re looking for aspiring photographers in the clubbing or festival world to get in touch for the opportunity to have your work posted on our socials. 

All you need to do is submit your photos with your name, social handle, when/where these shots were taken and some context about them to us via photo.entry@mixmag.net.

Please do not submit images that are not your own, and please get the consent of the people featured in the images before sharing.

Deadline: Monday 18th May

📸: @kitasheroconnor

The Mixmag Photo Entry is open!

Once again, we’re looking for aspiring photographers in the clubbing or festival world to get in touch for the opportunity to have your work posted on our socials. 

All you need to do is submit your photos with your name, social handle, when/where these shots were taken and some context about them to us via photo.entry@mixmag.net.

Please do not submit images that are not your own, and please get the consent of the people featured in the images before sharing.

Deadline: Monday 18th May

📸: @kitasheroconnor

Avalon Emerson tells us a dream line-up from Open to Close at @skyline.festival.

Inspired by memories from XOYO to New York to San Fransico to Panorama Bar, @avalon9000 takes us on an international journey with her selections.

It’s the mid-2000s, and in a family home somewhere in the West Midlands countryside, a young Rob Penny is turning the dining room at the back of the house into a makeshift studio. He’s cooking up tunes, layering his own lyrics and vocals over instrumentals in this little haven overlooking the garden. It’s his whole world. “I used to do that all day, every day… all my free time,” recalls Penny, better known to fans for the feelings-first, cross-pollinated dance anthems he dishes out as NOTION.

His parents were (and still are) musical – more on a passion tip than anything super professional – which explains the recorder knocking about in the cupboard, and their full support throughout this quite literal space-shifting. The kids at school, where he’d bring in CDs, were less fussed. But that didn’t put him off. He was always going to make the music he wanted to hear. For himself, first and foremost. There’s never been a plan B.

@notion_dj wants to make music forever. He says this almost in passing while talking about the routes he could take in the face of a smash hit. “You could rinse some hype for two years and probably do really well out of it, but I feel like that’s a short-lived way of doing it…” he ponders.

Has that ever been the motivation? No. So he won’t be swayed now. Staying tapped in with that kid version of himself, noodling away and getting inspired in the studio, is way more his speed.

Read the cover feature via mixmag.net and check out his Mixmag Lab on YouTube.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

It’s the mid-2000s, and in a family home somewhere in the West Midlands countryside, a young Rob Penny is turning the dining room at the back of the house into a makeshift studio. He’s cooking up tunes, layering his own lyrics and vocals over instrumentals in this little haven overlooking the garden. It’s his whole world. “I used to do that all day, every day… all my free time,” recalls Penny, better known to fans for the feelings-first, cross-pollinated dance anthems he dishes out as NOTION.

His parents were (and still are) musical – more on a passion tip than anything super professional – which explains the recorder knocking about in the cupboard, and their full support throughout this quite literal space-shifting. The kids at school, where he’d bring in CDs, were less fussed. But that didn’t put him off. He was always going to make the music he wanted to hear. For himself, first and foremost. There’s never been a plan B.

@notion_dj wants to make music forever. He says this almost in passing while talking about the routes he could take in the face of a smash hit. “You could rinse some hype for two years and probably do really well out of it, but I feel like that’s a short-lived way of doing it…” he ponders.

Has that ever been the motivation? No. So he won’t be swayed now. Staying tapped in with that kid version of himself, noodling away and getting inspired in the studio, is way more his speed.

Read the cover feature via mixmag.net and check out his Mixmag Lab on YouTube.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

It’s the mid-2000s, and in a family home somewhere in the West Midlands countryside, a young Rob Penny is turning the dining room at the back of the house into a makeshift studio. He’s cooking up tunes, layering his own lyrics and vocals over instrumentals in this little haven overlooking the garden. It’s his whole world. “I used to do that all day, every day… all my free time,” recalls Penny, better known to fans for the feelings-first, cross-pollinated dance anthems he dishes out as NOTION.

His parents were (and still are) musical – more on a passion tip than anything super professional – which explains the recorder knocking about in the cupboard, and their full support throughout this quite literal space-shifting. The kids at school, where he’d bring in CDs, were less fussed. But that didn’t put him off. He was always going to make the music he wanted to hear. For himself, first and foremost. There’s never been a plan B.

@notion_dj wants to make music forever. He says this almost in passing while talking about the routes he could take in the face of a smash hit. “You could rinse some hype for two years and probably do really well out of it, but I feel like that’s a short-lived way of doing it…” he ponders.

Has that ever been the motivation? No. So he won’t be swayed now. Staying tapped in with that kid version of himself, noodling away and getting inspired in the studio, is way more his speed.

Read the cover feature via mixmag.net and check out his Mixmag Lab on YouTube.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

It’s the mid-2000s, and in a family home somewhere in the West Midlands countryside, a young Rob Penny is turning the dining room at the back of the house into a makeshift studio. He’s cooking up tunes, layering his own lyrics and vocals over instrumentals in this little haven overlooking the garden. It’s his whole world. “I used to do that all day, every day… all my free time,” recalls Penny, better known to fans for the feelings-first, cross-pollinated dance anthems he dishes out as NOTION.

His parents were (and still are) musical – more on a passion tip than anything super professional – which explains the recorder knocking about in the cupboard, and their full support throughout this quite literal space-shifting. The kids at school, where he’d bring in CDs, were less fussed. But that didn’t put him off. He was always going to make the music he wanted to hear. For himself, first and foremost. There’s never been a plan B.

@notion_dj wants to make music forever. He says this almost in passing while talking about the routes he could take in the face of a smash hit. “You could rinse some hype for two years and probably do really well out of it, but I feel like that’s a short-lived way of doing it…” he ponders.

Has that ever been the motivation? No. So he won’t be swayed now. Staying tapped in with that kid version of himself, noodling away and getting inspired in the studio, is way more his speed.

Read the cover feature via mixmag.net and check out his Mixmag Lab on YouTube.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

It’s the mid-2000s, and in a family home somewhere in the West Midlands countryside, a young Rob Penny is turning the dining room at the back of the house into a makeshift studio. He’s cooking up tunes, layering his own lyrics and vocals over instrumentals in this little haven overlooking the garden. It’s his whole world. “I used to do that all day, every day… all my free time,” recalls Penny, better known to fans for the feelings-first, cross-pollinated dance anthems he dishes out as NOTION.

His parents were (and still are) musical – more on a passion tip than anything super professional – which explains the recorder knocking about in the cupboard, and their full support throughout this quite literal space-shifting. The kids at school, where he’d bring in CDs, were less fussed. But that didn’t put him off. He was always going to make the music he wanted to hear. For himself, first and foremost. There’s never been a plan B.

@notion_dj wants to make music forever. He says this almost in passing while talking about the routes he could take in the face of a smash hit. “You could rinse some hype for two years and probably do really well out of it, but I feel like that’s a short-lived way of doing it…” he ponders.

Has that ever been the motivation? No. So he won’t be swayed now. Staying tapped in with that kid version of himself, noodling away and getting inspired in the studio, is way more his speed.

Read the cover feature via mixmag.net and check out his Mixmag Lab on YouTube.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

It’s the mid-2000s, and in a family home somewhere in the West Midlands countryside, a young Rob Penny is turning the dining room at the back of the house into a makeshift studio. He’s cooking up tunes, layering his own lyrics and vocals over instrumentals in this little haven overlooking the garden. It’s his whole world. “I used to do that all day, every day… all my free time,” recalls Penny, better known to fans for the feelings-first, cross-pollinated dance anthems he dishes out as NOTION.

His parents were (and still are) musical – more on a passion tip than anything super professional – which explains the recorder knocking about in the cupboard, and their full support throughout this quite literal space-shifting. The kids at school, where he’d bring in CDs, were less fussed. But that didn’t put him off. He was always going to make the music he wanted to hear. For himself, first and foremost. There’s never been a plan B.

@notion_dj wants to make music forever. He says this almost in passing while talking about the routes he could take in the face of a smash hit. “You could rinse some hype for two years and probably do really well out of it, but I feel like that’s a short-lived way of doing it…” he ponders.

Has that ever been the motivation? No. So he won’t be swayed now. Staying tapped in with that kid version of himself, noodling away and getting inspired in the studio, is way more his speed.

Read the cover feature via mixmag.net and check out his Mixmag Lab on YouTube.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

It’s the mid-2000s, and in a family home somewhere in the West Midlands countryside, a young Rob Penny is turning the dining room at the back of the house into a makeshift studio. He’s cooking up tunes, layering his own lyrics and vocals over instrumentals in this little haven overlooking the garden. It’s his whole world. “I used to do that all day, every day… all my free time,” recalls Penny, better known to fans for the feelings-first, cross-pollinated dance anthems he dishes out as NOTION.

His parents were (and still are) musical – more on a passion tip than anything super professional – which explains the recorder knocking about in the cupboard, and their full support throughout this quite literal space-shifting. The kids at school, where he’d bring in CDs, were less fussed. But that didn’t put him off. He was always going to make the music he wanted to hear. For himself, first and foremost. There’s never been a plan B.

@notion_dj wants to make music forever. He says this almost in passing while talking about the routes he could take in the face of a smash hit. “You could rinse some hype for two years and probably do really well out of it, but I feel like that’s a short-lived way of doing it…” he ponders.

Has that ever been the motivation? No. So he won’t be swayed now. Staying tapped in with that kid version of himself, noodling away and getting inspired in the studio, is way more his speed.

Read the cover feature via mixmag.net and check out his Mixmag Lab on YouTube.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

It’s the mid-2000s, and in a family home somewhere in the West Midlands countryside, a young Rob Penny is turning the dining room at the back of the house into a makeshift studio. He’s cooking up tunes, layering his own lyrics and vocals over instrumentals in this little haven overlooking the garden. It’s his whole world. “I used to do that all day, every day… all my free time,” recalls Penny, better known to fans for the feelings-first, cross-pollinated dance anthems he dishes out as NOTION.

His parents were (and still are) musical – more on a passion tip than anything super professional – which explains the recorder knocking about in the cupboard, and their full support throughout this quite literal space-shifting. The kids at school, where he’d bring in CDs, were less fussed. But that didn’t put him off. He was always going to make the music he wanted to hear. For himself, first and foremost. There’s never been a plan B.

@notion_dj wants to make music forever. He says this almost in passing while talking about the routes he could take in the face of a smash hit. “You could rinse some hype for two years and probably do really well out of it, but I feel like that’s a short-lived way of doing it…” he ponders.

Has that ever been the motivation? No. So he won’t be swayed now. Staying tapped in with that kid version of himself, noodling away and getting inspired in the studio, is way more his speed.

Read the cover feature via mixmag.net and check out his Mixmag Lab on YouTube.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

It’s the mid-2000s, and in a family home somewhere in the West Midlands countryside, a young Rob Penny is turning the dining room at the back of the house into a makeshift studio. He’s cooking up tunes, layering his own lyrics and vocals over instrumentals in this little haven overlooking the garden. It’s his whole world. “I used to do that all day, every day… all my free time,” recalls Penny, better known to fans for the feelings-first, cross-pollinated dance anthems he dishes out as NOTION.

His parents were (and still are) musical – more on a passion tip than anything super professional – which explains the recorder knocking about in the cupboard, and their full support throughout this quite literal space-shifting. The kids at school, where he’d bring in CDs, were less fussed. But that didn’t put him off. He was always going to make the music he wanted to hear. For himself, first and foremost. There’s never been a plan B.

@notion_dj wants to make music forever. He says this almost in passing while talking about the routes he could take in the face of a smash hit. “You could rinse some hype for two years and probably do really well out of it, but I feel like that’s a short-lived way of doing it…” he ponders.

Has that ever been the motivation? No. So he won’t be swayed now. Staying tapped in with that kid version of himself, noodling away and getting inspired in the studio, is way more his speed.

Read the cover feature via mixmag.net and check out his Mixmag Lab on YouTube.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

It’s the mid-2000s, and in a family home somewhere in the West Midlands countryside, a young Rob Penny is turning the dining room at the back of the house into a makeshift studio. He’s cooking up tunes, layering his own lyrics and vocals over instrumentals in this little haven overlooking the garden. It’s his whole world. “I used to do that all day, every day… all my free time,” recalls Penny, better known to fans for the feelings-first, cross-pollinated dance anthems he dishes out as NOTION.

His parents were (and still are) musical – more on a passion tip than anything super professional – which explains the recorder knocking about in the cupboard, and their full support throughout this quite literal space-shifting. The kids at school, where he’d bring in CDs, were less fussed. But that didn’t put him off. He was always going to make the music he wanted to hear. For himself, first and foremost. There’s never been a plan B.

@notion_dj wants to make music forever. He says this almost in passing while talking about the routes he could take in the face of a smash hit. “You could rinse some hype for two years and probably do really well out of it, but I feel like that’s a short-lived way of doing it…” he ponders.

Has that ever been the motivation? No. So he won’t be swayed now. Staying tapped in with that kid version of himself, noodling away and getting inspired in the studio, is way more his speed.

Read the cover feature via mixmag.net and check out his Mixmag Lab on YouTube.

Words: @jasmineks
Photography: @taylerprincefraser
Art Direction, Design & Motion: @nennotnan
1st Photography Assistant: @eddie.davi3s
2nd Photography Assistant: @031999130t0sr
Stylist: @itsdaryon
Editor & Digital Director: @patrickhinton
Shot at: @studiomondelondon

Here’s a first look at the full line-up for Boomtown’s “groundbreaking” HYDRO XL stage, fka HYDRO.

HYDRO XL is expanding in 2026, increasing in size by 150% to an enormous capacity of 20,000. The fan-favourite stage takes over the space formerly held by the Origin Stage, moving to the heart of Downtown.

It’s one of the first festival stages in the world to run entirely on green hydrogen, delivering “emission-free energy”.

The full 2026 bill for the newly-expanded stage includes Skrillex, Brutalismus 3000, Oppidan, Azyr, VTSS, NOTION, Four Tet, Floating Points, and many more.

Swipe to check out the full line-up for HYDRO XL.

Here’s a first look at the full line-up for Boomtown’s “groundbreaking” HYDRO XL stage, fka HYDRO.

HYDRO XL is expanding in 2026, increasing in size by 150% to an enormous capacity of 20,000. The fan-favourite stage takes over the space formerly held by the Origin Stage, moving to the heart of Downtown.

It’s one of the first festival stages in the world to run entirely on green hydrogen, delivering “emission-free energy”.

The full 2026 bill for the newly-expanded stage includes Skrillex, Brutalismus 3000, Oppidan, Azyr, VTSS, NOTION, Four Tet, Floating Points, and many more.

Swipe to check out the full line-up for HYDRO XL.

Here’s a first look at the full line-up for Boomtown’s “groundbreaking” HYDRO XL stage, fka HYDRO.

HYDRO XL is expanding in 2026, increasing in size by 150% to an enormous capacity of 20,000. The fan-favourite stage takes over the space formerly held by the Origin Stage, moving to the heart of Downtown.

It’s one of the first festival stages in the world to run entirely on green hydrogen, delivering “emission-free energy”.

The full 2026 bill for the newly-expanded stage includes Skrillex, Brutalismus 3000, Oppidan, Azyr, VTSS, NOTION, Four Tet, Floating Points, and many more.

Swipe to check out the full line-up for HYDRO XL.

Here’s a first look at the full line-up for Boomtown’s “groundbreaking” HYDRO XL stage, fka HYDRO.

HYDRO XL is expanding in 2026, increasing in size by 150% to an enormous capacity of 20,000. The fan-favourite stage takes over the space formerly held by the Origin Stage, moving to the heart of Downtown.

It’s one of the first festival stages in the world to run entirely on green hydrogen, delivering “emission-free energy”.

The full 2026 bill for the newly-expanded stage includes Skrillex, Brutalismus 3000, Oppidan, Azyr, VTSS, NOTION, Four Tet, Floating Points, and many more.

Swipe to check out the full line-up for HYDRO XL.

Here’s a first look at the full line-up for Boomtown’s “groundbreaking” HYDRO XL stage, fka HYDRO.

HYDRO XL is expanding in 2026, increasing in size by 150% to an enormous capacity of 20,000. The fan-favourite stage takes over the space formerly held by the Origin Stage, moving to the heart of Downtown.

It’s one of the first festival stages in the world to run entirely on green hydrogen, delivering “emission-free energy”.

The full 2026 bill for the newly-expanded stage includes Skrillex, Brutalismus 3000, Oppidan, Azyr, VTSS, NOTION, Four Tet, Floating Points, and many more.

Swipe to check out the full line-up for HYDRO XL.

Here’s a first look at the full line-up for Boomtown’s “groundbreaking” HYDRO XL stage, fka HYDRO.

HYDRO XL is expanding in 2026, increasing in size by 150% to an enormous capacity of 20,000. The fan-favourite stage takes over the space formerly held by the Origin Stage, moving to the heart of Downtown.

It’s one of the first festival stages in the world to run entirely on green hydrogen, delivering “emission-free energy”.

The full 2026 bill for the newly-expanded stage includes Skrillex, Brutalismus 3000, Oppidan, Azyr, VTSS, NOTION, Four Tet, Floating Points, and many more.

Swipe to check out the full line-up for HYDRO XL.

Here’s a first look at the full line-up for Boomtown’s “groundbreaking” HYDRO XL stage, fka HYDRO.

HYDRO XL is expanding in 2026, increasing in size by 150% to an enormous capacity of 20,000. The fan-favourite stage takes over the space formerly held by the Origin Stage, moving to the heart of Downtown.

It’s one of the first festival stages in the world to run entirely on green hydrogen, delivering “emission-free energy”.

The full 2026 bill for the newly-expanded stage includes Skrillex, Brutalismus 3000, Oppidan, Azyr, VTSS, NOTION, Four Tet, Floating Points, and many more.

Swipe to check out the full line-up for HYDRO XL.

“So gassed to run up a set in the Mixmag Lab & test out a load of new bits from me/pals for such an iconic series” - @fon.zo

Minimal grooves and bass-heavy beats from Fonzo’s set at our recent Mixmag Lab with cover star @notion_dj

Full set now up to watch back ⤴️🔗

“So gassed to run up a set in the Mixmag Lab & test out a load of new bits from me/pals for such an iconic series” - @fon.zo

Minimal grooves and bass-heavy beats from Fonzo’s set at our recent Mixmag Lab with cover star @notion_dj

Full set now up to watch back ⤴️🔗

“So gassed to run up a set in the Mixmag Lab & test out a load of new bits from me/pals for such an iconic series” - @fon.zo

Minimal grooves and bass-heavy beats from Fonzo’s set at our recent Mixmag Lab with cover star @notion_dj

Full set now up to watch back ⤴️🔗

“So gassed to run up a set in the Mixmag Lab & test out a load of new bits from me/pals for such an iconic series” - @fon.zo

Minimal grooves and bass-heavy beats from Fonzo’s set at our recent Mixmag Lab with cover star @notion_dj

Full set now up to watch back ⤴️🔗

“So gassed to run up a set in the Mixmag Lab & test out a load of new bits from me/pals for such an iconic series” - @fon.zo

Minimal grooves and bass-heavy beats from Fonzo’s set at our recent Mixmag Lab with cover star @notion_dj

Full set now up to watch back ⤴️🔗

“So gassed to run up a set in the Mixmag Lab & test out a load of new bits from me/pals for such an iconic series” - @fon.zo

Minimal grooves and bass-heavy beats from Fonzo’s set at our recent Mixmag Lab with cover star @notion_dj

Full set now up to watch back ⤴️🔗

“So gassed to run up a set in the Mixmag Lab & test out a load of new bits from me/pals for such an iconic series” - @fon.zo

Minimal grooves and bass-heavy beats from Fonzo’s set at our recent Mixmag Lab with cover star @notion_dj

Full set now up to watch back ⤴️🔗

“So gassed to run up a set in the Mixmag Lab & test out a load of new bits from me/pals for such an iconic series” - @fon.zo

Minimal grooves and bass-heavy beats from Fonzo’s set at our recent Mixmag Lab with cover star @notion_dj

Full set now up to watch back ⤴️🔗

New data has revealed that there was a massive 567% rise in “phone-free” events across the globe last year.

The study analysed event listings ranging from “raves to analogue game nights” featuring “phone-free” or “photo-free” terminology in the calendar between the years 2024, 2025 and Q1 of 2026, finding a huge surge in the number of events and attendance in that period.

The research, which was conducted as part of a study by Eventbrite, also placed the UK as a “global leader” in phone-free events, with the number increasing by 1,200% in that same period, and attendance at said events growing by 1,441%.

In the US, the number of listings rose by 337% and attendance grew by 913%, which the report claims represents a “transition to larger, communal experiences”.

In the first quarter of 2026, phone-free events have already increased by over a third of last year’s global event volume.

Read more on Mixmag.net

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

Historically Los Angeles’ underground hasn’t received the same attention as the likes of New York, London and Berlin. Strict alcohol laws mean anything above aboard has to close at 2:AM, so late-night parties find illegal solutions. Operating on a need-to-know basis by design has kept things under the radar. Everyone knows Tresor, fabric and Paradise Garage, but in LA there are no anchor clubs to mythologise around. Even now, visitors to the city, or locals who don’t fall in with the right people, can struggle to find what’s good. It’s still true: if you know, you know.

Events giant @insomniacevents is an outlier when it comes to LA nightlife flying under the radar, having achieved global notoriety. These days the promoter is best known for running large-scale EDM festival Electric Daisy Carnival, however, its roots trace back to illegal parties in LA which began in 1993.

In 2016 Insomniac signalled a return to those roots, launching sub-brand @thefactory93 with a series of house and techno parties at 1756 Naud Street. Founding a festival, a major part of Insomniac’s modern operation, was a natural step. Remarkably by today's standards, the first LA edition of @skyline.festival in 2022 was seen as a risk at that time, balancing house and techno heavyweights with a sprinkling of more commercial names. But it sold-out, emboldening the team in the strength of this direction.

In 2024 a stage dedicated to DJs making moves in LA’s thriving rave underground was launched. All major cities have needle-moving artists who are integral to the health of dance scenes at ground level, but they’re not often afforded the same renown as international touring DJs who fly in and capitalise upon that grassroots grind.

In 2026 upon Skyline’s move to a new location in the heart of Downtown, the Arts District is arguably the best stage, representing its boldest programming to date. And in a time where festivals can be accused of cannibalising underground nightlife, a model for bucking that trend.

Read the full feature on mixmag.net.

✍️: @patrickhinton

📸: @dnz_media @jamal.eid @imkeiki @kristinabakrevski @scotchphotos

How Lamsi and Saidah made ‘Nice + Slow’

This Nervous Records release has the Amsterdam-based DJs linking up on a fusion of UKG and Afro-diasporic bass.