Interviews - Mixmag Asia

Vani Dewan is the neuroscientist-DJ explaining why your brain loves the dancefloor

Bridging the lab & the booth, the USC doctoral researcher makes the case for clubbing as a brain science by diving into the “social benefits from dancing alongside strangers”

How Rainbow Disco Club mastered the art of growing without losing its essence

From a hillside in Shizuoka to now reaching stages across the world, we spoke to the team about their programming philosophy, what organic growth actually looks like, and the choices that have kept people coming back

A look inside HighHouse: Singapore's nightlife venue that's more than just the view

Recently the home of Mixmag Asia's CIRCUITS, we spoke with the team about creating a space built around sound, culture, food & connection

The end of Singapore's Headquarters was always part of the plan

For the past 10 years, Thugshop built the city’s most beloved underground space, then chose exactly when to walk away from it. The team shares what it actually takes to protect a room from the inside out.

"The call has only grown louder with time": the return of the UK's seminal South Asian club night, Swaraj

After a 16-year hiatus, founder Ash Chandola reflects on what the movement meant then, what its revival means now, and that Asia might be next on its map

Jeff Mills: “Techno is the perfect universal language in which to communicate”

Ahead of his Mainland China debut, The Wizard shares with us on the excitement of “first encounters” & unpacks the craft behind ‘Live at Liquid Room – Tokyo’

Kaishandao 开山刀: Bridging Aotearoa & Asia

Writer Martyn Pepperell speaks with an artist, blogger and promoter with two feet proudly at two opposite ends of the globe

Excursions: MÖTH RADIO is Hong Kong’s here-and-now, win-win platform

Operating as both event host & DJ learning hub, the collective connects foundational training, community outreach & livestreaming for manifestly inclusive underground music culture

Inside MŌCANA: Teddy Maithai’s cross-cultural world of art, film, fashion & dancefloors

"We’re not an event that throws parties and has cool art in it. We’re a multi-disciplinary pop-up exhibition that connects all types of creatives from various backgrounds."

Perpetual jazz: Kuniyuki’s sound is shaped through the void of time

As he prepares to take over Hong Kong's Salon10 this weekend, Kuniyuki Takahashi discusses borderless expression, primordial influence & the emotional depth behind his approach to music

A glimpse into the intersection of music, art, fashion & AI with 0010x0010

“I don’t make work for algorithms. I make the work first. If it spreads, that’s a side effect,” the artist says ahead of his Taipei debut at SIGNAL | NØISE

“For all the misfits in the world”: Peter Hook shares why The Haçienda was and still is ahead of its time

The venue's former co-owner looks back on a space that turned DJs into demigods, the importance of inclusion & the shared euphoria that made The Haçienda a global cultural force

Inside Justin Guan’s vision for China’s next entertainment era

The INS Land President breaks down the brand’s growing ecosystem & explains how Tomorrowland’s debut in China reflects a new era for urban nightlife

Dresden on the art of going forward and never arriving

As a duo built on friendship, Ivan Smagghe & Manfredas reflect on connection, unusual sets, plus share a list of Asian artists they admire

Slowmouth is sending honest signals through his Morsecode label

From Cheonan to Berlin, the producer reflects on humble beginnings, a growing imprint & Asia’s rising frequency; all after an anniversary event that was one for the books

“The different DJ”: an unfiltered look inside the mind & sound of Hiroko Yamamura

The Chicago sound flagbearer talks about identity, the significance of her Japan tour, her intuitive club philosophy, plus the fact that she has “no idea” why she ended up being a DJ

The often unsung scene of Cambodia

Insight & stories from artists, promoters & nightlife pioneers carefully rebuilding a community from fragments of a very different-sounding past

The Twelve Points Records story: how two Manila DJs built a label to share music that feels good

Co-founder Tomas Cabili reveals how a simple idea—to release music they love—grew into a label that celebrates community, collaboration, and the many sounds of the region

“Jazz is the teacher”: Theo Parrish on tradition, records & the roots of dance music

The Detroit innovator considers the balance between past & future, along with how truth, people & physical sound shape his philosophy today

“It’s a movement being shaped in real time”: Bass Crawl sets the tone for Filipino bass identity

Through Continuum Bass’ multi-venue event and a decentralised vision, the collective founded by Ezzrei is reshaping how local artists reinterpret global bass culture with Southeast Asian roots

Inside Glastonbury’s South Asian-focused Azaadi Stage in full colour

Making its debut drenched in marigolds, we chat with curator Bobby Friction about the festival’s latest addition that delivered a vibrant, rhythmic celebration of culture & innovation