RA Podcast Folgen

Bitter Babe takes the second half of RA.997, revelling in the fullness of the Latin electronic continuum. As part of our countdown to the 1000th edition of the RA Podcast, a milestone in the 18-year history of Resident Advisor's weekly mix series, we're switching up the usual format. This week, following heady excursions through Lagos, Kampala, Detroit and Chicago, our focus shifts to Latin America—arguably the story in underground electronic music since the pandemic. After years of being all but ignored internationally, the glut of special club sounds coming out of Peru, Brazil, Colombia and beyond have finally received their flowers. Among the movement's great success stories are two artists who exemplify its refreshingly undogmatic energy: Verraco and Bitter Babe. Bitter Babe, naturally, takes the B. As a DJ, she reflects the fullness of the Latin electronic experience—"diverse, messy, emotional, political and full of contradictions," as she says in her interview. Her rollicking rides through guaracha, dembow, cumbia, techno and everything in between are powerful counters to anyone who believes the culture begins and ends with Shakira and Bad Bunny. And, as she'd like to remind everyone, "not every offbeat rhythm with Latin percussion is reggaeton." Skip through the 60-minute mix and you'll hear wildly different rhythms at every juncture. Surely, you might assume, at the expense of flow? And yet enjoyed (as intended) from start to finish, the tunes gel like milk and honey, each silky transition subtly phasing in fresh tones and percussive flourishes. It's fast, feverish and intensely riveting. Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/1001

The Medellín maverick opens RA.997 with another mind-altering home run. As part of our countdown to the 1000th edition of the RA Podcast, a milestone in the 18-year history of Resident Advisor's weekly mix series, we're switching up the usual format. This week, following heady excursions through Lagos, Kampala, Detroit and Chicago, our focus shifts to Latin America—arguably the story in underground electronic music since the pandemic. After years of being all but overlooked internationally, the explosion of distinctive club sounds emerging from Peru, Brazil, Colombia and beyond has finally begun to get its due. Among the movement's great success stories are two artists who exemplify its refreshingly undogmatic energy: Verraco and Bitter Babe, and the former handles the A-side of RA.997. Is there a more compelling electronic artist around right now? Both in the studio and behind the decks, the Medellín-based DJ and producer currently sits in that coveted creative sweet spot, where every fresh musical morsel feels like a moment. To bask in any of his singular tracks on VOAM, Timedance and now XL Recordings, is to be bowled over by their rhythmic brilliance, madcap hooks and whirlpool basslines. ("Basic Maneuvers," anyone?) His mix is tough to pin down—a blend of dubby techno, tribal atmospheres, slanted bass and sharp edits. Or, as he puts it in the accompanying interview: “an intersection between dub-infused techno but with some flow, reduced atmospheric tribal, edgy bass cuts, mental emo-tek.” There’s plenty of unreleased TraTraTrax material here, alongside tracks from artists like Virginia, A Made Up Sound and a euphoric flip of Ploy’s “Ramos.” Slippery, emotional and surgically precise, it’s Verraco doing what he does best. Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/1000

Part two of RA.996 comes from a modern-day house luminary. As part of our countdown to RA.1000, a milestone in the 24-year history of RA's weekly mix series, we're switching up the usual format. The next few editions will pair two acts who compliment each other's strengths, offering a fresh take on a particular community, scene or style. This week, we're zeroing in on two names who fly the flag high for old-school, US house—a foundational pillar of the electronic underground. The first half comes from Ron Trent, which you can read more about here. On the B-side is Ash Lauryn. Hailing from Detroit, she's a modern-day house savant. Her comprehensive understanding of the genre's history—knowledge gained from the Detroit greats who that inspired her—and her own inimitable blend of old-world soul meets new-school grooves make her a force to be reckoned with. A former RA contributor, Lauryn keeps it real, whether in the booth or beyond. A role model to a new generation of DJs, she can just as easily be found teaching workshops at Underground Music Academy in Detroit or sharing tricks of the trade in the green room at some of the best clubs in the world. An unwavering champion of Black dance music, the Atlanta resident makes it a point to play as much Black American music as possible, as she told us in her 2019 podcast. Not much has changed since then. Her contribution to RA.996 spans favourites like Larry Heard, Mood II Swing, Byron The Aquarius, Moodymann, Ron Trent and plenty of Detroit heavy-hitters. Listened to together, both mixes are a powerful snapshot of house's timeless elegance and, most importantly, understated yet innately euphoric joy. Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/998