Episode 91

“We need the young generation, energy and ideas to carry it forward.”

For this episode of the Telekom Electronic Beats podcast we turn our focus towards two driving forces in the contemporary UK Drum & Bass scene, namely DJ Flight and Mantra.
DJ Flight is widely recognised as a pioneering artist in the D&B scene and was the first woman to host a radio show focused on the genre with the The Next Chapter on BBC Radio 1Xtra. On top of this she’s held down residencies at Metalheadz and Swerve, collaborated with Breakage and Redeyes and runs her own label Play:Musik. Mantra, alongside partner Double O, also found her way into the spotlight through her highly acclaimed Rupture events which over the past 12 years has welcomed the likes of D-Bridge and Doc Scott amongst many others, the club nights accompanying label has also released material from Forest Drive West, Coco Bryce and more and Mantra’s own productions have garnered widespread support from many leading figures in the field.
Throughout the podcast our host Lindi Delight discussed the pair’s EQ50 initiative which endeavours to bring a more equal representation within the genre, while also offering mentorship for women and non-binary people. The three also discuss the history of Drum & Bass, Tokenism and how everyone in the industry can help bring more balance and diversity to the electronic music scene in general.