IT’S no secret that the UK’s nightlife has been facing a devastating crisis for some time and while there are some positive signs for the future, mainly due to the resilience of this very creative industry, we must continue to support and celebrate one of our most important creative sectors, encourage new talent and really be proud of the rich cultural contribution we offer to the world as one of the global hubs.
In 2024 alone, we’ve seen three clubs close every single week. This isn’t just a statistic — it’s the heartbeat of our music culture fading away. Since 2020, we’ve lost 480 venues, a staggering 41% in some regions.
As the head of Cubism Records, I’ve seen first-hand the impact this has had on both established venues and the underground scene. But through all of this, one thing has become clear: The Night Bazaar and platforms like it are more vital than ever in keeping our music alive.
For the first time in the 12 years I have been supporting dance music at The Sun, I have curated my own playlist for The Night Bazaar and I want to use this opportunity not just to share more great music with you but to underline why the underground community is so important and must be nurtured. The world of music would be a very sterile, boring place without a thriving night life industry nurturing new and emerging talent that inspires, evolves and moves this versatile culture forwards. Talent is incubated in clubs not at festivals.
The Night Bazaar in all its various incarnations over the last decade has always stayed true to the ethos of supporting the underground, even as the landscape shifts. We’re not curating obvious music or regurgitating press releases or asking obvious questions and we certainly don’t follow trends; we’re trying to provide a stage for the underground to survive — and, more importantly, to thrive as we rightly pay homage to the superstar DJs while highlighting the overlooked talent who are passionately making the music they play.
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has called for immediate government support — whether through VAT cuts or business rate relief — to save the essential spaces across the country. These clubs are more than just venues; they’re cultural hubs. Without them, we risk losing a key part of the UK’s cultural fabric, and that’s not something we can afford to let happen.
As I look at the future, I know that The Night Bazaar will continue to play a role in supporting artists, labels, and fans alike. We’ll continue bringing you dynamic features from a wide variety of artists every week and surprise you with music that you never knew you needed in your life, while staying true to the underground. We need to celebrate this enduring culture and the music that continues to enthral generation after generation.
I hope you enjoy my playlist below which is made up of music chosen from my summer playlists.
Sauerbach – The People
This is a track I produced with my friend Neil Barber ten years ago almost to the day, a few days after my best friend Wayne Sauerbach suddenly passed away. It is a tribute to Wayne. Inspired by Empire Of The Sun’s classic track We Are The People this track was made with tears in our eyes. I included it on my Lunacy Sound Division album Front Page Acid as it that means so much to me and is an integral part of my musical journey.
Ian Brown – Stellify (Lunacy Sound Division Remix)
The first of a couple of unreleased bootlegs in my list which I have included not just because I love a well made bootleg, but because I think it illustrates and hopefully will inspire new producers to experiment with great music which inspires your creativity as a DJ and a producer. The original version of Stellify by Ian Brown is a deeply personal track to my daughter Estella and I. She asked me to DJ at her 21st birthday party in May this year and I made this specially to kick off the set I played that night as a surprise for her.
Fleetwood Mac – Dreams (Budakid Hyper Edit)
This new edit of Fleetwood Mac’s masterpiece Dreams is unreleased and I came across it when the man responsible for this electronic version, Budakid gave it away for free to anyone that could be bothered to check it out. This kind of reimagining has very much inspired me to explore some of my favourite music from the world of pop, rock, christian rap, trap, whatever!
ANOTR, Leven Kali, Erik Bandt – How You Feel
I first heard this on a social media video Luciano and Marco Carola playing back to back at Destino in Ibiza earlier this summer and while they were surrounded by cameras, instagram plastic people and the atmosphere was causing a slew of negative comments, I just heard the music and the look on Carola and Luciano’s faces when it dropped. If the show ponies didn’t feel it, they did. And so did I. Since I got my own copy of this tune it’s become my favourite track from the summer and I was very happy when Luciano dropped it at the DJ Awards afterparty at Club Chinois in Ibiza earlier this month.
PAWSA – Too Cool To Be Careless
What a whopper from PAWSA. I have yet to meet someone that doesn’t love this track. A reimagining of Dennis Edwards classic Don’t Look Any Further. PAWSA has sprinkled magic here and created something special for any dance floor. Mix it with house, techno, whatever and the result is fire.
WhoMadeWho – Never Alone (Patrice Bäumel Remix)
This has been out for some time but Patrice Bäumel had me enthralled with this remix of the amazing Swedish electronic band’s Never Alone track. Patrice included it in the playlist he compiled for The Night Bazaar last year and it’s a track I stick on if I need a lift. Beautiful energy. I met up with Jeppe Kjellberg from WhoMadeWho at the DJ Awards earlier this month and we chatted about our mutual admiration for what Patrice did with his track among other things.
Laurent Garnier – Let the People Faire la Fête
The French maestro always delivers and pushes electronic music forward with everything he does. I heard Sven Vath drop this in Ibiza and the warm bass enveloped the floor in the open evening air at Las Dalias for his Catharsis closing and it was one of many tracks from that party that I had to track down in the days following.
Gregor Tresher – Quiet Distortion (Bart Skils Remix)
Another track that really stood out this year, again delivered to my ears during Sven’s epics sets in Mannheim, London and Ibiza but one I just kept forgetting to track down and when I did try asking my fellow Cocooneros making the bass growl in the hope they would know I drew a blank for months! I should have known however that it was a Gregor Tresher track as it bears all the hallmarks. Remixed by Bart Skils the energy is huge in this tune and feels like this was made especially for Sven!
Sven Väth – L’Esperanza (Hardspace Remix)
Crikey, another track courtesy of the German Maestro. It’s no secret that I am a bit of a fan boy, and I make absolutely no apology for that. Sven and Ralf Hildenbeutel released the original way back in 1992. This Hardspace Remix had me bamboozled in Mannheim in April this year when Sven pulled it out of the bag towards the end of his epic set at Time Warp. I had to sit down afterwards.
Saytek – AS1D
Joseph Keevill aka Saytek is one of my close friends and I’ve shared over a decade curating Cubism with him and supporting his incredible music. This track is taken from his recent Octival EP release on Cubism and shows why acid will never, ever get boring and is in safe hands with Saytek.