Anu Shukla

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Anu Shukla

I am a UK-based journalist with bylines in The Guardian, Al Jazeera, The Telegraph, Reuters, Open Democracy, The New Arab and local news media. I have also written about music and culture for publications including Resident Advisor, DJ Mag, MixMag, VICE and more.

Rolling Stone UK •

Come Together: Girls Don’t Sync

Unapologetic in their drive for inclusivity, Girls Don’t Sync are redefining the gender balance of lineups and dance floors across the UK and beyond. In their time together, these four friends have evolved from a DJ collective into full-scale artists. With their radical reshaping of ye olde sausage fest, they could well be the Slits of the rave scene, urging the unseen, unheard, misgendered, violated and abused to claim their space. They’re sparking a movement, platforming new talent and mentori...
The Quietus •

Organic Intelligence L: The Legacy of Bollywood Disco Legend, Bappi Lahiri | The Quietus

Draped in his signature gold chains, velvet jacket, and glittering bracelets, Bollywood’s flamboyant disco king Bappi Lahiri would have been basking in the limelight of his 73rd birthday this week. Born in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, the prolific composer who electrified 80s India with his disco-infused anthems died on 15 February 2022, leaving behind a legacy that democratised music by bringing Western beats to Indian streets – sounds previously only accessible to the elite – and reshaped the coun...
Rolling Stone UK •

'I wanted to use my voice for the voiceless': DJ Snake on Nomad - Rolling Stone UK

EDM-Trap screeches through the cavernous hangar at Paris-Le Bourget Airport as 2,000-plus fans bounce in unison to the warm-up DJ. Behind the open-air stage, a private jet emblazoned with Snake’s new album title NOMAD glints under the industrial lights. DJ Snake is about to make an entrance, and the crowd is waiting for him to alight from the jet and step onto the stage any minute now. He eventually does, to rapturous applause from the roaring crowd. Fans have been waiting for this moment fo...
DJ Mag •

Documentary on Sister Nancy, Jamaican dancehall icon behind ‘Bam Bam’, set for London screening

A documentary about dancehall trailblazer Sister Nancy is being screened in London this month. As part of this year’s Women of the Lens Film Festival – a four-day event celebrating Black women in film – Alison Duke’s Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story will be screened on Thursday, 20th November, at the Garden Cinema in Holborn. The multi-award-winning documentary, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in New York last year, celebrates Sister Nancy’s incredible legacy by telling the story of her...
The Quietus •

The Strange World Of... Lovers & Lollypops | The Quietus

Two decades and 150 releases since their formation in the Porto underground, Lovers & Lollypops has grown into one of Europe's most vital connecting points for DIY culture. Anu Shukla charts their story so far via 10 key releases, from early makeshift gigs with battered soundsystems to the thriving community of today It only took Lovers & Lollypops co-founder Joaquim Durães a decade to clock what had happened: the defiant DIY label he and Márcio Laranjeiras had spawned in Porto’s abandoned corne...
Rolling Stone UK •

DJ Snake 'Nomad' review: finding emotion in chaos - Rolling Stone UK

Following two platinum albums (Encore and Carte Blanche) and over 30 billion streams, Nomad represents the next chapter in the global DJ Snake experiment. EDM-trap oracles and ravers know he can deliver festival-shaking bangers: tunes like ‘Propaganda’ and ‘Turn Down for What’ prove he can shell a system good and proper. Nomad features tracks tailored for mass appeal but also reveals the duality of thriving in both commercial and some scene-rooted spaces. Stand out tracks include ‘Patience’,...
DJ Mag •

Gaza flotilla: Berlin venue Oyoun founder released from Israeli prison as Björk calls for "safe return" of detained childhood friend

Despite threats, she said the crew maintained radio contact with Israeli forces, insisting their mission was legal under international laws including the San Remo Manual, the Geneva Convention, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Around 2 AM, she said Israeli forces boarded their boat. “Dozens of soldiers pointed guns at us with lasers on our chests. They took over the boat, kidnapped us, and brought us to Ashdod port.  “We endured severe dehumanising violence, physical and...
DJ Mag •

Berlin arts venue Oyoun founder Louna Sbou detained after Gaza flotilla intercepted

Louna Sbou, CEO of Berlin cultural venue Oyoun, is among 450 international activists detained after Israeli naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla on Thursday, 2nd October. The flotilla was carrying essential supplies to Gaza, including baby formula, medicine, and clean water. In a pre-recorded Instagram video, Sbou said: “If you see this video, I have been abducted by the IOF or similar and have been taken to Israel against my will.” She urged the German government to act immediatel...
DJ Mag •

Berlin arts venue Oyoun founder joins Global Sumud Flotilla for Gaza

The CEO of Berlin-based BIPOC arts collective and venue Oyoun has joined the Global Sumud Flotilla to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.  Artistic director Louna Sbou will sail with more than 50 vessels in the largest civilian-led maritime convoy in history. It unites global networks like the Freedom Flotilla Coalition and the Global Movement to Gaza, carrying trained crews and volunteers, including skippers, medical staff, humanitarian aid workers, content creators and public fig...
DJ Mag •

New sound system musical explores London's 1970s Black power movement

The production has set this intention with a programme of school workshops in collaboration with HighRise Theatre and the Black Cultural Archives. "The aim is to inspire young people to continue the fight against oppression while learning to protect themselves – to find the balance and make the right choices about when to stand and fight and when to safeguard their humanity," said Klein-Mekongo. Shaw builds on this ethos with a score inspired by the energy of the Black Panthers. Reflecting on wh...
DJ Mag •

Smash Repression: how Italy’s free party scene is fuelling a protest movement

Basslines pierce the air and coloured smoke swirls skyward as the sun breaks through the clouds over Lake Garda in Brescia, Italy. It’s Saturday, 10th May, and in the lakeside town of Desenzano, thousands of peaceful protestors have gathered around stationary rigs for the Garda Street Parade. They’re preparing to march alongside sound system crews Circus Bandits and Red Moon Music in the name of social justice and against state repression.  It’s a scene that’s becoming increasingly familiar in I...
DJ Mag •

Peshay leads fight against "copyright abuse" following legendary mix takedowns

A Change.org petition was launched by Pye and Peshay earlier this month, calling for an end to “abusive copyright strikes on legacy music”. As well as linking to a video showing Shazam-based evidence that ‘Links’ was created by The Chameleon, aka Mark Pritchard and Tom Middleton, the petition calls for penalties to be given for repeated fraudulent copyright claims, and for reforms to YouTube’s counter-notification process. At the time of writing, the petition has been signed over 2,300 times.  S...
DJ Mag •

Play inspired by 1992 rave at Castlemorton debuts this summer

A play about the infamous rave at Castlemorton in 1992, told from the perspective of the area’s locals, is set to premiere in the nearby town of Malvern this summer. The Last Free Rave is the work of first-time playwright Rachel Tobin and will debut on Saturday, 9th August at the Coach House Theatre as part of the Malvern Ink and Curtains Festival. Tobin, who's lived on Castlemorton Common for 20 years, told DJ Mag that the production opens with voice recordings of locals reflecting on the free...
The Guardian •

‘His delivery cut through class barriers’: Moby, Mala and other musicians on working with Benjamin Zephaniah

Tuesday marks the 67th birthday of the late Benjamin Zephaniah – revolutionary poet, playwright, musician and fearless voice for social justice – following the inaugural Benjamin Zephaniah Day held over the weekend at Brunel University. But while he is widely celebrated for his work in literature and activism, Zephaniah’s influence on music remains relatively overlooked.Emerging from the dub poetry scene, Zephaniah channelled personal experiences of systemic racism and state violence into intell...
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