Beat Wala

Music is more than sound. It carries identity, memory, community, resistance & even rebellion.It builds bridges across generations, defines places, and reflects the social and cultural realities we inhabit. In Ibiza, music has long been a defining cultural force — shaping the island’s stories, rituals, and global imagination.For a very special episode of Beat Wala, we invited an audience to Soho House on the island intimate conversation with a trio of guest speakers who influence and shape today’s musical landscape.Guest Speakers:Igor Marijuan: Music director AkashaSharon Simonetta:  ChinoisManu Gonzalez: DJ / ProducerTogether we explored how music has shaped the islands cultural identity and what Ibiza’s musical culture reveals about who we are today. We heard how sound becomes both a cultural archive and a catalyst for transformation. Thank you to Manu for the opening track, One Kiss Ft Kiki. Please support us to cotinue to create these panels talks this summer on Beat Wala by joining our Patreon.

In this special Beat Wala conversation recorded at International Music Summit in Dubai, I sit down with London born DJ/producer, songwriter and Femme fest founder, Megatronic. She has been immersed within the music scene for over 20 years, fortifying her unmatched talent and know-how around the industry. From her roots in techno and electro to her long-running work as a broadcaster and scene connector, Megatronic shares honest reflections on longevity, integrity, and what it really means to build a career in electronic music over time. We talk about the evolution of club culture, the responsibility of selectors, and why staying curious — musically and personally — matters more than ever.Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠

In this episode, Jo Youle sits down with global dance music pioneer Loco Dice to explore the storytelling and return to his hiphop roots with his new album Purple Jam — a project that showcases many new collaborations, community, and plenty of groove.From his early days in the hip-hop underground to unforgettable back-to-back sets with Carl Cox, Marco Carola, and the DC10 family, Dice shares the moments that shaped his journey and the friendships that continue to push him forward. He opens up about the emotional core of Purple Jam — a record built through connection — and how working alongside his long-time collaborator and album co-producer brought new color and freedom to his sound.Together, Jo and Dice reflect on:How Carl Cox’s friendship & mentorship helped define his DJ philosophy.The balance between discipline and improvisation when playing B2B on stage.The energy of Ibiza’s DC10 from Cirillo and his early days on the terrace.It’s a soulful sofa conversation with one of the scene’s most respected artists — a man who continues to innovate without losing sight of where it all began.Follow Beat Wala on Youtube to hear more stories behind the sounds shaping club culture today.Listen to Purple Jam Please Support us become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership Instagram : Beat Wala

In this special live edition of Beat Wala recorded at the CultTech Summit in Vienna, host Jo Youle sits down with French electronic artist and producer , DeLaurentis, also known as "The Woman Machine" — to explore how artificial intelligence and human emotion can co-exist in the creative process.  DeLaurentis shares her journey from classical piano to crafting her own unique “musicalism” — a synesthetic world where colour, texture, and sound merge into cinematic, electronic storytelling. 💬 Topics in this episode:  - The birth of “Musicalism” — composing through colour and emotion  - How AI becomes a creative partner, not a threat   - Recording in Spatial Audio - Voice Manipulation - Finding authenticity in digital artistry  - The role of storytelling in sound and visual identity  - What the future looks like for hybrid musicians  Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠💻 More episodes on our ⁠YouTube ⁠🔗 Follow Beat Wala: @beatwalamusic 🔗 Follow DeLaurentis: ⁠@delaurentismusic⁠

Episode 24 is a very special edition of Beat Wala recorded in front of a LIVE audience on the rooftop of The Standard Ibiza overlooking Dalt vila for our first collaboration with Beat Hotel. It was a pleasure to explore the intersection of sound, identity, and creativity in this very special release and mixtape from Nightmares on Wax, Echo45 Sound System. The Tape comes as the latest release from the very much loved island resident George Evelyn whose legacy spans three decades, almost two of which have been spent here in Ibiza. Host and music journalist, Jo youle, was joined also by his art director and collaborator on the tape, British Menswear Designer, Nicholas Daley - renowned for exploring the interplay of fashion, music and culture.Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠

In this episode of Beat Wala, Jo Youle catches up with GoldFish – the South African live electronic duo whose fusion of jazz, dance, and deep house has taken them from the beaches of Cape Town to some of the world’s biggest festival stages.We dive into:🌍 How Cape Town shaped their sound and musical identity🎷 Blending live instruments with beats🎶 Stories from their breakout albums and international tours🎛️ The magic (and chaos) of performing live electronic sets🚀 Their evolution from beach bars to headlining global events and their residency at Pacha in ibiza for fours years💡 What’s next for GoldFish in 2025 and beyond.Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠

We sit down in Ibiza with the legendary Kevin Saunderson – one of the founding fathers of Detroit Techno, a member of the Belville Three along with Juan Atkins & Derrick May, as well as a true pioneer of electronic music.From shaping the sound of techno in the ’80s to his iconic work with Inner City and his groundbreaking sets at clubs and festivals worldwide, Kevin shares an inside look at his incredible four-decade journey and some of the worst jobs he did along the way to buy his first set of decks from a pawn shop to receiving the legend award at IMS this year. We talk about:🎶 How Detroit’s underground shaped the birth of techno🏠 The magic behind Inner City’s timeless hits🚀 The evolution of electronic music and its future🎛️ Kevin’s creative process in the studio and behind the decks🌍 Building a lasting global legacy while staying true to Detroit rootsWhether you’re a DJ, producer, or dance music lover, this conversation dives deep into the culture, history, and future of techno from one of its true innovators.Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠⁠

Bailey has been entrenched in drum & bass and jungle since the earliest chapters of the movement.From his role on pirate station Energy FM to his residency with Metalheadz during its most era-defining Blue Note moments and his 10 year tenure at BBC Radio 1Xtra and RINSE FM, he is one of the pioneers of the scene and has been right in the heart of it for more than four decades. In this special chat recorded at the International Music Summit, he talks us through how his resolute, inspired and dedicated journey have made him one of the most consistent selectors and supporters of the genre in every possible direction. Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠⁠

In this special edition of Beat Wala, recorded live at IMS Ibiza, we sit down with a true trailblazer in electronic music: the world’s first female drum & bass and jungle MC. With raw honesty and vibrant energy, she shares the untold story of carving a path through a male-dominated scene at a time when women on the mic were unheard of. From underground raves to international stages, her voice became the pulse of a movement, inspiring generations to come.We explore the resistance she faced along the way—dismissal, exclusion, and systemic bias that often tried to silence her. But she didn’t back down. Instead, she turned her mic into a weapon and her rhymes into resistance, proving over and over that lyrical mastery knows no gender. This episode dives deep into the resilience it takes to stand your ground, claim space, and challenge the norms in one of the most hardcore scenes in electronic music.Through her stories of persistence, sisterhood, and sonic rebellion, this conversation becomes more than music—it’s a manifesto for any woman who’s been told she doesn’t belong. Whether you’re an MC, a fan of the jungle, or someone fighting to be seen, this episode delivers a fierce dose of inspiration from a woman who broke the mold and never looked back.Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of Beat Wala, we speak with leading neuroscientist Dr. Julia Basso as part of AlphaTheta’s documentary: We Become One.Julia shares her research into how the brain processes music, how rhythm and sound influence emotion, and what happens neurologically when people experience music together and dance. We explore how music affects memory, mental health, and why shared musical moments feel so powerful—both individually and collectively.This conversation brings a scientific lens to the emotional experience of music and opens up new ways of understanding connection through sound.Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠⁠

In this brand new series of Beat Wala we team up with AlphaTheta, the parent company behind the iconic Pioneer DJ brand, known globally for shaping the landscape of electronic music through cutting-edge technology and innovation. We are back in Ibiza for the next few episodes and today we sit down with one of the most exciting and boundary-pushing DJs to emerge from the underground in recent years — Kikelomo.She was the lead artist in the recent documentary We Become One: The Power Of The Shared Musical Experience and she tells us how she stepped into the spotlight to go on a journey to learn why people choose music as a vehicle to connect with others, appreciating it as a universal "language" that speaks to everyone. And how the human brain harnesses sound to evoke euphoria and reduce stress."She is London-born and Berlin-based, and brings a bold,  fearless approach to club culture, blending UK sounds, bass-heavy rhythms, and genre-defying energy in every set. As a broadcaster, Boiler Room host, radio station founder and passionate community builder, she’s become a powerful voice in shaping the future of dance music — not just behind the decks, but through activism, inclusivity, and intention.Today we are here to talk about music as a healing force, the neuroscience behind the dancefloor, and what it really means to create safe, transformative spaces through sound.Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠⁠

In this episode of Beat Wala, we dive deep into the sonic journey of Bushwacka!, aka Matthew Benjamin — a true pioneer of the UK underground, previously one half of the legendary duo Layo & Bushwacka!.From his early roots in the acid house explosion of the late ‘80s to becoming a cornerstone of the global tech-house movement in the 2000s, Bushwacka’s path through music is as iconic as it is evolving. We talk about his London legacy and his residencies at The End nightclub, what it was like shaping a sound that defined a generation, and his transition into a powerful solo career that’s still pushing boundaries today.Mathew is about to release another new album very soon and has just started a monthly Ibiza residency at Pikes, where you can see him in action all summer. Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠⁠

We head to London to meet Kidnap and talk about the release of his second album, Something Lost, Something Gained.The record chronicles his shift from playing endless shows and constantly touring and releasing music to becoming a dad for the first time and explore feeling all the feels of loss relating to his close knit group of friends. Over the past decade, the UK-based artist made a name for himself with his rich, evocative soundscapes, winning over a global fanbase and he is still playing some smaller shows in London and next month in India, but things have calmed down considerably. Matt says last year was mostly him making music at home alone and in his studio, despite collborations on the new record with Leo Stannard again and this year he wishes to work with more outside influences once again. Lost Without You and Feels Like Home both feature female vocalist Gabrielle Aplin and are stand out singles which have been leading up to last years release.Please support us to cotinue to create these panels talks this summer on Beat Wala by joining our ⁠Patreon. ⁠

In our last Episode recorded at ADE we hear from NYC born and raised techno Queen Louisa Pilot about her struggles in the music industry and how she is now working with those suffering with mental health issues and to help create a safer dance floor and world where these conversations can be had. Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠⁠

Archie Hamilton joins us at the Amsterdam Dance Event to talk us through his remarkable rise through the ranks of the house and techno world and gives us his take on how Ibiza Summer 2024 went down at Paradise, where he played five gigs, headlining the final affair. Archie used lockdown to create a lot of music and talks to us about those moments he felt his career could have taken a nose dive but luckily he soon re-boarded his International touring train and the trajectory of his has been high rolling ver since. He was an early originator of a new European sound, with his unique take on minimal house and techno: his signature sound of rugged basslines and ethereal atmospherics has established itself firmly on dance floors around the world.
 2022 marked the launch of Archie's MicroHertz label, a venture that curates and releases music from a diverse array of artists within the scene. The label has quickly made its mark as a go-to for cutting-edge music, consistently appearing in the charts across the platforms and regularly included in the DJ sets of the best in the industry.Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠⁠

We meet Detroit duo, Octave One, at ADE in the first of three shows recorded at the Andaz Hotel in Amsterdam last month. Brothers Lenny and Lawrence Burden made their techno debut on Derrick May´s Transmat label with I Believe in 1989. It was the start of their 35 year career and was included on the compilation Techno 2: The Next Generation. It marked the start of their LIVE performance and shows they deliver in a very hardware heavy fashion. With their other brother Lynell, they formed the record label 430 West Records to release the vinyl record Octave One "The Octivation EP" and have remixed recordings for Massive Attack, Joey Negro, DJ Rolando, Steve Bug amongst many others. In 2000 they released their most commercially successful recording, "Blackwater" but say it took them in a direction they didn´t want to go and returned quickly to a more underground style.Please Support us become a Patreon member: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/BeatWala/membership⁠⁠⁠

After nearly a decade producing mostly mainstream artists in LA, Osunlade headed East, took a two-year spiritual sabbatical and launched Yoruba Records. Early on, he established two rules: 1) only sign artists willing to be mentored, and 2) only release works you believe in. In today´s podcast with Jo Youle, he explains how these artists have become his family and he only starts to release records after roughly four years and he really gets to know people. He created five albums in the pandemic and is in the process of putting this music out after a hugely prolific spell whilst the world slowed down. Taking time out to become ordained as a Yorubian Priest also had a huge impact on his sound. He moved to NYC, went to a lot of house parties in the late 90´s and crafted a more folklore focussed style of electronic music we hear in his sets today.

Henrik Schwarz, an internationally renowned music producer and composer known for his eclectic musical approach to composition and sound design, joins us in Ibiza for Episode 11 at Sunset overlooking Dalt Vila. As a producer and performer, he has successfully maintained a balance between electronic music, classical and jazz, and between energetic, highly charged dance sets at huge Techno events and concert performances in seated auditoriums. He explains his love for techno to podcast host Jo Youle in todsays episode and says that when he first heard it in his local club, he found it "horrible," until Jeff Mills turned up one day, took charge and literally "opened the door" for him, so that he could finally wrap his head around it. He says for him techno "is the most open music he can think of," and he hasn´t looked back. Amongst those whose work he’s tailored for the global dance floor are Michael Jackson, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Boy George, Coldplay and Mary J. Blige. Since 2002, Schwarz has been releasing his own music, and has accrued over 250 music releases.

One half of Groove Armada, Andy Cato, joins us as we celebrate 25 years of House music record label, Defected. The electronic duo, made up of Tom Findlay and Andy, put out their latest EP, Freejamm on DFTD, a sub label of Defected back in May and in this episode Andy shares how they created the tracks and plan to release more new music very soon with them. Tom recently made a trip to New York where he hit A1 records and Andy says they needed excess baggage to return from the trip with the amount of samples they plan to go through to start putting out some new projects, including one featuring Candi Staton. Groove Armada play Defected´s next Tuesday party at Ushuaia on 10 September.

New York-based DJ and Grammy nominated record producer Danny Tenaglia joined music journalist Jo Youle for an explosive start to Series 02 in front of a live audience on the rooftop of W Hotel Ibiza. They first met at DC10 more then twenty years ago and Danny spent an hour revealing some of his finest stories, from starting to DJ at the tender age of 15 after his brothers snuck him into a club to see the scene that would become his life for the next 5 decades. His success came not behind a major label release, or a world tour, or a hit remix. It happened when enough people had the private Tenaglia experience for themselves. He has held residencies at Twilo, Vinyl, The Tunnel and so many other of NYC´s finest establishments, but it was not until he returned from Miami playing at Cheers, that he began to produce his own music. In 1998 Danny released his LP titled Tourism which featured his track “Elements,” which he talks us through the making of in todays conversation, as well as how he "borrowed" a few bits off Moby to craft the song. With his own warped voice providing the narration, “Elements” walked the listener through the different components of a dance track in real time, going from kick to drum loop to snare hit, letting each layer over the other until the track exploded with dark, drum-heavy energy. “Music is the answer” came next featuring Celeda which he explains started over a phone call with the vocalist and after a short get together, Be Yourself was also created during the few spare hours at the end of the session. Music is the Answer is now 25 years old, about the same mental age as Danny´s huge heart and never ending passion for his music, which he still making today, with his the latest release landing on Nervous Records soon.

Róisín Murphy has been performing live for almost 30 years and her music has always stood out in terms of the eclecticism from record to record. As she has morphed from one half of being Moloko, to striking as a solo artist, her sound has changed dramatically, especially with her latest and sixth studio album, Hit parade, that came out last year. A brand new remix package of some of those tracks has also just dropped, which forms part of the exploration of this conversation. From working with Moodyman and his unique vision for his version of What Not To Do, to artists she already has relationships with like Ruf Dug, Roisin says "no amount of begging will get you a good remix," and that it is down to an artists vision for the track. She gave all those who worked on her Remixes free reign to choose which, if any, songs they wished to work on and the results are a series of tracks that will fire up any dance floor. Join us for our FREE launch party in Ibiza this weekend as our second guest of the series, NYC House legend Danny Tenaglis will be joining us for a LIVE interview and then play at W Ibiza. Sign up for the Guest list Here

Today we are joined by Matt Black, one half of Coldcut, who are renowned as pioneers of pop sampling in the 1980s. The duo are also considered the first stars of UK electronic dance music due to their innovative style, which features chopped up samples of hip-hop, soul, funk, spoken word and various other types formats as well as video and multimedia.... The British born electronic duo also started Ninja Tune an English independent record label based in London. We caught up with Matt at the IMS in Ibiza after he featured on a panel discussing the labels success stories.

Ben Westbeech has his roots steeped in the Bristolian music scene and is a producer, vocalist, DJ and classically trained cellist and pianist who lives in Ibiza. As a teenager, he got hooked on knock-off rave tapes and bought his first decks when he was only 12 and went to his first parties at Bagleys in London´s Coal Drops Yard. He has since worked under many aliases and switched music styles, which he says is due to the fact he makes music for himself, not an audience. Ben´s work has ranged from Jazz to hip hop, house and drum and bass and he has worked with a broad array of talent, from DJ Marky and Redlight to Kelis and Gilles Peterson, and combines his collaborative instincts with making his own stuff and running his own record label. His latest record which is scheduled for June is called Everything is Within You and Ben gave us an exclusive listen and chance to include one, as yet unreleased track, at the end of the episode, All in You (46.10).

Martin Stimming joins us to talk about his latest album Elderberry, which is a Live Techno concept LP in our next episode, which he says in parts is “mildly aggressive.”The fifth track on board, called The Seeker, is a moment where things get a little bit harder on the all hardware effort and he says it was created during lockdown at his Hamburg home. The german music producer is well known for using hand-made sounds and field recordings in his compositions, and crafting improvised sounds during live sets, but making this record was very much a static process for the tan tracks on board. He explained how he moulded a deeper, more techno oriented sound in parts, which he had time to systematically put together while taking care of his three sons. Elderberry was unleashed in full playback session at Akasha Ibiza where we recorded this interview after a full analysis.It’s out now on Carl Cox & Christopher Coe´s record label, Awesome Sound Wave, which is a 100% live artist label, focused on live electronic music artists.

Ten years ago we met French electronic duo, dOP at the Pacha Hotel, before their gig at Wisdom of the Glove with Guy Gerber. In today´s Episode we hear what wisdom they have collected through 30 years of friendship after meeting at school.The pair play and perform 100% their own music and we had an honest heart felt chat at Pikes about their party days, becoming a father (Damian Vandesande) and how that has changed things, discuss their time living and producing in Berlin compared to Paris for inspiration and how that shaped their musical identity, plus their sources of inspiration and why there is so much “hype” in the music industry around certain artists and how that can destroy everything for some and make or break bands.Not to mention that “Horny” moment in the pool at Sonar Festival and THAT video that went viral as a result and how it impacted their notoriety.

Christian Löffler joins us to talk about his new album, "A Life" for our third edition of Beat Wala and explains why his latest record is a departure from his usual love of melancholic music. Löffler delves into unexplored territory by looking into the influence of artificial intelligence in music making and reflects on his personal musical journey in this podcast recorded before his show at Akasha in Ibiza. He says, reworking the likes of Chopin, Bach and Beethoven for Deutsche Grammaphon marked a turning point for him. After the release of Parallels: Shellac Reworks as part of the DG initiative The Shellac Project, it gave him a lift.The German conceptual artist and composer was forced to step away from well-trodden paths to create his own interpretations of the classical greats which, as he explains, opened up a welcome dialogue between past and present and allowed him to step into a new future of the way he creates, which is demonstrated, on A Life´s first single, Roused with Malou.

Our second guest in the Beat Wala series is Tulum based artist Eduardo Castillo. He seeks out spaces in which self-expression, rediscovery and human connection can prosper, adapting musically to each environment. His sound encompasses the depth of his studies in the industry and influences stemming from a South American and European upbringing. He crafted his art through music composition, orchestration and was also training to become a tenor in opera during his time in New York after leaving his Venezuelan home aged 18. His in depth study provide him with a vast understanding of harmonies, dynamics and musical textures and last summer he brought The Overview Effect to Ibiza where Jo Youle hosted todays conversation in his private, temporary home in the island countryside. He frequently fuses Jazz, Avant-Garde, Middle Eastern, South American, Afro-Cuban folk, Soul, Funk, and Electronic Minimalism, in his compositions, live shows, his singing, and his DJ sets, whether in their pure from or intertwined with down, mid or up-tempo electronic treatments. Ultimately, simplicity is what Eduardo strives for. An effort is always made to have fresh, organic sound while inevitably providing touches of technological advances shaping music today.

Our very first Episode of Beat Wala is Live featuring New York Artist, DJ and producer OVEOUS, who tells us how the death of his brother inspired him to create the uplifting music and words he shares today.His younger brother Carlos Paul, who used to go by the name of Ziiinc Blue suffered from depression and tragically ended his time with us on October 6 2002.OVEOUS says he was an incredible lyricist and he wished to take him to the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and felt he could be discovered. When he went to clear his apartment he found a book of rhymes and he says his brothers spirit came in and guided him to use his own voice and find his way to performing for the first time - which landed him a standing  ovation.The rest as they say is history, but today OVEOUS uses his poetry and lyrics in live performance to enhance his musicianship and creativity at festivals and live shows.For the full story head to Spotify on the the link in our @Beatwalamusic instagram Biog to watch the video & hear the episode.

This is Beat Wala. Serving up the stories behind the beats - and taking you straight to the soul of exceptional artists, as we sit down every week to unravel what fuels their artistic expression and creation with Music Journalist Jo Youle.