The opportunity for celebration is one of the singular allures of a nightclub. Weekend in and weekend out, these are the spaces that transgress from the traditional moors of society by existing for the sheer sake of listening, communion and pleasure. Two years of the pandemic have only further underscored this point. 2022, in many ways, feels like a new chapter for those in the nighttime industry, so recently reminded of the brevity of life, and that alone is an occasion worth honouring. Music is a miracle. There has been a perspective shift for Resident Advisor, too. Over the last 18 months, just as we entered our 21st year, we have overhauled our business with new leadership, new governance and a renewed direction.

RA was founded as the world greeted the 21st century. The new millennium, soundtracked by the boisterous gloss of Daft Punk’s French touch and its sonic antithesis, the rotund, syncopated, and often pensive basslines of dubstep, felt staggering in its raw potential. It was the early internet era when producers began scrolling through the skeletal webpages of forums like Dogs on Acid or Hollerboard and the nascent technological changes to electronic music culture only whispered at the drastic evolutions to come. RA made its own mark during this time, with its own digital magazine and its own online congregation of heads; founded by Nick Sabine and Paul Clement, its original focus telescoped in on the local Australian scene before throwing its gaze internationally shortly thereafter. Over two decades later, RA remains as independent and as diligent in our support of the dance music milieu as we were when we first started. Join us in celebrating our 21st birthday—but not, of course, without commemorating the vibrant community that got us here.

From now through November, RA will launch a cross-platform dedication to the past, present and future of electronic music. Our birthday is less about who we are, but rather an ode to the sacred spaces from which this entire culture came. In realising this, we've tapped a group of influential DJs, venue owners, journalists and artists to individually pen love letters to the nightclubs that defined their lifelong endeavours into dance music. These will take shape in a book—with excerpts appearing on site, read aloud on the Exchange, and cross promoted across socials—all published in the next few weeks.

This special occasion also intersects with the UK's Black history month, meaning there will be additional deference given to the living history of Black artists during this time. Our audio content will fold in Exchanges hosted by journalist Vanessa Maria in collaboration with Black Minds Matter alongside RA2122-specific podcasts, freshly culled by our music editor Andrew Ryce with an ambitious selection in line.

No birthday is complete without a proper party, and we're in the business to make it one to remember. Without revealing too much, RA plans to touch down to Manchester on November 11 and 12th and New York on November 19th for a full programme spanning day and night, topped off by a lineup curated to catapult revellers into the early hours of the next morning—details forthcoming on our news channel. Head of films Sophie Misrahi will also debut videos documenting these live events for those who don't get the chance to attend.

Keep an eye out and don’t forget to RSVP. As always, see you front left.

Manchester events
RA2122 - Editorial program
RA2122 - Night
RA2122 - Day

New York events
RA2122 - Day
RA2122 - Night