The ocean is the site of rebirth, a place of curiosity and a home for an alternative, Afrofuturist ideology that continues to pulse through Black culture. In her mix for Refraction, Father Dukes explores the resiliency of culture, and music as a force of vitality and creation.
For over three decades, visual artist Abu Qadim Haqq has created artworks for Detroit techno and adjacent electronic music that depict entire worlds, decolonial incursions beyond human experience, fragmented within the space and format of vinyl records.
For this season's theme of Minted Chaos, Refraction and Pure Rave are partnering on an audio experiment inviting the extended Refraction community to create their own Chance Dance audio piece in Pure Rave style. Selected tracks will then be published on Nina Protocol.
While Pure Rave cites experimental turntablists like Christan Marclay and Maria Chavez as influences, they also are working within the rich history of Detroit electronic music, with an origin story linked to the Motor City's robust and historic dance music scene.
Working at the boundaries of hip-hop, deconstructed club, and stoner electronics from the likes of 063N13, JWords, dreamcastmoe, LATASHÁ, Prefuse 73, and Aluna, the ZeroSpace lineup complemented the visual world that reflects the diversity and vision of the Refraction community.
Internat radio stations have popped up in cities on almost every continent, dedicated to platforming a diverse array of sounds from places big and small, bringing local micro-scenes to the entire world.
FLEX AVE showcased Flex Dance Music icons Epic B, Hitmakerchinx, and Uninamise, who set the stage for the subculture's distinct contortionist choreography, tracing the kinetic connections across Black music history while building Afrofuturist worlds of sound and dance.