Blog - EDM

Diplo has been fined €300,000 after hosting an unauthorized rave in one of Spain’s most heavily protected natural areas, Diario de Ibiza reports. 

The fine, which was confirmed this week by Ibiza's Department of Activities, ranks among the harshest penalties dished out by the storied party island for an unlicensed gathering. Advertised to millions of followers on Diplo’s social media, the event in June 2024 reportedly drew hundreds of partygoers to Cala D’Hort, a scenic beach nestled along the western coast of Ibiza, in San Josep de sa Talaia.

It overlooked a bluff near Es Vedrà, a rocky island that forms part of a Natura 2000 site and an Area of Special Natural Interest (ANEI), classifications reserved for ecologically sensitive zones in Europe. Local officials called the site a "vulnerable area," citing fire risk and environmental damage as reasons the event posed a significant threat to Cala D’Hort.

Diplo reportedly promoted the gathering on his social media accounts despite laws in place that prevent parties and events at the site. Clips posted to his Instagram Stories showed a dense crowd gathered, dancing in the sand.

Local government officials, along with the Ibiza Leisure Administration, condemned the illicit event, pointing to its lack of permits and disregard for local guidelines. Spanish police ultimately opened an investigation shortly after Diplo’s performance.

Diplo has not yet issued a public response at press time.

An ambitious new player in New York's club scene is raising the bar in East Williamsburg.

Signal is an intimate club on Morgan Avenue where everything is designed around one thing: sound. Every element, from the floating wood floor and open skylights to its sculptural walls, was chosen to shape and reflect sound with intention. The result is an immersive audio environment that puts the music first.

Perhaps most striking is the club's strict no-photos, no-videos policy, which encourages genuine experiences and connection by requiring guests to keep their phones off the dancefloor. With a full venue capacity of 398, the space is built for authentic electronic music lovers who want a club night free of distractions.

"Signal's no photo/video policy is key to preserving the essence of the experience," Signal co-founder Nick Spector tells EDM.com. "By eliminating the distraction of phones, it enhances the moment for everyone; both for those who might be tempted to record and for everyone else around them."

Bill Patrick/Signal

The club's opening arrives during a cultural flashpoint with regard to smartphone usage on dancefloors. A recent study indicated that 55% of music fans focus more on recording performances than enjoying them in the moment, despite 13% admitting they rarely go back to watch the videos they captured.

Clearly Signal isn’t about being seen, but more about being present. In a city where nightlife tends to lean performative, Signal offers a more grounded space built for listening—something NYC nightlife has been missing.

"Picturing a room with 40 phones in the air sounds terrible," he continues. "This rule also minimizes phone use on the dancefloor. When the option to record is there, you're always weighing whether to capture the moment instead of just experiencing it."

Signal also features a full food and beverage program available until 9pm, led by chef Josh Cohen (The Flower Shop, Gem NYC) and mixologist Sean Struss (Little Ways, Beef Bar). The menu includes playful takes on Spanish tapas, specialty cocktails, natural wines and zero-proof cocktails, plus an outdoor garden space for unwinding between sets.

David Spector/Signal

David Spector/Signal

David Spector/Signal

Weekends bring day-to-night programming focused on underground house, techno and disco. The opening weekend featured UK house vet Steve O’Sullivan, followed by recent sets from Dyed Soundorom and Byron The Aquarius. On July 6th, Eli Escobar joins the lineup.

You can purchase tickets for upcoming events at Signal here.

Instagram: instagram.com/signalnyc
Facebook: facebook.com/signalnyc.club

We all know Miami Music Week doesn't need more noise. It needs resonance, and that’s where 732 Event & Design comes in.

Headquartered in South Florida, 732 isn't just another event production company with a gear truck and a Spotify playlist. At the center of their ethos is a simple idea with heavy weight: "People remember how you make them feel."

If you're organizing a label takeover, brand activation or a sunrise session somewhere in Magic City, these are the people who’ll treat your vision like their own. 732 powered EDM.com's official MMW event in 2024, a sun-kissed affair on the rooftop of Uma House South Beach that transformed from a networking event into a high-energy party with live DJs.

Juan Vacca

Born from years behind the curtain of high-caliber events, 732 is equal parts production house and creative studio. Their work has touched music festivals, weddings, concerts, rooftops, hotels and more with the intent not to merely hire a vendor, but to enlist a crew. From bespoke lighting grids to panoramic sound design, the team obsesses over texture, tone and the little things guests don’t know they notice until they feel it.

They offer a turnkey operation, providing lighting, rigging, LED walls, projection mapping, sourcing of audio equipment including DJ decks, speakers and subwoofers, and both setup and breakdown. In addition to the audiovisual specs, they also curate the vibe with DJs, entertainers, live musicians and even comedians.

You can find out more about 732 Event & Design here.

732 Event & Design: Festivals and Live Concert info
732 Event & Design: DJ Services info

As June comes to a close and the summer solstice greets us with its long-awaited warmth, the country's observance of Pride Month ends on a somber note. 

This half-century-old tradition took on a more solemn tone this year, thanks to an increasingly hostile political regime. However, even through these turbulent times, major cities from across the country rallied for the LGBT community to honor its contributions in the form of ecstatic parades and festivals.

From the East Coast to the West, Pride events illuminated the darkened skies, but none shone brighter than Washington, DC's World Pride Music Festival.

Jordan Sabillo for World Pride Music Festival

Serving as the host city for this year's festivities, our nation's capital was chosen to anchor the international event series with events scattered throughout DC. The main celebration comprised a two-day music festival held within the Festival Grounds At RFK Campus.

Co-produced by Insomniac Events, Capital Pride and Jake Resnicow, the multi-stage festival featured a collection of artists from across various genres and featured a significant number of dance music artists.

Throughout the weekend, dance music representation was front and center with performances by Zedd, Galantis, LP Giobbi, Purple Disco Machine, Spencer Brown, Kaleena Zanders, Patrick Mason and Dombresky's Disco Dom alias.

EDM.com was in attendance at World Pride 2025, where we sat down with five of dance music's finest to celebrate this monumental event and discuss its implications.

"It gets me emotional," said Rita Ora as we asked about her World Pride performance. 

"My single came out today, and when you release something for the first time, every time you do it, you get this fear in your stomach," she continues. "But to perform at something like World Pride, where you are reminded that you're loved and appreciated—and also the community is all about acceptance—it's one of the best release dates of my life to have that support. It's just priceless and grateful."

Tania Hauyon for World Pride Music Festival

Ora was referencing her latest single, "Heat," which she performed live to an adoring crowd mere minutes before talking with us. The English superstar, who was influenced by the UK rave scene, proudly embraces her love of dance music after having collaborated with the likes of Tiësto, Kygo, David Guetta and more.

"I always want to respect the dance community, especially because it made my career," she said. "The DJs have always had my back, so I am always going to find time for dance music."

When asked about her favorite dance music track, Ora lit up and said: "Anything with Avicii. I miss him so much, and I think he was a genius."

As a recent winner of the Electronic Dance Music Award for Dance Song of the Year, HAYLA's appearance at World Pride only reinforced her prestige.

"The vibe and the energy in the crowd was absolutely incredible," HAYLA gushed as she recalled her sweltering daytime performance. "World Pride being in DC is extremely important, and I think the crowd shows strong unity and community. I think this energy needs to be spread across the country. It was really important for me to be here and show solidarity."

Jordan Sabillo for World Pride Music Festival

The British powerhouse vocalist, whose whirlwind of a year includes multiple high-profile performances and her debut album, made it a point to lend her talents to the event in hopes of being a ray of hope to the LGBT community.

"To be invited to come to this festival and to be able to speak to people through music is powerful, and the fact that I can be here showing my support and love for the audience is something I am really grateful for," HAYLA said.

As one of the most recognizable voices in EDM, her foray into the dance music world is fairly recent. She spoke highly about the genre's soaring vocals and melodies, which she leaned into as her career blossomed.

"I'm from a band background," she says when asked about her start in the music industry. "I've been in many different bands, many different genres, but I've always loved dance music. It's always been there, bubbling in the background."

HAYLA says she hopes her music can be a source of inspiration for not only the LGBT community, but also for anyone struggling to find themselves.

"When I write something, I hope that it's gonna resonate with someone, and anyone who listens to my music feels like they have a home... If it feels like there's something you're going through, they know someone else has gone through it too, so you don't feel isolated," she explained. The power of music can bring joy and bring people together, and if I've managed to create something like that, I feel incredibly proud."

Riding high off back-to-back album releases (Bread and Butter, respectively), SOFI TUKKER took to the stage at World Pride to showcase their latest bangers alongside nostalgic gay anthems, including a mix of Shania Twain's "Man I Feel Like A Woman."

"I made that remix for Stagecoach," Tucker Halpern said of his rework of Twain's 1997 smash hit. "We thought about adding it right before we went on, and thought that it would be perfect here. So that was really fun seeing their response."

"We always love doing the pride stuff," added Halpern, who spoke on behalf of SOFI TUKKER due to bandmate Sophie Hawley-Weld's need for vocal rest. "We've done a ton of events with Jake Resnicow before. I actually grew up with Jake in Boston, so I felt right at home."

The duo's World Pride performance landed in the middle of their busy tour schedule, which includes a Las Vegas residency with Wynn Nightlife. It also included a choreographed dance routine by members of the California-based dance group Bob's Dance Shop, with whom SOFI TUKKER have collaborated extensively on tour.

Tania Hauyon for World Pride Music Festival

"We love Bob's Dance Shop," Halpern says. "Since coming out of the pandemic, we've been touring with them and they've become a really fun part of our show. They're such a fun vibe to be around."

When asked about what we could expect out of SOFI TUKKER in the coming months, Halpern excitedly said: "Honestly, we're finishing up some of the best music I think we've made. These are full-on bangers and we're really excited about that."

Not one to be shy, Anabel Englund fully embraced her individuality when speaking about the importance of pride festivities.

"I'm pansexual and I feel that now more than ever we need to show who we are and be proud of it," Englund told us. "I see so many people shining their light, and what makes people afraid is when we gays are authentic. The world needs authentic people who are true to themselves and can go outside every day and be themselves."

The chart-topping artist delivered a standout showcase of her latest and greatest to the legions of fans she had in the audience at World Pride.

"I feel like at pride events we get our opportunities to shine, and I love bringing dance music to the people because it's really what speaks to my soul," she said. "It just makes me feel so good, and that probably translates to other people as well."

The Southern California native, who hopes to start working on an album in the near future, expressed her love and appreciation for dance music culture, which she says began to shape her taste in music when she was a teenager.

"I found EDM when I turned 18 and was going to the clubs in Hollywood. I remember the music being so good, like it was speaking to me," she recalled. "I just really like to blast dance music in my car. Whether I'm feeling sad or excited, it just feels so good."

Tinashe's musical trajectory has crossed genres multiple times throughout her career, and her foray into the electronic dance music space has been a long time coming.

"Dancing in general is such a huge part of what I do and what I love and why I make music, so I think EDM fits into that so perfectly," she says. "I love to play with different genres. I never like to stick to one vibe or style."

Tinashe's appreciation for dance culture stems from its varied sounds and rule-breaking approach to music.

"I love to see EDM come up in the mainstream," she says. "When it first got big, it felt like a homogenized version of what EDM sounds like. Now there are so many different styles, and as an artist, that's so exciting to me."

Tinashe admitted to not attending too many festivals as a fan, but she did mention the fun times she's had inside Coachella's storied Yuma tent. As for her performance at World Pride Festival, her presence was a significant one. 

"I love being a part of the queer community and I love the queer community," she said. "They're such a huge part of my fan base and I wanna support them anyway I can.  This year, of all years with this administration, we need as much pride as we possibly can. We gotta show out, so I'm excited to be here supporting this year in our nation's capital."

World Pride Music Festival is scheduled to take place in Amsterdam for its 2026 run. You can find tickets more information here.

Instagram: instagram.com/worldpridemusicfestival
TikTok: tiktok.com/@worldpridemusicfestival
Facebook: facebook.com/worldpridefestival

Renowned psytrance duo Infected Mushroom are making an audacious leap into the world of interactive media with Infected Mushroom Pinball, a simulation game launching on PC in July with full support for VR setups.

Developed in collaboration with Rayworks, the game promises a full-bodied plunge into the band's mind-warping universe, guided by an original score and rendered in dazzling psychedelic visuals. It features "insane graphics," Infected Mushroom's Erez Eisen tells EDM.com.

A new trailer offers fans the first glimpse of the surrealist landscape that awaits, blending frenetic physics-based gameplay with the duo’s signature brand of kaleidoscopic electronic music. "Side effects include questioning existence," reads the game's tongue-in-cheek description.

According to its developers, the pinball game has been meticulously play-tested over the past few years and will continue to evolve through player feedback during its early access period. New modes, performance enhancements and feature expansions are on the roadmap through the end of 2025.

You can wishlist Infected Mushroom Pinball now on Steam.

Facebook: facebook.com/infectedmushroom
X: x.com/infected
Instagram: instagram.com/infectedmushroom
Spotify: spoti.fi/2WmUtHg

Tomorrowland will debut a 144-square-meter installation dedicated to the late Swedish EDM icon Avicii in 2025, marking a decade since his final performance at the festival's iconic Mainstage.

According to a media alert shared with EDM.com, the memorial space will feature "never-before-seen images and audiovisual storytelling" designed to honor the legendary DJ. Avicii, whose real name was Tim Bergling, tragically died by suicide in 2018 at age 28.

Bergling connection to Tomorrowland runs deep in the festival's 20-year history. He made his debut there in 2011, surprising crowds with "Levels," his career-defining anthem that hadn't yet been officially released. The track morphed into a generational dance anthem and has been voted the festival's top song three times in the Tomorrowland Top 1000.

To complement the physical memorial, Tomorrowland has partnered with Apple Music to release Avicii's prized festival sets from 2012, 2014 and 2015 in spatial audio. The immersive format aims to recreate the experience of standing before the Mainstage during his performances. You can listen here.

Access to the Avicii memorial space will be limited and requires a reservation in advance. Festival-goers can find more information on Tomorrowland's website.

X: x.com/Avicii
Instagram: instagram.com/avicii
TikTok: tiktok.com/@aviciiofficial
Facebook: facebook.com/avicii
Spotify: tinyurl.com/3tkv6c2e

The cherry logo that once symbolized hedonistic nights in Ibiza is now adorning something completely unexpected: high-end earplugs designed to protect clubbers from the very music they came to hear.

The legendary Pacha Ibiza has partnered with hearing protection brand Hears to sell custom earplugs throughout the island's 2025 season, combatting a pervasive problem in an industry notorious for prioritizing volume over ear safety.

The collaboration activates Hears' noise-reducing technology in one of the world's most iconic nightlife destinations. Offering 20dB sound reduction while preserving audio clarity, the limited-edition earplugs sport Pacha's unmistakable cherry branding and transform what was once purely functional gear into lifestyle accessories.

Hears/Pacha Ibiza

The collaboration reflects growing concerns around hearing damage in electronic music culture, where sound levels routinely exceed 100 decibels. That's equivalent to standing next to a jackhammer.

While it's easy to write off this umpteenth earplug product, it's tough to ignore its value proposition. An aging millennial demographic that grew up in the EDM boom is now rampantly dealing with tinnitus and hearing loss, creating demand for solutions that don't compromise the experience.

c/o Press

Recent data on hearing loss at EDM events highlights significant risks due to high sound levels and prolonged exposure. A June 2025 study published in The Laryngoscope found that attendees reported higher rates of post-event tinnitus and difficulty hearing others.

To that end, the research indicated EDM fans are almost twice as likely to wear hearing protection overall and nearly three times as likely to choose high‑fidelity earplugs, thanks to a growing awareness of noise‑induced hearing loss within the scene.

For Hears and its co-founders, Bob Verlaat and Nick Nijhof, landing Pacha represents significant validation in a crowded market where traditional foam earplugs have long dominated. On Pacha's side, proactively championing hearing protection is a prudent move as the conversation around harm reduction in rave culture has never been louder, not to mention the product opens a new revenue stream.

You can purchase the limited-edition earplugs via the Hears website.

Instagram: instagram.com/hearsearplugs
TikTok: tiktok.com/@hears.com
YouTube: tinyurl.com/ycxw8kcu
X: x.com/gethears

Instagram: instagram.com/pachaofficial
TikTok: tiktok.com/@pachaibizaofficial
Facebook: facebook.com/pacha
X: x.com/pacha

A musician's tongue-in-cheek war against AI music platforms has birthed a track so magnificently awful that it makes Rebecca Black's "Friday" sound like Beethoven.

Tucson-based musician MattstaGraham has launched a new social media series he's calling "Uploading Crappy Music Everywhere to Confuse Gen AI." His terrible tracks, which he's dubbed "anti-bangers," amount to perhaps the most spitefully clever approach yet to the scourge of AI music creation platforms.

The music is designed to contaminate the training datasets that power controversial services like Suno, with the hope of degrading their output quality and making them less appealing to users seeking to bypass traditional music production skills.

The series' first song, the gloriously titled "Piss Champ," is a nails-on-chalkboard grenade lobbed straight at those companies. "I can drink like 50 gallons of piss, no one can drink more piss than me," MattstaGraham rambles over what sounds like a piano in a washing machine.

Calling the musician's hilarious campaign a long shot is an understatement, but it speaks volumes about growing tensions within the community over AI's role in the music production process. Many believe platforms like Suno and Udio—which are currently embroiled in an explosive copyright infringement lawsuit filed by major labels—undermine the artistic integrity that comes from struggle, experimentation and human expression.

You can check out MattstaGraham's urine-fueled "anti-banger" below and find his real music on Bandcamp.

Anfisa Letyago is back with Bubbledance, a four-track EP channeling Greek mythology through pumping techno.

The EP is out now via noted. records, an electronic music label from Sony, which counted Letyago as its first signing after launching in April 2024.

The EDM.com Class of 2022 artist favors atmosphere over aggression, producing textured synthscapes that shimmer like Mediterranean sunlight on water. Meanwhile, chugging drums maintain the relentless forward momentum that defines her catalog.

"Magic Whales" and "Partenope" serve as the EP's mythological anchors, lending to a project that has the feel of dancing in an underwater temple. The latter track takes its name from Letyago's audiovisual live show and ongoing tour of the same name, which was inspired by the ancient Greek myth of a mermaid discovered off the coast of Naples.

You can listen to Bubbledance below and find the new EP on streaming platforms here.

X: x.com/anfisaletyago
Instagram: instagram.com/anfisaletyago
TikTok: tiktok.com/@anfisaletyagomusic
Facebook: facebook.com/anfisaletyagomusic
Spotify: spoti.fi/39QdLMk

Tomorrowland will host its first-ever edition in Asia in 2026, with Thailand announced as the historic host nation, Travel Weekly Asia reports. The news was confirmed by Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, following a high-level meeting between Thai officials and Tomorrowland executives in Bangkok.

The meeting brought together Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Tomorrowland CEO Bruno Vanwelsenaers as well as Tomorrowland's Head Of Media & Business Development, Filip Teerlinck. The festival's proprietors were conducting due diligence in early-2024, EDM.com reported at the time, but have now reportedly reached an agreement.

"Tomorrowland will be hosted in Thailand for the first time in 2026," Thapanee said in a statement.

Founded in 2005, Tomorrowland is the world's preeminent EDM festival brand, known for its fantastical stage design and elaborate visual storytelling across its global events. Its flagship gathering in Belgium generates substantial economic impact, with festivals as recent as 2023 generating nearly €300 million and employing roughly 15,000 people across both weekends.

Following last week's meeting, Prime Minister Paetongtarn posted on social media and expressed optimism, writing: "Tomorrowland in Thailand is closer to reality. I met with Mr. Bruno Vanwelsenaers to continue the vision initiated during former Prime Minister Srettha’s tenure—to bring one of the world's leading music festivals to Thailand."

Meanwhile, 400,000 people are expected to attend this year's fest in Belgium, which returns to the city of Boom across two weekends: July 18-20 and July 25-27. The lineup features Martin Garrix, Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz and many other influential electronic dance music artists.

It's important to note that Tomorrowland has not formally announced a festival in Thailand at the time of this writing.