Hi friends,

Dance music can fill a festival field or a small room after hours, but those are very different nights out. That range is what we wanted to explore in our Seven Days of Dance collaboration we recently wrote for DoLA. This week, SiLVA, who also contributed to the guide, reflects on watching the music she grew up loving reach a much larger audience, and why there’s still room for everyone to find their own dance floor.

– Ale

I remember my sister blasting “Set U Free” by Planet Soul on cassette in her room. The deep basslines, hypnotic grooves, and stabbing synthesizers had me hooked. That was my introduction to electronic music, and I can still remember how it felt.

I’m a millennial, so I’ve watched a huge shift in the popularity of dance music. What started as a passion when I was an adolescent is still very much part of my life as the mother of a four-year-old. I remember discovering labels like Strictly Rhythm and hearing those early Tiësto trance records like it was yesterday. And fellow Southern Californians, raise your hand if you stayed up late listening to the DJ mixes on Power Tools on Power 106.

My love for soulful, four-on-the-floor, heart-pounding, face-melting, tear-inducing dance music has stood the test of time. What has changed is how many people seem to share it.

Growing up, I was used to hearing, “Oh, you like that techno stuff?” As if “techno” were a blanket term for all electronic music. These days, the conversations get a little more specific. There’s a subgenre, then another subgenre, then another. There are entire schools dedicated to electronic music production. I even went to one.

Look at Coachella this year, where electronic artists made up a substantial part of the lineup. That’s basically a rave. Just kidding. But the DJ who might once have been tucked away in a corner can now be the person everyone has come to see.

The tools have changed, too. In middle school, I knew one student who had DJ turntables. The whole setup felt foreign and exotic to me. Now you can download an app and start DJing on your phone. For someone curious about making or playing music, that’s a very different starting point.

But bigger stages and easier access haven’t made every corner of dance music look or sound the same. You can still find a warehouse, an after-hours party, or an underground collective of artists who prefer the darkness to the lasers and CO₂ cannons. The festival spectacle is one part of the culture, not the whole thing.

No matter how big it gets, the community is still there: DJs, ravers, dancers, artists, and people who want to escape and get lost in the music. That’s the part I keep coming back to.

Whether it’s underground tribal house from the early ’90s, hypnotic Euro-trance, driving techno, Chicago house, or mid-2000s EDM, I’m all about it. My enthusiasm hasn’t gotten any more restrained.

Sometimes, people just want to get a good feeling.

– SiLVA

Saturday nights on 89.9 FM KCRW are for dancing: SiLVA kicks things off at 6 PM, followed by Jason Bentley at 8 PM and John Tejada at 10 PM, with Dance24 keeping the party going until 5 AM.

Now Spinning On My Turntable
megiapa – “Intentions”

There’s something wonderfully hard to pin down about megiapa’s "Intentions." Jazz, beat music, soul, electronics, and hip-hop drift through it, but the record never settles comfortably into any one of those places.

That makes sense considering the journey behind it. megiapa began developing the music during a decade in Chicago’s underground beat scene, then completed it after moving to Los Angeles in 2023 and becoming part of the city’s jazz, beats, and underground hip-hop communities. The album brings those worlds together with collaborators including Mekala Session, The Growth Eternal, Ahmad Muhammad, Telemakus, and Mocky.

What I love most is how handmade it feels: intimate, searching, slightly unpredictable, and comfortable with uncertainty. "Intentions" arrives September 25th, and KCRW will present megiapa’s album release show at 2220 Arts+Archives on September 24th, where she’ll debut a new live band performing music from the record.

More Music Moments

Cut Chemist Masterclass Guest DJ Set

A couple of weeks ago on Morning Becomes Eclectic, Cut Chemist came by for a Masterclass Guest DJ set. He shares a brief interview with MBE Host Novena Carmel on becoming a DJ as a teenager, and his latest releases. Later, we get into a wild mix on the decks, moving through unreleased Bob Marley edits, drum & bass, and rarities from Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli. This is your reminder that Morning Becomes Eclectic continues to stream live daily on YouTube 10 AM–11 AM. Tune in to be sure you don’t miss more incredible sets like this one!

Must Listen Episode 4: Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip)

KCRW continues weekly with its new Must Listen series, where we bring someone through the expansive CD library with two instructions: find something that is a “must listen” record, and leave a note in the CD case for the next individual who picks it. The first three episodes included Liz Phair and Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney), Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, and Alabama Shakes, and our newest episode is out now, featuring Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip. The upcoming episodes include visits from Fcukers, Melody’s Echo Chamber, King Gizzard, and more. KCRW’s Must Listen is sponsored by Qobuz, an independent music and streaming and download platform whose support reflects a shared commitment to human curation, intentional listening, and artist discovery.

Duncan Sheik (1969-2026)

KCRW remembers Duncan Sheik, who began his musical career as a guitarist with fellow Brown University student Lisa Loeb and became a breakout singer-songwriter with his 1996 solo debut. In the pop world, Sheik is probably best known for his hit single from that album, "Barely Breathing," which earned him a Grammy nomination. Sheik was a friend of the station from the beginning, stopping by to chat with Chris Douridas on multiple occasions beginning in 1996. His last visit was in 2006 with Nic Harcourt around the release of White Limousine. Sheik subsequently became a Tony-winning composer for his work on the musical Spring Awakening, which led to a decade-long career for the stage. He will be remembered as a generational talent whose work refused pigeonholing at every turn. Explore KCRW's full archive of Duncan Sheik sessions here.

– Myke Dodge Weiskopf

Upcoming Music Events

KCRW and Make Out Music have teamed up to present School Night with its new home at The Airliner in Lincoln Heights! Join us Thursday, October 1st, with Abigail Rose, Tanner Dane, Fortuno, and Ryan Pollie. We can’t wait to see you there.

🎶 🗓️ ➡️   Also On KCRW's Radar   ⬅️ 🗓️ 🎶

Fri, Sept 25th — KCRW Presents Men I Trust at Pappy & Harriet’s

Fri, Sept 25th — KCRW Presents Sean Rowe at Permanent Records’ Roadhouse

Fri, Sept 25 – Sun, Sept 27 — Ohana Festival at Doheny State Beach

Sat, Sept 26th — KCRW Presents Sébastien Tellier at The Belasco

Sat, Sept 26 — Rilo Kiley at Hollywood Forever

Tues, Sept 29th — Lauren Halsey's emajendat with Erykah Badu & the Alchemist at the Bowl

Tues, Sept 29th — Julieta Venegas at Yaamava' Theater (21+)

Weds, Sept 30th — KCRW & Sid The Cat Present Color Green at Permanent Records’ Roadhouse

Weds, Sept 30th — KCRW Presents Beyond The Beat: A Celebration of True Music hosted by Brian Collier

Weds, Sept 30th — Fruit Bats at the Bellwether

Thurs, Oct 1st — DeVotchKa: A Celebration of the Music of "Little Miss Sunshine"