I’m dropping the impersonal tone I generally employ in these blog posts on this occasion because this is a personal message from me, Hex. On June 2nd DNB Dojo took part in Blackout Tuesday, and I took time to reflect on the problem of racism, both inside and outside of the Drum & Bass scene. That reflection led me to the conclusion that I have not done enough. Angela Davis said it best when she said “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be antiracist.”

It should go without saying that Jungle and Drum & Bass is a music firmly rooted in Black culture. I’m not going to go into depth on that history here because so many better writers, filmmakers and podcasters have already covered it in immense detail. Rosemary Pitts has posted an extensive list of watching / reading / listening material on the History of Black British Rave Culture over here on Instagram (also available on Facebook here courtesy of EQ50) which I’ll be working my way through over the coming weeks and months. I can already thoroughly recommend Brian Belle-Fortune’s absolutely seminal All Crews as essential reading for the passionate junglist.

Beyond that reading, I’ve been thinking about what I can do both as an individual and as the owner of a platform, albeit a small one. To that end, here are the actions that I’ll be taking going forward:

• Learn: There are a host of anti-racism resources available which I have not previously consumed enough of. 38 Degrees has a good list here.
• Donate: I’ve already made personal donations to The George Floyd Memorial Fund, Black Lives Matter UK and Show Racism The Red Card, and I will continue to make contributions to these and similar organisations each month.
• Educate: Luke Kessler is dedicating four weeks of Classic Track posts to the contributions of Black originators within D&B and Jungle, and the series will continue to ensure Black artists are properly represented as we celebrate the history of this music. You can read the first of that series here.
• Represent: I will be doing more to find, highlight and celebrate the work of Black artists, DJs and label owners within our scene across all of our content; premieres, guest mixes, interviews, reviews and features.

I’d like to reiterate that this space is welcoming to Black people and indeed people of all backgrounds. I listen to all music that comes to the Dojo inbox, and while I can’t promise to feature everything I will always respond and try and provide honest feedback and creative criticism. If that’s something you’re interested in then please get in touch: info@dnbdojo.co.uk.

Yesterday we took part in Blackout Tuesday, standing in solidarity with the Black community across the world. Today we return to what we love to do here at DNB Dojo; showcasing music that excites us from artists across the Drum & Bass scene. But we want to make it clear that this isn’t the end of our engagement with the problem of racism.

Going forward, we’ll be thinking about what we can do to better showcase Black artists within our scene, and how else we can be part of the solution rather than the problem. Expect more on that soon. In the meantime, we understand that not all spaces can feel welcoming to people from all backgrounds, not least Black people, and we want to make it clear that this one is.

We listen to all music that comes our way in the inbox, and while we can’t promise to feature everything we will always respond and try and provide honest feedback and creative criticism. If that’s something you’re interested in then please get in touch: info@dnbdojo.co.uk.

The violent murder of George Floyd, and the many black lives lost previously are an outrage, and we have a duty to not stand silent in the face of racism and oppression. Please join us as we stand with the Black community, not only in the US but worldwide, to demand change.

On June 2nd DNB Dojo will observe Blackout Tuesday, a day of contemplation in solidarity with all those struggling for justice and alongside the movement across the wider music industry. Going forward, we will be looking at how we can help further, and how we can better support Black musicians within the Drum & Bass community.

#BlackLivesMatter
#TheShowMustBePaused

Some ways you can help:

• Donate to the George Floyd Memorial Fund
• Sign the change.org Justice for George Floyd petition
• Donate to organisations like Black Lives Matter or the NAACP
• Fight Racism in the UK by donating to Show Racism The Red Card
• If you can’t afford a Donation check out the No Money ‘Stream to Donate’ campaign on Youtube