Chicago House Music Festival 2026

Features

Feature stories, profiles and interviews with leading House Music DJs, producers and vocalists from more than 20 years of 5 Magazine.

Shamrock Guitor DJ photo

The Unapologetic African Sounds of Shamrock Guitor

Kayibiza LOunge talks to Shamrock Guitor, South African guitarist and producer and founder of the new label Gotto Records.
As You Like It Artwork

The Inside Story of As You Like It

The Bay Area residency is now 2020's best new underground label. Lauren Krieger on the history, tragedy & journey of As You Like It Recordings.
Tensnake photo by Katja Ruge

Tensnake: LA Stories

Six years after Glow, German electronic music maestro Tensnake is back with an intimate pop portrait of the city of Los Angeles.
Ringo Dreams of Lawncare artwork

Ringo had a dream

One of the best new reads of 2020 is Ringo Dreams of Lawn Care, series of weekly notes on music, music-making and cultural flotsam from the mind of Michael Donaldson.
James Duncan photo

Innermoods: The James Duncan Interview

James Duncan has jammed with jazz legends Mark Edwards, Sabir Mateen and even sax god Ornette Coleman, but it's his dance music productions that have been turning heads. Bruce Tantum talks to the Brooklyn-based producer and trumpet player.
Photo of record crate

In 2021, support people. Screw the brands.

If we say we care about the history of this music, we need to stop enabling the ones that fucked it up.
Milly James photo

Something Special: An Interview with Milly James

#TheMic: Studio sessions, live music in a pandemic and making something special with Mike Schommer: a profile of UK vocalist Milly James.
Packard Plant Project Detroit circa 1911 from the Library of Congress

The dream of bringing Techno back to Detroit’s Packard Plant is over

After breathless media reports of art galleries, apartments, light industry and even a techno club, the Packard Plant Project has collapsed. Most of it never actually began.
The Mic

#PassTheMic – Why dance music needs its singers

Why have the vocalists become almost invisible in dance music coverage these days? The answer (probably won't) surprise you.
Jorge Caiado photos by Ruben José

Jorge Caiado: Vitality

Since his first release a decade ago on Chez Damier's Balance, Jorge Caiado has been passionately influencing the electronic music scene of his local Lisbon and beyond.
Michael Zucker photo

There was a genius named Michael Zucker

Michael Zucker, the owner of Finale Sessions was the epitome of a great 21st century underground label owner. He was an even better person.
Boddhi Satva dj image

Boddhi Satva: “It feels like I’m home anywhere I go in Africa”

Hailing from the Central African Republic but often an ambassador for the entire continent, Boddhi Satva is one of electronic music’s true souls.

Chicago nightlife legend Dave Medusa has died

Dave Medusa, of the most influential promoters in the history of electronic music and Chicago music in general has passed away of natural causes.
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Sylvester Is Too Big For a 15 Minute Short Video But That’s What We’ve Got To...

Watch Love Me Like You Should: The Brave and Bold Sylvester streaming now.
Tee Mango

Art/Artifact: The Music of Tee Mango

Tom Mangan makes music as Tee Mango, inspired by the words of Theo Parrish and an arsenal of deep, irresistible records in his bag.
WOLF Music Recordings

In The Wolf’s Lair: Inside WOLF Music with Harold Heath

Harold Heath talks to Matt Neale & Stu Clark of WOLF Music and finds out what it takes to run an underground record label without compromise.
John Digweed on Quattro

John Digweed: “The shared passion for the music never dies”

More than 9 months in the making, a 4xCD project called QUATTRO opens a new decade for John Digweed. Lauren Krieger speaks with the legendary electronic music DJ and producer.
Ron Hardy and Robert Williams

Dancing While Black, Young and Queer in the 1970s

Lessons from Robert Williams: How dealing with the police was an essential part of dancing while Black, queer and young in the 1970s.
Fingers Inc

Larry Heard & Robert Owens are Suing Trax Records

Chicago House Music pioneers Larry Heard and Robert Owens have filed a multi-million dollar copyright infringement suit against Trax Records and defendant Rachael Cain.
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Larry’s Garage Takes Us Back to Paradise

Watch a new documentary on classic disco Paradise Garage and the king who held court there, Larry Levan.

MUST READ!