On August 1, music enthusiasts can aid staff of iconic Chicago clubs and a collection of the city’s community-based charities by streaming Diamond Formation URL. A digital festival curated by Smartbar’s Ariel Zetina, Diamond Formation URL will specifically benefit staff of Metro/Smartbar who are in need of relief, Brave Space Alliance, Afrorack, Molasses Chicago, and Little Village Solidarity Network, organizations that broadly seek to benefit the black and Latinx community.
The virtual rave, developed to spotlight queer sounds and scenes in the United States, will feature DJ Stingray, Akua, Ariel Zetina, SWISHA, Kush Jones, and Miss Twink USA, among a host of other artists. Diamond Formation URL, hosted in partnership with Red Bull, represents Zetina’s “dream lineup,” according to the Chicago-based artist, who proudly identifies as a Latinx transgender woman.
Diamond Formation URL is a natural complement to the inclusive aims of Diamond Formation, which seeks to introduce fresh new sounds to dance floors around the world while simultaneously uplifting transgender listeners and people of color.
Diamond Formation URL will stream live from Metro/Smartbar’s Mixcloud Pro on August 1. Speaking on her motivation to coordinate the digital event, Zetina said,
“Diamond Formation has always tried to represent artists who are shaking things up in their scene, and how they use but also move away from house and techno. The online version of Diamond Formation will be the longest Diamond Formation that has happened, so I am excited for all of the different music that will be able to fit into the window.”
Featured image: @ColectivoMultipolar/Instagram
Make no mistake—dance music is born from black culture. Without black creators, innovators, selectors, and communities, the electronic dance music we hold so dear would simply not exist. In short, dance music is deeply indebted to the global black community and we need to be doing more. Black artists and artists of color have played a profound role in shaping the sound and culture of dance music and now more than ever, it is necessary for everyone in the music community to stand up for the people that have given us so much. Mix Session pledges to make every effort to be a better ally, a stronger resource, and a more accountable member of the global dance music community. Black Lives Matter—get involved here:
Black Lives Matter
My Block My Hood My City
National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Program
Black Visions Collective
Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Legal Defense Initiative
The Bail Project
The Next Level Boys Academy
Color of Change
Committee to Protect Journalists
