Chicago

Amir Alexander has been producing music since 1998. A dedicant to club music in its most natural state, the Chicago native, Malmö-based artist has always struck an on-point balance between classic house and techno forms and forward thinking ideas.

Now, 20 years later, with a string of pristine EPs on respected labels like Argot, Deep Vibes Recordings, HYPE LTD and secretsundaze under his belt, the DJ and Vanguard Sound boss is set to release his second LP.

Nina Kraviz has announced a year-end tour across the Americas. The tour commences 16th November in Austin, Texas.

The tour, dubbed ‘NK Overseas’, runs through dance culture hubs Los Angeles, San Francisco, Mexico City, New York and Chicago before closing 23rd December at Space Miami. Stops in Juarez, Costa Rica, Medellin, Bogota and Houston are also on the itinerary. 

Kraviz ends 2017 with a performance spot during HYTE’s forthcoming 24-hour NYE rave.  

Double Door in Chicago has been forced to shut its door after 23 years in business. 

Located on Milwaukee Avenue in the Windy City, the much-loved club was due to host Floating Points in April and had previously hosted legendary rock acts including The Rolling Stones, Kanye West and Kings of Leon.

Staff were reportedly given just 24 hours to vacate the building after being locked out of the club for weeks before the official closure was announced. 

Daft Punk released their debut album, ‘Homework’, 20 years ago this year, and to mark the occasion Boiler Room have planned a tribute show which is set to take place at Chicago’s Smart Bar on Saturday 28th January.

United States’ Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a 42% rate hike for foreign artists applying for a visa to work in the U.S., which will come into effect in December.

The Petition for a Non Immigrant Worker, which all musicians from outside the U.S are required to have in order to travel to the States for work has gone up from $325 per act to $460.

The decision hasn’t been popular since being announced earlier this week, with the Canadian Federation Of Musicians calling it an “unacceptable financial burden”.

Following a debate, Cook County — the Illinois municipality which covers the city of Chicago — is set to officially recognise DJ shows as cultural contributions.

The decision will affect a current law which allows venues of below 750-capacity exemption from a 3% tax on admission fees for "live cultural performances".

“Those were good days in Edinburgh, in 1990,” says author and screenwriter Trevor Miller, who wrote the acid house culture’s first novel, published in 1989 by Avernus Creative Media. “It was me, DJ Harvey, Sean McClusky, Choci, Graeme Park and hundreds of tabs of acid.”