Dweller Dominated Black History Month, Black Electronic Music Thrives On

The music festival is dedicated to bringing Black electronic DJs to the forefront of their creation.

Photo via Dweller on Instagram by Texas Isaiah

Dweller V (Five) may be over for the month, but they yet again proved that Black people are the beauty and brains behind electronic and techno music worldwide. Created over four years ago, Dweller is a week-long Black electronic music festival and blog giving us a wide array of parties from sunrise to sunset and vice versa.

This Black History Month, Dweller V took over different Brooklyn venues like Nowadays, Paragon, Bossa Nova, Public Records, Basement, Cafe Erzulie, and Warehouse from Feb. 20 to 25. There was a wide range of performers and DJ sets to both turn-up and mellow out.

Some of our favorite sets and performances were KeiyaA, A Space for Sound, and TAKA at Public Records, EDEN and HiTech at Bossa Nova, Theo Parrish, Patti Kane, Suzi Analogue, DJ Freedem, Zaida Zane, Donis, Batu, and Beige at Nowadays’ Nonstop event, and Detroit DJs AK and Blackmoonchild ending the festival with unforgettable sets.

"We strive to be a Black lighthouse; a siren in the storm for those who know the isolating whitewaters of electronic all too well,” Dweller says on their blog created in 2020. “At this time, the authorities controlling this current seek to drown the voices and new structures that can reverse the flow of power back into our hands. We must be vigilant towards persisting as to not just speak for ourselves but redistribute resource, equity, and justice in a space that has long made its worth on the backs of the silenced."

Dweller is also an independently funded platform through merchandise and contributions. They are in solidarity with Palestine and are a part of the DJs Against Apartheid. You can donate to Dweller via PayPal at info@dwellerforever.blog.