We ran more than 2,000 news articles in 2021. This past year saw the electronic music community once again grapple with enormous upheaval and unusual challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the usual storm of scandals, legal battles, break-ups, far-right violence and multi-million pound tech investments. As these events unfolded, often quickly across social media channels and word of mouth, we did our best to report on these stories in service of the electronic music community.

What still remains the looming topic of 2021 is the unfreezing of events, particularly in the major music metropolises of New York, London and Berlin. The return of clubs, gigs and festivals after such a barren stretch felt like a seismic moment in our culture. But Covid-19 never went away, which meant learning a whole new vernacular—"vaccine passports," "pilot raves," "2G+"—and adapting to a see-saw of openings and closings, postponements and cancellations, new rules and regulations. Reporting on these near-constant shifts, and their impact on nightlife workers, was a huge challenge.

2021 was also, tragically, another year defined by loss. Venues shut, communities fragmented and legends passed away. We ran 48 obituaries, commemorating the DJs, producers, musicians, studio engineers and journalists who contributed immeasurably to our culture. We haven't included any of these pieces in the list below, not because they weren't significant, but because no death should be highlighted over any other. Our thoughts are with the 48 and their loved ones, as well as with the nightlife workers and wider community who have been impacted by the ongoing crisis.

So what to expect from 2022? The rapid spread of the latest Covid-19 variant, Omicron, has triggered lockdowns and new restrictions in some countries, with more surely to follow. Clubs and venues are closing again. Festivals are being postponed. It's hard to know how long this wave will last or how it will impact the electronic music community. But we're committed to diligently reporting on these developments into another year.

- Thu, 14 Jan
  DJ Lag vs Will.i.am
  
  2021, like every year before it, was awash with dance music scandals and disputes. One of the first was an unlikely copyright tussle between gqom pioneer DJ Lag and pop superstar will.i.am, whose single "Culture" allegedly plagiarised Lag's 2016 track "Ice Drop." After a wave of social media outrage, the Black Eyed Peas singer settled and apologised. Lag was reportedly "very happy" with the agreement.
- Wed, 10 Feb
  Raj vs R&S
  
  In one of the most high-profile legal disputes in electronic music, former R&S employee Raj Chaudhuri sued label owner Renaat Vandepapeliere on grounds of racial discrimination and unlawful dismissal, among other things. Much of the evidence, laid bare in a 40-page document, was shocking. The case should go to trial in London in 2022.
- Mon, 22 Feb
  Daft Punk split
  
  Because of the perpetual smoke and mirrors surrounding Daft Punk, there was some hesitation when news first broke of their split. Was this a hoax? A tasteless PR move? But no: after 28 years, the iconic Parisian robots were going their separate ways. Here's how the community reacted.
- Wed, 10 Mar
  Tim Sweeney pauses BiS
  
  While partying was very much on pause due to the pandemic, radio shows like Beats In Space became lifelines—which is why, when host Tim Sweeney announced its indefinite hiatus after 21 years, the news came as such a surprise. Thankfully, the legendary broadcast is now back on the airwaves, swapping WNYU-FM for Apple Music.
- Tue, 16 Mar
  Festivals brace for a return
  
  The pandemic opened many punters' eyes to the tangle of complexities involved in running a music festival. With many suppliers out of business and a glut of new promoters trying to cash in on the post-pandemic hype, infrastructure such as toilets, fencing and staging was in high demand and low supply. To make matters worse, governments were hesitant to underwrite the industry in the event of another lockdown. We spoke to key players in Europe and the UK ahead of a very uncertain summer.
- Tue, 20 Apr
  Annie Mac leaves BBC Radio 1
  
  Annie Mac has soundtracked more than 17 years of radio for dance music fans of a certain age, particularly in the UK. Her on-air charisma and love of bangers made her a fixture on BBC Radio 1. But in 2021, she quit to pursue other creative passions. Listen back to her teary farewell show.
- Mon, 3 May
  Circus pilot raves in Liverpool
  
  On April 30th and May 1st, the veteran Liverpool promoter Circus hosted two pilot raves as part of the UK government's Events Research Programme, which set out to determine whether large events could return safely during the pandemic. Each party featured 3,000 people and, for the first time in the UK since March 2020, zero Covid-19 restrictions. The hopeful news went global, fuelled by clips of Jayda G and others playing to crowds raving with wild abandon.
- Thu, 6 May
  Berlin declares clubs cultural institutions
  
  In a world where club culture is still widely derided and disregarded by governments, the news that Berlin was declaring clubs as cultural institutions was promising and unexpected. Here was a city finally recognising and enshrining nightlife's vast contribution to society, as much culturally as economically. Material benefits include tax breaks and protection against displacement.
- Thu, 6 May
  New York to begin lifting capacity restrictions
  
  New York City was the first major electronic music hub to return to the dance floor, first by nudging up capacity limits and then, come early July, fully opening. This was all possible due to high vaccination rates and the Excelsior Pass, a groundbreaking digital vaccine passport system created by New York State.
- Tue, 22 Jun
  Buttons leaves ://about blank over pro-Israel stance
  
  May's 15-day flare-up between Israel and Palestine caused ripple effects in communities and industries around the world. One of Berlin's most popular parties, Buttons, terminated its long-standing relationship with Friedrichshain venue ://about blank. "We take a clear stance against apartheid," Buttons posted via social media. ://about blank responded several months later.
- Mon, 5 Jul
  Raving in Zanzibar
  
  In one of the pandemic's more bizarre twists, the Tanzanian archipelago Zanzibar emerged as dance music's new party destination. The clientele? Mostly European promoters and ravers lured by the region's white sand beaches and non-existent Covid-19 restrictions. This story examined the unlikely phenomenon from several angles by including perspectives from locals and foreigners.
- Mon, 12 Jul
  Dutch clubs and festivals close again
  
  Government U-turns were common during the pandemic, and the Netherlands' decision to shut venues and festivals again after only two weeks of business was personally and financially devastating for stakeholders in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and beyond. For the rest of Europe, it was a warning sign.
- Tue, 13 Jul
  Seoul bans music in gyms over 120 BPM
  
  Scientists and politicians have often gone to extraordinary lengths to limit the spread of Covid-19. Perhaps the most specific restriction was in Seoul, where, for a period in July, gyms banned music over 120 BPM in a bid to curb sweating. This ruled out PSY's treadmill anthem "Gangnam Style," which clocks in at 132 BPM.
- Tue, 3 Aug
  fabric's first refurb in 22 years
  
  For venue owners, one of the few upsides of the pandemic was having time to renovate. London institution fabric went all out, overhauling the lights, installing a new concrete DJ booth and adding Berghain-style chain swings. This story took a closer look at the club's first refurb since opening in 1999.
- Mon, 9 Aug
  Four Tet vs Domino
  
  In a case that could have massive repercussions for the music industry, Kieran Hebden, AKA Four Tet, launched legal action against his longtime label Domino Records. Hebden wanted a fairer digital royalty rate added to his 2001 contract, but Domino refused to budge. Things have gotten uglier since: last month, Domino removed the three Four Tet albums in question from streaming services. The case goes to trial in January.
- Mon, 16 Aug
  Clubbing in the time of Covid-19
  
  Clubbing was back across Europe, Asia and the US. The pandemic, though, was far from over. This story about adapting to the so-called "new normal" featured input from promoters and club owners in New York, Leeds, Tokyo and Hangzhou.
- Fri, 20 Aug
  Charlie Bones leaves NTS Radio
  
  Running for around ten years, Charlie Bones's beloved breakfast show on NTS Radio took on new resonance during the pandemic, helping many people cope with the anxieties of the first Covid-19 lockdown. It came as a shock, then, when he suddenly quit the station live on-air. Luckily for the Do!! You!!! stans, the shaggy-haired selector recently returned to the airwaves with his own platform.
- Fri, 3 Sep
  Berlin clubs reopen
  
  Berlin's cautious approach to reopening meant clubs only opened indoors in September. Watergate, Renate and others went first, followed by Berghain in October. The honeymoon didn't last long: clubs closed again earlier this month after dancing was banned indefinitely.
- Tue, 28 Sep
  Revier Südost accusations
  
  Despite the nightlife community's commitments to tackling anti-racism in the wake of George Floyd's murder, depressing stories still surfaced from dance floors around the world. In August, staff members at RSO, the club within Berlin's relatively new Revier Südost complex, were hit with accusations of racism by ballet dancer and activist Nicholas Rose. RA spoke to several people who said they had been verbally assaulted, threatened and discriminated against at the venue, with some of the grievances stretching back to RSO's former club, Griessmühle. The club responded with a statement and various changes in policy.
- Fri, 1 Oct
  DICE buys Boiler Room
  
  Two of the biggest brands in electronic music joined forces this year, with venture capital-backed ticketing giant DICE acquiring streaming innovators Boiler Room. The deal arrived as DICE moved into hosting ticketed livestreams of events.
- Thu, 4 Nov
  Conservative "crusade" in Kyiv
  
  Kyiv's club scene, widely considered one of the best burgeoning nightlife hotspots in the world, has been the target of far-right protests and attacks in recent months. Early in November, there was a so-called "crusade" against three clubs: Closer, ∄ and HVLV. Then, several weeks later, HVLV was attacked by 15-20 men in balaclavas, who smashed windows and furniture. The community responded with a protest against the violence and police inaction.
- Wed, 17 Nov
  Omar Souleyman arrested in Turkey
  
  Omar Souleyman's arrest in Turkey, allegedly on terrorism charges, sent shockwaves through the music industry. The Syrian singer, famous for rocking weddings and festival crowds with a blend of dabke and electronic beats, was detained at his home in the southeastern city of Urfa, before being transferred to a police station and reportedly questioned about suspected links to the Kurdistan Worker's Party (AKA PKK) and its Syrian faction, the YPG. To the relief of many, he walked free several days later.
- Mon, 29 Nov
  Spotify CEO invests in AI defence tech
  
  This in-depth story added another layer to the anti-Spotify debate with a look at CEO Daniel Ek's €100 million investment into AI defence technology company Helsing, which works with the British, French and German militaries. We spoke to outraged artists who, as a result of the deal, were leaving or boycotting the platform. The news came the week before Spotify Wrapped once again dominated social media timelines.
- Thu, 2 Dec
  Clubs close across Europe
  
  Another December, another Covid-19 variant. First reported in South Africa, Omicron is currently tearing through Europe with disastrous consequences for club communities in Berlin, Paris and beyond.

Thu, 14 Jan DJ Lag vs Will.i.am

Wed, 10 Feb Raj vs R&S

Mon, 22 Feb Daft Punk split

Wed, 10 Mar Tim Sweeney pauses BiS

Tue, 16 Mar Festivals brace for a return

Tue, 20 Apr Annie Mac leaves BBC Radio 1

Mon, 3 May Circus pilot raves in Liverpool

Thu, 6 May Berlin declares clubs cultural institutions

Thu, 6 May New York to begin lifting capacity restrictions

Tue, 22 Jun Buttons leaves ://about blank over pro-Israel stance

Mon, 5 Jul Raving in Zanzibar

Mon, 12 Jul Dutch clubs and festivals close again

Tue, 13 Jul Seoul bans music in gyms over 120 BPM

Tue, 3 Aug fabric's first refurb in 22 years

Mon, 9 Aug Four Tet vs Domino

Mon, 16 Aug Clubbing in the time of Covid-19

Fri, 20 Aug Charlie Bones leaves NTS Radio

Fri, 3 Sep Berlin clubs reopen

Tue, 28 Sep Revier Südost accusations

Fri, 1 Oct DICE buys Boiler Room

Thu, 4 Nov Conservative "crusade" in Kyiv

Wed, 17 Nov Omar Souleyman arrested in Turkey

Mon, 29 Nov Spotify CEO invests in AI defence tech

Thu, 2 Dec Clubs close across Europe

Thu, 14 Jan
DJ Lag vs Will.i.am

Wed, 10 Feb
Raj vs R&S

Mon, 22 Feb
Daft Punk split

Wed, 10 Mar
Tim Sweeney pauses BiS

Tue, 16 Mar
Festivals brace for a return

Tue, 20 Apr
Annie Mac leaves BBC Radio 1

Mon, 3 May
Circus pilot raves in Liverpool

Thu, 6 May
Berlin declares clubs cultural institutions

Thu, 6 May
New York to begin lifting capacity restrictions

Tue, 22 Jun
Buttons leaves ://about blank over pro-Israel stance

Mon, 5 Jul
Raving in Zanzibar

Mon, 12 Jul
Dutch clubs and festivals close again

Tue, 13 Jul
Seoul bans music in gyms over 120 BPM

Tue, 3 Aug
fabric's first refurb in 22 years

Mon, 9 Aug
Four Tet vs Domino

Mon, 16 Aug
Clubbing in the time of Covid-19

Fri, 20 Aug
Charlie Bones leaves NTS Radio

Fri, 3 Sep
Berlin clubs reopen

Tue, 28 Sep
Revier Südost accusations

Fri, 1 Oct
DICE buys Boiler Room

Thu, 4 Nov
Conservative "crusade" in Kyiv

Wed, 17 Nov
Omar Souleyman arrested in Turkey

Mon, 29 Nov
Spotify CEO invests in AI defence tech

Thu, 2 Dec
Clubs close across Europe