EQ50 unveils 2024 mentorship programme participants

EQ50 has revealed the list of rising artists taking part in the 2024 run of its mentorship programme.

Originally launched in 2020 by a collective including DJ Flight, Mantra, Sweetpea and others, the project was established to support women and non-binary people who want to launch or further a career within the jungle and drum & bass scene. It sees figures from key drum & bass labels being assigned to mentor upcoming artists for 12 months, and has led to significant success for previous people involved.

This year’s programme will see figures from the UK label AKO Beatz mentor London-based DJ Nicky B, while D&B Allstars will oversee the development of Bristol’s Belle.

Deep In The Jungle will help another UK-based DJ in Kalia, while Critical Music will mentor Vienna-based Sequent. Finally, the label Integral will help oversee the development of Australian artist Tassone.

In an Instagram post, Tassone said: “Integral has ALWAYS been one of my favourite labels and this Lenzman song playing [‘Ever So Slightly’] was actually one of the first tracks I learnt to mix! I still can’t believe this is really happening.”

EQ50 was also recently awarded funding for the first time ever, with Orbit Fund, headed up by AEI, providing finances to five grassroots crews, including EQ50, to support their work. The funding will help with the creation of a feature-length documentary about the contributions of Black women past, present and future in drum & bass and jungle, the organisation has said.

Learn more about EQ50 and its mentorship programme here.

The previous 2022/2023 programme saw labels such as Rupture LDN and 1985 Music support rising artists such as Artemis and Waves. Previous EQ50 mentees also include jungle sensation Nia Archives and Mandidextrous.

Last year, EQ50 released a 23-track D&B and jungle compilation in aid of Gaza.