Listen to a new radio documentary on the history of Irish dance music

A new radio documentary series explores the history of Irish dance music.

Across four 50-minute episodes, The Breakdown delves into three decades of electronic dance music produced and performed across the island. At the heart of the series – which is produced by musician and producer Hugh Fowler – are longstanding figures from Irish scene such as Bumble’s Dave McDonnol, Mr Spring and Zero T, alongside producers including Bicep, Mano Le Tough and DJ Mag’s January 2022 cover star Or:la, who dissect and share the stories behind their biggest tracks.

Beginning with acid house in the early 1990s, the series concludes with an episode spanning Bicep’s ‘Glue’, Tommy Holohan’s rave-inspired techno, Belfast’s Bobby Analog and Cork producer Syn. The whole series is available to stream now via Irish radio station RTÉ 2FM.

Last month, Or:la won Best DJ at the DJ Mag Best of British Awards. Check out the full list of winners here. Back in November, Belfast festival AVA confirmed that Bicep will headline its 2022 edition with a live set.

Revisit Seán Finnan’s long-read from last year on how the fight for the future of Irish clubbing is creating real change, and Kelly Doherty’s feature on how Dublin Digital Radio created a home for Ireland’s independent music scene.