Living the Highlife: the global party scene taking world music into the future

If a DJ can play Chicago house next to Detroit techno or German electro without anyone missing a beat, then why shouldn’t they also drop some Angolan kuduro, Brazilian baile funk or South African kwaito into the mix? That’s the philosophy behind the crossover dance scene spearheaded by Highlife, a club with more passport stamps than David Attenborough’s cameraman. Five years since its first night at Glasgow’s Stereo, the club’s mix of UK funky, Afrofuturism and Middle Eastern beats has built a mini empire that extends to a compilation series and Rinse FM radio show.