Right time, right place, fresh energy. Lara Sweeney a.k.a. London-based producer, DJ and vocalist Bklava has been dishing out irresistible anthems for buzzing dancefloors since 2019, with their heady blend of garage, house, breaks and live vocals. Fusing a background in singing and songwriting with high-energy club bubblers, Bklava was named a “multifaceted, multitalented” rising star and a “quadruple threat” by the likes of Notion early on, with their 2020 self-titled debut EP for Ministry of Sound dubbed “essential lockdown listening” by Mixmag. Fast forward to today and Bklava’s stepping into a new independent chapter bookmarked by some big gear shifts, like the evolution of Spin Suga. Once a network for female, non-binary and gender non-conforming DJs and producers founded off the back of a uni dissertation exploring gender disparity in dance music, it now functions as an indie label, guided by the same formative intentions to support and champion those in Bklava’s community. It was inaugurated in October 2023 with Bklava banger Make It Work (which was tapped as a Hottest Record on BBC Radio 1) and, down the line, will play host to new releases from underrepresented underground acts. Before that, though, it will welcome a bumping new Bklava mixtape that serves as an ode to the underground club culture that shaped who they are today. Bklava is taking cues from their own Autonomy EP as they embrace the future on their own terms.