In a global music landscape often dominated by chart positions and streaming algorithms, there exists a quieter, more profound current; a dedication to the spaces where culture is nurtured, and community is the main event. It is in these fertile grounds that genuine scenes are built, and distinct sounds are born.
Mainland House Music may be just three years young, but they have quickly become a steady pulse within the Lagos electronic community. Rooted in championing a distinctly Nigerian electronic sound, they focus on contributing to the cultural ecosystem on the mainland, built through collaboration, mutual support, and the belief that everyone has a role in shaping the scene.
The collective recognises that they are part of a lineage. Many pioneering Lagos collectives laid the groundwork, establishing the city’s identity in electronic music and modelling the ethos of community care that now guides Mainland House Music. Their contribution honours this history while carving out a space for new talent and new stories from the mainland, with their See Dj’s initiative- platforming emerging DJs.
This commitment to grassroots cultural growth is what led Studio Monkey Shoulder and Worldwide FM to award Mainland House Music a £10,000 grant as part of their global initiative celebrating and supporting community built music scenes. Beyond financial support, the programme provided mentorship from the Studio Monkey Shoulder team and a dedication to telling these stories in long form, ensuring their stories resonate far beyond their immediate locales.. It’s an initiative that feels less like a competition and more like a patronage of the avant-garde, a conscious investment in music’s living, breathing ecosystems.
That long form commitment culminated in the documentary filmed after more than half a year of working together. Produced through a collaboration of local and global production talent, the film captures the activation that Mainland House Music brought to life on the mainland: a venue chosen deliberately, a lineup shaped by the See DJs programme and a visual world informed by Stylish Sinners’ long running archive of the city’s underground. The event itself kicked off with a panel conversation from those who have been integral to the scenes growth, from Hfactors’ Dolapo Osunsina, to Sweat it Out Cofounder Sons of Ubuntu, Delhi Otsemobor Co-Founder of Spektrum, Tomisin Akins, Founder of Lucid Lemons, Pelumi Onaleye- ½ of Faem, moderated by Mainland House’s very own King N Duke.
For the collective, the project has served as a catalyst, bringing renewed visibility, deepened community ties, and an expanded sense of what is possible when their efforts are supported and amplified. The film not only documents their journey but reflects the vibrancy of the people around them: the DJs, organisers, dancers, and collaborators who animate their scene.
This collaboration also underscores why funds like this are essential, both globally and across West Africa. Grassroots communities often operate with limited resources despite carrying immense cultural value. Support like this helps them build infrastructure, amplify unheard voices, preserve local stories, and sustain the scenes that inspire future generations.
In a world of constant noise, initiatives like Studio Monkey Shoulder provide a different kind of amplification. It’s not about turning up the volume, but rather, clarifying the signal. For communities like Mainland House Music, this commitment is a chance to not only be heard but to define the very terms of their listening. It is in these spaces, where creativity and collaboration is fostered with intention, that the future of music quietly, and determinedly, takes shape.
Catch Mainland House’s CODENAME:KND on iMullar Soundsystem & Detty Sexy Rave‘s collaboration in Lagos on 28th November, and Mainland House Music’s third anniversary on Sunday 30th November in Ikeja, Nigeria.
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