Can you tell the Mixcloud community a bit about XLR8R and how it got started?

XLR8R (pronounced “accelerator”) is a magazine and website that covers music, culture, style, and technology and was founded in 1993 in Seattle, WA. XLR8R started out as a ‘zine’, and within a couple of years became a finger on the pulse of music culture. While XLR8R’s initial focus was on electronic music, it has over the years widened its scope to include indie rock, hip-hop, and reggae/dancehall music as well as related trends in art, fashion, and tech.

How long have you been doing the podcasts, and what do you hope to achieve with them?

Our first podcast debuted on August 3rd, 2006. We have been releasing a podcast every week for almost 10 years. We created a platform with our podcast that showcases not only the current heavy-hitters of the electronic music landscape, but also highlights cutting-edge DJs and producers that are still emerging. With over 425 exclusive podcasts to our name, we have built a decade long archive of the ever evolving and changing landscape of electronic music.

Do you have a few favorites or recommendations from the series? What makes them special?

We’ve had some really special podcast submissions over the years. Nicolas Jaar’s podcast back in 2011 was really forward-thinking and groundbreaking in terms of exposure for him. The mix has over 1.5 million total listens. Sebastian Mullaert from Minilogue submitted a mix in 2015 that was entirely live and improvisational and included all original material. I personally think that mix is pure magic. As far as techno goes, I think Efdemin’s mix from March of 2014 is as good as it gets. Octa Octa, Lena Wilikens, John Tejada, and Mathew Jonson are all stand out as well.

What can we expect in the future from XLR8R and your forthcoming podcasts?

XLR8R is constantly putting out new music in the form of premieres, exclusive streams, and downloads. We plan on continuing to be a source of uncompromising music news and continuing to accelerate music and culture. 2016 will be a big year for our podcasts, as we will be celebrating 10 years of podcasts in August.