In February of last year, boxout closed their physical radio station. They have now re-tooled their website so that listeners can stream podcasts, interviews, mixes, live performances, and archived broadcasts.

In a press release, radio manager Ayesha Dikshit spoke about the pivot, saying, “The purpose of this shift is to highlight the incredible richness of the boxout.fm archive.” She said the decision was a “tough one,” but that their team remains committed to presenting new content from local talent.

Initially launched in 2017, the station began as a party thrown by Mohammed Abood A.K.A. DJ Mocity. The brand soon evolved into the boxout.fm radio station as well as a record label focused on giving a platform to Indian artists. After being forced to discontinue due to COVID-19 restrictions, their weekly Boxout Wednesdays party resumed in March. Festivities take place New Delhi venue Auro Kitchen and Bar.

In celebration of the organization’s fifth anniversary, Boxout Wednesdays will host a series of parties this month featuring artists such as Australian DJ Nina Las Vegas and SUCHI, a London-born producer who holds a monthly residency at the club.

The boxout.fm fundraiser’s lineup includes artists from various genres, including electronic acts DJ Seinfeld, Leon Vynehall, Nina Las Vegas, Jacques Greene, Coldcut, Violet, Jubilee, and many more. All sets will be repeated once, with the fundraiser concluding on Wednesday, May 19th. The stream will be available for listening at boxout.fm’s official website.

Beginning in March, India began to see a catastrophic increase in positive COVID-19 cases. According to The New York Times, the country’s seven-day average of confirmed cases is over 375,000, with nearly 24 million cases in total since the pandemic began. As of May 12th, 258,317 people have died in India due to COVID-19 and related complications.

For the time being, each event will strictly bill locals – most of whom are boxout.fm team members, said Founder DJ Mo City, according to Resident Advisor. Restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus dictate that attendees must undergo temperature checks and wear masks unless seated.

Outside the Box

Since April 2017, boxout.fm has given Indian electronic musicians a community-run platform – an avenue sorely missing before its inception. The station’s website offers “an authentic patchwork of music programming that is both free from the constraints of genre, and representative of an incredibly diverse musical landscape.”

Outside of the station and Boxout Wednesdays, the brand has expanded to include a record label called boxout.fm Recordings and the festival Boxout Weekender. Due to the pandemic, the latter took place in a digital format in 2020.

More information on Boxout Wednesdays is available on the boxout.fm website.