Beirut Groove Collective

Now in its 16th year, the Beirut Groove Collective (BGC) is a London-based collective of vinyl DJs and crate diggers behind the BGC All-Nighter, a cult club night dedicated to obscure and underground dancefloor records from the 1960s to the 1980s, spanning the SWANA region, Africa, and beyond. Rooted in Beirut’s formative decades as a cosmopolitan musical crossroads, the night draws on pioneering records and subcultures of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. The BGC’s floor-shaking vintage sets trace sonic links across global scenes, from Arabic and African funk, Lebanese '60s beat and bellydance disco to Latin tarab, Armenian estradayin, Anatolian rock, Ethiopian and Sudanese jazz, and rare soul, funk, and psychedelia from around the world.

Founded in Beirut in 2009, the BGC is led by Lebanese DJ, record collector, and NTS host Ernesto Chahoud and British DJ, music researcher, and writer Natalie Shooter, who DJ alongside a rotating circle of guest DJs from their international collective. Over more than a decade, the BGC helped shape Beirut’s alternative nightlife, launching one of the city’s first underground, strictly vinyl club nights dedicated to lesser-known records and underrepresented music cultures and scenes. Now based in London, their residencies at grassroots venues including the Jago have become a fixture of the city’s underground, alongside appearances at clubs, festivals, and community spaces across Beirut, Europe, and internationally.

Over the years, the BGC has built a devoted following and international reputation for its deep crates, adventurous sound, and inimitable dancefloor energy. The night brings together DJs, producers, diggers, and tastemakers from its ever-expanding global collective, cultivating a worldwide community of music heads, dancers, and curious listeners. The BGC also has a longstanding tradition of original poster artwork for each club night, through longstanding collaborations with artists and illustrators worldwide. Beyond the dancefloor, Chahoud and Shooter share their research and record digging through curated compilations and archival reissues focused on SWANA music history and interconnected global scenes. Their work extends across radio—including Ernesto’s monthly “Beirut Daze” on NTS—talks, listening sessions, and writing on music history, record culture, and underground movements. Their latest release, in collaboration with Now-Again, is “Une Voix M’Appelle,” a deep dive into the modern Lebanese musical adventure through the Voix De L’Orient label catalog (1967–1984). They have released multiple reissues and compilations, including the cult album “Houdou Nisbi” with We Want Sounds by Ziad Rahbani and “Taitu,” a compilation of Ethio-jazz on BBE. A forthcoming compilation, also with BBE, explores the pioneering compositions of Lebanese maestro Ihsan Al Mounzer. Their writing has appeared in Middle East Eye, Al Jazeera, and various other books and publications.