Blacktronika : Afrofuturism in Electronic Music is a University of California course, created by professor, curator, and music producer King Britt that honors all the innovators of color that have contributed and are undeniably responsible for the advancement of electronic music. The class focuses on process and socio-political roots that helped catalyze the creation of genres such as Detroit Techno, Chicago House and Jamaican Dub.

The term Blacktronika was borrowed with love from Charlie Dark MBE, of the groundbreaking group Attica Blues, who from 1999-2004 created a series of high art events in the UK called Blacktronica (with a ‘c’). Since its inception, the class has also developed into a festival that has been presented in San Diego (UCSD), Los Angeles (MoCA), and Brooklyn (Public Records/The Nursery).

2025’s Blacktronika program builds upon last year’s collaboration with King Britt and delivers an electrifying mix of genre-bending brilliance with Antipop Consortium’s cerebral hip-hop, Free Form Funky Freqs’ explosive jazz-funk fusion, and Asha Puthli’s avant-garde psychedelic soul, plus a special collaboration with Tyshawn Sorey, King Britt, Melz, and Meshell Ndegeocello. We are honored to expand the sound once again to Big Ears.