Touching Bass, the South London-founded cultural platform created by Alex Rita and Errol Anderson, is marking its tenth year while touring internationally and balancing parenthood. The article portrays it as more than a music project: a community connecting musicians, artists and curators through a shared ethos rooted in openness, collaboration and diverse musical influences.

The pair first developed their connection through informal record-playing sessions in Brixton and a mutual love of jazz, soul and hip-hop, before Touching Bass began as a Noisey mix series and later became a monthly NTS broadcast. Anderson’s East London background and Rita’s Copenhagen influences shaped its sound, while London venues and scenes around Deptford, Lewisham and Brixton helped foster relationships with artists including Wu-Lu, Kokoroko and Nubya Garcia.