Dayo Adeleye: People Discover New Sounds, New Influences, New Ways of Experiencing Music

Lagos-based cultural platform – The Group Collective – is focused on underground electronic music, immersive experience design, and community-led creative programming. Through its V Series, a curated beach rave and music experience set in Lagos, the collective has built a growing reputation for producing emotionally driven rave experiences that merge Afrohouse, visual storytelling, experimental staging, and alternative nightlife culture into one cohesive world. Ahead of its V6: The Sixth Sense edition, its organiser Dayo Adeleye shares insight on the upcoming event which spans a creative ecosystem and a collaborative platform, engaging DJs, filmmakers, designers, projection artists, photographers, and cultural curators across Lagos’ emerging underground scene. Ferdinand Ekechukwu brings the excerpts:

Can you speak to us about the V series and how the idea was born?

The V Series is a community-led beachfront electronic music experience curated by The Group Collective, a Lagos-based creative collective focused on bringing people together through culture, art, music, and shared experiences.  At our core, we create concepts that unite tribes and spotlight creatives. We believe some of the most meaningful experiences happen at the intersection of sound, art, and community and the V Series is our purest expression of that philosophy.  The idea itself came from a moment of clarity.  I was surrounded by some of my favourite people at an after party when it dawned on me that we could build something for us, by us, that served a much bigger purpose than entertainment. That we could create a platform where people felt seen, where creatives could thrive, and where community was the headline.  House music became the conduit. Community became the mission. Looking back, it’s incredible to see how far we’ve come in less than two years. 

How do you foster a dedicated electronic music community in an Afrobeats-dominated city?

First, I have to acknowledge the people who came before us and helped build the foundation of the electronic music scene in Lagos. What we’re experiencing today is the result of years of work by communities, selectors, curators, and promoters who created a structure people could trust, participate in, and eventually build upon.  Secondly, I don’t believe music has to compete. One of the beautiful things about culture is that taste evolves. People discover new sounds, new influences, and new ways of experiencing music.  Sometimes, all it takes is hearing two worlds collide for your perspective to expand.  What we’re seeing today is a growing, curious audience. They’re willing to explore electronic music while still appreciating the sounds they grew up with.  The genres aren’t at war; they’re in conversation.  Our role has been to create a space where that exploration can happen collectively. The V Series provides an environment for people to discover, appreciate, and celebrate electronic music together, and that shared experience is what keeps the community growing. Shout out to Olmeca Tequila Nigeria for helping us achieve this for the 6th time. 

V1 was the spark, and V5 was the fifth dimension. How did the initial vision for an extended, multi-sensory beach rave change from your first event to a full 24-hour journey?

We started V1 as a small, intimate gathering for about 50 people. It ended up pulling close to 200, which told us immediately that the idea had its own momentum. From there, it naturally stretched into something more expansive, less of a party, more of a full experience. It’s been shaped by trial, feedback, and constant tweaking, but also just a desire to keep refining what the moment can feel like. 

Your ethos states: “Respect the Space. Respect the Music. Respect Each Other.” How do you actively enforce this culture of immersion and consent on a chaotic beachfront?

We rely on structure, team, SOPs, and people who understand the assignment. But more importantly, the experience is designed in a way to reinforce that ethos on its own. By the time people arrive, the culture is already set. It just needs to be held, not forced. 

What was the biggest logistical nightmare that forced these upgrades?

Moving everything across water in the early editions was the biggest reality check. Costs, timing, and coordination all hit harder than expected. It affected everything from sponsor interest to how scalable the experience could be. At some point, we had to redesign the structure completely so the ecosystem could actually function properly. 

Running a 20-hour beach rave means battling the elements (tides, heat, sand, and salt). What specific technical challenges go into protecting the sound equipment and vendor areas in such an environment?  

The environment doesn’t forgive you, salt, sand, heat, and tides, all of it. Early on, we learned fast that standard setups won’t survive there. So, we started building for it: better protection for gear, elevated staging, cleaner cabling runs, and more stable power systems. For V6, there’s less reaction, more preparation from the start. 

From the first track to the final set, how do you map out the energy arc of the crowd over 20 hours?

I’ve learned this by being closer to DJs and curators, really understanding how they think and what they bring emotionally. It helps me place people intentionally. Each DJ isn’t just a slot; they’re responsible for a specific feeling in the journey. Once you see it like that, the arc becomes very deliberate. 

What is the most memorable moment of crowd synergy you’ve witnessed during sunrise hours at a V series rave?

V5, without question. The after’s were unreal. Right after Sunrise closed out the first phase, from about 7 am to 11 am, sets from Proton, Axara, Nino, and Nasty Mane had the crowd locked in. It felt like collective hypnosis. I’ve never seen that level of sync in real life before. 

The brand is heavily rooted in House, Afrohouse, and Afrotech. How has the talent lineup evolved to match the explosion of 3-step and Gqom sounds currently dominating the coastal party circuit?

The brand is also deeply rooted in Gqom and “Mara” as much as it is in House, Afrohouse, and Afrotech, and I’m personally an avid listener and supporter of both.  Over time, we’ve evolved the soundscape into something more orchestral in its storytelling. It’s not just about genre rotation, but emotional sequencing starting with softer textures like jazz-inflected house to ease people in, moving into deeper house to build groove and immersion, then transitioning into Afrohouse to elevate intensity, before fully opening into the more chaotic, high-energy expressions of Gqom and Mara.  That progression allows the experience to breathe while still arriving at a peak that feels intentional rather than abrupt. 

What does reaching the sixth edition mean for the growth of the community, and what specific gaps from past editions are you deliberately trying to fill this time around?

It feels like confirmation that this was always meant to exist. It reassures us that we’re building something that can last. For V6, the focus is on flow, making sure everything connects seamlessly. No breaks in immersion. Every moment should lead into the next without pulling people out of it. The Sixth Sense is taking place at The Country Beach on June 27, with 23 DJs, in 20 hours.  Built around the concept “When sound becomes instinct,” V6 explores the emotional and sensory power of music through immersive production, carefully sequenced programming, and a fully local lineup of underground electronic artists and creatives. The event combines rave culture, broadcast storytelling, and community collaboration into a large-scale cultural experience designed to spotlight the future of West African electronic music. We also have top Nigerian sculpture artiste, Yusuff Aina exhibiting.

Looking to the future, how do you ensure the V series continues to innovate without losing the underground, intimate magic of the very first edition?

By staying anchored in three things: Community, Collaboration, and Creation. Community keeps it grounded in the people. Collaboration brings in new energy without losing identity. Creation pushes us forward so we don’t stagnate. That balance is what keeps the original intimacy alive, even as we scale.