This is part of a series of articles on the state of the nation ahead of the seismic UK election on May 7. Check out what we demand from the next government, and don't forget to vote.  Read our piece on why UK nightlife will never die.

Fresh from winning a Mercury Prize that they didn't seem to give a fuck about, Edinburgh trio Young Fathers are blazing a trail across America having just released their second album White Men Are Black Men Too. Here, in an exclusive mix for Dazed, Young Fathers trawl through the global influences that make them one of the most captivating acts around right now and show exactly why we knew we had to get them involved for this project.

Tune in and move from past to present, from the streets of Brixton to the basements of Edinburgh – this surreal amalgamation of sounds and locations holds a mirror to the mixtures of moods that makes up Young Fathers. Listen and see what they have to say below.

Tell us about this mix.

Very hard to make a mix just of current UK music… there’s only, like, one contemporary UK group on this (Naked, from Edinburgh). We could have put LAWholt and Callum Easter but hardly anyone makes noise that isn’t generic. So it’s one POV from across the ocean (we’re in New York right now) and it’s like an hour in a night out that never happens.

What was the most important club to you in your formative years?

The Bongo Club, Edinburgh. For us it was a sanctuary, a place of self discovery, a rite of passage, it's where we came together through the of love of heavy bass, distortion and sweet melodies.

What are your favourite memories of that era?

The sweaty white walls to the dimly lit room  on the main dance floor.

What's the one track that never fails to make you nostalgic for for your early club experiences?

Nelly - Hot In Here
Sean Paul - Get Busy

Where was your first live set, & what was it like?

In our high school "Top Of The Pops". Classmates and parents were there cheering for us.

Where's your favourite spot to play in the UK now?

Well, these questions are aimed, I think, at DJs, so the best place for us to DJ is our own occasional Jekalo nights in Edinburgh or Glasgow.

What do you think about the state of UK nightlife today?

Don’t know. Hardly go out nowadays. Get sick of the same ole same ole.

Where do you think the most exciting nightlife is happening in the country right now?

In another country. On another continent. Africa, to be precise.

If you were put in charge of making one change to UK nightlife on the whole, what would that be?

Destroy. Rebuild.