The Brighton-born Brit School graduates Jordan “Rizzle” Stephens and Harley “Sylvester” Alexander-Sule have established themselves as one of the UK’s biggest musical success stories in the past 12 months, having sold over a million singles and 300,000 albums in the UK with their debut LP Down With the Trumpets soaring to number 5 in the British album charts. Their fun-loving twist on old school hip hop is full of good natured humour and musical eclecticism, with ska, mariachi and bluegrass all providing the backdrop to the duo’s slick rhymes. It’s a formula that’s worked wonders for them, with fans including Damon Albarn, Jessie J, and surprisingly Stephen Fry, who famously Tweeted ‘unexpectedly enjoying the old school hip hop sounds of Rizzle Kicks.’ Tours with Dizzee Rascal, Professor Green and The Streets, a number one single as guests on Olly Murs’ ‘Heart Skips a Beat’, a storming live appearance at the Brit Awards, and three MOBO nominations would be sufficient reward for the entire careers of many an artist, but for the young, talented and eminently likeable Rizzle Kicks, that’s just the beginning.

Sunday’s Dance Arena line up is taking shape with three new additions: closing the arena as Sunday night headliner is a legend of drum & bass, DJ HYPE who is joined by MC IC3. Real name Kevin Ford, Hype has been at the forefront of the D&B scene since its emergence 20 years ago, and his journey has been a long one, from DJing on influential pirate radio station Fantasy FM in the early 90s to presenting on Kiss 100, DJing on one-deck reggae soundsystems in Hackney to DJing with Afrika Bambaata in New York and being name-checked by Human League’s Phil Oakey, to being voted Best Male DJ and Best Radio DJ in the UK Hardcore Awards and establishing his own label, Playaz, with a residency at super club Fabric. His story is the definition of ‘paying your dues’, and he rightly takes his place at the top table of a select number of international DJs whose renown is unshakably established.

Also joining him on the Dance Arena line up is the Kitsune-signed LOGO. The Parisian producer duo’s ephemeral, shimmering futurist electronica has made them one of the uber-cool French label’s most exciting signings of recent years, and their addition to the Jersey Live line up continues a long tradition of showcasing new up-and-coming French artists. Also appearing on Sunday’s Dance Arena bill is London-based Canadian producer-DJ B.TRAITS. Signed to Shy FX’s Digital Soundboy label, she has come a long way since upping sticks from Vancouver and making the leap across the Atlantic. Now hosting her own weekly ‘In New DJs We Trust’ show on BBC Radio One and having recently scored a UK Top 40 hit with her first single ‘Fever’ (featuring vocals from Elisabeth Troy), to say the future looks bright for her is surely an understatement. Musically, she’s something of a throwback, her style taking in jungle, old school rave, 90s house and UK funky; she’s at once educating youngsters new to dance music and winning approval from veterans of the electronic music scene.

The last of the latest line up announcements is the Hospitality Stage Saturday night headliner. In previous years this area has seen intimate performances from the likes of Ed Sheeran, Frank Turner and King Charles, and this year, the focus will be on DJs, with international masters of the wheels of steel taking control of the proceedings. Northern Irish DJ, producer and composer DAVID HOLMES will round off Saturday night’s festivities with an exclusive DJ set. Having first started out as a producer and DJ in Belfast in the early 90s, he has gone on to enjoy a career of immense success, collaborating with the likes of Bobby Gillepsie and Martina Topley-Bird before forming the band Free Association, and going on to make his name as a renowned movie soundtrack composer. This career path has seen him collaborate extensively with Steven Soderberg, scoring the blockbuster movies Oceans 11, 12 and 13, as well as this year’s Ewan McGregor and Michael Douglas-starringKnockout. He also recently produced the music for the David Fincher-directed 3GS ad ‘Break In (HQ)’. With a huge range of influences from house to techno to krautrock and punk, it’s very likely that his DJ set at Jersey Live will be as eclectic as it is exhilarating, and its with great pleasure that we welcome him to the festival for the first time.

FULL LINE UP TO DATE:
NOEL GALLAGHER’S HIGH FLYING BIRDS / CHASE & STATUS (LIVE)
PRIMAL SCREAM / PROFESSOR GREEN / RIZZLE KICKS / THE STRANGLERS
MAVERICK SABRE / DEVLIN / FRIENDS / JAKE BUGG / DAVID HOLMES / 
JAMES ZABIELA / DJ HYPE & MC IC3 / JAGUAR SKILLS / DELTA HEAVY / B.TRAITS / FEEDME / JAYMO & ANDY GEORGE / HERVE / NINA NESBITT / JANICE GRAHAM BAND / BWANI JUNCTION / MANY MORE TBA