Festivals

We have the latest news about the iArena lineup that will hit Latitude this year featuring some of the worlds top electronic music artists.

Headlining the late night stage on Friday will be the explosively talented electronic king and UK tunesmith Lone. Lone’s Friday night set will get the party amped up with his unique synth-soaked adventures through house, techno, and instrumental hip-hop. With props from fellow iArena artist James Holden, and Kode9, Rustie and Alex Nut, Lone is well respected as one of the most exciting young producers on the scene. Receiving critical acclaim for his dream-hop début opus Lemurian he is back with a bang for 2014, with new album Reality Testing set to drop this June.

Fuelling the crowd for Lone will be killer house music DJ and Resident Advisor recommended Leon Vynehall. New EP Music For The Uninvited has been described by RA as “one of the most eclectic and rewarding house records you’ll hear this year”. Vynehall will be preceded by Dan Shake, the first artist to be signed to Kenny Dixon's cult House label Mahogani Music label outside of Detroit in a decade. Expect the percussive rhythms of afrobeat, soul-drenched vocals and dark, dense grooves from this talented young producer. After producer, DJ and wunderkind James Holden finishes his set leaving the crowds wanting more, London based duo Voyeur will take to the stage with their dusty house music overlaid with fat house grooves. Recent signees to Kerri Chandler’s Madhouse, their debut single Blame It on the Youth was picked up by Annie Mac after tearing up last year’s legendary FOUND Street Party and the pair will bring the same summer vibes to Latitude this year.

Headlining the Saturday will be MOBO nominated Best Producer, Ericsson Best Newcomer Award Winner and UK Garage pioneer Wookie. Wookie has reproduced tracks for the likes of Sia, Justin Timberlake, Roll Deep, Ray Foxx and many, many more.  Having taken a break from the scene Wookie is back playing out his favourite 2-step tracks and mixing up his sets with different genres. With new single Higher, which sees the producer take a smoother, more house direction than ever before, the crowd will be kept on their feet throughout his set.

Building the buzz and excitement will be East-London’s beatsmith Champion who will take to the decks with his low-end basslines and dazzling rhythmic patterns. Despite only being in the early stages of his career, he is already producing music that incorporates House, UK Funky and Grime with a natural attention to detail. Champion has garnered support from tastemakers including The Quietus, FACT and XLR8R, setting him up as one of the UK’s next generation of leading producers.  Respected DJ, accomplished producer and label owner, Matt 'Jam' Lamont has been an intrinsic part of the UK Dance scene from its very inception. DJing across the globe, his skills are versatile and engaging with sets featuring House, Garage, breaks, dubs, & D&B to keep the crowd fully entertained. A champion of the British music scene, and great garage music irrespective of origin, it's no misnomer to class Matt 'Jam' Lamont amongst dance music's real pioneers. One of the most original production talents of recent times, Auntie Flo will open the iArena’s Saturday night of musical hedonism. His unique afro-futurist sound, encompassing classic house, disco, techno, electronica influences alongside afrobeat, kwaito, cumbia, South American rhythms and outsider music from all around the world offers a gateway to lesser-known strands of music.  Following on from two Radio 1 live sessions at Maida Vale and two Boiler Room sets, Auntie Flo is ready to bring his unique world dance sound to Latitude. 

Headlining on Sunday will be modern UK legend MJ Cole, a hugely respected Garage artist who released some of the most important UK dance records of the past decade. His intricate, heart-wrenching garage productions did more to expose the genre to the mainstream than any other artist. Having racked up a Mercury Music Prize nomination, a MOBO Best Producer award and a Silver Disc for UK, his often soulful sound hits the mark. With a commitment to emotive, brave club music expect to experience beats and bass that will stretch your musical boundaries.

Mo Kolours will join MJ Cole in the iArena with his eclectic mix of soul, new funk and broken dubstep. Having only released his self-titled debut album at the start of 2014 Mo has already been making waves with Gilles Peterson, Hot Chip's Joe Goddard and Friendly Fires' Jack Savidge. Tipped as an essential listen by many music blogs in the past year, Latitude welcomes Ghanaian-British artist Andrew Ashong, with his psych-soul grooves. Following his first solo release on Theo Parrish’s label, Sound Signature, the title track,Flowers won Track of the Year at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards last year. Ashong’s intricate tracks and layered vocals have drawn comparisons to “an R&B-influenced Richard Ashcroft” [Resident Advisor]. Opening up the dance floor on Sunday night will be BadBadNotGood, a formally trained trio who have torn up the rule book on improvised instrumental music and taken a fresh look at the jazz tradition. Renowned for their unique interpretation of popular hip-hop tracks, the three bring together jazz, hip hop, punk, and dance music into vigorous balance.  Don’t miss their raw talent and unique take on jazz.