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Berlin-based producer Ae:ther is back with a scintillating new release on ARTBAT’s UPPERGROUND Imprint. Titled “Merlino“, the single is a powerful and hypnotic piece that showcases Ae:ther’s ability to craft melodic techno with a deep emotional resonance.
Drawing on his love for ambient electronica, Ae:ther has created a track that effortlessly channels the energy of the dance floor while maintaining a sense of introspection and depth. “Merlino” is a prime example of his ability to craft sonic landscapes that are both powerful and intimate.
With his pedigree as a formidable producer and selector, Ae:ther has quickly becoming a name to watch in the electronic music scene.
Born and raised in Rome with German DNA, he brings a diverse musical palette to his work, infusing his productions with influences from across the genre spectrum with his music catching the attention of industry heavyweights. As part of the new vanguard of electronic music producers, Ae:ther is perfectly poised to guide us into the future of the genre.
“Merlino” is a testament to Ae:ther‘s ability to create music that transcends boundaries and transports listeners to new sonic realms. It’s a must-listen for techno fans and anyone who appreciates the power of emotive electronic music.
Agents Of Time launch their brand new label Time Machine with one of their own fresh new singles, ‘Zodiac’.
Andrea Di Ceglie and Luigi Tutolo are the Agents Of Time and masters of their own richly melodic and atmospheric techno sound. It has come on revered labels like Afterlife, Kompakt and Ellum Audio while as performers they have headlined every major club and festival across Europe, America, the Middle East and beyond. Now they launch their own imprint which will offer further insight into their singular musical universe.
Time Machine: A glimpse of the future.
Zodiac is an exploration of deep space with astral techno synths and sleek, driving drums. There is a futuristic feel to the track and endless detail in the rich synth craft. A spine tingling breakdown brings the mood with spacious ambient designs and once the track kicks again it is sure to sweep entire dance floors off their feet.
K Club Hotel and Kabana Ubud are the best club and party hotels in Ubud – an idyllic paradise that invites you to stay in luxury bohemian villas then party deep in the jungle with mesmeric lights and lasers, dance by a lush infinity pool and head back to your villa for the afters with your own crew. The stunning club is the only one of its kind in the region and has welcomed the likes of Undercatt, David Mayer, Birds of Mind, Shouse, Zuma Dionys, Fake Mood, Darin Epsilon with much more planned this season. A trip to K Club Hotel and Kabana Ubud is an unreal and once-in-a-life-time memory you will never forget.
Kabana Ubud by K Club is a place where a gorgeous infinity pool meets a jungle club and is only five minutes from the heart of Ubud. It is a place to escape your everyday reality across four different levels and seven other swimming pools as it takes you deep into the majestic natural environment of this tropical paradise. The styling is sustainable, organic and natural, with plenty of local materials, gorgeous wooden decking, miles of bamboo and lush planting just as you would imagine in a perfect dream. Each night, 3D mapped visuals and a hypnotising and enchanting laser show plays out over the sleeping jungle and world class DJs provide the perfect soundtrack every Friday and Saturday.
The club boasts a superb sound system from L’Acoustic, designed and built by Léon, a French-born, Bali-based design creative agency, while there is also laser 3D mapping by French artist Jay Lion. The musical program is taken care of by Mantra Productions who have been running parties in Bali for the last four years and used to run their own clubs in Ukraine, so they really know how to curate the perfect night. The club’s musical director is French DJ and producer Didier aka El Didion who takes care of curation and consultancy of all music and events. Expect to hear an absorbing mix of downtempo, melodic techno, organic house and deep indie grooves that adds another layer of sensory excellence to this most special of places.
When visiting Kabana there is only one place to stay – the K Club Hotel, a luxury holiday experience with organic villas ranging two to five bedrooms each with their own pool and jungle views, or sensual glamping tents that put you at one with nature. It is here that the afterparties play out as long as you want, and that villa parties with all your closest crews can be planned for a destination music holiday like no other.
International travellers, world-wide music lovers and a community of expats are already hip to this most idyllic spot, and it’s time you tuned in too.
Since 2021, French festival FAMILY PIKNIK has thrown huge events to close its summer and this year on 7th October, SOLOMUN will be the epic headliner in Béziers Arenas in the South of France. Registrations for presale is open until May 31st at http://music.familypiknikfestival.com/closing2023
After Boris Brejcha in 2021 and a stunning 2022 closing event with more than 8000 party people in front of Paul Kalkbrenner, underground master chief Solomun will serve up a tremendous show in this monumental arena. The house titan experienced Family Piknik for the first time in 2015 with an exclusive back-to-back with Adriatique. That was before he turned to be one of the true heavyweights of Ibiza and one of the most in demand headliners in the scene.
Running his labels Diynamic & 2diy4 for more than 15 years, Solomun has been one of the most influentialtastemakers in the industry, supporting many different musical genres. His last studio album ‘Nobody is Not Loved’, released in 2021, showcased ever more his crossover vision for electronic music, sometimes far away from the dancefloor energy he always shares behind the decks.
He rarely plays in the South of France and his set for Family Piknik will be the first since 2019. It’s anevent not to miss and one that confirms Family Piknik’s capacity to regularly seduce the biggest electronic artists in the game. Adding Solomun to its 2023 all-stars summer line-up built around Carl Cox, Ben Böhmer, Adam Beyer, Anna and many other top-level artists, the French festival is even more essential than ever this year.
After three raucous parties last year, HE.SHE.THEY. returns to Amnesia, Ibiza for an increased eight parties this summer.
The influential and boundary-breaking HE.SHE.THEY. night is centred around diversity, inclusion and, above all else, fun. This is a party for EVERYONE. ALL genders, ALL races and ALL sexualities. HE.SHE.THEY. DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE.
Bringing a talent-first and diverse line-up of DJs to the island, special house sets come via Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock. Leaders of the scene like Kerri Chandler, Maya Jane Coles, Kink, Tiga, Overmono, Avalon Emerson, Todd Terje, Felix da Housecat, Horse Meat Disco and Âme are joined by burgeoning global talents such as FKA.M4A, Sally C, Honeyluv, Dana Montana, DJ Holographic, Doudou MD and Paula Tape with many more besides. No line-up would be complete without HE.SHE.THEY. residents SYREETA and Maze & Masters.
Of course, there will be a host of the most weird and wonderful dancers from Ibiza.
After three raucous parties last year, HE.SHE.THEY. returns to Amnesia, Ibiza for an increased eight parties this summer.
The influential and boundary-breaking HE.SHE.THEY. night is centred around diversity, inclusion and, above all else, fun. This is a party for EVERYONE. ALL genders, ALL races and ALL sexualities. HE.SHE.THEY. DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE.
Bringing a talent-first and diverse line-up of DJs to the island, special house sets come via Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock. Leaders of the scene like Kerri Chandler, Maya Jane Coles, Kink, Tiga, Overmono, Avalon Emerson, Todd Terje, Felix da Housecat, Horse Meat Disco and Âme are joined by burgeoning global talents such as FKA.M4A, Sally C, Honeyluv, Dana Montana, DJ Holographic, Doudou MD and Paula Tape with many more besides. No line-up would be complete without HE.SHE.THEY. residents SYREETA and Maze & Masters.
Of course, there will be a host of the most weird and wonderful dancers from Ibiza.
The house rules as always are no transphobia, no homophobia, no racism, no ableism, no body shaming, no misogyny, no non-consensual touching – basically just being a decent person. <3
HE.SHE.THEY. is record label, fashion label and house and techno party that is now globally renowned for bringing back important old-school values that defined the early scene – it’s a party that is all about inclusivity and diversity, about making everyone and anyone feel welcome irrespective of age, race, sex, gender, ability, religion, background or sexuality.
This simple but essential mission has taken HE.SHE.THEY. from festivals like Glastonbury Festival and Kappa Futur to Pride celebrations to the world’s most prestigious clubs like fabric, Cocoricò and, of course, Amnesia, across 15 countries and 40 cities from Berlin to Ibiza to Mumbai to NYC.
You are encouraged to be exactly who you want to at this event, dress up or down and have no regrets. See you on the dance floor.
Canvas Yard is a brand new collaboration between Moda Living and New Citizens. It is Leeds’ largest outdoor event space right in the heart of the city and it gets transformed with cutting edge audio-visual production and a powerful sound system that never fails to deliver the perfect soundtrack for the 4000 attendees who have already experienced the magic of partying there.
Says Stu, “The New Citizens team and I are really happy with how these first events at Canvas Yard went. With such a lack of cultural space in Leeds it was amazing to witness the Hacienda and then Defected audience enjoy themselves and the hard work from all our core team, freelancers and suppliers paying off.”
Eleanor Trigwell, Brand Manager at Moda Living, said: “It was fantastic to see the Hacienda brought to life at Canvas Yard, in what was an amazing celebration of community, collaboration and, of course, music. We are proud to be working with New Citizens to deliver landmark cultural moments such as The Hacienda, and we’re looking forward to an exciting summer of more outstanding events at Leeds’s biggest new outdoor event space.”
The first historic event saw the legendary FAC51 Hacienda head to Leeds for an open air event on Sunday 30th April 2023 with a special Bank Holiday Weekend all dayer with Roger Sanchez, Todd Terry, Dimitri From Paris, Derrick Carter, Greg Wilson, DJ Paulette, Ralph Lawson and Marshall all laying it down in fine style.
After that, influential house music label Defected made a huge return to Leeds for their first show in the city in over five years on Coronation Bank Holiday Sunday, May 7th, when the likes of Gorgon City, Hannah Wants, Low Steppa, Sam Divine, Arielle Free and Rio Tashan all played.
Next up is the city’s longest running and most loved gathering, The Garden Party. This year it adds an all new second stage with a line up including its most diverse and forward thinking talents to date with Daniel Avery, Pawsa, Skream, Paul Woolford, LF System, Special Request, Sherelle, Bradley Zero, Todd Terje, Palms Trax and Dr Banana all playing. Next to the music, there is an array of tasty eats and drinks in the food village and a relaxing chill out area making this the most complete Garden Party yet.
Canvas Yard has already set a new party standard in Leeds, and it is only just getting started.
As Spring settles in, BLOODSTOCK HQ is a hive of activity. This week’s announcement sees the first bands announced for the New Blood stage, and the dates are set for the Finals of 2023’s METAL 2 THE MASSES programme, BLOODSTOCK’s celebrated initiative to help developing bands score a landmark opportunity, playing a slot on the New Blood stage at the festival in August. Some winners are chosen from online submissions, whereas others battle it out among their peers at local events across the country. This year, 29 different regions have stepped up and we also welcome initiatives from Croatia and Poland to the programme.
The finals kick off this Saturday 29th April at Leicester’s O2 Academy and roll through to Saturday 8th July at Oxford’s Jericho Tavern. Full dates are detailed below, so be sure to get out and support both bands and venues near you.
Sat 29th Apr – LEICESTER O2 Academy Sat 6th May – EDINBURGH La Belle Angele Fri 12th May – BELFAST Voodoo Sat 13th May – DUBLIN Fibber Magees Sat 20th May – SHEFFIELD Corporation Sat 20th May – MANCHESTER Rebellion Thu 25th May – NORWICH Brickmakers Sat 27th May – MILTON KEYNES Craufurd Arms Sat 27th May – LEEDS The Library Sat 3rd Jun – LONDON The Dome Sat 3rd Jun – NEWCASTLE Trillians Sat 3rd Jun – OSIJEK (Croatia) Ex-Epic Sat 10th Jun – CHORZOW (Poland) Lesniczowka Rock n’ Roll Cafe Fri 16th Jun – COLCHESTER Coda Sat 17th Jun – GRAVESEND Leo’s, Red Lion Fri 23rd Jun – BIRMINGHAM Devils Dog Sat 24th Jun – HITCHIN Club 85 Sat 24th Jun – WREXHAM XS @ The Penny Black Sat 24th Jun – BRISTOL The ExchangeFri 30th Jun – BOURNEMOUTH Bear Cave Fri 30th Jun – CHELTENHAM Frog & Fiddle Sat 1st Jul – BURNLEY Sanctuary Sat 1st Jul – STOKE The Underground Sat 1st Jul – NORTHAMPTON The Black Prince Sat 1st Jul – LIVERPOOL Zanzibar Sat 1st Jul – CARDIFF Fuel Sat 8th Jul – NOTTINGHAM The Old Cold Store Sat 8th Jul – SALTASH Livewire Sat 8th Jul – OXFORD Jericho Tavern
Meanwhile, grabbing New Blood slots via the online submission process are these lucky acts. Joining Friday’s New Blood stage are London’s LOKUST. Their ferocious, instrumental demo single, ‘Guiltless’ (featuring Krimh – Septicflesh/ex-Decapitated) only hints at what’s to come when they release their debut album this year. Also appearing Friday will be Stoke On Trent’s self-described “heavy as fuck” trio, HEADPRESS. Get a taster of their brutal triple attack via the video for ‘Outlines’. And joining Friday’s fray are Yorkshire UKHC squad, STREET SOLDIER. Check out the crunchy uncompromising title track from their debut ‘One Man Gang’ EP.
For Saturday’s New Blood stage, we welcome South Wales black metal collective OFNUS. Watch out for the band’s debut full length coming this Summer and meanwhile get a taster of their bleak, brutal sound. Also featured on Saturday will be riff-laden Manchester metal trio, VICE. Their second album, ‘For The Fallen’ was released last summer – watch their video for ‘Vultures’ here.
Irish doomsters SOOTHSAYER also land themselves a Saturday slot. Get familiar with their glorious, atmospheric noise via the video for ‘Cities Of Smoke’, taken from their album ‘Echoes Of The Earth’. Last, but certainly not least, Danish modern death metal squad NAKKEKNAEKKER join Saturday’s line up. For a five piece with the average age of 18, these boys have skills beyond their years. Check out this clip of their live show.
Over on Sunday’s New Blood stage, you’ll be seeing East Anglian thrashers ELIMINATION. The band’s 2021 debut, ‘Echoes of the Abyss’ turned many heads and the band are at work on its successor, due out this year. In the interim, watch their video for ‘Icon of Despair’.
Also grabbing a slot are Northern Ireland rock trio, SKYPILOT. The band’s latest album, ‘Simple Beasts’, laden with fat riffs, landed last Summer, featuring the track, ‘Octofuzz’. And Nottingham extreme noise terrorists OUTERGODS grab a Sunday spot. Featuring members of Evil Scarecrow and Raised By Owls, the band are working on a new album that’ll land this Summer. In the meantime investigate their ungodly ‘Catacombs of Madness’.
BLOODSTOCK’s very popular club nights are also underway! Grab your mates, hit the dance floor, and perhaps you’ll be a lucky winner coming home with a free pair of weekend tickets – every club night will be running a competition! If none of these are near you, fret not, there will be more party nights at other locations through June and July revealed soon. APRILFri 28th April – Warrington, FC2Fri 28th April – Cardiff, Metro’sSat 29th April – Camberley, AgincourtSat 29th April – Stoke-on-Trent, The Sugarmill MAYSat 6th May – Brighton, AboveFri 12th May – Bristol, The LanesSat 20th May – Newcastle, Reds Bar @ Northumbria Uni Students UnionFri 27th May – London, ElektrowerkzSat 27th May – Southampton, SuburbiaSat 27th May – Stoke-on-Trent, The SugarmillSun 28th May – Exeter, The Cavern
This summer, Reflex Festival will take place for the second time at the gorgeous Lake Helene near Berlin. From 15th – 18th June, revellers are invited to a unique experience of electronic music, culture and performative arts in various forms across five specialists stages with free camping and music from the likes of Paula Temple, DVS1, Héctor Oaks, Freddy K, Fadi Mohem, Boris, Braindrop, Cassie Raptor and many more.
Reflex Festival was born out of an intimate passion for electronic music culture and aims to inspire people to question predetermined identities, roles and behaviours and to feel free from social conformity during four days of music and art. The festival presents diverse forms of artistic expression, emphasising tolerance and creativity. The artistic vision of the festival comes alive through a variety of eclectic performances, installations and visual art, with all manner of vegan food, a sauna, workshops and plenty more to make it a weekend to remember.
Lake Helene is a beautifully natural and organic setting for this community minded gathering with the phenomenal lake and its pristine waters backed with scenic surroundings for a genre-fluid combination of energetic trance and dynamic techno.
There are local hotel options, or camping on site is included in the ticket price and you can expect next level production that brings the whole thing to life as well as a queer and diverse community of ravers from around Berlin and the international psy and techno community.
Says the Director, “As an alternative to the digital spheres of individualism, Reflex creates an analog space to collectively explore changes in perception, thought, and action. Through our joyful gathering, we create a safe space for each other, characterised by respect and creativity. Reflex is a place of collective exchange, searching to clean the slate of ideas that have been imprinted on ourselves, prompting us to transform our experiences into new trajectories for a more tangible future.”
This year’s highlights include Boris, Braindrop, Cassie Raptor, Cecilia Tosh, Cera Khin, Chlär, DJ Yara, DVS1, Héctor Oaks, Fadi Mohem, Freddy K, Kalte Liebe (Live), Lokier, Métaraph, Øtta, Orestis, Paula Temple, Stephanie Sykes, The Lady Machine and many more established and emerging acts. The unique sound is shaped by the curation of the following collectives: CONCRETE, DURCH, ELYSION, FHAINEST, GEGEN, HARD TRADE, HEISSS, PARVATI RECORDS, PORNCEPTUAL, SACHSENTRANCE, SYNOID, VOXNOX and xXETEXx.
UNUM Festival is one of Europe’s most cultured and secluded underground gatherings and it is just around the corner on June 1st – 6th. It takes place in the beautiful coastal town of Shëngjin, Albania across famously boutique stages on the beach and in the pine trees and now the day by day breakdowns can be revealed.
UNUM Festival boasts almost non-stop music, no sound or time restrictions, famously friendly and in the know crowds that come from diverse corners of Europe and beach parties, organic production and plenty more that all make it so unique.
Thursdays kicks off on the Pine Stage with the likes of Pol, All Shadows, Gemza, Sasho Uzun and Rinaldo Makaj then Friday on the same stage is hosted by Animal Crossing and welcomes the likes of Magda, Automatic Writing, Dyed Soundorom b2b The Ghost, Dyed solo, The Ghost, D’Julz, Reiss and more. The Main Stage welcomes Hot Since 82, DJ Reas, Michel Cleis and Manu Gonzalez and Beach Stage plays hosts to Arodes, Sammi Ferrer, Vithz, Cristina Lazic and M.I.M..
Pine Stage highlights on Saturday include Priku, Rhadoo, Raresh, Praslea b2b Cezar and Vitess Live, Bedouin, Jay Fase and Laolu on The Main Stage and Shimza, Djeff, David Mayer and more on the Beach. On Sunday, Pine — headed up by Club der Visionaere and After Caposilie — welcomes Boris Werner, Janeret, Cesar Merveille, Sonja Moonear, Ricardo Villalobos and John Dimas, Nick Curly, Dubfire and Marco Carola are on the Main Stage and Gina Jeanz, Black Space and more play the beach. Monday on the Pine Stage is hosted by SlapFunk with Margaret Dygas, Youandewan, Anthea, tINI, Liburn b2b Jonny N Travis, Liburn b2b a guest, and Leke b2b a guest. Tuesday closes down on the Pine stage with a secret b2b2b2b, Dungeon Meat, Ingi Vision and Doudou MD b2b tINI.
Aside from the world class music there is plenty to do at UNUM. Rana e Hedhun is a cultured town on the picture-perfect Albanian coastline with a sweeping beach and uninterrupted sun and sea. There’s a stunning mountain range in the distance and magical pine forests plus a mix of water sports, mouthwatering local food and drink offerings and plenty of isolated bays and secluded woodland areas to explore.
Aamir Altin Boshnjaku ALL SHADOWS Anthea Bassam Bedouin CEZAR DJEFF D’Julz DJ Reas Dyed Soundorom Franco Cinelli Ingi Visions Jay Fase John Dimas Julian Alexander Laolu Lekë LIBURN LIKATEK Manu Gonzalez Margaret Dygas PIFE Praslea Priku Quenum Raresh Rhadoo Ricardo Villalobos RIMBU Rrrron Samuel Deep SAMMI FERRER Secret 47 Shimza Sonja Moonear tINI Vitess
PHASE 2
Alban Hidini Alci Alex Kostic Arodes Artil Automatic Writing Besa M Black Space Blanka Mazimela Boris Werner Bowes Cap Cesar Merveille Chris Cristina Lazic Dajku Twins Darque David Meyer Dona K Doudou MD Dungeon Meat Emma B Ernesto Ferreyra Francesco Maddalena Gemza Germano Ventura Gina Jeanz Hot Since 82 Hajdar Berisha Janeret Joey Jackson Jonny N Travis Just Jam Laidlaw Lea Lisa M.I.M. Magda Maqoosa Marco Carola Michel Cleis Nemax Nick Curly Pol Pumio Space R.O.Y. Rama Reiss Sasho Uzon The Ghost Vithz Youandewan
Los Angeles’s pioneering underground party Framework is set for its biggest ever event on May 13th at Exposition Park when house music titan Solomun returns to the city for the first time since his sell out set back in 2021. Also playing are Third Culture aka Sacha Robotti and Sian, but tickets are almost sold out so make sure you get yours for this historic event at Exposition Park.
Solomun has a long and rich history with Framework having played for the leading promoters for the last decade. For this special party, all the stops are being pulled out as Framework serves up its largest ever event with all of the famous production it is known for. Exposition Park, a 160-acre urban park in the south region of Los Angeles, is a perfect place for this event to come alive and take you into another dimension.
Says Kobi Danan, “Over the last decade, Solomun has become more than just talent on the Framework roster – he has become family. His exceptional musical artistry, unmatched stage charisma, and unwavering loyalty have not only captivated audiences worldwide but have also played an integral role in propelling the underground community alongside Framework in Los Angeles to new heights. It has been a privilege to have Solomun by our side on this journey, and we are humbled to have the honor of producing his largest Los Angeles event to date.”
Solomun heads up the Dynamic Music label and brings his fresh, emotive and melodic house sound to the world’s most revered clubs and festivals. He has his own summer residency in Ibiza and his label is right at the forefront with the most innovative artists serving up the sound of the underground. Expect him to dig deep at Exposition Park.
As Third Culture, Sacha Robotti and Sian bring a new vision to life, carved out by their experiences in club culture around the world. They make everything from house to disco, dark tech to deep grooves with no musical borders. They have released on Sian’s Octopus Recordings and will bring truly atmospheric sounds to this event.
Over the last decade, Framework has established itself as the most cutting edge, diverse and carefully curated underground event producers coming out of Los Angeles. In all it has welcomed more than 200 of the world’s most influential artists with over 1.5 million dancers having the night of their lives at some 35 different international venues across the world. Framework has garnered immense industry respect and has in turn become one of the leading consultants, talent buyers, and marketing partners for brands looking to offer the most authentic and novel underground experiences in new and emerging regions.
