Standon Calling today adds a plethora of dance music gems to their line up, crowned by Audio Doughnuts stage headliners Nina Kraviz and Simian Mobile Disco. For night owls, electronic and DJ talent will also feature Gilles Peterson, DJ Format and Greg Wilson. The dance floors are calling at Standon Calling for the weekend 2nd – 4th August with tunes spinning right up until 5am.
Nina Kraviz has had the attention of tech and deep-house aficionados for the best part of a decade. The young Russian star’s profile is ever increasing since the release of her debut album, awarded 4/5 by top dance music community, Resident Advisor. Kraviz makes for a bold headliner for the Audio Doughnuts stage at Standon Calling. Similarly, Simian Mobile Disco, another heavyweight of the electronic world now tops the bill at the Hertfordshire festival. The duo’s original material is a staple of both dance and indie club playlists, SMD have also infiltrated the pop world with tracks featuring the likes of Gossip’s Beth Ditto.
From London to Chicago via Leeds, taking in live Afro dub, soul electrica, African-inspired electronica and bass sounds, the Audio Doughnuts stage brings a global sounds to this year’s Standon Calling. Their vibrant offering inside The Big Top also includes Benin City (live), Roy Davis Jnr + special guest TBA, Tuesday Born (live), Two Inch Punch, Mêle, SOPHIE, Debian Black, Shox and Pusherman.
Atop Count Sizzle’s Whoop Whoop circus stage, house in the much-loved Cowshed, will be Gilles Peterson. Club DJ, A&R and radio show host, Peterson’s career was born from the pirate radio movement of South London in the 1980s. His global tastes, love of Cuban sounds and passion for new music make Peterson a prime attraction behind the decks. Also signed up to Count Sizzle’s party are DJ Format, hip-hop DJ, producer and Jurassic 5 collaborator, plus Greg Wilson, champion of electro-funk and former Hacienda resident. Also taking to the stage and the decks will be Ross Allen, Natty Bo (Ska Cubano), Count Sizzle himself, Count Skylarkin, Leo Beckford and Cleen Boys.
Paul Van Dyk’s list of accolades reads like a bar bill from a night out with Charlie Sheen. It is without question an endless catalogue, with highlights including being voted #1 in DJ Mag’s ‘Top 100’ poll twice, a feat that only a small handful of acts have achieved, including our Saturday night headliner Armin van Buuren. Growing up in East Berlin, Paul was obsessed with the music coming from the West, which strayed away from the techno that the region is famed for. With no record shops where he grew up and of course no internet, he would get his fix by listening to radio show’s which endorsed the sound he loved. When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, an abundance of empty buildings and warehouses kick-started a raucous party scene and gave him the platform to perform to thousands of people every week. PvD is a pioneer not just of trance but of electronic music as a whole and consistently sells out tours across each and every continent. With over four million records sold in his career to date, there is little that he hasn’t accomplished. In 2012 Paul hosted his ‘Evolution Arena’ at SW4 and this year he turns the spotlight to his new project ‘The Politics of Dancing’. We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome him back.
With a career spanning three decades and showing no signs of slowing down, Paul Oakenfold is the elite statesman of British electronic music. From residencies in Las Vegas to jaw dropping spectacles on each and every continent, Oakie’s colossal fanbase travel the world to catch one of his sets. Luckily for you, we have him back at South West Four for the first time since his emotional homecoming in 2010. Never afraid of pushing boundaries, Paul has enjoyed countless standout moments during his incredible career including help shape the infamous ‘Madchester’ scene of the late 80s, produce an album for U2 and pioneer the explosion of dance music in America. At one point Paul even lived in Clapham, making his return to South West Fourmore significant than ever.
After bursting onto the scene in 2003 with their dance floor anthem ‘Eye of Horus’, trance obsessed Aly & Fila have become the most successful group to emerge from the mystical land of Egypt. With productions as hot as the Sahara and playing show’s across the globe to crowds as big as the Pyramids, the duo have gained support from the biggest names in the scene. Their own brand ‘The Future Sound of Egypt’ operates on a variety of platforms, including a radio show which has recently reached its 300th episode. In celebration of this landmark broadcast, the duo have embarked on a major world tour. The other platform comes in the shape of a record label which is a sub-division of Armin’s seminal ‘Armada Music’. The pair have achieved a sensational sweep of dance floor domination in recent years, so make sure you catch their uplifting ideals as they once again inspire the crowds on Clapham Common.
Grammy award nominatedDJ and producer Andy Moor certainly has his fingers in a lot of pies. He is one half of melodic house duo Leama & Moor, a third of influential progressive house act Tilt, but it’s his own productions through his birth name that he is most renowned for. His ‘Moor Music’ podcast is extremely popular and is continually downloaded on every continent, loaded with exclusive tracks from his own ‘AVA’ imprint. For our 10th Anniversary, Andy will be performing a special B2B set with Lange, something that was recently showcased to critical acclaim at The Gallery at Ministry of Sound. This tag team will take the crowd to dizzying new heights as they fuse styles,trade dance floor anthems and generally work the audience into a state of chaos. Quite simply this is not to be missed.
For the past 15 years Lange has remained at the very forefront of the trance realm and throughout his career has continued to push the boundaries of the genre. He is the producer behind no less than an astonishing twenty Top 40 hits, including classics such as top 10 triumph ‘Drifting Away’ and SuReal’s ‘You Take My Breath Away’. In 2008 he launched his ‘Intercity’ radio show, with this quickly becoming a staple for trance fans worldwide. A year later it evolved into a podcast and regularly sits in the iTunes top music podcasts, with the 100th episode marked by a 24hr broadcast which trended on Twitter for an incredible thirteen hours. He has carefully honed his style into a cutting edge blend of hard hitting electro, tumbling bass lines and beautifully crafted melodies, resulting in some of the most memorable records of recent years. This year his very special B2B set with Andy Moor certainly looks like it will be one for the history books.
After a chance meeting in 2007, Ward van der Harst and Willem van Hanegem aka W&W could have no idea that six years later they would be one of the leading lights in trance. Famously tipped by Armin van Buuren as “The best up-and-coming production duo out there” W&W were since signed to his label and now even run a sub-division label called ‘Mainstage Music’, whilst their namesake radio show is syndicated to every corner of the globe each week. Since taking the world by storm with their debut offering‘Mustang’, the duo have never looked back. Their latest work is a rousing interpretation of Armin van Buuren’s new single ‘This Is What It Feels Like’. Sharing a stage with Paul Van Dyk, trance fans can rest easy knowing that they are well and truly catered for!
In their own words, Super8 & Tab are leading the charge of the Scandinavian trance revolution. Since their inception in 2005, the Finnish duo have firmly pushed themselves to the very forefront of the pack, with the pinnacle of their career being the 2010 debut album ‘Empire’. An album so good, it led to Mixmag saying: “It’s a rare and wonderful thing to be blown away by an album on first listen. And that’s exactly what Super8 & Tab’s debut artist album does”. Their innovative approach and intricate production values blend deep brooding vocal anthems with futuristic trance and has gained them rave reviews reaching from their native land to the other side of the world. Here at SW4 HQ we are delighted to welcome back Super8 & Tab back to Clapham Common once again, as we look forward to some of their epic Scandinavian stylings.
Orjan Nilsen is a Norwegian DJ and producer who grew up well north of the polar circle, far away from most things. His cultured productions however would suggest he grew up somewhere with a far more accessible music scene. The talented young Scandinavian shot to the worlds attention in 2011 when he stormed into the DJ Mag top 100 chart at #49 and a IDMA nomination for ‘Best Breakthrough DJ’ soon followed. Since then has gone on to gain support from SW4 favouritesGareth Emery and Armin van Buuren, with the aptly named ‘Belter’ a collaboration with the latter. Known for his flawless ability to bring life to any dance floor, we welcome him to South West Four for the first time in 2013, as he plays to the biggest dance floor of them all.
Simon Patterson is one of the most in demand DJs and producer’s of the last decade. Famed for his incredible run of a whopping eleven consecutive #1’s on Beatport, his creative offerings have become some of the most sought after productions of recent years. As a DJ he has performed at the biggest festivals on the planet and plays an intelligent blend of deep tech-trance and roof raising electro, drawing from influences far and wide. His weekly radio show ‘Open Up’ allows him to showcase the latest psychedelic, trance and techno records. This year he will be making his South West Four debut. Cue dance floor pandemonium and mass hysteria.
Londoner Lee Osborne has had an astonishing rise to stardom over the past few years. Since bursting onto the scene in 2010 he has released over twenty diverse and innovative productions on every significant label that matters. This includes Armin van Burren’s ‘Armada’, Gareth Emery’s ‘Garuda’ and Lange’s ‘Lange Recordings’. Gaining support from Radio1 and acts like Tiesto and Deadmau5 has helped his cause greatly, resulting in him becoming resident at The Gallery at Ministry of Sound. Here at South West Four we are excited to hand a debut to one the brightest new stars in trance.
Liverpool Sound City is a determinedly different festival. The line-up reads like a roll call of this summer’s biggest acts, and though it runs awkwardly from Thursday to Saturday (it’s an industry conference, much like South by Southwest), there’s enough programmed outside of the working week to make decisions hard.
I’m sidled up by a buzzing espresso machine in Bold Street Coffee, as one half of the Collectors Club give their third performance of the day. On a Friday night in Liverpool, I’m aware this is a pocket of relative calm. “You say you don’t but you want to go out tonight.” Billed as indie-pop, it’s an acoustic set: two guitars, two mics, two men. Or boys, the median age of the room 21 at best.
Lead singer Joe Smithson says he’s pretending to be Justin Timberlake, by way of acknowledging a vague similarity between single ‘Wanna Be You’ and the pop royalty’s ‘What Goes Around… Comes Around’. A sense of humour seems to characterise the Middlesbrough band. “Don’t you want me, want me like I want you?” Understated songs about tears and longing suite the space, and music spills through an open door into the busy street. Outside, it’s as alluring as the smell of just-made coffee (or of garlic mayonnaise from various takeaway spots lining the road).
The café sings along to a pleasing cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’, and afterwards people clap, something I’ve noticed increasingly absent in live settings. We’ll cheer, yes, but people tend not to want to put down their drinks to applaud. The room erupts with good-time classic ‘Under Pressure’ at the end of the set. It’s a smooth transition with the kind of high production values that typify this festival.
Next up on Bold Street is Dan Croll, whose latest release ‘Compliment Your Soul’ aims to do just that. I hear Phoenix, but unlike Paul Simon, Burt Bacharach, and the Dirty Projectors, the French outfit are not among his known influences. The band play a few bars of ‘Wonderwall’ (Oasis, no other), as Croll quips “We’ve all had a bit to drink.”
Buttoned-up and bespectacled, the sometime Liverpudlian sings folkily from the heart – “Oh mother, it’s all thanks to you… I’m gonna miss you.” ‘Home’ gets me too. It’s plucking at heart strings, but Croll offsets any melancholy by instructing guests to take their shoes off at the door, “‘cause it’s impolite not to, you’ll be damaging my floor, ‘cause it’s my home.” This track smacks of Australian singer-songwriter Josh Pyke, but that’s mostly my homesickness talking.
Croll’s is a talent that makes you want to pick up an instrument and learn, goddammit! Fans shout for ‘Marion’ and he obliges. He’s interested to hear what other acts the audience has seen so far, and even gives the café’s breakfast menu his endorsement. It’s a mighty wholesome musician that references porridge mid-set. There’s a smile as he thanks the band – “Nobody introduces me, but that’s okay.”
A few streets over and pushing midnight, French natives Concrete Knives are working the Kazimier Gardens stage. Six-strong, they sound their full number with thick bass, edgy synth and ample reggae throwbacks. A cover of Ini Kamoze’s ‘Here Comes the Hotstepper’ rounds out their cool credentials, as do school yard echoes in tracks like ‘Brand New Start’ and ‘Greyhound Racing’.
Around the block, headliners Everything Everything can be heard long before they are seen. I spot the queue first of course, the warehouse that is Liverpool Academy of Arts already at capacity. Theirs is a complex sound borrowing from many genres, which goes someway to explaining a wide appeal. Dressed in trademark boiler suits, there’s something unignorably Coldplay about the group. It’s likely a comparison they hate, but it’s only praise.
Rapid-fire delivery from fontman Jonathan Higgs is also something of a signature, his voice not classically appealing but captivating all the same. “Yeah, so, um, wait a second!” The urgent pace of breakthrough single ‘Cough Cough’ is in sharp contrast with lilting piano on ‘The Peaks’, but each is entertaining.
My night ends with Temples fronting a packed-out second storey Leaf. It’s enjoyable enough, and a fan in the crowd tells me emphatically that their neo-psychedelic rock is melodramatic. “Melodramatic,” he yells over the reverb, “can you spell it?” Yes, I can, though I suspect he means theatrical. It’s hard to see the bands’ faces for hair.
As with any festival, the interest is as much in journeying between stages, friendships forged waiting for a toilet cubicle or at the bar, and the random exchange of hats, sunglasses and other sundry attire. The beauty of an in-city event might be that you can go somewhere else entirely during those inevitable programme gaps.
Saturday brings bright skies and an excuse for a courtyard barbeque at Heebie Jeebies pub. Aussie act Deep Sea Arcade look and sound rock and roll, right down to bassist Nick Weaver’s finger gloves. ‘Girls’ is an easy favourite, and the all-male act display a knack for taking things to double-time, then back again with ease. The set ends quickly, a teaser for debut album ‘Outlands’ (although ‘If The Devil Won’t Take You’ sounds distinctly better live).
Finnish elctro-folk lady Sansa follows, and I’m amazed by what she can do with her voice (and feet). Lyrics trade primarily in matters of the heart, most overtly in the track ‘Boys’ – it goes “boys, boys, boys, boys, boys.” Her real talent is in recording live guitar and vocal samples, singing with two mics at times, and mixing these on-stage. Her jazzy scatting is equally impressive.
Night brings the frantic garage of local boys Broken English, who look as slick as they sound. The audience knows every word, too. I so often worry for drummers – do they get the recognition they deserve? This drummer looks disarmingly young, but he’s skilled and owns the role. The Kazimier plays host to London-based Mind Enterprises, appearing here as a duo. These guys could play a much later set, their chest-thumping, bassy electronic chords reminiscent of an abstract, more melodic Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs.
Popular indie act French Films are on form in requisite leather and denim jackets, so it’s a shock when singer Johannes Leppänen confesses he feels sick. “I actually threw-up on the way here.” How very rock and roll. Along with the festival’s second Justin Timberlake reference, Thomas J. Speight offers one of Sound City’s most memorable moments when he takes his set off-stage and into the audience for lovesong ‘Joni’. He offers to play a “quiet or a fast one” to close his spot, and two lads at the front shout “Both!” in perfect unison.
Toward the end of Liverpool Sound City Delphic’s set is fittingly showy, three minute singles drawn-out to six and seven minute long tracks. I stay long enough to hear ‘Red Lights’ and ‘This Momentary’, where jack-knifing beats build to the refrain “Let’s do something real.” Mount Kimbie are playing across the street, lauded as one of the festival’s best. It’s the first time I’ve heard them, and their eclectic electronica demands a second sitting (and a third, and fourth – you get the gist).
Transforming familiar urban spaces with those things about festivals we love best, Liverpool Sound City is an emphatic win. Leave your cares at home, and enjoy.
Live at Leeds, now in it’s 7th year is a city center festival featuring over 100 bands local and international. A wristband entitles you (subject to capacity) to visit any of the featured venues, including The O2 Academy, Leeds University, The Cockpit, Milos and The Nation of Shopkeepers. Due to the distance between some of the venues and wanting to cram in seeing as many bands as possible, we predominately stayed in the Leeds Met/Uni area, so had to give a visit to our favourite Brudenell a miss which would have meant a long walk or taxi ride.
There were early teething problems with a long queue snaking round the musuem for the wristband exchange but due to the beautiful weather, people were in high spirits and did not seem to mind the wait in the sunshine too much. The Cockpit had long queues from opening so we also gave it a miss.
The first venue I visited is Nation Of Shopkeepers. It’s already 1 in 1 out at the small pub venue when I arrive, and The 4 piece Night Engine are thrilling the packed crowd with their set of intelligent energetic pop. Reminiscent of Pulp and Richard Hawley with a nice take on 80s synth pop thrown in mid set. They’re definitely one I would catch again.
I spent most of the day The University where there are 3 stages, the largest of which is The Refectory which holds 2000, and also houses the smaller 500 capacity Stylus and even smaller The Mine in the basement which featured heavier rock and punky bands during the day.
Katie the photographer headed over to a rammed 02 Academy to catch The Pigeon Detectives usual sing-along raucus set in a surprisingly early afternoon slot. Disappointingly the pit was so narrow and so many photographers present, they were only allowed one song was allowed to photograph the band, which for a band who’s songs are in the 2-3 minute region was sadly too short. Not really her cup of tea musically, their set was fun to watch though from the calm of balcony though.
When I arrive at the University Department M are just about to take the stage in The Stylus. Their name makes them sound like an 80s synth duo, which indeed they are, but with the addition of a very tribal sounding drummer. The male singer looks like a Doctor Who era David Tennant in a lab coat, but bizarrely sounds like Alison Moyet! Halfway through they ramp the speed up and drop some sequences into the mix, it becomes quite danceable.
In the Refectory hipster Charlie Boyer & The Voyeurs have certainly upped their game, and all the songs are much more catchy than when I last saw them. I can see why they’ve been snapped up by a major label. I can also see their skuzzy guitar pop being a big festival hit in the summer.
Katie made the short walk to Leeds Met to catch Leeds based Middleman who played an absolutely blinding set, and was her hi-light her the day. Their mix of intelligent hip hop lyrics, rock and Prodigy style beats had the crowd dancing away and trying to catch one of the many CDs thrown into the crowd. Singer Andy topped their energetic set off by launching himself into the crowd superman style (and then proceeded to lose his phone)
Post War Glamour Girls are named after a John Cooper-Clarke poem which gets them off to a good start. They’re dark, doomy and catchy and have me tapping along from the start. When the dual male and female vocals come in together its heavenly. “Service Station Blues” is a dark indie blues song and
Back in The Mine Castrovalva is wishing someone “happy birthday you motherfucker”. There’s lots of pelvic thrusting from the larger than life rapper over a hard metal rhythm. There’s also synth samples in there too. Bonkers is the only word for it!
Once again I head over to The Stylus to catch Deep Sea Arcade, who start off as shambling indie but by the third number have progressed into the most wonderful shoegaze pop noise. There’s even a bit of happy Monday’s vibe going on, they’re totally glorious by the end, another one I’ll catch again
Over in The Refectory, Australians Splashh make a huge pop sonic wall of sound that deserves more of an audience than turn up for their early evening spot. They have dual vocals over groovy fuzzy pop. Pretty good.
Katie tthen made the fairly long walk across the city centre to Milos to witness a magnificently shambolic punk set from Kleine Schweine, whose sub two minute songs all appear to be about Eastern European former communist countries and dictators. It was a bit cramped in Milos to say the least, with the band literally in the crowd’s faces and a brief mid set break to down some shots!
Savages are soundchecking in The Stylus, and it’s loud. As they come on the temperature rises as their disturbing intro tape plays. the dry ice rises and the band kick in to their first number, but the volume has already dropped, but we have our first moshpit of the day to the throbbing bass and hypnotic drums. Unfortunately there’s something wrong with the lead vocal mic, after 2 songs, the band jam quietly in the background while its fixed, later in the set the band launch into a jam of “Don’t Let The Fuckers Get You Down”, which consists of the title of the song repeated over and over for 5 minutes, its brilliantly incendiary and mesmerizing under the monochrome lighting. They’re the best band of the day for me.
Dutch Uncles wow the crowd in The Stylus with their spiky pop music, they’re massive over the Pennines and it can’t be too long until the rest of the country wakes up to them. One fan has even got his own Dutch Uncles flag, on a Dutch flag, obviously. They are the only band I’ve ever seen with a lead xylophone part in their songs. They end a stunning set with an unbelievably good cover of Grace Jones’s “Slave To The Rhythm” which the crowd lap up.
Katie saw veterans of the Leeds music scene, Hawk Eyes at last year’s Beacons Festival and liked them so much live she caught them again at Leeds University Mine. Not quite as energetic as their set at Beacons, which may have something to do with singer Paul having his leg strapped up, they nevertheless put on a great 30 minute set of riff laden hardcore rock/ punk.
The Walkmen in the Stylus play a geat set to a packed crowd who love it. The band have been celebrating the last date of their tour today by playing darts in The Fenton. The singer is quite drunk, which may explain why he sang half a song from the moshpit which he appeared to fall into, but drunk or not, what a voice!
Live at leeds 2013 was great festival, exhausting and very heavy on the legs after 12 hours on the feet walking from venue to venue. It had a brilliant vibe, everybody we chatted to was so friendly from the teenagers to the 50+’s, and every genre of music covered. I can’t believe two natives of Manchester have never made the short trip over the pennines to the festival before, and will definitely be returning in future years.
Kinross will become a Boogie Wonderland this July when the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire take to the T in the Park stage. Festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager are pleased to announce that the group – one of the most influential and innovative of the 20th century – will be bringing a dose of soul and funk to T in the Park’s 20th year festivities over 12th – 14th July.
During the latter half of the Seventies, Earth, Wind & Fire released a series of albums that changed the face of pop music with their genre-defying fusion of modern jazz, soul, gospel, funk, disco, rock and African music. Their remarkable career, which spans over four decades, has seen them sell over 90 million records worldwide, win 6 Grammy Awards and garner an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Founded by Memphis-born Maurice White, their breakthrough came with the no. 1 album That’s the Way of the World (1975) and they went on to dominate the charts that decade with an unbroken run of multiplatinum-selling albums including Gratitude, Spirit, All ‘n’ All, The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1 and I Am. Although Maurice White retired from the road in 1996, he remains the band’s heart and soul from behind the scenes as composer and producer. Famed for their grandiose live performances, and much loved by critics and fans alike for classics such as Let’s Groove, Boogie Wonderland, September, Fantasy and Shining Star, their irresistible, feel good anthems are sure to be a massive hit at T in the Park’s 20th year celebrations.
Earth, Wind & Fire join T in the Park’s hugely diverse 20th year bill, which features headliners Mumford & Sons, Rihanna and The Killers, plus Chase and Status, Calvin Harris, Snoop Dogg, Kraftwerk, Emeli Sandé, Dizzee Rascal, alt-J, Frank Ocean, Foals, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Paloma Faith, Rita Ora, Jake Bugg, Of Monsters and Men, Hurts, Ke$ha, Johnny Marr and many more on the 20th year bill.
The Beat-Herder Festival is delighted to announce its final acts for 2013, including Saturday night headliners and Portuguese party starters Buraka Som Sistema with their inimitable brand of African kuduro infused beats, and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, who are newly confirmed alongside previously announced headliners Groove Armada and Jimmy Cliff. Undisputed godfathers of disco, Chic have been making waves this year thanks to Nile Rogers’ involvement in one of the most anticipated releases of the year, Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. True pioneers of the disco sound, and one of the most influential bands to emerge from and continually endure the last four decades, they are certain to deliver an incendiary live set packed full of classics such as Le Freak, Good Times, Everybody Dance and I Want Your Love.
Joining them will be Moda collective head honcho Tom Starr, French five-piece and Bella Union/Cooperative signings Concrete Knives, whose charming and exuberant indie-pop tunes are perfect for the summer, local York electro-sixpiece Grinny Grandad, world champion beatboxer THePETEBOX, Cardiff based electro-punk band Sicknote, and Belgian DJ/producer duo Mumbai Science, whose tracks such as Ancova and Gold have been played the world over by the likes of Erol Alkan, Boys Noize, Tiga and 2 Many DJs.
What to expect for 2013: Built entirely and lovingly by hand over 12 months, Beat-herder is quite literally a world like no other. Nestled in a beautiful valley in the heart of Lancashire, the site encompasses rolling hills, stone circles, fire pits, a network of secret underground tunnels accessed through telephone boxes, a working men’s club (complete with a troupe of Bette Lynch esque ‘ladies’), 10 feet high wicker foxes, giant lizards made from hollowed out old fighter planes and dozens of stages and soundsystems – some where you least expect them. At the heart of the site lies a copse known as the Toil Trees, inside which all manner of surprises and curiosities await. Winding through the trees is a built-to-scale, fully functioning Victorian Street housing a sweetshop, a record shop, an Irish pub, the Hotel California saloon bar and a 50 X 30 ft solid wood parish church complete with pews and altar, whose regular services are less about prayer and repentance and more about good times, disco and debauchery. Venture deeper into the woods, past the vintage car converted into a DJ booth where anyone is welcome to come and spin vinyl, and the trees open up into a magical woodland clearing in which an impressive tulip lipped stage sits, and where DJs play day and night. By building everything from the sign posts to the bars from scratch, incredible care is taken and an unrivalled attention to detail is paid, creating a true alternate reality where ‘beats and barminess’ are the only order of the day, for three blissful days. And with the Beat-Herder team having been plotting and scheming throughout the winter, watch this space for more details on two new areas and many more spectacular surprises to come.
Previously announced names:
GROOVE ARMADA DJ SET / BOOKA SHADE LIVE / JIMMY CLIFF / NORMAN JAY MBE / FEED ME DJ SET / JAGUAR SKILLS / KISSY SELL OUT / STANTON WARRIORS / MISTAJAM / RONI SIZE AND DYNAMITE MC / SHACKLETON LIVE / BANCO DE GAIA LIVE + DJ SET / CLEAN BANDIT / KORMAC’S BIG BAND / MR SCRUFF / GENTLEMAN’S DUB CLUB / BONDAX / TEMPLES / TO KILL A KING / SKINNY LISTER / FEATURECAST / PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING / DUB PISTOLS DJ SET
SLAMBOREE / PRINCE FATTY FT. THE HORSEMAN / SHARAM JEY / THE OTHER TRIBE / ROOSEVELT / TOY / EDU IMBERNON / JUSTIN ROBERTSON / ELITE FORCE / JON CARTER / UTAH SAINTS / RENNIE PILGREM / SUNS OF ARQA / SHEPDOG / MR BENN / DAN CROLL / JOE DRISCOLL & SEKOU KOUYATE / CUT LA ROC / ONLY JOE / BARRY ASHWORTH / BEANS ON TOAST
IDJUT BOYS / DIZRAELI & THE SMALL GODS / DUB MAFIA / FREEFALL COLLECTIVE / PAUL TAYLOR / D.A.V.E. THE DRUMMER / EDDY TEMPLE MORRIS / JOSH WAVE / DOCTOR & THE MEDICS / KRYSKO / THE SQUATTERS / RANDOM HAND / LOW DOWN & DIRTY DJS / THE INEXPLICABLES / EXTRA LOVE / CAZAL / GIDEON CONN / USHTI BABA / SOUND ASSEMBLEY / THE DARLINGTONS / FORMBY IN DA CLUB / THE SQUIRE OF GOTHOS / DANKLE
OLIVIA FERN / DOHNUT / KARL ROSCOE / BISCUITHEAD & THE BISCUIT BADGERS / WOLFIE RAZMATAZZ / TOM JARVIS / BANE / PAUL THORNTON / CHRIS HOLT / THE 59ERS / TICKER LE PUNK / UNDERGROUND ROOTS FT. DAN MAN & BONGO CHILLI / 1ST AIDE / JOHNNY CLASH / AXIS SOUNDSYSTEM / DUB SMUGGLERS / LA LA AND THE BOO YA / TOM JARVIS / STACEY COHEN / LEWIS GARLAND / NATHAN BALL / CLAYTON BLIZZARD / THE YUYA
BENTLEY RHYTHM ACE DJ SET / CAPTAIN HOTKNIVES / RUSS CUBAN / MONSTER CEILDH BAND / MOOQEE / VELVET STREAM / GEORGE EZRA / TOO MANY T'S / CLUB SMITH / EXTRA CIRRICULAR / TONI JARVIS / THE LANCASHIRE HOTPOTS ACOUSTIC CONQUISTADOR / DUTTY MOONSHINE / EDDIE EARTHQUAKE & THE TREMORS / THE RESONATORS
WOLFIE ELECTROSWING / RUM JIG / ED STONES & THE BD3 / FOXES FAUX / CORPORATE TRAMPS / JAMES KELLY / AGE OF GLASS / ANDY CAPS FUNKY DISCO / FIRE BENEATH THE SEA / PEPPER JAM / EMMOTT & THE FOLKESTRA BUNTY / SILVER TORTOISE / HANG PROJECT / KALIKA / THE WONDERFUL SOUND OF THE CINEMA ORGAN / RIDERS IN THE SKA / STEE BOWDEN / KING SUMMAT / WAKA / RED TIN DAVE / GLYN BAILEY / TOOLEY / LOUISE & THE RIGHTEOUS BEES / STAGGER LEE FISHER / JONNIE COMMON / ADAM & PIWI / AGE OF GLASS / WISEGOLDFISH / WOLFSON & WINTERS / JAMIE BREWER / PHIL SMITH / BLOWJANGLES / EARTH DOCTOR / ALL WE ARE / DANIELLE & COWBELL / PURPLE TURTLE / RUBBER KAZOO
THE BAR STEWARD/ GRITTY BRITAIN / SONS OF VAL DOONICAN / WOODEN MACHINE / LOVE EM TOUCH EM SQUEEZE EM / SKINNY DJ / THE YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS / NANA MOON / BREAKBEATROOT / MISS MCQ
"With Leftfield, Booka Shade, UNKLE and James Zabiela joining Detroit luminaries Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May and Juan Atkins and underground treasures like No Artificial Colours, Krystal Klear and Boddika, Playground Festival will reach new heights of hysteria when it sets up shop in June. Borrowing as much from Sonar as Bloc Festival to inform its booking policy, headline slots from Gary Numan and Squarepusher will touch similar ground to the spectacle committed by Amon Tobin and his ISAM Live series recently, with 3D mapping visuals and an LED construction set, in a venue more than equipped to handle it… Adding to that, there'll be nobody knocking on The Academy door asking for noise to be kept down, ensuring the event is one London festival where the volume hits all the necessary levels. This playground is for adults only." DJ Mag
This year’s Playground Festival brings together many of the godfathers/ innovators of house, techno and electro music alongside those making a significant rise on current underground scene to create a truly retrospective festival experience. Headliners LEFTFIELD, SQUAREPUSHER, GARY NUMAN, DIGITALISM, VITALIC and UNKLE’s JAMES LAVELLE, will be joined by a whole host of upcoming and respected talent as they all play under one roof at Brixton Academy on the 7th – 8th June.
Unparalleled in their status as one of the UK’s biggest electronic acts of all time, LEFTFIELD, join the Friday leg of the festival with a rare electronic dj performance. Their seminal debut album ‘Leftism’ went platinum within a number of months of its 1995 release and earned a Mercury Music prize nomination later that year. The album is looked upon as a classic is regularly mentioned in music polls including Q Magazine that placed it 8th in their list of ‘The Greatest Albums Of All Time’.
While the Saturday, will be topped by contemporary experimental producer SQUAREPUSHER. This producer has redefined the spectacle of live performances. Using a giant screen, stage board and head-mask comprised of nothing but choreographed LEDs, Squarepusher’s live show now mirrors the incredible attention to detail he brings to his music, as well as highlighting the incredible technology it takes to be one of the world’s best producers.
Joining the list on the Saturday night will be legendary songwriter and innovator to electronic music GARY NUMAN. Since his groundbreaking work and named as one of the figureheads of the electronic movement in the late 70s and early 80s, Gary Numan has been a pioneer of forward-thinking electronic music and a living legend to the UK’s musical history. Since the release of his breakthrough track ‘Cars’ in 1979, Numan has gone on to have a glittering career that still holds strong today. With every passing year, Gary Numan has kept true to himself by breaking barriers and creating diverse and interesting electronic music that wins him new fans every day.
Topping Friday’s bill will be the electronic duo DIGITALISM, making a very rare LIVE performance at Brixton Academy. Known for their breakthrough single ‘Pogo’, Digitalism have been a huge driving force in underground electronic music and their critically acclaimed live show is all part of why we wanted them at the top of the bill.
Joining Digitalism on the Friday will one of the founding members of alternative electronic duo UNKLE, JAMES LAVELLE is a true staple of the UK’s music scene. Forming the group, alongside DJ Shadow, in 1996, UNKLE are regarded as one of the most groundbreaking electronic groups the world has ever seen with their debut album ‘Psyence Fiction’ regularly brought up as one of the greatest albums of all time.
French techno will also get its representation at this year’s festival with an incredible live performance from one of the country’s most formidable producers VITALIC. Since the release of his debut album ‘OK Cowboy’, Vitalic has proven to be one of the world’s leading beatmakers on the techno scene. From his early debut work with ‘La Rock 01’ to his current heavyweight album ‘Rave Age’, Vitalic has never failed to bring the party atmosphere everywhere he goes and earned his place on this year’s bill.
As well as all the seminal talent joining us at this year’s Playground Festival, we will also be graced with the presence of groundbreaking electronic duo THEORB with a full LIVE set. Since the release of their incredible debut album ‘Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld’ more than twenty years ago, The Orb have been one of the most innovative and awe-inspiring electronic outfit in recent times. The pair are currently working on a second collaborative album with dub legend Lee Scratch Perry and rumours have began to fly over a new tag-team with electronic hero and fellow Playground Festival performer John Foxx. Needless to say, The Orb’s performance will definitely come with surprises.
Joining Vitalic and Gary on the Saturday will be two of the founding fathers of the Detroit house and techno scene, DERRICK MAY and KEVIN SAUNDERSON who together reinvented the house sound in the 80s and have gone on to be two of the most respected tastemakers on the scene today.
We are also serving up German house duo BOOKA SHADE, who have been a staple of the world’s clubbing consciousness for more than a decade. Since the early 2000s, Booka Shade have been creating and pushing their sound through their self-conceived label Get Physical, resulting in four critically acclaimed albums with numerous singles and remixes to boot. After a 3 year absence, we welcome BOOKA SHADE back onto the UK live seen with open arms.
KAVINSKY will also be bringing his unique brand of 80s infused electro to the festival on the Friday night. After all the hype Kavinsky received from his contribution to the ‘Drive’ soundtrack, the producer finally released his debut album ‘Outrun’ this year. A retrospective look at what the producer has managed to achieve since his career began. While his fellow countrymen CASSIUS will join the French producer in what can only become a great union in the sounds of old and new French productions. Known for their anthems ‘Cassius 1999’ and ‘Feeling For You’, Cassius’ inclusion on this bill will bring a cool dose of electro nostalgia to this year’s festivities.
JAMES ZABIELA also takes the reigns on the Friday night and has been one of the UK’s most praised DJs over the last decade. As a longstanding resident to the Renaissance label, Zabiela’s mixes and DJ sets are regarded amongst the highest and have seen this DJ progress to one of the highest names on today’s underground electronic music scene.
MODEL 500 has been the most successful pseudonym of American producer and originator of the Detroit techno scene, JUANATKINS. Atkins first began working as Model 500 in the mid 80s and went on to create the now legendary Metroplex label, home to the likes of Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, who will of course be joining us on the Saturday.
We complete the top of Saturday’s line up billing with some of the most inspiring and influential artists in the world. Including German-born PANTHA DU PRINCE, a staple of Europe’s ambient techno scene whose new collaborative album with The Bell Laboratory ‘Elements Of Light’ is looking to be one of this year’s most anticipated new releases. JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS, the new project from original ULTRAVOX vocalist, John Foxx, joins him on the second day. This new project has seen a reinvention of John Foxx as he looks to continue the ground he covered with Ultravox, and bring it hurtling into the new millennium.
Also added to Saturday’s bill will be on of the founding members of electronic pioneers Kraftwerk, WOLFGANG FLUR. Flur left in the group in the mid 80s to pursue other projects that have seen the producer create a number of unique and diverse productions right up to the present day.
The Playground Festival will also host a huge array of talent across both nights including dance music royalty X-PRESS 2, talented DJ and producer BODDIKA, championed producer of the Numbers label DEADBOY, nostalgic RnB reinventor KRYSTAL KLEAR, ethereal beat producer LAPALUX and North American beatmaker TOKIMONSTA.
With NATHAN FAKE, LUKE VIBERT, CRAIG RICHARDS, LUKE SOLOMON, OM UNIT, NO ARTIFICIAL COLOURS, OLUGBENGA, WILDKATS, WHYT NOYZ, MOLO, SEVERINO, DAN BEAUMONT, LUKE UNABOMBER, FANTASTIC MR. FOX, RYAN HEMSWORTH, DAKTYL, CHARLIE TRAPLIN, MAXX BAER and TEMPLA opening the festival for us across both days, the event promises to kick start the summer off with a bang (or beat?).
With 10 fields of wonderment filled with amazing music, insane sideshows and magical happenings, Bestival’s spectacular 10th birthday bash this September 5th-8th will have something for just about everyone. And if you’re hankering for the freshest music on site, then you’re in luck, as we’re delighted to announce that the ‘Replay with Rob da Bank’ stage will be returning again this year!
Rob da Bank says "Last year we really went to town on the ‘Replay with Rob da Bank’ stage with some amazing bands making it one of the most popular stages we've ever had with insane performances from the likes of Alt-J tearing the place apart. This year's no different, we've gone full steam ahead and booked one of the best line-ups of exciting and fresh music that you're likely to see all year long, with The 1975, Swim Deep, Merchandise and Jagwar Ma amongst many I 'd recommend. Make sure you don't miss out on this one, it's gonna be big."
One of the biggest draws on site when it made it’s inaugural appearance last year, huge crowds were treated to acts such as Kate Nash, ALT_J, Skepta, and Jake Bugg. Now situated in its very own unique big top tent, the ‘Replay with Rob da Bank’ stage will play host to a litany of newly announced acts, including sublime stream of consciousness action from Ghostpoet, Disclosure collaborator Sam Smith, hotly tipped Scottish singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt, super sharp beatnicks Ruen Brothers, hook-heavy Nottingham quintet Dog is Dead, folk-rockers To Kill A King, anthemic duo Man Without Country, melancholy mix maestros Feeling Gloomy and sassy chanteuse Chlöe Howl. Plus there will be appearances from Champs,Jagwar Ma, Lewis Watson and Molotov Jukebox with many more previously announced acts to be added to the stage, watch this space for more news.
If you can’t wait until September for a taster of what Replay has to offer then the Road Trip To Bestival is for you! You can catch a selection of artists from the Replay line-up pre-Bestival at two exclusive in-store performances. Replay’s Road Trip To Bestival will kick-off in London, at Replay Store Carnaby Street in August.
For more information about the Road Trip to Bestival please visit: www.replay.it
Remember; the Friday night headliner announcement soon come! Till then head to www.Bestival.net and our Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr for all the latest action. And don’t forget to tag your tweets #hmsbestival.
Iconic Scottish group Texas plus hot new acts Logic, AlunaGeorge, Laura Mvula, Deap Vally, Jagwar Ma, Ruen Brothers, MS MR,Brooke Candy and Josephine are set to perform T in the Park’s 20th year celebrations over 12th – 14th July, after festival organisers DF Concerts and founding partner Tennent’s Lager added yet more must see artists to the bill today.
Texas played T in the Park’s Balado debut back in 1997 – the same year their massive number 1 hit album White on Blonde catapulted them to global success. They returned to headline in 2001, and are set to play a huge homecoming show at the festival’s 20th year celebrations. After a 6 year hiatus, they release a brand new studio album entitled The Conversation on 20th May, and will showcase their long-awaited new material as well as treating fans to massive anthems such as I Don't Want a Lover, Say What You Want, Black Eyed Boy and Halo when they return to T in the Park in July.
Maryland rapper Logic’s recent rise through the industry has seen him snag a 2013 Freshman spot in hip-hop bible XXL Magazine, sign to Def Jam and work with No I.D. (the veteran producer and now A&R figure who helped mold the careers of Common and Kanye West). He makes his T in the Park debut this July.
AlunaGeorge are being tipped for big things this year, after they enjoyed huge success with their track Attracting Flies. They featured 2nd in the BBC’s Sound of 2013 list (after fellow Tin the Parkact Haim, who topped the list) and their hotly-anticipated debut album is due for release this summer.
Birmingham’s Laura Mvula is also one of this year’s hottest new stars. Her debut album Sing to The Moon shot into the top 10 in March and she gained critical acclaim with a coveted Brits Critics' Choice nomination. With her UK headline tour gaining rave reviews, her unique vocals and jazz-meets-soul style are set to go down a storm in Kinross this July.
Earlier this month, LA rockers Deap Vally opened for fellow T in the Park act Yeah Yeah Yeahs in Las Vegas and absolutely smashed their set at Coachella. Next stop is Kinross, when they bring their raw rock ‘n’ roll sound (created with only a guitar, drums and vocals) to the 20th year celebrations this summer.
Alternative-indie duo Jagwar Ma are Sydney’s answer to Madchester and as a result are causing a stir with their debut single, The Throw. With their 90’s inspired tracks Jagwar Ma are tipped to be huge in 2013.
Scunthorpe’s Ruen Brothers uploaded their track Aces to BBC Introducing on Radio Humberside in January and have been causing a stir ever since. The hotly tipped sibling duo are sure to get the crowd going with their 60s-esque rock ‘n’ roll.
New York’s MS MR went down a storm at SXSW slot in March, with an incredible set sure to follow at T in the Park’s 20th year this July. Their debut single Hurricane created a huge buzz in the blogosphere, with their first album Secondhand Rapture set to propel them to greater levels of stardom when it’s released in May. They’re most certainly ones to watch at T in the Park 2013.
US rap sensation Brooke Candy was first discovered after appearing in Grimes music video and was described by Vice Magazine as “the post-apocalyptic Lil’ Kim”; she has opened for the likes of Azealia Banks and put on an explosive performance at the NME Awards Show in February.
Josephine is a soulful chanteuse from Manchester, whose self-reflective debut album Portrait was voted in the top 50 albums of the year by Q Magazine, with the title hailing her “an extraordinary talent.” She’ll showcase her soulful vocal prowess when she makes her T in the Park debut this July.
For almost two decades Erick Morillo has been one of the most in demand DJs and producers on the planet. The Columbian-come-American’s career began in the early 90’s and since then he has gone on to play every principal city on the map, including major residencies in Ibiza for the past fifteen years. In 1997 he launched his own label ‘Subliminal Records’ and has since been able to propel the imprint to international prominence. In 2012 the status that Morillo holds in his homeland was exemplified further when a street was named after him in Union City. We’ve been lucky for Erick to play SW4 several times, in fact he was our first ever headliner back in 2004. We are delighted to have this living legend back for our 10th Anniversary…It just wouldn’t be the same without him.
"If anyone knows how hard it is to maintain a brand, party and event, it’s me. So congratulations to SW4 on their Tenth Anniversary! I always love coming to London to play SW4 in the summertime. The heavens opened on us last year, but it was still an amazing party and vibe. Let's pray for some summer loving this year!" Erick Morillo
Following in the footsteps of other seminal bands to play South West Four over the years such as Public Enemy and Salt N Pepa, our 10th Anniversary welcomes true London musical royalty. Celebrating their 25th Anniversary in their home city at SW4, we are delighted to showcase Soul II Soul featuring the magnificent Caron Wheeler. Reviewing their list of accolades, it’s easy to see why Jazzie B’s band is such an inspired choice. Having won two Grammy Awards and sold millions of records worldwide, Jazzie also has been given keys to an incredible seven cities in the US, including LA and New York. In America there’s even a Soul II Soul day, whilst back in Blighty Jazzie has been awarded an OBE for his services to music. Having formed in 1988, they burst on to the scene soon after with their massive hit singles ‘Keep on Movin’ and ‘Back to Life’, with the latter being featured in the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. This year we celebrate 25 years of Soul II Soul at our 10th Anniversary, making our already stellar line up even more mouth watering.
“Looking forward to playing south of the river to a quality crowd! A happy face, a thumpin' bass, for a loving race :-)” Jazzie B (Soul II Soul)
Benji B & Deviation Strings is up there amongst the most interesting collaborations of the past decade. Led by multi-instrumentalist and composer Grant Windsor, the sixteen piece orchestra will take to the South West Four main stage to perform specially arranged scores accompanied by Benji B on the decks. This live performance is taking electronic music to the next level as the orchestra and Benji beautifully blend together tracks, as the instruments add another dramatic dimension to create a sound of epic proportions. The Radio1 DJs’ own Deviation nights have grown to become one of the most important and well-respected brands in British nightlife, with a simple manifesto of “good sound, good music, good people and no compromise”. Quite simply this is an incredible SW4 spectacle not to be missed.
UK disco darlingsCrazy P have been making some of the most important and relevant beats for the best part of fifteen years. With one of the best live shows in dance music, their roots are planted firmly in the late 90’s club scene. Their performance is a blistering exhibition of raw energy, infecting the crowd with their disco stylings. Often imitated but never duplicated, their extensive catalogue harks back memories of a more groovy, funk-laden era and 2013 sees a new album on the horizon. Make sure you catch their full live show at South West Four this year, as we party in true style. Time to get into boogie mode.
SW4 favourite Friction is a DJ and producer that holds extremely high esteem in the drum & bass world. Described by Pete Tong as “one of the big dogs”, he holds court in the D&B Hall of Fame thanks to his inauguration at the 2011 Drum & Bass Arena Awards. He has released music on the genre’s most respected labels including Hospital and Metalheadz and in 2004 founded Shogun Audio which pushed his name into the limelight. Since then he has gone on to become the new face of Radio 1’s flagship drum & bass show, a slot that was previously occupied by none other than Fabio & Grooverider. Having destroyed the RAM Records Arena at SW4 2012, Friction takes to the main stage this year alongside three very special guests; P Money, Scrufizzer and Linguistics.
Russell Whyte’s jittery, caffeine injected, upbeat style of music is without doubt the sound of the underground right now. Rustie’s in your face, anything goes, yet sometimes brash approach of mixing hip-hop and pop, with dubstep and trap is what’s making Rustie so in demand. In 2010 he signed to Warp Records, who released his now classic debut album ‘Glass Swords’ in 2011. In 2013 his thunderous new offering ‘Slasherr’ is causing a storm worldwide through Glasgow based label Numbers. Take note SW4, because this young Scot has only just got started.
Lancaster’s finest Bondax descend onto the Clapham Common threshold this year for their first ever South West Four appearance. Expect soulful, smooth bass and glorious sounding synths combined with R&B flavours, to make an irresistible cocktail that melts in your ears. Each listen to one of their tracks reveals a new aura of sophistication, whilst their latest offering ‘Gold’ puts Bondax on the very top of the new British talent coming through the ranks in 2013.
Los Angeles born RL Grime is in his own words “reshaping electronic production”. His melodically influenced flavour is connecting the roots of southern hip hop with the new age of electronic dance music. His alter-ego Clockwork has gained him the respect of several big name DJs, whilst his RL Grime project is shaping up to be no different. His track ‘Trap On Acid’ gained support from Diplo and A-Trak, as well as Flosstradamus and Baauer, who will both join him at South West Four this year. RL Grime’strap ideals are dictating our understanding of what its means to be a 21st century producer, as he holds status as one of the hottest properties on the planet.
Sussex born Kove has been causing a stir in the bass world over the past twelve months. Ram Records head honcho and SW4 resident Andy C picked up his track ‘Iodine’ in 2012 which quickly became a staple in the sets of many of the scene’s biggest names. Since then, Kove has recently signed exclusively with Chase & Status’ MTA Records and is increasingly in demand as a DJ throughout Europe. Making his debut appearance at SW4, this hotly tipped youngster will go on great things, we are certain of that.
ALSO ADDED TO SW4 SATURDAY!
GORGON CITY
The stage is set for Gorgon City to take over the world. Off the back of their first EP ‘Real’ they have already gained the support of Diplo, Annie Mac and Rinse FM. The title track featuring the soulful Yasmin has even been getting daytime play on Radio1, whilst ‘Thor’ is an equally devastating affair. Individually, Foamo and RackNRuin who make up Gorgon City are both well respected producers and DJs in their own right and their distinct stylings can be heard throughout their own studio efforts. Inspired by a vast selection of music genres, growing up in north London has clearly influenced the pair with their sound an amalgamation of house, garage and deep bass. Their first EP was released by the irrepressible Black Butter Records, home of the chart topping Rudimental and with new music in the pipeline, the future is certainly bright for Gorgon City.
