Sankeys to Close

 The much loved Manchester dance club is set to close next month after managers revealed they are going to focus their efforts on promoting Sankey’s sister club in Ibiza.

The owner of the club David Vincent has announced that the club will close indefinitely. He said: "I have decided to close Sankeys in Manchester indefinitely this summer as I focus my attention on our third year in Ibiza. I want our Ibiza project to be the best club in the world, just like what we have achieved previously in Manchester, as I get the feeling this could be our summer.

“But I need my production and staff from Manchester to come to Ibiza with me to achieve this goal and therefore both clubs cannot be open at the same time. Who knows when we will be back in Manchester, or if we ever will be back, or what comes next in this great city I love.

“I want this current chapter of the club's history to end with a spectacular party, so we are rounding off the May bank holiday with a huge line-up. It's a 12-hour marathon set from 1 PM to 1 AM on Monday [May] 6th, with a stellar cast of names and the Sankeys Manchester residents, in the spirit of our epic 12-hour Tenaglia sessions."

Sankey’s last event will see a number of renowned DJs taking deck duties - Joris Voorn, tINI, Enzo Siragusa and Darius Syrossian are all confirmed to play alongside local residents Jozef K and Us & Them, and Sankeys Ibiza regular Bones. Two additional guests will also be announced closer to the date.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Amsterdam’s PITCH Festival Boosts its Lineup

 This year’s PITCH has seen a number of dance acts added to its bill, opening it up to a wide range of genres. The Dutch festival has added a host of big names to its lineup, including Julio Bashmore and Dizzee Rascal.

The festival looks set to cater to a wide variety of tastes including grime, dub, house and world music, with club darlings Rustie and Hudson Mohwake bringing their sets to the bill alongside previously announced names such as Disclosure, Trentemøller, JETS and James Blake.

Objekt will also be playing, as will Australian chart topper Flume, jazz master Mulatu Astatke, acclaimed dub outfit Fat Freddy's Drop and Shangaan Electro. Hyperdub affiliates Darkstar will also perform.

This year's event will take place on the weekend of July 5th and 6th in Amsterdam's Cultuurpark.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Mosca Hits Australia

The UK house DJ has announced he will be playing Australia for the first time in a string of dates starting later this month.

Mosca will be travelling to Australia to play shows in five cities across the country. He will be playing over the ANZAC day weekend, Australia’s national remembrance celebration.

The Australian tour will kick off with a show alongside dance titans Eats Everything, trap sensation Baauer and ShockOne on April 24th at The Bakery in Perth.

The following day, the Bad Apple crew will host an all day event at the Abercrombie Hotel from 1 PM with an extensive bill that includes James Cotterill and locals Garry Todd, Preacha and Kali.

On April 26th Mosca plays a set at Sugar, followed by an appearance at Melbourne's Revolver Upstairs on the 27th for the Too Much 4th Birthday.

His final gig will be in Brisbane on April 28th for a Kush Club boat party which departs Ferry Terminal 1, South Bank, at midday.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Disclosure Announce Debut Album

The South London brothers have announced the release date of their debut album Settle.

Disclosure’s first full length album will be released by PMR Records on June 3. PMR is responsible for the house duo’s singles "Latch" and "White Noise" which had huge success in the UK singles
chart. The label is also affiliated with other popular British acts like Julio Bashmore and Jessie Ware.

The single "You & Me” will be released before the full album, to give fans a taste of what Settle has in store. On April 19, the track will be premiered by Annie Mac on her BBC Radio 1 and will be officially released on April 28th. The full tracklisting for the album is yet to be revealed.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Pete Tong Launches New Ibiza Night

The Radio 1 DJ has given up his Pacha Ibiza residency to host a hotly tipped new night at Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel in Ibiza this summer, entitled Le Grand Bazaar.

Running from July 5 until August 30, Le Grand Bazaar will be a weekly Friday event, opening early afternoon and carrying on until midnight.

Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim and Hot Natured are the first names to be confirmed, with the latter performing their debut live Ibiza show.

Infamous YBA Damien Hirst has provided all of the artwork for the parties.

For those unable to attend, Pete Tong will be streaming a section of Le Grand Bazaar every week live on his international All Gone Pete Tong radio show.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Interview: Prins Thomas

 Veteran Norwegian DJ and producer Prins Thomas is an expert at getting the party started, as proven at each venue he hit up on his recent European tour. I hooked up with Prins Thomas to get the scoop on what makes him tick as a musician and what the future holds in store for him.

You play a variety of different styles - how would you describe your sound?

I usually try not to. I try to pick the best from any genre, new or old, then put it together in a free-float cosmic jam session... haha.

What do you think is the best environment for people to experience your music? Big festival? Smaller club? Large warehouse?

For a bigger crowd you'll have to not just raise your voice but also use bigger words. I really like the balance between the two as they tend to give inspiration to each other, but at the same time playing a longer set in a small crowd usually tops the list as it's easier to slide between varying styles without losing the energy. Smaller crowds > a big bag of records, a bigger crowd > a bag of bigger records!

Which part of your career do you see yourself focusing on in the future? Your producing? Touring? Label Full Pupp?

I'm definitely spending more time than ever working on music in the studio but I think the juggling back and forth between these works perfectly and I can't see myself quitting the touring anytime soon.

What music did you grow up on?

A random few... David Bowie, the Beatles, the Cramps, the Clash, Mozart, John Martyn, Jimi Hendrix, Return To Forever, Miles Davies, Santana, Prince, Boogie Down Productions, Mantronix. I grew up surrounded by great record collections and an unhealthy habit of spending all my pocket money and then some from the age of 9...

What are you listening to right now? Any up and coming artists you think we should all know about?

The sound of my computer humming. The list of new stuff that excites me is long but for the moment I'd like to bump the next album on Full Pupp by the young and talented Andre Bratten, dropping early May. A young and wonderfully talented prodigy of the wonderfully talented Mr. "Todd Terje" Olsen.

Album that changed your life?

Pat Metheny Band - Still Life Talking. I never knew I could fall so hard in love with a smooth jazz record.

Song that changed your life?

The Beatles – ‘She Loves You’. From the first album I ever owned at the age of 7. I listened to it over and over, learnt to mime it then performed it in front of my favourite girl in class. She was very impressed and I think my path started there and then.

Check out Prins Thomas’ Facebook page here or his Soundcloud here. Prins Thomas is performing at Ritual at Under the Bridge this Saturday. Get tickets here.


Read more at the Guestlist Network

Artist of the Month: Duke Dumont

Duke Dumont has been blowing up dancefloors since he emerged onto the London house music scene in 2011, making his name through remixes of Lily Allen and Mystery Jets. Now he’s busy topping the charts himself with his latest single ‘Need U (100%)’.

Even before his commercial breakthrough, Duke Dumont had nightclubs across the UK tripping over themselves to book his high-calibre sets, with his singles ‘the Giver’ and ‘Street Walker’ a staple in house sets everywhere.

This Summer the sought-after DJ can be caught doing the rounds at a selection of UK festivals including Creamfields, Bestival and Isle of Wight.

‘Need U (100%)’ has already been dubbed a club classic, with its glassy, 90s synth and generous techno influence, leaving house fans wondering what could be next for the British producer. With a number one single under his belt, it looks like the sky is the limit for the Duke.

Check out club favourite ‘the Giver’ below:


Read more at the Guestlist Network

oOoOO Releasing Debut Album on his New Label

 
The witch house pioneer is taking a break from his original label Tri Angle Records to release his first full-length album on his own new label Nihjgt Feelings.

oOoOO’s back catalogue of work has exhibited his penchant for echoing, gothic melodies and downcast, mid-tempo beats. The first single from the new album, ‘Stay Here (ft. ML)’ flaunts similar soft synths with a noticeable hip-hop influence.

The San Francisco producer has also released a string of American tour dates which you can check out below:

05.04.13 - San Francisco, CA
05.13.13 - San Diego, CA
05.14.13 - Phoenix, AZ
05.16.13 - Austin, TX
05.21.13 - Richmond, VA
05.22.13 - Washington, DC
05.23.13 - Brooklyn, NY
05.24.13 - Boston, MA
05.28.13 - Pittsburgh, PA
06.01.13 - Chicago, IL
06.04.13 - Hollywood, CA
06.05.13 - Seattle, WA
06.06.13 - Vancouver, BC
06.07.13 - Portland, OR
06.08.13 - Calgary, AB

Titled Without Your Love, oOoOO’s full-length debut is due out June 24^th, featuring lead track ‘Stay Here (ft. ML)’, which you can listen to below:

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Top 5 Disclosure Remixes

 The brothers from South London are a duo to be reckoned with, with latest single ‘White Noise’ peaking at number 2 in the UK singles chart.

With a host of remixes under their belt, I’ve put together a collection of five of the best to get the party started. Listen below:


Read more at the Guestlist Network

Daft Punk to Premier New Album in Small Australian Town

 The French duo has unveiled the latest twist in the launch of their forthcoming album, Random Access Memories - it is to be premiered in the small Australian town of Wee Waa.

The news comes from Australian newspaper The Courier, which reported that Daft Punk is to launch their new album in Wee Waa, a small town in New South Wales, located in the Narrabri Shire.

The launch will take place as part of the 79th annual Wee Waa Show, "Australia's cotton capital", at the Wee Waa showground.

Sony Records called the Narrabri Shire Mayor Conrad Bolton in an attempt to confirm the news and received the reply that Bolton thought “a mate was pulling my leg”.

However, Pitchfork has confirmed the news, as well as website inthemix, which reported that the site domain 'www.daftpunkweewaa.com' has been registered as a domain by Sony Australia.

The duo is not reported to be showing up at the event but the album will be premiered from a purpose built stage.

Random Access Memories will be released by Columbia Records on 12 May.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Soul Clap Announce Compilation Album

 The Boston duo has announced that they are to release a compilation album titled Soul Clap presents Dancing On The Charles: A Boston Electronic Music Story. It is due for release on May 13th.

Soul Clap, the pair of Charles Levine and Eli Goldstein, have played an important part in establishing Boston’s dance music scene in the past decade, which they intend to celebrate with their forthcoming compilation album.

The album is named after a series of outdoor parties the group used to throw, collecting old and new tracks from the Boston dance music scene.

Rising Boston producer and DJ John Barera offers up a track, as does Soul Clap mentor DJ Kon, remixing Matthew Larkin Cassell. The album also includes music from Ben Johnson and Roldy Cezaire.

Check out the tracklist below:

Tracklist
01. I Want Your Love
02. Matthew Larkin Cassell - Heaven (Bosq & Kon Remix)
03. Caserta - Nobody ft. Saucy Lady & Kon
04. Curbington Digital - ­So Fresh
05. Mystery Roar -­ Mayhem (Soul Clap Remix)
06. Roldy Cezaire ­- Lose My Mind
07. John Barera ­ - Wait For It ft. Victor Flores
08. Chas Bronz -­ Love Only You
09. Clifflight -­ All The Things
10. Bon Johnson ft. Dana - ­ From The Heart

Soul Clap Records will release Soul Clap presents Dancing On The Charles: A Boston Electronic Music Story on May 13th, 2013.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

South West Four Lineup Updated

 This year’s South West Four festival, held in Clapham Common, has updated its lineup with a number of heavyweight DJs.

New DJs added to the bill include Laurent Garnier, Carl Craig, John Digweed, Adam Beyer, Eric Prydz and Loco Dice, who will play back-to-back with Carl Cox.

Tensnake will perform live, while garage legends from both sides of the Atlantic will meet, with Todd Edwards playing back-to-back with DJ EZ. Andy C will bring drum & bass to the lineup, while Tim Green will debut his live show.

They join previously announced guests including Solomun, Marco Carola, Boys Noize and Baauer at the festival, which will take place the weekend of August 24th and 25th.

Previous years have boasted world class DJs such as Sasha, Fatboy Slim, Paul Van Dyke and Skrillex as headline acts. South West Four is set to raise the bar yet again.

Tickets for the festival are available on RA.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Will Saul Unveils Remixes of New LP

The producer, who goes by the moniker of Close, has recently unveiled two hot new mixes of a track from his forthcoming LP.

Scuba and Hercules and Love Affair have taken the reigns of the new material, twisting it into blissed out sounds which will be familiar to fans of the two artists.

Check out the mixes below:



The new single is out now through !K7, with the debut LP 'Getting Closer' set to be released June 10, featuring contributions from Kink, Appleblim, October and Scuba.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Daft Punk Reveal Designer Costumes

This weekend saw Coachella preview a new advert for Daft Punk’s forthcoming album, in which the two robots don shiny designer suits.

The advert was aired before the Yeah Yeah Yeahs came on stage and features the robots jamming with Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers.

Rolling Stone reported that Saint Laurent and Dior fashion designer Hedi Slimane has designed the glitzy new look for the upcoming album.


Visit Yves Saint Laurent’s website to see the exclusive shots of Daft Punk in their fancy new outfits.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Unknown Festival Lineup Updated

 This year’s Unknown Festival has released the second wave of artists on its stellar lineup.

The latest names to grace the Unknown lineup include heavyweight DJs Richie Hawtin, Nina Kraviz, Tiga and Waze & Odyssey. Factory Floor and the Horrors will be playing live sets.

The new festival is the brainchild of The Warehouse Project, Field Day and Hideout. It will take place in Rovinj, Croatia, between September 10-14.

Tickets and more information are available here.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

New Australian Label Plastic World Launches

Plastic World is a brand new boutique Australian label which will launch in May. The Sydney-based record label will launch with a single from local electronic act Alba.

Renowned acts Rick Wade and Jimmy Edgar will appear on the label's first release, due out next month.

The label is to be run by former Future Classic Label Coordinator and Head of Marketing James McInnes and Astral People's Vic Edirisinghe.

In an interview with RA, James McInnes said the label is “a channel for all the fantastic music and ideas coming out of Australia, with no music policy. The first release will definitely be on a club tip but as the releases and parties continue, who knows…. We'd really like to become a home for artists who are keen to try out new genres and styles too.

“Sometimes music just gets boring and hearing techno from an Afrobeat band or house from a hip hop guy would make us pretty happy.”

Plastic World's first vinyl release, "Knokke / Law" by Alba, is due to drop in late May with remixes from Hotflush producer Jimmy Edgar and Detroit veteran Rick Wade.

Tracklist
A1. Knokke
A2. Law
B1. Knokke (Jimmy Edgar Remix)
B2. Knokke (Rick Wade Remix)

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Album Review: The Knife - Shaking the Habitual

As Karin Dreijer Anderson’s distinctive tribal howl echoes into focus in ‘A Tooth for an Eye’, the first track on Shaking the Habitual, listeners are already plunged into the startlingly unique and identifiable sound that has become known as the Knife. Just minutes into the first track, Anderson’s vocals seize your attention and grip it right up until the end of the album’s 96 minutes and 20 seconds, sounding for all the world like the prophetic ravings of a primitive witch being shrieked into the wind.

Anderson has had no trouble carving out a niche for herself as an original and exciting contemporary vocalist as the main woman of Fever Ray, the project she maintains alongside the Knife. On Shaking the Habitual, the haunting voice parts are twisted into unfamiliar new shapes, digitally distorted into a genderless cry fluctuating between icy and impassioned.

Channeling influences as diverse as Gang Gang Dance, Kate Bush and the soundtrack to the Lion King, the album signifies a departure from the poppy aesthetic heard in previous albums. It is the Knife’s most brazenly experimental material, peddling in white noise and vaguely terrifying samples that wouldn’t be out of place in an indie Japanese horror film.

Back in February the album’s second track ‘Full of Fire’ was wisely released as the teaser single for the album. It is a noisy, anxious trip into the dark heart of the album’s mysterious soundscape, resonating with harsh animalistic wails and compelled by an insistent, menacing beat. ‘Without You My Life Would be Boring’ is as fiercely euphoric and danceable as anything the Knife has ever produced, recalling the tuneful commerciality of ‘Heartbeats’.

‘Old Dreams Waiting to be Realized’ is the true revelation of the album, a 20 minute long centrepiece as gloomy and rotten sounding as the political rhetoric which has accompanied the album’s release. The album’s political significance is impossible to miss. If you don’t quite catch Karin’s warped cry: "let's talk about gender, baby/let's talk about you and me", the anti-Capitalist, anti-consumerist manifesto on the Knife’s website is there to hammer it home.

In Shaking the Habitual, the Swedish duo has proven yet again that there is more to them than press releases, cryptic videos and copious political ranting. The album could baffle and nonplus just as easily as it could be considered a masterpiece but it is, at the very least, certainly one of the most ingenious and innovative releases you will hear this year.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

New Release: Jesse Rose - Dance with Me

London DJ Jesse Rose has recently released banging new single ‘Dance with me’. Hitting a dance floor near you soon, there are two versions of the track, one for Chi-town house heads and one for beat junkies.  Check them out on Jesse Rose’s Soundcloud.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

New Release: Alex Kenji - Strong

Reliable purveyor of tech house beats Alex Kenji has dropped a new track on his Soundcloud, ‘Strong’. A prime progressive house number, this tune is likely to be heard across superclubs nationally, with its manic build up and noisy-as-fuck drop.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

New Things

Yo

I've been writing things for the National Student and the Guestlist Network which you can peruse if you want to get even more bored.

Love

Big Dada Recordings to Release New Congo Natty Album

The jungle don has just signed with prominent UK label Big Dada, which will release his Jungle Revolution LP on 17th June.

Congo Natty, aka Rebel MC, was an original instigator of the ragga jungle movement and is one of the main artists upholding the genre today.

Natty has released the first track from the upcoming album, ‘UK Allstars’, a showcase of British MC talent, with Tenor Fly, Top Cat, General Levy, Tippa Irie, Sweetie Irie and Daddy Freddy all sharing mic duties.

On ‘UK Allstars’, the featured MCs are all working together for the first time ever.

Stream and download ‘UK Allstars’ right here:



Read more at the Guestlist Network

Frank Ocean Hits London

The Odd Future star has announced an upcoming July gig at London’s Brixton Academy.

Frank Ocean, of Odd Future fame, announced a new gig date on Tuesday. Ocean will be playing London’s Brixton Academy on the 9^th July.

A one-off show, It will be Ocean’s first European gig date since he played XOYO in November.
Tickets go on sale at 9am this Friday (April 5) priced £35 from Ticketmaster.



Read more at the Guestlist Network

Record Store Day on April 20

Record Store Day will be hitting the UK on the 20th of this month and taking over independent record stores across the globe.

Record Store Day began in 2007 when music industry authorities Eric Levin, Michael Kurtz, Carrie Colliton, Amy Dorfman, Don Van Cleave and Brian Poehner came together to preserve and celebrate the endangered tradition of independent record stores and the underground music they represent.

On Record Store Day, many independently owned record stores will collaborate with artists to celebrate the art of music and authentic, independent music distributors. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, meet & greets with artists, DJ's, in store quizzes and many other events.

The official ambassador of this year’s Record Store Day will be Jack White of the White Stripes. Their album Elephant will be reissued in a 10th anniversary edition LP, with black-and-red vinyl on one side, white vinyl on the other.

Special releases for this year’s Record Store Day include vinyl and LPs by artists such as Avenged Sevenfold, Best Coast, Bob Dylan, Iron and Wine, David Bowie and Frank Turner.

You can search for your nearest participating store on Record Store Day’s website.

Read more at the Guestlist Network

Exit Records 10th Birthday - Bad Company, Dbridge, Calibre & Marcus Intalex at Fire

Vauxhall nightclub Fire is playing host to one of the biggest parties of the month, Exit Records’ 10^th birthday bash, on 12^th April.

The night will see all of Exit Records’ most prominent artists come together under one roof as part of a stellar lineup in a long night of jungle beats in the dark, sweaty bowels of the renowned Fire.

Founding member of Exit Records, dBridge, will be playing along with his D&B outfit Bad Company.

Also on the lineup are Calibre, Marcus Intalex and Klute. Breakage will be unleashing a classics set whilst Fabio will be playing an exclusive speed set. MCs on the roster include SP:MC and Justyce.

This is one night not to miss for old school D&B purists and newbie bassheads alike.

You can listen to dBridge here:



Read more at the Guestlist Network

Ghost Poet at Village Underground

On 30th May British singer and producer Ghostpoet hits Village Underground in Shoreditch.

Obaro Ejimiwe, aka Ghostpoet, is one of the most distinct, uncategorisable and forward-thinking voices to emerge in British music this decade, which was rewarded with a surprise Mercury Prize nomination in 2011.

Two years on, Ghostpoet’s creativity has blossomed even more. On his second album, Some Say I So I Say Light, he pushes even further in all directions than on his debut, mixing the abstract and the concrete with uncanny skill.

A treat awaits all who attend Village Underground on May 30th for what is sure to be another unforgettable showcase of Obaro’s talent as he performs material from his amazing new album.

You can get a taste for Ghostpoet’s sound below in this track with rave master XXXY:



Read more at the Guestlist Network

Sigur Ros Reveal New Album Plans

The Icelandic outfit have announced on their website that they will be releasing a new album titled Kveikur in June 2013.

With the release of 2012′s Valtari less than a year ago, Sigur Ros have proven themselves industrious musicians by announcing a forthcoming LP later this year.

On the same day as the announcement the band released an EP for the first single from Kveikur - "Brennisteinn" as well as a video for the track.

The group have confirmed that Kveikur, the band’s seventh studio album, will mark their first release since signing to London’s XL Recordings.

With a history of intensive touring, the group show no sign of slowing down, having just added a run of European dates for November, with pre-sale expected to begin soon. You can check out dates on Sigur Ros’s website.

You can watch the video for ‘Brennisteinn’ below:



Read more at the Guestlist Network

Hot Creations presents Paradise featuring Hot Natured live at Brixton Academy

On Friday 12^th April Hot Creations are presenting their latest Paradise event at London’s Brixton Academy.

After unprecedented demand and selling out their first event on Saturday, Hot Creations presents Paradise are adding an extra date for a special Paradise event at Brixton’s O2 Academy.

Hot Natured headline the star-studded bill, bringing their electric mix of sun-drenched disco and danceable house to the legendary music venue.

Jamie Jones, Lee Foss, Luca C and Ali Love will play as Hot Natured, with DJ support from Jamie Jones, Tale of Us, Lee Foss, Richy Ahmed, Robert James and Russ Yallop.

Check out some of Hot Natured’s stuff below:



Read more at the Guestlist Network