Katy B – What Love is Made Of

Katy B has unveiled her brand new single ‘What Love Is Made Of’.

The track which premiered on BBC Radio 1 with Annie Mac, is the first single to be taken from Katy’s forthcoming second studio album and serves as the follow up to 2011’s ‘On A Mission’.

‘What Love Is Made Of’ is an up-tempo track filled with euphoric house piano, dynamic synths and Katy B’s unique and commanding vocals taking centre stage– the perfect rave pop track.

Last year’s free ‘Danger’ EP, featured collaborations from Jessie Ware, Wiley, Diplo and Geeneus.  The new album continues in this form with some exciting collaborations from Jacques Greene, Joker, Skream and of course Geeneus, who Katy refers to as her Timbaland.

While 2011’s album ‘On A Mission’ bridged the gap between underground garage and mainstream music, Katy B’s second album will be in good company with artists such as Jessie Ware, Eliza Doolittle, AlunaGeorge and Disclosure, all championing underground music to wider audiences.

The new album isn’t due out till October, but you can catch Katy B at plenty of upcoming festivals including Radio 1 Big Weekend, Wireless, Global Gathering and Mallorca & Ibiza Rocks.

So Solid Crew – Support Acts

So Solid Crew have announced their stellar support line up for their final performance at London’s O2 (Oct 5^th only). Helping them bow out in style are some of the most exciting acts in urban music.

First up is Tottenham rapper Wretch 32 (Tractor, Pop, Hush Little Baby), currently working on his third studio album and promoting his lead single ‘Blackout’. Joining Wretch is multi award winning Ms Dynamite (Dy-na-mi-tee, Lights On, Gold Dust), fresh off supporting Major Lazer’s UK tour and making a return with new material. ‘The best looking fat man on the planet’ – AKA Radio 1/1Xtra’s Charlie Sloth and recent Sony Radio Award Bronze recipient brings the hottest hip hop beats, while Mobo Award winning Grime artist Lethal Bizzle (Dench) and platinum selling rapper Chip complete the all-star support line up.

The South London garage collective, whose debut album ‘They Don’t Know’ released in 2001, was the first UK urban act to have a platinum selling album.  With massive hits such as ‘They Don’t Know’, ‘Haters’ and the legendary #1 single ’21 Seconds’, the multi award winning crew are responsible for today’s biggest hip hop crossover and breakthrough stars.

UK October 2013 Live Dates:

1 OCT 2013 – SHEFFIELD – THE PLUG*
2 OCT 2013 – NORWICH – WATERFRONT*
3 OCT 2013 – BIRMINGHAM – INSTITUTE*
4 OCT 2013 – MANCHESTER – THE RITZ*
5 OCT 2013 – LONDON – O2 ARENA

*Rescheduled dates from cancelled April tour, all original tickets remain valid. Tickets info available here

John Newman – Love Me Again

John Newman, whose infectious vocals featured on Rudimentals chart topping ‘Feel The Love‘ and ‘Not Giving In‘, has premiered his first solo single ‘Love Me Again’. The anthemic and uplifting track showcases Newmans trademark big vocals and catchy hooks, marking an impressive debut release.

Speaking to Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1,  Newman commented:

“It’s all my musical inspiration and everything I wanted to produce that says ‘Hello I’m John Newman and this is my first single’”

Newman will take to the stage for his first headline show at London’s Lexington on July 15th.  Sign up to his mailing list for exclusive tickets. The ‘Love Me Again’ EP is set for release June 30th. Pre-order your copy from iTunes. In the meantime, check out the official video below:

DJ Fresh and Diplo – Earthquake ft Dominique Young Unique

DJ Fresh, the drum n bass DJ & producer who brought us ‘Hot Right Now’, ‘Louder‘, ‘The Power‘ and most recently ‘Gold Dust‘, is back with another massive follow-up.

‘Earthquake‘ sees DJ Fresh collaborate with producer Diplo (Major Lazer) on this trap heavy record infused with distorted lazer style synths.  The track premiered as Zanes Lowes Hottest Record on BBC Radio 1 last night and is set for release through Ministry of Sound.

The beats have been around a while now and you might remember it from the Angel Haze’s diss track against Azealia Banks. DJ Fresh and Diplo have since reworked it and features the vocals from Dominique Young Unique. The track also features as the theme tune for this summers blockbuster film ‘Kickass 2‘.

DJ Fresh has a busy summer ahead performing at Radio 1′s Big Weekend, Parklife, Wireless, Oxegen and Global Gathering, to name but a few. Diplo is in the middle of his EU tour with Major Lazer to promote their new album ‘Free The Universe‘, but will be back with his reggae rhythms for Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds Festivals.

Disclosure – You And Me ft Eliza Doolittle

Disclosure continue their infectious track record with the new single ‘You And Me‘,  featuring ‘Pack Up’ and ‘Skinny Jeans‘ singer Eliza Doolittle. The single serves as the follow up to ‘Latch’ and the recent ‘White Noise‘ ft AlunaGeorge, which reached #2 in the Official Charts.

‘You And Me’ premiered as a special delivery for Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1. The new single is a throwback to previous tracks such as ‘Control’, with it’s upbeat garage vibes and Eliza’s slick vocals. Speaking about their latest collaboration with Eliza Doolittle, Guy and Howard  explained:

“She’s got this unbelievable amount of control on her vocal which is really useful in garage because all the old garage songs were sped up because they’re normally remixes of  soul songs , but she can just do that full speed anyway.” 

Before their highly anticipated debut album ‘Settle‘  drops on June 3rd, the brothers are set to release ”You And Me‘ on April 28th  followed by Disclosure: The Singles on April 30th.  Not only will the brothers be dominating all the major festivals this summer from Glastonbury to Reading, but the duo have just announced dates for their upcoming UK tour.

Coachella: Day 3

Sunday – April 14th

Headliners: Red Hot Chili Peppers

With Day 3  just hours away, here are my ”Top Acts’ to close an amazing first weekend at Coachella.

Wild Belle: 12:00pm – 12:30pm | Outdoor

Chicago based siblings Elliot and Natalie Bergman released their debut album ‘Isles’ in March, after what has been a successful year promoting their unique and ultra-cool indie rock vibes. Having set the bar high with releases such as ‘Keep You’, ‘It’s Too Late’ and ‘Backslider’, the duo return to Coachella with a set brimming with retro vibes, reggae beats and psychedelic grooves; perfect for Sunny Palm Springs.

Robert DeLong: 12:40pm – 1:10pm | Mojave

Having started off the year being MTV’s artists to watch for 2013, Robert DeLong released his debut genre-mashing album in February and lead single ‘Global Concepts‘. ‘Just Movement‘ explores electro, house, moombahton, dubstep and indie pop; a truly unique masterpiece. Delong’s one-man band style performance infuses synths, acoustic drums, drum pads, infectious beats, MIDI effects and even game controllers into his live set – definitely one to check out. Wait for the drop and join in Delong’s collective dance party at Coachella as he asks; “Did I make you fuckin’ dance?“

Jessie Ware:  3:45pm – 4:30pm | Mojave

South London singer Jessie Ware released her debut Mercy Prize nominated album ‘Devotion’ in August which was produced by Dave Okumu (The Invisible), Bristol electronic producer Julio Bashmore (Au Seve), and Kid Harpoon (co-writer of Florence + The Machine: Ceremonials). Featuring the singles ‘If You’re Never Gonna Move’, ‘Running’, ‘Wildest Moments’ and ‘Night Light‘, Devotion takes us on a musical journey of R&B, pop, soul and electronic music. Previous collaborations have included Katy B, Benzel and remixes from Disclosure, while her latest single ‘Imagine It Was Us‘, is once again produced by the brilliant Julio Bashmore. Having kicked off the year with 2 Brit Award Nominations and a UK tour, 2013 looks bright with a US version of Devotion set for release April 16th and remix of the single ‘Wildest Moments‘ ft A$ap Rocky.

James Blake:  6:00pm – 6:50pm | Mojave

London based electronic producer & singer James Blake released his second album ‘Overgrown‘ in April, which serves as the follow up to his Mercury Prize Nominated self titled debut album. The lead single ‘Retrograde‘ is sure to be incredibly atmospheric at Coachella with it’s beautiful haunting melody, minimal accompaniment, soulful falsetto vocals and sustained electronic pulses. Coachella is in for one hypnotic, dub-step tinged set before setting off on his US tour.

Disclosure: 11:10pm – 11:55pm | Gobi

Brotherly duo Disclosure, aka Guy and Howard Lawrence, are bringing their UK Garage vibes to sunny Caliornia for their Coachella debut. Disclosure’s track record is one hit after another with infectious singles such as ‘Latch’ ft Sam Smith, ‘White Noise’ ft Aluna and brilliant remixes such as Jessie Ware’s ‘Running‘. Their live set incorporates live bass guitars, drums machines, keys and even live vocals, further adding to the duo’s never ending talents. Having kicked of 2013 being nominated for MTV Brand New for 2013, it’s no surprise the duo are in such demand and are set to play all the major Summer festivals, including Heineken Open’er Festival, Field Day, Love Box, Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Bestival and Parklife.

Yet another jam-packed day ahead for lucky festival goers at Coachella. Other amazing acts throughout the day include Vampire Weekend, Eric Prydz, DIIV, Grimes, Tame Impala, La Roux and Irish band Little Green Cars! Don’t forget you can watch all the acts LIVE on the dedicated Coachella YouTube Channel.

Coachella: Day 2

Saturday – April 13th

Headliners: Phoenix

With Day 1 of Coachella completed, lets look ahead to my ‘Top Acts’ for Day 2.

Baauer:  3:00pm – 4:00pm | Sahara

American DJ/Producer and Trap sensation Baauer is set to cause havoc with what will no doubt be a mass Harlem Shake in the Sahara Tent . Having recently toured and collaborated with Hip Hop legend Just Blaze on the epic trap banger ‘Higher‘, Baauer is fresh off a mini tour with Hip hop rapper Danny Brown.  Baauer has an impressive track record of remixes including No Doubt, Nero and Prodigy, and the recent AlunaGeorge ‘Attracting Flies‘. Upcoming UK dates include SW4 at Clapham Common and Reading & Leeds Festival, London.

The 2 Bears:  4:15pm – 5:45pm | Yuma

The Two Bears, made up of Joe Goddard (of electronic band Hot Chip) and Raf Rundell (Raf Daddy), are set to hit Coachella with their infectious house music. With 3 EP’s and 1 album under their belt,  previous releases have included ‘Bear Hug‘ and ‘Be Strong‘. Having already received massive support on UK radio, the duo also host their own radio show ‘Follow The Bears‘ on Ministry Of Sound Radio. Upcoming UK dates included SW4 at CLapham Common, London.

Bat for Lashes: 5:10pm – 6:00pm | Mojave

Bat for Lashes, aka English singer songwriter Natasha Khan, has made quite the impression having taken her inspiration from artists such as ‘The Carpenters‘ and ‘Neil Diamond‘, which led to her 2013 Brit nomination for Best British Female. ‘The Haunted Man’ was Laura’s third studio album which brought us the stunningly haunting ‘Laura‘, and ‘All Your Gold‘.

Major Lazer: 6:25pm – 7:15pm | Mojave

Major Lazer (AKA American DJ/Producer Diplo and Walshy Fire) are set to bring their carnival vibes to Coachella. Their forthcoming album, Free The Universe’ has been almost two and a half years in the making, so Coachella serves as the perfect stage to showcase new material.  Having already released ‘Get Free‘ ft. Amber Coffman of Dirty Projectors, ‘Jah No Partial’ ft Flux Pavillion and their latest single ‘Bumaye’ (Watch Out for This) ft. Busy Signal & Flexican, Major Lazer are primed to take over 2013 with their infectious reggae rhythms and dance hall vibes. Expect a few custom duplates and Diplo in an inflatable Zorb! Upcoming UK dates include Sheffield, Oxford, Bristol and London’s Roundhouse and Reading & Leeds.

Julio Bashmore: 7:30pm – 9:00pm | Yuma

DJ & producer Julio Bashmore was responsible for one of the most infectious house tracks of 2012 with ‘Au Seve‘, which he released under his very own label, ‘Broadwalk Records‘. Previous production credits have included Jessie Ware’s ‘110%‘ and the most recent collaboration with Jessie on ‘Imagine It Was Us‘. No doubt we’ll see plenty of ‘Bashmore Bass’ during his Coachella debut.

Saturday has an incredible line up including Knife Party, Biffy Clyro, Two Door, Ben Howard, Franz Ferinand, The xx, Benny Benassi, Grizly Bear, Hot Chip, 2 Chainz, and Action Bronson. Special mention has to go to Radio 1′s DJ and taste maker Zane Lowe, who is set to deliver an energetic genre defying set; Definitely one to check out!

Don’t forget, you can watch all the action LIVE on the dedicated Coachella YouTube Channel. Check back soon for my ‘Top Act’s for Day 3.