June Selections

What a month June has been for music. We had the wonderful return of Jessie Ware with her new single ‘Tough Love‘, not to mention new music from Duke Dumont, Jamie xx, Porter Robinson and the reworking of Yogi’s ‘Christian Bale’. Festival season got well under way with Parklife and Isle of Wight but it was Glastonbury Festival that took center stage this month, with headliners Arcade Fire, Metallica and Kasabian thrilling audiences, not to mention fan favourite Dolly Parton. It’s safe to say Glastonbury Festival went down a ‘storm’ … excuse the pun. Yes even the weather took center stage which interrupted Rudimental’s set and briefly closed the Pyramid stage. What would a festival be without a bit of rain, mud and an electrical storm? Roll on next year! Catch up on the highlights here.

The official charts saw a bit of a shake up with streaming sites such as Spotify, Deezer and Napster to count towards Official Chart rankings for the first time. The home of the Official Chart, yes Radio 1, has also seen a bit of a shake up. Longtime broadcaster Edith Boman,  Rob Da Bank, Jen Long and Ally McCrae are among some of the presenters axed from the schedule (Sad times!). This has paved the way for exciting new changes, such as an evening new music show with Huw Stevens, B Traits joining the Friday night dance lineup, while Annie Mac and Pete Tong’s shows have been increased by an hour. #Raving. Read the rest of the changes here.  The BBC also announced details of their new BBC Music Awards, set to take place in Earls Court Dec 11th and hosted by Chris Evans and Fearne Cotton.

Itunes UK celebrated their 10th anniversary this month. To mark the occasion, they released the all time best selling albums and singles, which included Adele’s ’21’, Ed Sheeran and Emeli Sande, while Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’ topped the best selling single. When Zane Lowe isn’t conducting incredible interviews on Radio 1, such as the recent Rick Rubin feature interview, he’s announcing an exciting new music show on MTV called ‘Soundchain’, which is set to feature artists from Ed Sheeran, Queens Of The Stoneage, Chase and Status and Kasbian. Speaking of which, Kasabian announced their UK and Ireland tour starting this Autumn. If that wasn’t enough, there’s plenty of new music releases lined up such as new music from Rudimental tipped by end of the year, Florence and the Machines third album, new Snow Patrol in 2015, a debut album from Hozier in September and even more Haim greatness in the pipeline. Oh and incase you’re not aware, June 10th has officially being named ‘Drake Day’ by the Mayor of Houston ….put it in the diary!

July surely has to be dubbed ‘Festival Month’ with a whole host of Festivals lined up including, Wireless, Festibelly, British Summer Time Festival, Latitude, Longitude, LoveBox, Eminem at Wembley, T In The Park and even G In the Park. Last but not least, don’t forget the continuation of Annie Mac’s Superstar Djs on Channel 4.

Ok, now on with the music. Check out my selections below:

1) Calvin Harris – Summer (Diplo & Grandtheft remix)

What better way to kick off June favourites than with the aptly titled track ‘Summer‘ from Calvin Harris with Diplo and Grandtheft  on the remix. This is the second collaboration from the duo having previously remixed Calvin’s ‘Sweet Nothing‘ ft Florence. While retaining Calvin’s original idea, the two drops allow the heavyweights trademarks to shine from their tantalising trap vibes, grime-heavy bass lines, defined percussive beats and some intermittent bed squeaks … always keeping it interesting. Be sure to catch Diplo pretty much touring everywhere this summer, while Grandtheft is currently on his ‘Keep it 100’ tour. The ‘Summer‘ remixes are available here.

 

2) Jack Garratt – Worry

London singer songwriter Jack Garratt unveiled his new single ‘Worry‘, taken from his debut EP ‘Remnants‘. The single serves as the follow up to ‘Water’, where Garret delivers moments of pure chilled out R&B before hitting us with some heavy synth drops and a fuzzy infectious hook. Garratt’s soulful vocals has great range highlighting his impressive falsetto ability. Currently in the middle if his UK tour, upcoming dates for Garratt include Secret Garden Party and In The Woods. ‘Remnants‘ is due July 14th and is available now.

 

3) HRLY & Bosey – Take Me

Brighton based producer/ DJ’s HRLY & Bosey have collaborated on an exciting new trap banger. ‘Take Me‘ serves up some infectious trap stylings and an incredible drop that takes the track to the next level with its trap infused horns, bass heavy beats and echoed/distorted vocals. ‘Take Me’ is packed with plenty of edge and attitude and marks an impressive effort from the duo.

 

4) Keaton Henson – Elevator Song

When London singer/songwriter Keaton Henson unveiled his debut album four years ago, he presented a personal and stunning selection of folk ballads. Despite Heatons crippling anxiety with performing, Henson has since unveiled his new body of work, which presents a vast change of direction for him; a classical piece titled ‘Romantic works’. Recorded in his bedroom, ‘Elevator Song’ opens the collection of work. The purely instrumental track takes us away for 3 minutes to a place of pure tranquility with simple piano and strings. If only all elevator rides were as blissful as as this. ‘Elevator Song’ is available now from his ‘Romantic Works‘ album.

 

5) Isaiah Dreads – You See Me (Prod. Preditah) Make way for some serious rising talent in the form of 16 year old Grime artist Isaiah Dreads.  His new single ‘You See Me‘ sees Dreads going in on the Preditah produced banger. Dreads delivers some serious skills and spitting over the impeccably produced beats from Preditah. You might remember Preditah from some of his incredible remixes from Danny Brown’s ‘Dip‘ to Disclosure’s ‘Stimulation‘, and now he’s done it again with the infectious trap-hop hooks dominating ‘You See Me‘. Dreads and Preditah prove to be an exciting collaboration. ‘You See Me’ is set for release July 21st and is available to pre order now.

 

6) Crystal Fighters – Love Alight

Time for some sun-drenched music from electro pop quartet Crystal Fighters.  ‘Love Alight‘ is the first new material to surface since their 2013’s ‘Cave Rave‘ album and what better way than with this uptempo track, filled with soaring melodies, flamenco style guitars, euphoric vocals and hypnotic beats. No surprise it featured as Zane Lowe’s ‘Hottest Record’, as it will no doubt be the summer soundtrack for many this summer. Upcoming dates for Crystal Fighters include Lattitude Festival and Lovebox. ‘Love Alight’ is available now.

 

7) Kwabs – Into You

Kwabs has unveiled his new single ‘Into You‘, taken from his ‘Pray for Love’ EP. The single serves as the follow up to ‘Last Stand’ and ‘Wrong Or Right’ produced by SOHN. Now Kwabs has teamed up with producer Chris Loco to deliver yet another impressive single with some infectious production from Loco. Kwabs sure knows how to pick his producers. Kwabs stunningly emotive and soulful vocals are delivered with such passion, especially the rousing hook with defined, tribal percussive beats. Upcoming dates from Kwabs include Latitude and a headline date at London’s Koko this October. ‘Pray for Love‘ EP is available now.

 

8) Redlight – Cure Me ft Lolo

Bristol based Producer Redlight (aka Hugh Pescod) has unveiled his new single ‘Cure Me‘, featuring the sultry vocals of Brooklyn singer Lolo. With deep house dominating the music scene, ‘Cure Me‘ is set to follow in the same path as Redlight’s previous singles from ‘36‘ to ‘Lost In Your Love‘ and ‘Get Out My Head‘. ‘Cure Me‘ delivers some punchy deep house vibes, signature house piano and an infectious hook you’ll be singing all day. Having recently signed to Polydor Records, the Bristol producer is currently working on his debut album due later this year. Upcoming dates for Redlight include Creamfields and Jersey Live. The ‘Cure Me’ EP is set for release August 17th via Polydor Records, featuring remixes from Actress, New York Transit Authority and DJ Die. Pre order your copy here.

 

9) Apexape & Chris Lorenzo – Got To Give

Apexape, aka Benny Kane and Dr Specs have teamed up with Chris Lorenzo of Cause and Affect, to deliver their monstrous bass heavy single ‘Got To Give‘. With its pulsating basslines, eerie synths and suspenseful descending riffs and rolling drops, ‘Got To Give‘ delivers on all fronts. The single is available now via MistaJam’s Speakerbox Records. Upcoming dates for Apexape include Ibiza and Mallorca rocks this July.

 

10) Broods – Mother and Father

New Zealand siblings Broods, aka Georgia and Caleb Nott, unveiled their new single ‘Mother and Father’, which serves as the follow up to the successful ‘Bridges’ EP. The single is taken from their forthcoming debut album ‘Evergreen‘, and delivers a soothing synth driven track. Georgia’s light, airy vocals and heartfelt lyrics are effortless and provide a nice contrast to the defined percussive beats throughout. Set to support Sam Smith on tour this autumn, further dates for Broods include Hoxton Square Bar and Longitude in Dublin. ‘Mother And Father‘ is available now, while their debut album is set for release August 22nd via Polydor.

 

11) My Nu Leng – Knowing (Break remix)

Time for some epic drum n bass from Symmetry Recordings owner Break, as he takes on My Nu Leng’s ‘Knowing‘.  The remix serves as the followup to his ‘Moving On’ EP and delivers a beast of a track with its bass heavy vibes, glitchy production and growling bass lines. Break retains My Nu Leng’s original charm, from the serene piano motif and ambient effects throughout, before ramping up the tempo to delivery a high energy drum n bass monster. Break’s ‘Knowing‘ remix is set to feature on My Nu Leng’s ‘The Masterplan Remixes EP‘, which includes remixes from Lorenzo and Zed Bias. ‘Knowing’ is available now via Black Butter Records.

 

12) Méron – Somebody Like Me

Prepare yourself for some epic progressive dance beauty. Rising producer Méron has has unveiled his latest offerings ‘Somebody Like Me‘, which serves as the follow up to ‘Along With The Stars‘. The track delivers with such force and impact, from its soaring house piano vibes, stirring strings and rousing builds throughout. A definite hands in the air track that you wish would never, ever end. Presenting a stunning vibe and drawing comparisons to Prydz, Méron is one producer to keep a close eye on. In the meantime, check out his soundcloud here. Somebody Like Me is available now via Spinnin’ Records.

 

13) Avan Lava – Last Night (Copy Paste Soul Remix)

Having recently released his ‘Like This’ EP, Copy Paste Soul has since remixed ‘Last Night‘ from Brooklyn trio Avan Lava. With his infectious whomping bass line, soulful vocals and feel good vibes infused throughout, Copy Paste Soul has already received great support from the likes of Annie Mac, Scream and Disclosure. Check out his soundcloud page here to hear ‘deep things growl and whompy things warm’. Upcoming dates for Copy Paste Soul include Lost Records at Fire London.

 

14) Grimes – Go ft Blood Diamonds

Yes, Grimes is back after almost two years and has unveiled her new single ‘Go’, ft producer Blood Diamond. Originally written for and thankfully rejected by Rihanna, ‘Go‘ paves the way for her highly anticipated return and serves up the first new material since 2012’s album ‘Visions‘, and the remarkable single ‘Oblivion’. With its moody, atmospheric vibe, and trap infused stylings, Grimes has certainly peaked our interest for what’s yet to come. Currently working on her new album, ‘Go’ is available now. Upcoming datea for Grimes can be found here.

 

15) X Ambassadors & Jamie N Commons – Jungle remix ft Jay Z

American rock band X Ambassadors and British artist Jamie N Commons, have made quite the impact with their single ‘Jungle’, which featured in the World Cup inspired ‘Beats By Dre‘ campaign. Giving the single a reworking is n one other than Hov, yes Jay Z now features in the remix, bringing ‘Jungle‘ to a whole new level of epic proportions. The hard hitting track serves up a sense of empowerment with some ferocious skills and lyrics from Jay Z ‘If your god is bigger than my god up there, and my god is bigger than your god down here, whom shall I fear?’. The new jungle remix is available now.

 

16) Pharrell – Frontin’ ft Jay Z (Disclosure remix)

Brotherly duo Disclosure recently reworked on of their favourite songs ever. Yes Pharrell’s ‘Frontin‘ ft Jay Z has been given the Disclosure remix which sees the boys breath new life into the 2003 classic. The duo deliver an upbeat garage infused remix, with Pharrell’s infectious vocals mixed seamlessly throughout. Even better, the track was offered as a free download as a result of reaching 1 million likes on Facebook. Be sure to catch Disclosure touring everywhere this summer including Ibiza, Reading & Leeds and Bestival as well as featuring on Annie Mac’s ‘Superstar DJ’ programme on Channel 4.

 

Check out the full playlist below with over 90 minutes for your listening pleasure.

Year In Review: Top 100 Tracks & Top 20 Albums of 2013

Last year delivered an impressive year of music with TNGHT’s ‘Higher Ground‘ topping my ‘Top 100 Tracks‘. With 2014 just hours away, it’s time to present my Top Tracks of 2013!

From Daft Punk’s infectious ‘Get Lucky‘ to brotherly duo Disclosure’s superior reign, it’s safe to say the future of music is  in good hands – And with news that Justin Bieber has officially retired, it’s already a good start to the year! Roll on 2014 and here’s to another exciting year in music!

Top 100 Tracks of 2013

1. Disclosure ft AlunaGeorge – White Noise
2. Daft Punk – Get Lucky
3. James Blake  – Retrograde
4. Arcade Fire  – Reflektor
5. A$AP Rocky ft Skrillex  – Wild For The Night
6. Kanye West – Black Skinhead
7. Lorde – Royals
8. Just Blaze & Baauer – Higher
9. Haim (Duke Dumont Remix) – Falling
10. Haim – The Wire
11. Disclosure ft London Grammar – Help Me Lose my Mind
12. Busta Rhymes – Thank You
13. James Vincent Mc Morrow   – Cavaliere
14. Banks – Before I Ever Met You
15. Arcade Fire    – Here Comes The Night
16. TNGHT – Acrylics
17. Jay Z & JT – Holy Grail
18. Major Lazer ft Ezra Koenig – Jessica
19. London Grammar – Strong
20. Pharell  – Happy
21. Janelle Monae ft Solange – Electric Lady
22. John Hopkins – Open Eye Signal
23. Disclosure (Flume Remix) – You And Me
24. Robin Thicke ft TI & Pharrell – Blurred Lines
25. Breach – Jack
26. Danny Brown  – Dip
27. Drake ft Majid Jordan – Hold On, We’re Going Home
28. James Blake ft Chance The Rapper – Life Round Here
29. Queens Of The Stoneage – My God Is The Sun
30. Drake ft Sampha  – Too Much
31. Disclosure – F For You
32. Katy B – Crying For No reason
33. London Grammar – NightCall
34. Showtek ft We Are Loud and Sonny Wilson  – Booyah
35. Miles Kane – Don’t Forget Who You Are
36. Banana Clipper Ft Big Boi – Run The Jewels
37. Lorde – Tennis Court
38. Duke Dumont – Need You (100%)
39. Jacob Plant  – Fire
40. Katy B – 5AM
41. Danny Brown  – Drinkin And Smokin
42. The 1975 – Chocolate
43. AlunaGeorge  – Attracting Flies
44. Arctic Monkeys   – Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High
45. Chvrches – The Mother We Share
46. Rudimental ft Ella Eyre  – Waiting All Night
47. Jake Bugg – Seen It All
48. Banks – This Is What It Feels
49. DJ Fresh & Diplo ft Ms Dynamite  – Dibby Dibby Sound
50. Robert DeLong – Global Concepts
51. Vampire Weekend    – Diane Young
52. Kanye West – Blood On The Leaves
53. Pryda – Powerdrive
54. Major Lazer   – Watch Out For This (Bumaye)
55. Laura Welsh  – Unravel
56. Villagers – My Lighthouse
57. Knife Party  – LRAD
58. Justice (Gesaffelstein Remix) – Helix
59. John Newman  – Love Me Again
60. DJ Fresh & Diplo ft Dominique Young Unique – Earthquake
61. Sivu – Over and Over
62. Kanye West – I Am A God
63. Jessie Ware – Sweet Talk
64. Ruen Brothers – Aces
65. Vampire Weekend  – Step
66. Klangkarussel Sonnentanz –  Sun Don’t Shine
67. Sivu – Better Man Than He
68. Disclosure (Baauer Remix) – Attracting Flies
69. Two Door Cinema Club – Sun
70. Kelela – Enemy
71. Bondax – Giving It All
72. Chris Malinchak  – So Good To Me
73. Josh Record  – For Your Love
74. Childish Gambino – IV Sweatpants
75. Katy B – What Love Is Made Of
76. Monsta – Messiah
77. Lorde – Team
78. Martin Garrix – Animals
79. Breach ft Adnreya Triana – Everything You Never Had
80. MO- XXX 88
81. Gesaffelstein – Persuit
82. Lil Salva ft Sampha   – Salient Sarah
83. RY X – Berlin
84. Phoenix – Entertainment
85. Metronomy – I’m Aquarius
86. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Major Lazer Remix)   – Can’t Hold Us
87. Kavinsky – Roadgame
88. Knife Party    – EDM Death Machine
89. The Weeknd – Kiss Land
90. Julio Bashmore  – Peppermint
91. Le Youth – Cool
92. The Strokes  – One Way Trigger
93. Jake Bugg – Slumville Sunrise
94. Hozier – Take Me To Church
95. Gallant – Manhattan
96. Daughter – Still
97. Childish Gambino – Bonfire
98. Yogi – Christian Bale
99. Kings of Leon – Supersoaker
100. The Child Of Lov – Fly

Listen to the top 10 tracks below:

Top 20 Albums of 2013

2013 delivered so many great albums and provided  hours of listening pleasure. From California sisterly trio Haim to Mercury Prize winner James Blake,  take a look at my Top 20 Albums:

1. Arcade Fire – Reflektor (Check out my full review on Glasswerk.)
2. Disclosure – Settle
3. Haim – Days Are Gone
4. Kanye West – Yeezus
5. London Grammar – If You Wait
6. James Blake – Overgrown
7. A$AP Rocky – Long Live A$AP
8. Chvrches – The Bones Of What You Believe
9. Jon Hopkins – Immunity
10. Janelle Monae – Electric Lady
11. Gesaffelstein – Aleph
12. Rudimental – Home
13. Danny Brown – Old
14. Lorde – Pure Heroin
15. Villagers – Awayland
16. Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg
17. Arctic Monkeys – AM
18. Foals – Holy Fire
19. Childish Gambino – Because The Internet
20. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of The City

Listen to Arcade Fire’s ‘Reflektor‘ below:

Just Blaze & Baauer – Higher

Track of the week has to be the massive collaboration from legendary hip-hop producer Just Blaze (Jay-Z, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar) and upcoming Trap sensation Baauer (Harlem Shake and Dum Dum).

With it’s driving bass-lines, heavy drops, instrumental synths & snares and sampling of Jay Z ‘You Don’t Know‘ mixed throughout, the exciting collaboration mixes Baauer’s unique sampling with Blaze’s knowledge of crafting hip-hop beats to create this explosive trap anthem. Not bad for Blaze’s first attempt in EDM. With a distinct TNGHT ‘Higher Ground‘ vibe about it, this has the potential to be one of the biggest tracks of the year!

Just Blaze recently took part in House Party: NYE on Channel 4 and has just begun his ‘Big League Tour‘ with Baauer.  ‘Higher’ will be released as part of Blaze’s new EP, which is due to be released through Fool’s Gold Records.

As the song suggests …  ‘Turn my music up‘ and enjoy the trap banger that is ‘Higher’.

Paralympics Closing Ceremony – Coldplay, Rihanna & Jay Z

For one final time this summer, London took centre stage as they brought the curtain down on the Paralympics Closing Ceremony. With an 80,000 strong audience, the event celebrated 4,200 Paralympians across 164 nations. To close the ceremony in true style, Coldplay headlined the evening with an impressive 16 song set and a few special guests, including Rihanna and Jay Z.

Image: Getty Images

Through-out Coldplay’s set, hundreds of dancers and volunteers put on a spectacular show highlighting the four seasons. Beginning with Autumn, Coldplay kicked off proceedings with the 2011 Mylo Xyloto track ‘Us Against The World’. Chris Martin then dedicated the classic track ‘Yellow’ to all the athletes and volunteers that made the Paralympics possible. This was shortly followed by ‘Up In Flames‘ and the first play of the night of ‘Paradise’. Fireflies descended from the roof, as a pyrotechnic display marked the end of Autumn. Snow-like confetti and an ice queen helped create a magical winter scene during the song ‘42‘. Disabled drummer Mat Fraser took to the stage with the band for ‘God Put A Smile Upon Your Face‘. A dazzling burst of sunshine marked the end of Winter, as they performed the classic track ‘Clocks’ followed by ‘Charlie Brown’. Time for the first special guest, as Rihanna made her grand entrance on the back of a wooden ship and performed her chart topping duet, ‘Princess of China’. She later returned to the stage, or should I say, above it, to perform her smash hit collaboration feat Calvin Harris ‘We found Love’. As the scene moved into Summer, Coldplay collaborated with the British Paraorchestra on ‘Strawberry Swing’, before the section concluded with a firework display accompanying ‘Vida La Vida’.

Image: PA

Following a break in Coldplay’s set for the handing over of the Paralympic flag to the Rio and the extinguishing of the flame, the second guest of the night was the one and only Jay-Z, who took to the stage with Rihanna and Coldplay for a rousing performance of ‘Run This Town’ . The rapper then stayed with the band on stage to perform a reworked version of their hit single ‘Paradise‘.

Image: PA

Momentous sporting highlights were displayed during the penultimate song ‘The Scientist’, as the crowd relived the magnificent memories throughout the games. Coldplay then closed with the anthemic ‘Every Teardrop is a Waterfall’, while fountains of water symbolised extinguishing the Paralympic Flame.  A perfect end to a wonderful and inspiring games!

Image: PA

  “These Games have changed us all forever” – Sir Philip Craven International Paralympic Committee President

Complete Set
1. ‘Us Against the World’
2. ‘Yellow’
3. ‘Up in Flames’
4. ‘Paradise’
5. ’42’
6. ‘God Put a Smile Upon My Face’
7. ‘Clocks’
8. ‘Charlie Brown’
9. ‘Princess of China’
10. ‘Strawberry Swing’
11. ‘We Found Love’
12. ‘Viva La Vida’
13. ‘Run This Town’ (featuring Jay-Z and Rihanna)
14. ‘Paradise’ (featuring Jay-Z)
15. ‘The Scientist’
16. ‘Every Teardrop is a Waterfall’

Kendrick Lamar – Swimming Pools (Drank)

American hip hop rapper, Kendrick Lamar, currently signed to Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath Records, is making waves with his new single, ‘Swimming Pool’ (Drank).  Having been picked up and signed by Dr Dre, there’s been a lot of hype surrounding the artist, who has proved to be extremely unique and creative in his approach. However, Kendrick is determined to do his own thing, and not interfere with the creative process by reading too much into the reviews. Growing up, he was greatly influenced by West Coast artists such as Snoop Dog, Dre, Pac, DJ Quik, E-40, and as he started creating his own music in the studio, he looked to icons such as JayZ and Nas. Kendrick is part of the next generation of rappers coming out of Compton, and with that, he brings a fresh and interesting sound.

Speaking to Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1, Kendrick comments how ‘Swimming Pools’ was inspired by the 90’s house-parties of Compton CA, where there was so much alcohol flowing, you could almost fill a swimming pool full. Kendrick wanted to journey into that type of lifestyle and make a record, which not only inspired him, but one that allowed him to challenge himself and really stand out from the crowd.  He hates how everything today is so ‘trendy’, in terms of flow, and cites albums like ‘Criminals’ and ‘Outckast’ as being the real game-changers, as it puts you in a different space. Kendrick appreciates how they did their own thing, and weren’t confined to what others were doing at the time.  It is this same mentality that Kendrick strives for and is the driving force behind his own music.

 

Having performed at this year’s legendary ‘Coachella’ festival, Kendrick took to the stage with the one and only Dr Dre for ‘The Recipe’. To work with an artist such as Dre, who is still performing and perfecting his craft, was truly inspiring to Kendrick, and one piece of advice Dre gave, always stays with him:

 “Always keep the passion, cause when you lose your passion, you start chasing the dollar, and once that dollar weakens, it’s going to weaken you”

His debut album, ‘good kid, m.A.A.d city’, is due out October 2^nd. While he plans to tour the US, he also hopes to actively tour the rest of the world, and make a connection with the new generation. Regardless of the hype surrounding him, Kendrick is determined to prove himself, as nothing is for free these days.

Hackney Weekend 2012 (Part 2)

After an amazing first day at Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend, Day 2 certainly had a lot to live up to.  How do you follow Saturday’s incredible line-up including Jay-Z and special guests Rihanna, M.I.A, and Kanye West? Not a problem really, just do it all again the next day and cram in as many top artists as possible!

Kicking off Day 2 on the Main Stage was another Hackney Ambassador, Plan B.  The east London rapper opened up with ‘The Recluse’ and carried on his set in the rain, despite one or two slips on stage. With a bit of help from the extremely talented beatboxer Faith S-FX, Plan B continued to bang out the hits such as ‘Lost My Way’, ‘Stay too Long’ and ‘Ill Manors’. Hackney local Professor Green continued to raise the roof on local British talent as he performed ‘ Remedy’, ‘Need you tonight’ and his first no1 single ‘Read All About It’.

Next to dominate the main stage was the one and only Jessie J, much to the delight of her ‘Heartbeats‘. (Fans.)  Jessie, who is known for giving quite the energetic performance and belting out the high notes, delivered a top class performance that would put other ‘so called live pop stars’ to shame. You can’t deny that this girl can sing!! With an impressive set-list including ‘Do It Like A Dude’, ‘Who’s Laughing Now’, ‘Nobody’s Perfect’, ‘Price Tag’ feat B.o.B, ‘Laser Light’ and ‘Domino‘, Jessie had the whole crowd singing along as the sun finally came out in Hackney.

Jessie J

Yet more local talent took to the stage, with Tinie Tempah opening his set with the massive hit ‘Earthquake’,  followed by crowd favourites ‘Till I’m Gone’, ‘Written in the Stars’, ‘Miami to Ibiza’  and the highly anticipated song, ‘Pass Out’ feat Labrinth. The crowd were loving it and were in for a nice surprise, when Tinie took the opportunity to debut a new track from his forthcoming album, ‘Drinking from the Bottle’,  produced by Calvin Harris.

Former BBC Introducing artist, Florence + The Machine, graced the stage next with her ethereal quality and beautiful voice.  The sun was in full force while festival goers chilled out and fully embraced the amazing live vocals. Florence put on quite a set which included ‘What the Water Gave Me’, ‘Shake it Out’ (which the crowd most certainly did), ‘You’ve got the Love’ and ‘Dog Days Are Over’.  The crowd were invited to take part in ‘The Ceremony’, which became a ritual for her on her recent ‘Ceremonials Tour’. A simple idea which involves the crowd jumping in unison at a particular point of the song. The crowd were only too happy to oblige and the atmosphere was at an all time high as they closed the set with ‘No Light No Light’. Such an impressive performance left the crowd wanting more, but also highly anticipating the next surprise act, which managed to stay under wraps for many weeks. Radio 1 DJ, Zane Lowe, introduced the special guest … Dizzee Rascal. Even before Dizzee got to ‘that song’, the crowd immediately went ‘Bonkers’

Dizzee Rascal & Florence + The Machine

Dizzee’s performance was the penultimate act of the day. His set included his new song ‘The Power‘ with DJ Fresh and much loved classics such as ‘Fix Up Look Sharp’, ‘Sirens’, ‘Dance Wiv Me’ and ‘Holiday’. Dizzee managed to draw huge numbers to the Main stage and was up against Wretch 32 and David Guetta, due to a clash in stage times.  But the crowd were loving every minute and were raving to every infectious number. Only one way to close a set like this for the  special guest , and that was with the 2009 chart topper, ‘Bonkers’.

The much awaited headliner and world famous pop star Rihanna, took to her Egyptian-themed stage to close the Hackney Weekend in style. Opening with ‘Only Girl In The World‘, Rihanna certainly seemed to be the ‘Only Girl’, as all eyes were on her … and her outfit! Rihanna has an incredibly long list of hit numbers and kept the crowd entertained the whole night long, belting out hits such as  ‘Disturbia’, ‘S&M’, ‘What’s My Name?’, ‘Rude Boy’, ‘Love The Way You Lie’ (which highlighted her  brilliant vocal ability, ‘Where Have You Been‘ and  ‘Please Don’t Stop The Music‘. Just when you thought, what else can she possibly do?, Rihanna was joined on stage by the one and only Mr Jay-Z, to bring the weekend to an exciting finish. The duo performed ‘Run this Town‘ and making history by performing  ‘Talk This Talk‘  together for the first time.  This was the second appearance for Jay-Z over the weekend, as he headlined the Saturday main stage, so it was a nice bonus for the crowd to see the King of Rap take to the stage again.  Before I get to Rihanna’s encore that brought the curtain down on The Hackney Weekend, lets have a look at the amazing line up through out the rest of the stages.

Rihanna

Over in the ‘In New Music We Trust Stage’, drum & bass duo, Chase & Status, headlined with a few surprises thrown into their set. The duo have broadened their sound and musical genres over the years, by collaborating with artists such as Rihanna, Plan B and Tinie Tempah. They peformed songs such as ‘No problem’, ‘Hypest Hype feat Tinie Tempah’, ‘End Credits’, their cover of ‘Killing in the Name of’ by Rage against the Machine and closing with ‘Fool Yourself‘.  Magnetic Man, made up of dubstep DJ’s & producers, Artwork, and fellow Radio 1 DJs, Skream and Benga, took to the stage with tracks such as ‘Mad’, ‘I Need Air’,  and ‘Perfect Stranger ft Katy B’. Continuing with the strong line up, we saw American singer-songwriter, Lana Del Ray who slowed the tempo down a bit with mellow hits such as ‘Videogames‘ and ‘National Anthem‘, Enter Shikari, Sub Focus, Ben Howard, who drew an impressive crowd for his intimate set, US success Santigold and former BBC Introducing act Bombay Bicylce Club, who opened up proceedings for the day with ‘How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep‘ and closed with the massive hit ‘Shuffle‘ . As you can see quite an eclectic line up, that had something for everyone!

Bombay Bicycle Club and Chase & Status

US rapper Nas, was the Headliner for the 1Xtra Stage. Having built up an impressive career over 21 years, Nas is still considered to be an important figure in hip hop history. His set included recent hits ‘The Don’ and ‘Daughter’s, which drew an impressive crowd, while Rihanna was headlining Mainstage. Wretch 32, who recently supported Example on tour,  kicked up a storm with hits such as ‘Don’t Go’ and ‘Tractor’. B.o.B, Gyptian and Taio Cruz also drew in big crowds throughout the day. One artist in particular who had tremendous support, was US rapper Azealia Banks, who has proved extremely successful in the UK. Having previously topped the ‘NME Cool List’ in 2011 and placing 3rd on the ‘BBC Sound Of 2012‘, Azealia has been gathering a lot of interest wherever she goes. Her set list consisted of tracks from her recently released EP including ‘Van Vogue’,  ‘Jumanji’, ‘1991’, ‘Liquorice‘  and the one everyone was waiting for, ‘212‘, in which the entire crowd chanted back the provocative lyrics. Expect more big things to come from Azealia.  Maverick Sabre, Devlin, Sway, Lethal Bzle, Mindless Behavior and Labrinth completed the 1Xtra line-up for the day.

Azealia Banks

The Dance Arena saw another top-class lineup. Opening up day 2, was Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, who ensured the crowds enjoyed an energetic lunchtime rave.  Up next were the Dubstep beats of  Dr P and Flux Pavillion, shortly followed by Radio 1 Dance legend and fellow Radio 1 DJ, the one and only Pete Tong. 18 year old French producer/DJ Madeon, has gained great popularity worldwide after the massive success of ‘Icarus‘. He closed a fantastic set with his new track ‘Finale‘. Andy C was the penultimate act in the dance arena. Considered by many to be the pioneering force in transforming drum & bass, his set drew a massive crowd and geared the crowd up for final act of the day, David Guetta. The French Dj who is responsible for producing many chart topping hits, entertained the crowd with tracks such as ‘Titanium’ ft Sia’, I Can Only Imagine and ‘Without You feat Usher, to name but a few.

Zane Lowe & David Guetta

The BBC Introducing stage, showcased yet another day of emerging talent. The final day at Hackney saw performances from Kersha Bailey, Pepstar, Savages, Stevie Neale, Lola King and The Kickstarts, Joe Black, Arthur Beatrice. Driving Lolita, ShezAr and Project Hackney. If previous BBC Intoducing acts are anything to go by, we will see alot more to come from these promising artists.

The Outdoor DJ Stage, saw Big Dawg Tim Westwood kick things off with his popular urban beats. Through-out the day, there were sets from Mistajam, Skream & Benga, B Traits, Friction, Toddla T, Robbo Ranx, Nihal and the highlight for many, the ‘Soundclash’ between Charlie Sloth and Vernon Kay. Headliner DJ Edu, closed the weekend with his underground sounds out of Africa.

Back to the Main stage now, as Rihanna brought the curtain down on a fantastic star-studded Hackney Weekend. She closed with the iconic song ‘Umbrella‘ which saw the crowd raise their umbrellas in joyous support. As Rihanna looked out onto the field of umbrellas, she was clearly overcome by the special moment and commented: ‘Oh My God, You all look so beautiful right now Hackney!’  Last but not least, ‘We found Love‘  literally closed the weekend with a bang, as a spectacular fireworks display went off above the stage, bringing the amazing Hackney Weekend to a close.

Rihanna and Jay-Z

After months of preparation, the Radio 1 Hackney Weekend, proved to be such a success, with over 100 International & UK artists taking Hackney Marshes in East London by storm. Over 100,000 people enjoyed London’s biggest ever music festival and experienced world-class performers that would rival any top festival line up today. And all for FREE as part of the London 2012 Festival. Thank you Radio 1 for such an amazing weekend!

(Images from www.bbc.co.uk/radio1)

Hackney Weekend 2012 (Part 1)

Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend descended upon Hackney Marshes in east London for a special 2 day festival celebrating London 2012. 100,000 people attended the event which saw over 100 UK and International artists perform. Headliners included Jay Z and Rihanna with special guests including Kanye West, M.I.A & Dizzee Rascal.

Saturday 23rd June (Day 1)

The Main stage kicked off with Leona Lewis, an ambassador for the Hackney Weekend. With songs such as ‘Bleeding Love’, ‘Collide’, ‘Coming Home’ and ‘Run’, she opened up the Hackney weekend in style. Loveable duo ‘Rizzle Kicks’ were up next with their upbeat hits including ‘When I was a Youngster’, ‘Mama do the Hump’ and the song that kick-started their career on Radio1, ‘Down with the Trumpets’. Festival favourite Example owned the Main stage with his energetic set list banging out tune after tune such as ‘Midnight Run’, ’Natural Disaster’, and his new single with Calvin Harris ‘We’ll be coming Back’. He could only end on one tune, and that had to be his massive finale ‘Changed the way you kissed me’,which had the whole crowd chanting back the lyrics and having a full on rave!

Ed Sheeran

21 year old Ed Sheeran graced the Main stage with his guitars ‘Cyril and Nigel’. For one person to stand in the middle of a massive stage with just his guitar and loop pedal, and to have the whole crowd pretty much in the palm of his hand, was absolutely incredible to watch. The crowd knew every word, and joined in on hits including ‘Drunk’, ‘A Team’, and ‘You need me, I don’t need you’. Queen of Hip-Hop, Nicki Minaj opened her set in dramatic style. The hype over her debut UK festival performance had the crowds buzzing. The ‘Super Bass’ rapper was supported in force by her dedicated fans ‘Barbs’. Minaj performed chart topping hits including ‘Beez in the Trap’ , ‘Starships’, her new single ‘Pound the Alarm’ and finishing on a high with ‘Super Bass’. Despite some of the backing vocals being tracked, Nicki put on quite a show for Hackney and also left little to the imagination with her outfit.

Kasabian

UK rock band ‘Kasabian’ may be headlining ‘Reading and Leeds’ festival in August, but took to the Main stage as the penultimate act for Hackney. Opening the show with the distinctive sounds of ‘Switchblade Smiles’ the crowd instantly knew this was going to be one hell of a set. Kasabian are known for their live performances and they certainly didn’t disappoint. With a set full of a well know songs, Kasabian entertained the crowds with ‘Day’s are forgotten, ‘Velociraptor’, ‘L.S.F’ and ‘Fire’ to close the set.

Rap Royalty Jay-Z took to the stage (an hour late) as the Main Headliner act. Jay-Z was too enthralled by Jack Whites performance on the ‘In New Music We Trust’ stage, but the crowd waited patiently for the King of Hip Hop. Jay-Z opened the show with a bang with his first special guest … the one and only ‘Rihanna’ who performed ‘Run this Town’, much to the delight of the crowds. Little did they know, there were a few more cameos in store. Jay-Z performed an array of songs from his impressive collection, including ‘Jigga What, Jigga Who’, 99 Problems, ‘Girls, Girls Girls’ and ‘Izzo (H.O.V.A.)’. The second cameo of the night was from M.I.A, who took to the stage (despite technical difficulties) for ‘Paper Planes/Bad Girls’. Jay-Z closed the first part of his set with the iconic ‘Empire state of mind’. No Alicia Keys for this one, but the crowd were more than happy to sing the famous refrain.

Jay-Z & Rihana

Wil Jay-Z left the stage for a brief moment, the crowd speculated what could possibly be next. An American flag appeared on the screen followed by the intro for Otis, which only meant one thing to the ecstatic crowd … ‘Watch the Throne’ time! The deafening cheers from the crowd were all that could be heard as Kanye West took to the stage as the final special guest. The duo, who have just completed their successful ‘Watch the Throne’ tour, played a condensed version of their set with 6 classics. ‘Otis’, ‘Gotta Have it’, ‘Who gon stop me’, ‘No Church in the Wild’ , ‘Lift Off’ and the spectacular ‘N**** in Paris’ which they played twice.  While the American rap duo were touring in Paris recently, they performed the iconic song an astounding 11 times, which took 53 minutes alone! However Hackney were just happy to have them in their presence and to hear Jay-Z shout… AGAIN for yet another encore!

Kanye West & Jay-Z (WTT)

The ‘In New Music We Trust’ stage saw former ‘White Stripes’ front-man, Jack White headlining. With a set-list including ‘Black Math’, ‘Freedom at 21’ and ‘Seven Nation Army’, he kept the crowds thoroughly entertained, especially a certain Mr Jay-Z, who delayed his headlining act to watch the whole show! Lost Propehts, The Vaccines, The Maccabees, Rudimental, Delilah, Rita Ora, Jessie Ware, and Michael Kiwanuka completed the very impressive lineup. Special mention to promising newcomer Jessie Ware who kicked off proceedings on the Saturday. Her set included ‘110%’, the new single ‘Wildest Moments’ and closed with ‘Running’, in which she invited brother duo Disclosure to the stage for their remix. Keep an eye out for Jessie Ware’s debut album ‘Devotion’ in the next 2 months!

Jessie Ware

The ‘1Xtra’ stage saw Sean Paul Headlining. Again, another impressive lineup including Flo Rida, will.i.am (where ‘The Voice’ finalist Tyler Hilton joined him on stage for special performance), D’banj, Trey Songz, Tinchy Stryder, Chip, Boy Better Know ft Skepta &amp, JME, DJ Fresh, Dappy and Emeli Sande

Sean Paul & Emeli Sande

The Dance Arena had an incredibly strong lineup with Swedish House Mafia taking centre stage. With massive dance tracks including ‘Greyhound’, ‘Antidote’, ‘Save the World’ and ‘One’, they ensured everyone was raving all night long. This was a special moment for the Swedish dance trio, as they’ve just recently announced their split with their final UK performance taking place in ‘Milton Keynes Bowl’ in July. The remaining Dance Arena artists, all equally deserving of headlining spots included, Calvin Harris, Eric Prydz, Nero, deadmau5 and Radio 1’s very own Annie Mac.

Annie Mac

The BBC Introducing Stage is a very important stage in any of Radio 1’s Big Weekends. It supports unsigned, undiscovered artists and gives them the opportunity to showcase their talents. Previous BBC Introducing Artists include: Bombay Bicycle Club, Ed Sheerann and Florence + the Machine, who have all gone on to headline many festivals. So keep an eye out for these acts in the future. ‘Random Impulse’, ‘Lil Simz’, ‘The Skints’, ‘In Search Of’, ‘Paigey Cakey’, ‘My Panda Shall Fly, ‘Isaac Danquah’, ‘Xploder’, ‘Cheekie Bugga’ and ‘UD Vocal Collective’

BBC Introducing

The Outdoor DJ Stage showcased the best of Radio 1’s Dj’s. Gathering just as impressive a crowd as any of the other stages, Nihal headlined with his Asian and desi beats. Other Radio 1 DJ’s that completed the lineup were Robbo Ranx, Semtex, Benji B, Mosca, Rob da Bank, DJ Target, DJ Cameo andTim Westwood. A Radio 1 Big Weekend wouldn’t be the same without the ever popular ‘Sound Clash’. Moyles vs Westwood battled it out, round after round, getting the crowds warmed up for the day ahead.

Check out my highlight from Saturday:

Sunday 24th – Day 2 … coming shortly

(Images from www.bbc.co.uk/radio1)