DJ/producer Andy Hughes, who worked with The Orb, has died in London after what has been described as a “short illness.” He was 43. Hughes’ body of work with The Orb included mixing and producing three albums, including Orbus Terrarum, Orblivion, and Cydonia. He also did additional production and remixes for Basement Jaxx, The Cranberries, and Tangerine Dream. Hughes died at the Liver Intensive Care Unit at Kings College Hospital in London after a short illness on June 12th.
Pioneering electro-rap group Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force will make its first UK appearance in 25 years on July 4th at Wireless Festival at London’s Hyde Park. Known for melding hip-hop and electro in the early ’80s, the New York-based innovators will don their outlandish costumes and play hits like “Planet Rock,” “Looking for the Perfect Beat” and “Renegades of Funk.” While the group will celebrate its rich history on a bill that’ll feature Blur to Dizzee Rascal, they also plan to drop their new single, “Soo Good.” Says Afrika Bambaataa, “Some of our new songs are based on the funk, others are electro go-go. We always play for the people and give them what they want.” Look for this group of seasoned vets to funk up the place.
Twenty years is a long time for any business to stay afloat. To celebrate its second decade, Warp Records is releasing a commemorative box set, Warp20, which will feature lavish packaging and heaps of cool tunes from the label’s vault. The set comes packaged in a 10-inch square slipcase wrapped in charcoal Buckram embossed paper with tipped-on gloss-laminated cover photograph, designed by YES, photographed by Dan Holdsworth. Are you drooling yet?
In 1999, The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett released The Dirtchamber Sessions, a sprawling 50-track DJ mix initially produced for the BBC’s Breezeblock show. Regarded by many as one of the best DJ mixes ever released, Howlett told Big Shot that he’s thinking about releasing the follow-up next year.
“I think there’s a definite demand for people who’d like to hear another one. I really enjoyed doing it, and it came at the right time,” Howlett told us. “It was during the time after Fat of the Land where we had finished touring and I had time on my hands. I think next year would be a good time to put another one out. It all started as a Radio 1 mix for Mary Anne Hobbs. The original version had The beatles’ “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band,” and we couldn’t get clearance for those tracks. The next one could be interesting.”
Read more about The Prodigy in Issue 27, which goes on-sale at the end of the month.