The 12th edition of Rob da Bank’s annual four-day end-of-summer music marathon known as Bestival is now in the history books. Focusing on indie and dance music in a fairly intimate festival setting, Bestival presented big-name acts such as The Chemical Brothers and Underworld alongside newcomers like FKA Twigs and Jungle. Here’s a selection of images from four days overflowing with fantastic music. Continue Reading
BBC Radio 1 host Annie Mac has lent her DJ touch to Sunset Mix, a 14-track compilation benefiting Kids Company, a UK-based child advocacy group whose mission is to help underprivileged child in London.
The compilation features productions and remixes from Julio Bashmore, Kindness feat. Robyn, Bobmo, Four Tet, Deadboy and Kölsch as well as exclusive tracks from Canadian artist Pomo and new house producer Apres.
“These kids have a huge range of problems — some are homeless, some are sexually abused, some don’t have shoes, some have parents who are not in a position to care for them, be it because of drug addiction, or poverty. All kids are treated indefinitely, with no limit on the length of time it takes to make them ready for the world,” said Mac of the charity’s work.
“The difference between a child before and after Kids Company is unparalleled. It’s the type of place where, after visiting it’s centres, it is terrifying to think of a world without it.”
Mac’s Sunset Mix can be downloaded for £4.99 here. All profits from the compilation will go to Kids Company.
Sunset Mix track listing
“It’s so exciting to be DJing again.” The elated voice down the line is BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac, and she’s beaming about her Annie Mac Presents tour that returns her to the U.S. after a two-year respite in which she gave birth to her son while maintaining her radio show. She says the concept of the tour — simply dubbed AMP — is to mix and match big-name artists with emerging talent.
“It was quite difficult to put together,” she confesses. Making it all work was problematic as some interested artists weren’t available due to schedule conflicts. In the end, AMP’s lineup came together quite nicely with Cajmere (“one of my all-time heroes”), Skream, Jacques Green and Gorgon City all sharing the bill on select dates.
Mac says she is thrilled to be back playing in the States. In cities like Austin, Miami and Washington, D.C., she’s played them many times and knows the lay of the land. But in others, namely New York where AMP will kick off at Brooklyn’s Output on March 10, she says she’s intrigued by the lore of the famed mecca where photography is strictly prohibited so as to not taint the enjoyment of the music.
“I’ve heard incredible things about Output,” she relates, “I contacted my girl Jess Jubilee about it. I was like, Yo, what’s the deal with this place?! It sounds like a dream club — dark, no-frills and with a great sound system.”
Mac is hoping to broaden her musical horizons while on her 15-day excursion and educate herself about what’s going on in the States where she’ll be dropping “all sorts of new stuff.” While she estimates that the U.S. audience still favors EDM, she reports that the scene in the UK is “all about house music” and points to the number-one success of Route 94’s ‘90s style mover “My Love” as proof.
“Dance music is the norm in the UK,” Mac concludes. “It’s great. Let’s see what happens next.”
3/10 – Output – Brooklyn, NY
3/11 – U Street Music Hall – Washington, DC
3/12 – The Mid – Chicago, IL
3/14 – SXSW Majestic – Austin, TX
3/22 – Bang Bang – San Diego, CA
3/23 – Sound – Los Angeles, CA
3/25 – 1015 Folsom – San Francisco, CA
3/26 – Hoxton – Toronto, ON
3/25 – LMNT – Miami, FL