It's less Blog on the Dancefloor this week and more Blog on the Soundsystem Trail as dance music journalist Kate Hutchinson gets her knickers in a twist about two carnival parties being thrown by Red Bull Music Academy.
What's the hottest ticket in UK clubland every summer? That would be Red Bull Music Academy’s annual Notting Hill Carnival tear-up hosted by dancehall firebrands Major Lazer. Last year, tickets were snapped up in under a minute, making it the most in-demand guestlist since... well, since forever.
This upfront celebration of next-generation bass culture, fuelled by free Jamaican food and drinks, causes a ruckus under the Westway flyover in Notting Hill every August bank holiday. So, you’ll be pleased to know that you can apply for free tickets here from 10am on August 11.
We can hardly bear the excitement. Especially as the speaker-shakers manning the decks this year are just as scorching as ever – a genre-swirling combination of Diplo’s Mad Decent label comrades, electro luminaries, 2011’s rising talents, soundclash legends and, of course, secret (and very) special guests.
There are exclusive back-to-back sets from US moombahton champion Dillon Francis and Parisian techno ace Brodinski plus respected RinseFM DJs and Fabric favourites Oneman and Jackmaster, featuring vocals from Boiler Room fave Jessie Ware, all representing the UK. Canada’s most exciting DJ since A-Trak, the platter-splicing Lunice, will work the decks with an energetic hip-hop set complete with b-boy moves; Australian dubstep empress Kito will be dropping her warm, wonky beats; and Miami-based Jamaican soundsystem Black Chiney will teach everyone a lesson in proper irie entertainment.
'I'm proud to be a part of that circle and to be invited to play. I hadn’t played Carnival for years – everyone knows that – but then Major Lazer said they wanted me to come and play at Carnival. I said, "Do you know what? Yes!"' says dancehall selector and soundclash linchpin David Rodigan, who headlined in 2010. 'It was wild, crazy, nutzoid, and full of vibes and energy. I had a ball. There were lots of smiling faces and happy people.'
Rodigan loved it so much that he’s topping the bill at Red Bull Music Academy's new Bristol equivalent of Notting Hill Carnival, St Paul's Carnival, on Saturday. The Kiss FM DJ will treat partygoers to one of his legendary lessons in dub, alongside sets from Made To Play’s tropical house star Julio Bashmore, local heroes Future Boogie and a collaboration between Redlight and Red Bull Studio’s mixtape hero Toddla T (see below) called Roller Express. They’ll be forming a special Carnival squad with a secret trio of guests so massive they’ll rip the park, where the soundsystem is located, a new entrance gate. Admission is free, too, so make sure you bagsy your rave space early on.
Red Bull Mixtape Volume 1 - Toddla T by Red Bull Studios London
The Red Bull Music Academy Presents... soundsystem takes place on Saturday July 2 at St. Paul’s Carnival in Bristol, UK. The Red Bull Music Academy Presents Major Lazer Soundsystem takes place at Under the Westway at Notting Hill Carnival on Monday August 29. For more information and the chance to get free tickets to the London party, go to www.redbull.co.uk/carnival.
Want more?
- Read more music articles at Redbull.com
- Read Annie Mac's new blog at Redbull.co.uk
- Follow Kate on Twitter: @katehutchinson
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