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YOUR ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL GUIDE
ISSUE 05
The best festivals on the planet
HIT THE ROAD!
The evolution of dancing in fields Festie trivia
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A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SONGWRITING
BEBE REXHA , YOUR MUSIC MOVES US. We celebrate your talent, value your music and champion your rights. To all of our songwriters and composers, your passion is ours.
you want to “ Saysay,what then go to sleep
“
with no regrets. BEBE REXHA
BMI SONGWRITER SINCE 2007
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UPFRONT
PUBLISHER Hey Music
EDITOR’S LETTER
EDITOR Lesley Wright lesley@heymusic.com NEWS EDITOR Kristan J Caryl kristan@heymusic.com MARKETING DIRECTOR Darren Haynes darren@heymusic.com CONTRIBUTORS Gfire M, Jim Butler, Nick Rice, Sara Cooper, Sophia Nyananyo and Tarak Parekh @heymusicofficial @heymusictweets @heymusicofficial @heymusicofficial www.heymusic.com LOCATION: London
Hey Mag is published by Hey Music. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. The publisher regrets that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views within this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or editors. All credits are accurate at the time of writing but may be subject to change.
Grab your glitter – it’s festival time! There’s a whole season of festival fun on the horizon to suit all tastes – whether you prefer the convenience of an inner-city event, the adventure of taking to the fields or even taking off to a brand new country for a festival fix. Of course, the music is vitally important but, for me, that’s only part of the festival experience. It’s losing your friends (standard) and making new ones, plus the random sights and comical mishaps that complete the story – and make memories that last a lifetime. Let’s be honest… even the best laid festival plans have a tendency to go wrong. Everyone has a festival tale or two. One year my friends and I thought we were really smart by hiring a designated driver – a mate of a mate who had only one job to do and that was to stay in a fit enough state to drive us back from the festival in Winchester to London. We were feeling pretty smug. Until our designated driver locked the car keys in the boot. While we were all outside the vehicle. By the time we’d waited six hours in the pouring rain for the RAC man to turn up and open the car, we were on the verge of killing each other. We’d have smashed a passenger window to get in except we couldn’t even find a brick. Then there was the time I was left behind at a festival (Winchester, again!) after my lift home departed without me. Which was particularly unfortunate given that I lived in Glasgow at the time. But it all goes towards earning your rave stripes so bring on this summer’s festival (mis)adventures!
Lesley Wright HEYMUSIC.COM
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SMASH THROUGH CEILINGS SPEAK FOR YOURSELF DREAM BIGGER JOIN THE IVORS ACADEMY For more than 70 years, we have represented songwriters and composers, but since 25 March 2019, BASCA has become The Ivors Academy. Find out more about how we support, protect and represent music creators in the UK, and join us today. ivorsacademy.com 4
DECEMBER 2018
UPFRONT
CONTENTS UPFRONT
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6 NEWS What’s cooking across the UK and around the world
FEATURES 14 A BRIEF HISTORY OF MUSIC FESTIVALS We chart the evolution of dancing in fields (and other strange places) 20 DID YOU KNOW? Impress your mates with some festival trivia
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22 UK FESTIVAL GUIDE Hit the road to our pick of the best music festivals in good old Blighty 30 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL GUIDE Travel further afield to one of our highly recommended festivals on distant shores 36 TRAVELLING LIGHT It’s been non-stop for Children of Zeus since the release of their debut album 40 1989 Was it the greatest year in musical history? We make the case.
44 G OING FOR A SONG Multi-platinum songwriter Tim Fraser on the “knack” of songwriting 48 H OW TO… A beginner’s guide to songwriting 52 M AKING AN IMPACT International Music Summit co-founder Ben Turner’s journey through music 56 M USIC BY NUMBERS Stats and facts behind Elrow Ibiza
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BACKSTAGE 58 GROUND FORCE The role of a festival Production Director HEYMUSIC.COM
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UPFRONT AROUND THE UK
DISCOVER: Kornel Kovacs Stockholm Marathon (Studio Barnhus) One third of the playful, inventive Swedish label collective Studio Barnhus, Kornel Kovacs’s second album is a perfect embodiment of their sound: catchy hooks, happy house and rolling basslines. It was written after the break-up of a relationship so has a melancholic undertone that makes it all the more absorbing.
CRAZY P’S EGO CHECK By now national dance music treasures, Crazy P are one of the most spellbinding disco live acts in the game. They’ll unleash new album Age of Ego, on 3 May. Released on iK7, it pairs heavy club beats with richly layered cosmic synths, boogie basslines 6
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and an underlying vocal theme that muses on social media, youth politics and Brexit. “I suppose lyrically it is political, a reflection of the times, but with a twist of humour and always a lot of love,” vocalist Danielle Moore explained.
Pete Townshend is branching out. He might be best known as the guitarist from legendary British rock band The Who, but November will see him release his debut novel. The Age of Anxiety – described as “a great rock novel” and “an extended meditation on manic genius” – is a dark tale of creativity that is part of a grand body of work that will eventually fuse fiction writing with opera and installation art. “I’m an avid reader and have really enjoyed writing it. It’s tremendously exciting,” said Townshend, who is also in the midst of working with his old bandmates on The Who’s first album of new material in 13 years.
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MANIC GENIUS
MORRISSEY ANNOUNCES BROADWAY RESIDENCY Morrissey has always been a divisive character, but just recently some of his socio-political views have been so strong they’ve even started to turn hardcore fans away. Musically though he will always remain a giant of the indie world. To that end, the famous miserablist has announced he is taking on a career-spanning Broadway residency. The former Smiths frontman will play seven shows at the Lunt-Fontanne Theater, in Midtown Manhattan, between 2 and 11 May. Though the content of the shows remains to be unveiled, it’s being described as “an intimate yet exciting exploration of Morrissey’s expansive career from his early days to his upcoming new record”. The record in question is California Son, which arrives on Etienne Records/BMG, on 24 May, and is his first cover album. HEYMUSIC.COM
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UPFRONT AROUND THE UK
CHICAGO LEGEND TAKES THE HELM AT XOYO London’s XOYO has been putting the focus back on resident DJs for a couple of years now. The club’s special series of events invites big names to set up camp at the venue for a run of weekly parties. As well as playing themselves, they also curate the rest of the acts at each event. Chicago house legend Derrick Carter has been given Saturdays throughout May under the Shoreditch club’s Pleasurehood series. Joining Carter for the opening night, on 4 May, will be fellow Chicagoan Honey Dijon. Carter then plays all night long the week after, with a disco special the following week, then closes it down with his longrunning Queen! night with party co-founder Michael Serafini. Classic Music Company co-founder Derrick said: “My aim remains the same every week. I come in, blow your party the f*** up, and then break out.”
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BACK TO SKOOL WITH SOMA
Slam are one of the most iconic techno duos in the game and their Soma label has long been putting out some of the genre’s most vital material. Their Soma Skool returns to Glasgow’s SWG3 complex, on 20 April, with the aim of “enlightening, educating and
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inspiring the minds of tomorrow in how to achieve a career in the electronic music industry”. Panels will discuss everything from record labels, promoters, clubs and radio shows to the importance of queer artists in electronic music, with experts and industry insiders such as the Berlin Club Commission, BBC, Young Marco, Jennifer Cardini, Subcity Radio and more. A curated panel from Red Bull Music will discuss what no rules and no boundaries means in today’s scene, with stars like Breakwave and Machinewoman. There will also be Ableton masterclasses, workshops with Pioneer, and a live demo from Bulgarian wizard KiNK. The conference will be followed the by Maximum Pressure Easter 2019 party, with Len Faki, Laurent Garnier (above left) and many more from 6pm.
REMEMBERING THE PRODIGY’S KEITH FLINT Despite the impact of rave and acid house culture in the late ’80s and early ’90s, there were few bands who came out of that era and went on to become hugely successful recording artists. Next to Orbital and The Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy helped establish dance music in the wider public’s conscious. Their raw energy, f*** you attitude and thrilling mix of drum machines and guitars stood them apart right from the off and converted millions of young people and teenage misfits onto dance music with seminal albums like Experience and Music for the Jilted Generation. Front man Keith Flint, with his inverted green mohawk and nose rings, was a dancer with The Prodigy to start with, but soon got involved in writing and singing. He was, despite his mad and dangerous look, a very kind and caring soul, according to those who knew him best, and someone who was still enjoying plenty of success, having recently toured Australia. With his band, Flint changed electronic music and pop culture forever, but sadly he took his own life, on 4 March, aged just 49. His death stunned the music industry and The Prodigy’s legions of fans. His bandmates described him as “a true pioneer, innovator
and legend”, and added that he would be “forever missed”. In an interview with The Guardian in 2015, Flint described The Prodigy as “dangerous and exciting” and claimed that a similar attitude was missing from today’s music scene. “That’s why people are getting force-fed commercial, generic records that are just safe, safe, safe,” he added. This unique character may now be gone, but his legacy will live forever.
REDISCOVER: The Prodigy Fat of the Land (XL) Keith Flint was an icon of the rave generation. He was initially a dancer with The Prodigy who eventually got involved with writing on the hit single Firestarter in 1996. It’s a track that still lights up any club, so there’s never been a better time to revisit the electrifying album it came from.
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UPFRONT INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Mr V
Till Von Sein
Dazzle Drums
Nicola Cruz
DJS TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE DJs For Climate Action release a second album of new music on 19 April – just ahead of the global Earth Day. Earth Night is aimed at harnessing the energy of the global nightlife scene to raise awareness and funds for climate action. The compilation features over 50 tracks from artists from 12 countries, including the likes of Justin Robertson, Till Von Sein, Little Boots, Mr V, Nicola Cruz, The Revenge and Dazzle Drums. DJs For Climate Action are also throwing a series of parties in Brooklyn and Berlin, amongst other locations, that look to “shine light on the 10
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challenge facing our planet and the unique role musicians can play”. All proceeds will fund projects focused on effective climate solutions through direct partnerships. “This includes work at the nexus of renewable energy, health and education with Little Sun, boosting the global climate youth movement with Earth Guardians, and offsetting the impact of DJ air travel with CO2 Logic,” claimed the group. The compilation is available for pre-order exclusively through Bandcamp, with tracks landing every week up until the album’s full release.
HEADING UPSTREAM
Andreea and Ben
INCUBATING INCLUSIVITY This year’s International Music Summit in Ibiza will be cocurated by the leading female empowerment organisation in the music industry, shesaid.so. The partnership is designed to help break down gender stereotypes whilst promoting the profile of women making an impact in the industry. IMS and shesaid.so will work together towards gender parity at IMS Ibiza, which takes place 22 – 24 May, at the island’s Hard Rock Hotel. “We can’t hide that IMS was created originally by six white males, but we can change everything else around us to promote the best in the industry from across professions,” said IMS co-founder Ben Turner. “I hope we can encourage more women to speak, attend, perform and help shape the industry they love.” This is the third year IMS has partnered with shesaid.so but it’s the first time the organisation has been invited to co-host the programme. Founder of shesaid.so, Andreea Magdalina said: “This gives us a greater opportunity to create more visibility for women and other marginalized communities in electronic music and beyond at one of the most forward-thinking music conferences in the business.” There’s a 50% discount for all shesaid.so members attending the summit for the first time. Delegates can experience inspiring keynote speeches and workshops, plus powerful networking sessions. Nicole Moudaber, Anna Tur, Charlotte de Witte, Ida Engberg and Sophie are amongst the female DJs playing at the summit finale, at Dalt Villa, in Ibiza Old Town, on 24 May. (Read Ben Turner’s journey through music on page 52.)
Almost $10 billion of music revenue in the US comes from streaming. That’s the findings of the Recording Industry Association of America’s Year-End Music Industry Revenue Report 2018, which claims that streaming makes up 75% of music revenue in the US. The figure is a 12% increase on the previous year. It means subscriptions to paid services like Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal are all up, but so too are vinyl sales, which now account for one third of all physical sales.
VOCAL OUTING The king of Sandidisco, Prins Thomas is back in April with new record Ambitions. It’s the Norwegian producer’s sixth album and features a track called Feel The Love, with his own vocals on for the first time ever. “It gathers up loose ideas sketched down on my computer or hummed into my handheld recorder in the last two years,” said Thomas. HEYMUSIC.COM
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UPFRONT INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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GLOBAL SUPPORT FLOODS IN FOR PHIL K
The dance music community in Australia and around the world has pulled together to support Melbourne DJ Phil K, who has terminal cancer. Donations have been flooding into a Gofundme campaign launched to buy expensive medication that can help prolong Phil’s life. DJ heavyweights including Sasha, John Digweed, Dave Seaman, Lee Burridge and Anthony Pappa have all rallied behind the campaign. Digweed described Phil, who produces as Lostep with Luke Chable and under the Analog Stars and Digital Stars monikers with Danny Bonnici, as “one of the best DJs to come out of Australia”. Phil’s technical ability is legendary amongst his peers, and when Pioneer was developing the first CDJs they invited Phil to the company’s HQ in Japan for his valuable input. As this issue went to press, a huge 14-hour community fundraiser was also scheduled to 12
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take place at Melbourne venue La Di Da, on 30 March, to further boost the campaign fund. Party promoters Organic Audio said Phil was “one of Australia’s favourite DJs and personalities”, adding: “Both his music and passionate loving character pioneered the way for not only a culture but a true sense of community that goes with it.” Chronicling his battle with cancer, Phil, who hoped to be strong enough to play at the benefit party, said: “I want to hang on for as long as I can. I want to get back to music and DJing.” At the time of writing, his Gofundme campaign was sitting at AUS $65,000 of its AUS $100,000 target. “This is what I love about the electronic scene,” said John Digweed. “Not only does it bring people together; it also looks out for people in a time of need.” You can read more out Phil’s moving story here.
FOR THE LOVE OF BLACK GOLD CHICAGO BOUND Ariana Grande (above), Twenty One Pilots, The Strokes and Childish Gambino have been confirmed as the headliners for this year’s Lollapalooza festival, taking place at Chicago’s Grant Park, from 1 – 4 August. Last month, it was reported that Grande had signed over 90% of the royalties from 7 Rings to the estates of Rodgers and Hammerstein, after it sampled their My Favourite Things track, from The Sound of Music.
Love vinyl? Then don’t forget it’s Record Store Day, on 13 April, when independent record shops worldwide celebrate black gold culture. Special vinyl and CD releases, and various promotional products, are made exclusively for the day, with bands and DJs heading to their local stores for intimate performances, meet and greet sessions and to buy records, of course. “This is a day for the people who make up the world of the record store – the staff, the customers and the artists – to come together and celebrate the unique culture of a record store and the special role these independently owned stores play in their communities,” said a RSD spokesperson. The first Record Store Day took place on 19 April 2008. On that day, Metallica spent hours at Rasputin Music, in San Francisco, meeting fans, and now hundreds of artists get involved each year. Pearl Jam are this year’s official Record Store Day ambassadors. Guitarist Mike McCready said: “Support every independent record store that you can. It’s a place to learn. It’s a place to have fun. And it’s a place to discover new music.”
BRAZIL NUTS
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London club Fabric is off on a whistle-stop tour of Brazil this month, as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations. Fabric resident Craig Richards and Ben UFO will represent the London club on the three-day tour, dropping into RARA, in Rio De Janiero, on 18 April, Warung Beach Club, in Itajaí, the following night, and Sao Paulo’s famous D-Edge club (above), on 20 April. HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE MUSIC FESTIVALS
A BRIEF
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HIS
MUSIC FESTIVA 14
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Photo_Resistance MegaStructure at Ultra Music Festival by aLIVE
TORY OF
ALS
With this year’s festival season about to get underway, charts the evolution of dancing in fields (and other strange places) Words_Nick Rice
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FEATURE MUSIC FESTIVALS
All over the world the music festival calendar is bursting. The heritage of these events begins with the first known music festival, which going back to the late sixth century BC pre-dates the Olympics – the Pythian Games. Held at the sanctuary of Apollo, at Delphi, it concluded with a day of musical competitions. The element of competition endured over the centuries. The deeply established Green Man festival in Wales can trace its family line back to the bardic competition held by Lord Rhys at Cardigan Castle, in 1176. This annual celebration of Welsh poetry, music and performance saw periods of success and decline until a resurgence occurred in the mid-19th century as a response to the controversial government reports known as the ‘Blue Books’, which criticised the state of education and culture in Wales. Now it is not the performers but the festivals that compete, striving to compile
Apollo at Delphi
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Whether
it’s a former airfield in Iceland, an arid expanse of Nevada desert, a ski resort in Austria or a sprawling farm in Somerset, music festivals are found everywhere these days. They have evolved over the centuries into a mixed bag of febrile, commercially ravenous juggernauts and humble, regional shindigs that eschew profit-mad untrammelled growth in favour of preserving ethos and ethics. And everything in between. Music festivals have boomed in the 21st century. They are a burgeoning cultural phenomenon. The likes of Glastonbury and Burning Man may look a world apart from the earliest known festivals, but the motivation driving attendance comes from the same source – a desire to let loose, to temporarily throw off the shackles of ordered society and give free reign to personal and political freedoms. Occupying a significant economic, social and cultural role at local and international levels, festival-going in the present era has crossed over from the fringes into the mainstream.
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Green Man, Wales
Music Festival, in the same year and also in the most impressive line-ups and pushing California, signalled a growing movement. for an edge in a saturated market. With the Two years later, the groundswell culminated explosion of music festivals in the noughties, in the seminal Woodstock Music and Arts two wide trajectories emerged. One includes Fair – a milestone moment, the effects of the community-driven smaller festival that which are still rippling outwards today. has either a folk or counter-cultural tradition On this side of the and shuns overt Atlantic, and now commercialism, the in the 1970s, the other is the mega hippy idealists had festival mining a All over the world morphed into a new seam of intense community of newcapital gain. the music festival age travellers and Prior to this calendar is bursting rainbow warriors. divergence, the With them emerged music festival had a phase of free taken many twists festivals, organised and turns in its and attended by these sub-cultures who evolution. In the late ’60s, blissed-out, free were opting out of society at large, held at lovin’ hippies coalesced as a counter-culture locations such as Stonehenge. in the US. Events such as The Monterey But peace and love became distorted into Pop Festival, in the summer of 1967, and a climate of dissent and anti-establishment The Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE MUSIC FESTIVALS
Ravi Shankar, Monterey Pop
resignation. Large swathes of the UK’s youth from working class areas found themselves with a bleak future. The lack of prospects in Thatcher’s Britain seeded disenfranchisement. Some sections of the younger generations sought to find an alternative way of living. Chipping in with some like-minded friends to buy an old bus and turn it into a home on wheels was a way out of the decline being inflicted on certain regions across the country. One such movement of mobile urban squatters called themselves the Peace Convoy. It was with the Peace Convoy that the last throes of free festivals took place at the Battle of the Beanfield, on 1 June 1985, as the convoy of around 600 travellers tried to set up the Stonehenge Free Festival, in Wiltshire, England. Wiltshire Police Force unleashed unprecedented police brutality and attacked the travellers. Squads of riot police charged buses of people trying to leave, forcing the mobile homes to a halt and smashing them up. Around 1300 police officers took part in the operation and 537 travellers were eventually arrested in one of the largest mass arrests of civilians since WWII. One 18
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Battle of Beanfield
year later, the passing of The Public Order Act 1986 and subsequently the Criminal Justice Act 1994 made the travellers’ way of life, and the creation of free festivals, impossible to sustain. Although free festivals became a thing of the past, the motivation to attend festivals in general, to seek cultural enrichment and to enjoy social cohesion, did not die. Music festivals expanded to include wider swathes of society, under the broad philosophies of
Photo_Alan Lodge
Woodstock
Music festivals now make up a multi-billiondollar industry and play a crucial role in the cultural economy participation, sustainability, responsibility and creative expression. Music festivals now make up a multibillion-dollar industry on both sides of the pond and play a crucial role in the cultural economy. The new norm is to buy a wristband for a three or even four figure price that entitles the wearer to access three or four days of an event. The commercialisation of music festivals has not been an entirely smooth journey. A case in point is the 30th anniversary of “peace, love and happiness” that was Woodstock 1999. The event was the antithesis of the ethos behind the original festival. A perfect storm of callous organisation, which included oppressive heat bouncing off the tarmac at Griffiss Air
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p Festival, 1967
Jimi Hendrix, Woodstock, 1969
Force Base where the ill-fated anniversary took place, exorbitant prices for tickets, food and water, and shambolic band scheduling triggered chaos and riots that left a charred wasteland and shocking accounts of sexual attacks in the bedlam. Music festivals today are multi-cultural, multi-generational and often multi-national, and they have learned a lot of lessons in terms of organisation, but many still unashamedly focus on profit. Extra money beyond the often-hefty ticket price is levied for camping, parking, food, water, alcohol, merchandise, vending, VIP access and more. In Plato’s The Republic – his Socratic dialogue from around 380 BC – he posits that a powerful tyrant will eventually come undone, suffering in the end by corrupting his own soul. Mega festivals take note. Perhaps there is only so far that the rampant commercialisation of music festivals can go before the pendulum swings and consumer preferences opt overwhelmingly for the more manageable grassroots events. In 2019 there is room for both types of festival to co-exist. So whether you ‘go big’ or ‘go boutique’ this summer, have a good one. HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE FESTIVAL FACTS
DID YOU
KNOW? Farmer Michael Eavis mounted the first Glastonbury Festival – then called the Pilton Pop, Blues & Folk Festival – at Worthy Farm, on 19 September 1970 (the day after Jimi Hendrix died). Around 1500 people paid £1 to attend. The ticket price included free milk from the farm.
US festival Woodstock, which took place in August 1969, is widely regarded as one of the most important events in music history. Headlined by acts like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Joe Cocker and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, it attracted about half a million people. Woodstock will stage a 50th anniversary event this year at the original site of the 1969 event, in Upstate New York. The Black Keys, JAY-Z, Robert Plant, Courtney Barnett, The Killers, Miley Cyrus, Chance the Rapper and many more have been booked to play.
Ultra Music Festival started off on a Miami beach over 20 years ago. Today, the electronic music festival attracts over one million party people to its annual events in over 20 countries worldwide.
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Fancy a rave in an igloo? Then head to Snowbombing, in Mayrhofen, Austria, in April. Dubbed “the Glasto of the Alps” and celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the six-day festival takes place across many quirky venues. Photo_EDM Kevin
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Impress your mates with some music festival trivia...
Australia’s Birdsville Big Red Bash is considered the “most remote” music festival in the world. It takes place in the Simpson Desert, Queensland – 1900km from Sydney, 1600km from Brisbane and 1200km from Adelaide.
The largest festival attendance – according to Guinness World Records – was recorded at the Danube Island Festival, in Austria, in 2015, when 3.3 million people turned up over its three-day duration.
The music festival industry is worth around
$3bn (£2.28bn) globally and continues to grow, according to research by Festicket.
Photo_Ales aka Dust To Ashes
The award-winning EXIT festival, held at the Petrovaradian Fortress, in Novi Sad, Serbia, was founded in 2000 by a couple of student friends fighting for democracy and freedom in Serbia and the Balkans. Although music plays a large part of Burning Man, the week-long event in the Nevada desert bills itself as “a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance”. Around 70,000 ‘Burners’ create Black Rock City and, while the event is somewhat anarchic, Burners abide by the 10 Principles of Burning Man.
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FEATURE UK FESTIVAL GUIDE
Tramlines, Sheffield
P L AY D AT E S From forest getaways to urban hangouts and from multi-day, multi-genre behemoths to niche underground events, the UK has plenty to offer when it comes to festivals. Here’s our pick of 10 of the best Words_Kristan J Caryl
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FEATURE UK FESTIVAL GUIDE
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Where: Cheltenham When: 1 – 6 May From: £various Info: cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz A tented festival village in Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham Jazz Festival features a Big Top stage, the Jazz Arena, a Family Tent featuring workshops, performances and sing-alongs, and the line-up is curated by Jamie Cullum. It mixes up the greats with tomorrow’s stars, plus blues and world music from local and emerging talent. Don’t miss: The silky tones of Gregory Porter.
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Cheltenham Jazz Festival
Alfresco
Where: Hop Farm, Kent When: 23 – 27 May From: £30+ day, £110+ weekend camping Info: alfrescofestival.co.uk This year’s Alfresco is the biggest yet in terms of big name acts. And while the 2019 event is spread across four day and three night stages in the woods, the festival retains its cosy feel. Electronic music from underground innovators like Ivan Smagghe and Errol Alkan is paired with hiphop karaoke, family picnic circles and luxurious glamping options. Don’t miss: Festival debut from wacky one-man music-making machine Mark Ribillet.
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Noisily Festival
Where: Noseley Hall, Leicestershire When: 11 – 14 July From: £145+ Info: noisilyfestival.com With a focus on wellness, education, creativity and environmentalism, Noisily plays out in the heart of rural England. Three main stages and various micro-venues host the music (from d&b to dub, folk to techno) and there are also talks, panels, discussions and healing practices in the Mind Body Soul area. This one is all about community, making new friendships and exploring new acts you might not know but will soon love. Don’t miss: Dub pioneer Mad Professor.
Wireless Festival
Where: Finsbury Park, London When: 5 – 7 July From: £150+ Info: wirelessfestival.co.uk Wireless is a supersized weekend event that brings the biggest names in the world to London. A big focus this year is on R&B, trap and grime with superstars like A$AP Rocky, Migos, Travis Scott, Stefflon Don and Future all bringing their day-glo, hyper-real productions and on-point raps. Tim Westwood also represents for some old school flavours and plenty of gun-finger action. Don’t miss: Current rap queen Cardi B.
Bluedot
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Where: Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire When: 18 – 21 July From: £180+ weekend Info: discoverthebluedot.com Bluedot makes you think as much as dance with a full programme of live science experiments and technology talks and workshops, immersive artworks, stand-up comedy, moon celebrations and more. Legends like New Order, 808 State and Hot Chip play with jazz fusionists Gogo Penguin and Syrian wedding singer Omar Souleyman, amongst many other diverse names, all in the truly unique setting that is Jodrell Bank Observatory. Don’t miss: Krafwerk’s peerless retro-futurism.
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FEATURE UK FESTIVAL GUIDE
Tramlines
Where: Hillsborough Park, Sheffield When: 19 – 21 July From: £65+ Info: tramlines.org.uk Sheffield’s biggest annual music gathering mixes up all genres with art, performance and live comedy from wellknown TV stars. It all goes down across four stages, with craft ales and tasty street food to keep you fuelled. Local bands star next to international talents such as Nile Rodgers & Chic, Manic Street Preachers, Doves and Rag‘n’Bone Man, making it one of the north’s most all-encompassing offerings. Don’t miss: The always fun Happy Mondays.
MADE Festival
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Where: Perry Park, Birmingham When: 27 July From: £35+ Info: made-festival.co.uk The West Midlands has always been a hotbed for grime and urban styles, and this one-day gathering celebrates all that and more. Local heroes like Goldie and Lady Leshurr are joined by superstars like Dizzie Rascal and Giggs, with d&b, house and techno also catered for in a blissful green space in England’s second city. Don’t miss: Mike Skinner on home turf.
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L A C O L R U O Y T R O P P U S P O H S D R O C E R
13 APRIL Y A D E R O T RECORD S
keep up to date and to find your local store visit www.recordstoreday.co.uk
@RSDUK | #RSD19 HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE UK FESTIVAL GUIDE
51st State Festival
Big Feastival
Where: The Cotswolds When: 23 – 25 August From: £62+ day, £152+ weekend Info: thebigfeastival.com A perfect festival for all the family, Big Feastival goes down on Blur man Alex James’s farm and mixes up music, comedy, cooking and family entertainment. Music comes from chart-topping multi-genre dance stars Rudimental, pop royalty like Jess Glynn and garage legends DJ Luck & MC Neat. Kids will love getting creative in the arts tent, dancing in the big top and laughing to TV stars like Mr Tumble, and adults can brush up on cooking skills with tips from Jodie Kidd, Raymond Blanc and Prue Leigth, amongst many more. Don’t miss: Party starters the Fun Lovin Criminals.
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Photo_Carolina Faruolo
Where: Trent Park, London When: 3 August From: £25+ Info: 51ststatefestival.com A must for fans of house music, 51st State covers deep, disco, soulful, tech, garage and afro niches across multiple stages and tens of giant bookings. Nestled in green parkland just outside the centre of London, this 5th anniversary edition features Dimitri From Paris, DJ Spen & Karizma, Soul Clap, Roger Sanchez, Todd Terry, Todd Edwards and many more DJs, with special live PAs from Kele Le Roc, Crystal Waters and Julie McKnight. Don’t miss: Definitive New York house pair Mood II Swing.
Moovin Festival
Where: Whitebottom Farm, Stockport When: 23 – 25 August From: £85+ Info: moovinfestival.com Hosted at an eco-friendly farm, Moovin boasts bespoke and boutique stages in barns, seating on haystacks and an intimate crowd that is utterly welcoming. Morning gong baths, yoga, fire shows, performers and lots of local bands join soul, bass and funk giants like Soul II Soul, 2manydjs, Big Daddy Kane, Inner City, Lee Scratch Perry, Nightmares on Wax and Horse Meat Disco. Don’t miss: The worldly rhythms of Awesome Tapes From Africa.
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FEATURE INT’L. FESTIVAL GUIDE
Unleash your sense of adventure and travel further afield to one of our highly recommended festivals on distance shores…
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Spring Break Amsterdam
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FEATURE INT’L. FESTIVAL GUIDE
Snowbombing Spring Break Amsterdam
Where: Amsterdam, The Netherlands When: 7 – 9 April and 14 – 16 April From: £99 Info: springbreakamsterdam.co.uk Spring Break Amsterdam is growing in popularity every year and in 2019 the fun will be focused on five key venues in the Dutch capital. Playing at Melkweg, Air, Escape, Club NYX and Claire will be over 50 cutting-edge acts from the drum & bass, house and grime scenes, including Rudimental, MK, Big Narstie and Jaguar Skills. Don’t miss: Step away from the music for a moment and into Van Gogh’s world at the Van Gogh Museum.
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CBSO
Where: Mayrhofen, Austria When: 8 – 13 April From: £269 Info: snowbombing.com The “greatest show on snow” returns to the picturesque slopes of Mayrhofen for its 20th anniversary bash and it’s shaping up to be crazier than ever. From street parties to forest stages, alpine lodges to reggae shacks and even a butcher’s shop, no space is left unused in pursuit of the perfect party. It’s why some of the best artist in the world return time and time again. Stormzy, Fatboy Slim, Sub Focus and High Contrast are among the headliners this year. Don’t miss: Give the Chairlift Speed Dating a go!
Primavera Sound
Where: Barcelona, Spain When: 30 May – 1 June From: €195 Info: primaverasound.es Primavera promises a world-renowned lineup of some of the biggest headline acts in the business, with a wide-ranging international selection of supporting talent to boot. With views of the Mediterranean soundtracked by a slew of A-list artists, it’s little wonder fans travel far and wide to get to this one. Don’t miss: The secret pop-up performances – keep your ear to the ground to see the biggest bands perform intimate gigs.
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The Make-Up
Where: Dresden, Germany When: 16 May – 10 June From: Individual concerts from €20 Info: musikfestspiele.com One of the most prestigious festivals for classical music in Europe, whilst classical is at the core of this event, world music, jazz and dance are also featured. This year the Glashütte Original Music Festival Prize will be awarded to the American violinist Joshua Bell in recognition of his commitment to the development of young artists. Jan Vogler, Director of the Dresden Music Festival, says: “Joshua has remained true to himself and reaches classical music fans of all generations and nationalities with his poetic style of playing the violin. He is one of the most charismatic and successful musicians in the world today.” Don’t miss: The special performances pertaining to the centennial of the Bauhaus movement.
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Dresden Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival
Where: Ultra Park, Singapore When: 8 – 9 June From SG$238 for a two-day pass Info: ultrasingapore.com There’s no stopping the Ultra juggernaut. From humble beginnings in Miami, the US-born festival rolls into 23 cities worldwide these days. Now in its fourth year, the Singapore edition is off the hook and this year brings Martin Garrix, Porter Robinson, Skrillex, Jamie Jones, Eats Everything and Josh Wink, amongst others, to the Southeast Asia location. Don’t miss: If we could be there you’d find us down the front of the Resistance Megastructure.
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FEATURE INT’L. FESTIVAL GUIDE
The Yacht Week
Photo_ Roxana Sadvokassova
Where: Croatia When: Each week from 1 – 8 June through to 7 – 14 Sept From: €550 per person for a yacht for six people with a skipper Info: theyachtweek.com The Yacht Week is a series of week-long floating festivals staged at stunning destinations, including Greece, Montenegro and the Caribbean. It all began in Croatia though, and for many the original destination remains the best. Get a group of six friends together to charter a boat, complete with a skipper and optional host, and head off for a week to enjoy a unique itinerary of events, all united by the best electronic music out there. Don’t miss: The Buzz Boat, a floating DJ stage complete with VOID Acoustic sound system.
Midnight Sun Film Festival
Where: Sodankylä, Finland When: 12 – 16 June From: 12-ticket packages start from around €90 Info: msfilmfestival.fi/en/ Founded in 1986 by Finnish filmmakers the Kaurismäki brothers and the Municipality of Sodankylä, this festival is utterly unique. Experience nightless night as the sun never sets during this festival, held some 120 kilometres above the Arctic Circle in the heart of Finnish Lapland. An international audience joins film directors and emerging talents from around the globe to enjoy a carefully curated festival programme of old and new films. Don’t miss: Looking for your music fix? Music films are given a new spin in the karaoke screenings, and the silent film concerts alone are worth the journey.
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Burning Man
Where: Black Rock City, Nevada When: 25 August – 2 September From: $425 Info: burningman.org Everyone should do Burning Man at least once. The legendary counterculture art event brings 70,000 ‘Burners’ together to create a temporary city in the desert, where practically everything that happens is created by its citizens. Check out the jaw-dropping art installations by day, or take part in some of the many talks, classes or workshops, before the terrain becomes a neon playground after dark when most of the sound systems and stages fire up proper. It’s often described as “Mad Max in the desert”. That doesn’t come half way close. Don’t miss: Distrikt, Robot Heart and The Playground are magnets for house and techno heads, but don’t miss Carl Cox’s legendary disco, funk and soul sunrise party at the Kasbah.
Budafest
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Where: Budapest, Hungary When: 1 – 3 September From: £99 Info: budafest.co.uk Smack bang in the beautiful city of Budapest are hidden some of Europe’s most spectacular venues. Immerse yourself in culture by day and then party through the night at uncommonly cool clubs and open-deck boat parties. This ultra-hip metro festival is capped at around 5000 guests and delivers the very best in house, techno, deep, garage and bass. Don’t miss: Sparty – the famous, huge and historic Szechenyi spa is transformed into a massive sound system. Rave on in 40-degree thermal water.
Day of The Dead
Where: Mexico When: 1 – 2 November From: Free Info: dayofthedead.holiday The Día de los Meurtos tradition has been around for centuries. It takes place over two days, with the aim of showing love and respect for deceased family members. All over Mexico revellers wear dramatic make-up and costumes, hold parades and parties and make offerings to lost loved ones. Thanks to cultural recognition by UNESCO, Día de los Muertos is more popular than ever. It is so widespread that many Mexicans anticipate it becoming as big as Rio’s Carnival in the years to come. Lots of tourists head for Oaxac and Pátzcuaro. Don’t miss: Pan de muerto – or bread of the dead – a sweet bread decorated with bones and skulls.
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FEATURE CHILDREN OF ZEUS
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OUL FOOD FOR THE HIP-HOP It’s been non-stop for Children of Zeus since the release of their Travel Light album Words_Sophia Nyananyo
“We
made this music hoping a few people from our city would hear it,” claimed Manchesterbased outfit Children of Zeus after wrapping up a tour of Australia and New Zealand recently. “Who knew we could go to the other side of the world and have a venue full of people singing along to every word!” The music in question is the neosoul and jazz to R&B and ’90s rap that fills their critically-acclaimed Travel Light longplayer. Konny Kon is a DJ, MC and beatmaker best known as one third of Broke‘N’English, while Tyler Daley, also known as Hoodman, went from
being respected MC to in-demand soul singer, lending his vocals and writing credits to music from Goldie, LSB, Soul II Soul’s Caron Wheeler, Lenzman, Lisa Mafia, Bugsy Malone and more. After their paths crossed, the pair made a few tracks together here and there. Since then, their sound, hype and vibe has grown organically until the pair decided that the “time was right” for the release of Travel Light. “We’ve not looked back since,” says Konny. catches up with Konny and Tyler before they embark on the second part of their UK tour in May.
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FEATURE CHILDREN OF ZEUS
What are some of the most fun things about being on the road together? Konny: Sometimes it’s the show itself, if people are singing back songs or people after the show telling us they loved it. But the thing that we probably take away from most of the travelling is getting to go to places we never would have been able to. We’ve done shows where the next day we’ve gone and climbed mountains. We’ve got on a plane to a place we’ve never been before. That’s the thing I’ll be thinking about on my deathbed. Tyler: We always end up somewhere Konny: My dad’s English, my mum’s from breathtaking and he always says the same Barbados, so I had a real mix. The stuff that I thing – “Rapping got us here.” picked up on was more lovers’ rock, reggae If I’d been touring this much in my younger and a little bit of Motown. My dad listened to days I wouldn’t have been mature enough a lot of world music, he’s an old hippie. to deal with it. A lot of artists probably My musical aren’t, which upbringing was is why many more stuff that end up a train I found. From wreck. It’s a “From when I was around 10 when I was blessing that I or 11 years old, I started to around 10 or get to be really obsess about music; 11 years old, I a bit more I was a real music nerd” started to really mature and obsess about experience it. Konny Kon music; I was a real music nerd. Not to put I’m still like that – the sound of if I find something I like I obsess over it. Children of Zeus in a box but there’s a lot of neo-soul, some lovers’ rock. You’ve received so much critical acclaim. Growing up, what was the soundtrack Where has some of the most exciting in each of your homes? feedback come from within the industry? Tyler: My biological dad is Jamaican so Konny: Jazzy Jeff might have been one. the reggae influence was there. My mum’s Konny: Someone sent me a message British and she loved street-soul music. saying they played our music to Raekwon My stepdad was a breakdancer and he was and he loved it. Pharoahe Monch follows mad about hip-hop so I started rapping as us on Instagram. soon as I could talk, so my background Tyler: As soon as somebody says something comes from those three elements. 38
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positive about you, people’s ears open, and once their ears are open they’re willing to accept something. Until then, a lot of people aren’t paying attention and their ears aren’t open. You’ve worked with a lot of really talented people, including Goldie… Tyler: Goldie’s the most passionate person I’ve ever met. I don’t really like to sing anybody else’s lyrics. I’ve got so much to get off my own chest, but with Goldie I was intrigued and I decided to try and paint this picture for him. Going on that journey and doing things I never usually do allowed me to learn a lot about myself. It was a double-edged sword where I learned so much but I was also itching to get back in the studio for myself.
yes, and then he’d tell me we could do it then, if we like it and it sounded good. Once we got rid of all the rules we made better music, and a lot of the things he’s shown me over the last year or so I’ll probably take with me for the rest of my life, as far as making music goes. I don’t need rules for making music, which opened a lot of things up that made the album sound the way it does. Watch the full interview on Hey Music’s YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/heymusicofficial
Who do you want to work with on the next album? Tyler: We’re not about getting people attached to make it a bigger thing, it’s more about making legendary quality music to the best of our ability. That’s the goal. Whether we walk away rich or poor, let’s walk away being proud of what we did. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? Konny: Most of my best advice has been given to me in the last year and it’s come from Tyler. If you go traditional hip-hop it’s got lots of rules. When we made this album I was telling Tyler we can’t do things. He’d ask me if it sounded good, to which I’d say HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE BEST YEAR EVER
Was it the greatest year in musical history? Hell yes, says Jim Butler
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Despite
the protestations of small-minded reactionary bores, music, fittingly, just like time, never stands still. There is always something new worth listening to. So far this year there have been vital albums from Little Simz, Solange, Steve Mason, William Tyler, Ariana Grande and Helado Negro. The key is to remain inquisitive, open to new ideas and keep that inner 16-year-old
sense of wonderment alive. Unfortunately, too many people stop listening once they hit a certain age and store their musical tastes in aspic, blithely declaring that year x, y or z was the best year for music ever. And yet‌ some years can’t help but acquire a certain potency. Some cultural historians and old punks (sometimes one and the same) will refer to the scorched earth, year zero significance of 1976. HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE BEST YEAR EVER
Baby boomers hail the landmark years of 1966 and 1971, when the likes of Bob Dylan and The Beatles helped cement popular music as the voice of a generation thanks to their ground-breaking albums Blonde on Blonde and Revolver, or when David Bowie transformed sexual politics and just about everything else. One could also make a case for 1956, when Elvis Presley’s gyrating hips were the midwife present at the birth of rock & roll; 1977 (the real year punk broke) and 1988 (the second summer of love, following the original in 1967, thanks to the acid house explosion). In each of these cases, however, the years in question merely continued – or popularised – movements, moods and feelings already in place. They were neither created in a vacuum nor were they an unmistakeable full stop on the face of popular culture. The year traversing 1 January to 31 December 1989 is a little different though. It really was the year everything changed. Or as Ian Brown, singer of the Stone Roses, one of the year’s emblematic bands, would have it: what the world was waiting for. Not that you would have known this by looking at the singles chart – often a fundamental arbiter of cultural shifts – as 1989 dawned. There, at the top of the hit parade in all their manufactured Stock, Aitken & Waterman glory were Kylie and Jason with their nauseous duet Especially For You. The rest of the Top 10 was made up of acts like Cliff Richard, Erasure, Status Quo, Kim Wilde and Bros. 42
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The year – seemingly – did not get off to the most auspicious start. But at No.4 and No.6 were Inner City and Neneh Cherry, notable harbingers of what was to come. Their dancefloor-based stylings (Detroit house and a UK take on hip-hop inspired club culture, respectively) demonstrated that the underground was not only stirring but would come to – if not take over – certainly recalibrate the mainstream heading into the decade that would end the century. In 1989, youth culture got its last hurrah. Everywhere you looked there were clear and distinct style tribes. Indie kids could introspectively contemplate the meaning of existence while listening to The Wedding Present, House of Love, Pixies and The Wonder Stuff. Goths emitted their patchouli-flavoured scents while swaying their black and purple uniforms to The Cure, Sisters of Mercy and Fields of the Nephilim. Hip-hop’s golden age was in full swing and the year saw albums drop from De La Soul (3 Feet High and Rising), Beastie Boys (Paul’s Boutique), NWA foot soldier The
D.O.C. (No One Can Do It Better) and EPMD (Unfinished Business), while Public Enemy and NWA caused untold moral panics with their uncompromising black power rhetoric. Elsewhere, in the US at least, grunge was beginning to bloom: Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden and Tad all released seminal albums. After a decade of Thatcherism, British youngsters wanted a new attitude of harmony and, most significantly, a new beat to dance to. Acid house, and its attendant offspring, certainly gave them that. In 1989 a new Sheffield label released its first 12inch from the shop that gave the imprint its name, Warp. The Forgemasters’ Track With No Name was manna for those dancers lost in the unrelenting rhythm of bleep. In London, Soul II Soul hit the top of the charts with both their single Back to Life and the influential album it was pulled from, Club Classics Vol. One. It was in Manchester, of course, that this new spirit hit the most memorable ecstatic heights. Bands such as The Stone Roses and the Happy Mondays, alongside producers 808 State and A Guy Called Gerald, took the rave era’s key signifiers to bold new heights. Following a summer recording in Ibiza, Mancunian statesmen New Order released their Balearic album Technique. The incredible thing about most, if not all, of the music mentioned is that it remained largely hidden underground. The media had yet to cotton on to the alluring tales from the dark side of popular culture and this was of course pre-internet and social media, where nothing is underground for longer than five seconds. The other aspect largely forgotten in our post-tribe world where the history of recorded music is just a click away, is how much hard
10 ALBUMS THAT DEFINE 1989 1. Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique (Capitol Records) 2. Pixies Doolittle (4AD) 3. The Stone Roses The Stone Roses (Silvertone) 4. De La Soul 3 Feet High & Rising (Tommy Boy) 5. New Order Technique (Factory Records) 6. Nirvana Bleach (Sub Pop) 7. Soul II Soul Club Classics Vol. One (Virgin) 8. Madonna Like a Prayer (Sire) 9. The Cure Disintegration (Fiction) 10. Neneh Cherry Raw Like Sushi (Virgin)
work it was to maintain and cultivate these cultural identities. Today, we’re all hip-hop and indie fans. We all dance – broadly – to the same music. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is for another discussion. It was different in 1989. But things were changing. People coming together felt good. Taking over the mainstream felt righteous. Cool was becoming popular. It’s true when they say the past is a foreign country, they do things differently there: 1989 is proof positive of that and just one reason why those 365 days deserve the accolade of the Greatest Year in Musical History. HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE TIM FRASER
GOIN
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NG FOR A SONG Multi-platinum songwriter and founding member of the Songwriting Academy, Tim Fraser was also made a member of Hollywood Elite Composers, in Los Angeles, last year. catches up with Tim to discuss his songwriting chops Words_Darren Haynes
How did you get into songwriting? I started off, like any young teenager, thinking I’ve got to be in a rock band or a pop band. My band did quite well but I didn’t like playing live. What I wanted to do was just write songs. In my late teens, I was writing songs for artists that now seem lost in the mists of time. They were very big business… people like The New Seekers. But in my early 20s I could not see myself making enough money, quickly enough, so I stopped [songwriting]. To cut to the next phase as far as music was concerned – and this is some 25, 26 years after writing some pop hits – I went out and bought a guitar, which I kept in my office. After a few months, I wrote a song or two and then I needed
to record them. I found an amazing guy – ex Cockney Rebel keyboard player Milton Reame-James – and got some demos together. Someone said to me, ‘Oh, I know Terry Britten’. Terry is one of Britain’s great unsung heroes of songwriting. He’s written so many hits – Devil Woman for Cliff Richard; What’s Love Got To Do With It and We Don’t Need Another Hero for Tina Turner. I was introduced to him in his studio. He listened to all four demos. A few weeks later he was producing the latest Tina Turner album [Twenty Four Seven]. Tina Turner’s legendary manager Roger Davies happened to be there and Terry played my demo. Tina never really chose any of the songs, it was always her manager. HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE TIM FRASER
Tim’s songs have been recorded by...
Billie Myers
Joana Zimmer
Her manager said, ‘Tina, I like that one [Falling], you’re doing it’. Two weeks later she did it, two months later, it’s a gold and platinum record. Did you then instantly become in demand as a songwriter? I had no publisher, no manager, no record label, I knew nobody. I thought I’ve got to get out and start connecting with people. No publisher, no manager, no record label has ever got me a cut or a cover or an introduction to write with an important songwriter – I’ve had to do it myself. Is that the case these days? I suspect it’s even worse. This is why selfreliance is so important. So networking was a skill you developed alongside songwriting? Yes, I just started networking like crazy. You have to be constantly swimming; you have to stay energised about it otherwise the world will forget you. How do you get your songs placed if you’re not represented or signed? 46
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Lulu
Louise Setara
Lost Hollow
Somebody says, ‘Oh, you should meet so and so; you’d really get on’. It’s important to play the long game with people, they have to know that you’re not there just to further your career, you’re there to enjoy their company too. Is that the basis for any songwriting collaboration? It’s very possible that you can write a good song with someone you don’t like but I think you get even better songs from people where you have that incredible connection. You have to go in to a writing session with somebody fully understanding and being fully briefed about what their strengths are. If you try and do something that they do supremely well, you’ll cancel each other out and it doesn’t work.
“Writing songs is like capturing lightning in a bottle”
Marcella Detroit
Ricki Lee Coulter
You also collaborate with new and emerging songwriters. What’s different about working with young songwriters? ‘Emerging’ doesn’t always mean ‘young’ because I’ve heard some sensational songs from people who are in their 50s. What I notice with young songwriters though is that they are constantly writing about their own life experiences. I see emerging writers getting so hung up about a particular song, as if it’s the only song they’ve got in there. Write another! Share that one and write another great song. If you’re overly precious with your work, you’ll never get anything out.
Tammy Weis
Tina Turner
kept that idea, that phrase, in my mind for decades. The idea can be used for people who are separated from their family or their home, or for all sorts of reasons. I’ve just finished writing that song with Jez Ashurst and it really was worth waiting for. If you have a title and the title gives you the story, and the story gives you the chorus, and the chorus gives you the shape of where the song is going, I think it all follows from that.
Whether emerging or established, for me, songwriting is an art. I think it’s a knack. If you think about the ability to write songs as a knack, then you’ll always know your place.
What advice do you give students on your songwriting courses? I can’t advise people because writing songs is like capturing lightning in a bottle. It’s all a great big lottery. All I’m doing is helping them to reduce the odds. All I can tell them is what not to do, I can’t tell them what to do.
What comes first – melody, a word or phrase? I generally like to think of a story. Just outside of San Francisco there used to be a big furniture warehouse. It had a big sign over the freeway saying ‘Make it home’. I
Songwriting legend Tim is also a regular guest lecturer in music copyright and music management at The University of West London, The Academy of Contemporary Music, Guildford, and Metropolis Studios in London. He runs The Insider’s Guide to the Music Industry with Rita Campbell.
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FEATURE HOW TO...
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO SONGWRITING Dream of being a songwriter but don’t know where to start? These tips for beginners will help you find your artistic flow Words_Gfire M
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FINDING INSPIRATION Set your surroundings up for songwriting since ideas can come at any time. You’ll want to commit those ideas to paper, a computer or voice recorder as soon as possible, so keep notebooks and pens in your home, work environment and car. Even a one-word title is worth writing down. Know how to get to your phone’s recorder quickly — you can sing a melodic idea or say your lyrical idea and save it for later. Everyone is influenced by different singers, songwriters, guitarists, composers, instrumentalists and so on. Make a list of some of the musicians and songs that have meaning for you. Keep a playlist of inspirational tunes to keep yourself continually inspired.
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FEATURE HOW TO...
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DETERMINE YOUR SONG’S STRUCTURE Analysing songs you enjoy will give you an idea of some of the different structures you can use. And as you learn to write songs, you can play around with different types of song structures. Example 1 – The simplest structure is that in which there is only one type of lyric, the verse (we call it ‘A’). The classic Gershwin tune Summertime has an A-A structure, with only two verses. Example 2 – Songs with both verses and choruses have two types of lyrics — we call the verse ‘A’ and the chorus ‘B’. The famous Bob Dylan song Blowin’ in the Wind has this type of structure – A-B-A-B-A-B.
Jim Morrison’s handwritten lyrics of LA Woman auctioned for £62,000
Example 3 – Other songs are more complex. They may have verses, choruses and a bridge (which we call ‘C’). The Beatles’ Ticket to Ride is one of these songs with an A-B-A-B-C-A-B structure. Listen to it here.
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HOW TO WRITE LYRICS Wherever you start, it can be helpful to describe the entire scope of your song in a single sentence. This will help you stay focused. For Ticket to Ride, for example, the sentence could be “My girlfriend is moving away from me and I am sad, but she doesn’t care.” A song is a very short form of art so it is essential to tie it together with just one idea. If you have too many ideas, break them apart and write a different song for each idea instead of trying to pile too much into one song. You don’t have to create an entire song in one sitting — you could just create one verse or one chorus and keep coming back to add more lyrics as you become inspired. APRIL 2019
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WRITING THE MELODY AND CHORDS As you experiment with different melodies and chords, this is a perfect time to use some sort of recorder on your phone or on your computer. Try simply singing your lyrics in different ways at least three times, then listen back to your recording and see if you have any keepers. You could also start with some chords instead. Play some chord progressions on guitar or piano and record those. Then try out some melodies against those chords using your lyrics. Or you could try both chords and melodies at the same time. If you’re having trouble coming up with a chord progression, you could always “borrow” one from another song. Choose a song in a similar style and tempo to yours and combine the chords with your own lyrics. Just make sure that you don’t copy the actual melody of your borrowed tune. Song melodies are protected by copyright law but chord progressions are not.
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WRITING YOUR SONG’S TITLE Your song needs a great title! Many songwriters use the “hook” or repeated words from the chorus as the title of the song. Other songs use a descriptive term as the title that is not contained in the lyrics at all.
FINAL STEPS Once you’ve finished, set your song aside for a few days and don’t think about it. When you come back to it with fresh eyes and ears, you’ll be able to identify lyrics that need tweaking, chords that need adjusting or other small details to really make the song pop. Consider testing your songs out live. Performing in front of others — whether at an open mic night or simply in front of your music teacher — will help you iron out any kinks. Another great idea is to record your song. With technology today, it’s easy to record your own songs with the right software and a quality microphone. Publish your recordings online so potential fans, other artists and established people in the music business can hear your work and discover your talent.
If you’re interested in honing your songwriting skills why not obtain professional instruction from tutors at takelessons.com?
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FEATURE JOURNEY THROUGH MUSIC
MAKING AN
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Co-founder of the International Music Summit and the Association for Electronic Music, Ben Turner reflects on his journey through music… Words_Sara Cooper
I M PA C T Industry
leaders and artists from the electronic music world will soon descend upon Ibiza for the International Music Summit. Taking place from 22 – 24 May this year, IMS will throw the spotlight onto the “complex challenges and emerging opportunities that really matter in today’s ever-evolving industry”. Now in its 12th year and considered the start of the Ibiza season, IMS was cofounded by Ben Turner, who has had a long and varied career in the scene. This is his story… “I grew up in Oxford, England, and from the age of 15 I wanted to be a music journalist. At 16 that journey began with a five-day internship in London at leading rock music publication Melody Maker. Along with famous music journalists back then like Push, Andy Smith, Bob Stanley and Dave Mothersole, we subverted the paper with electronic music content, introducing the DJ as a valid musician, which had a huge impact on a lot of artist careers and helped the genre grow in the UK at a very pivotal point. “Push and I co-founded Muzik magazine. It was funded and published by IPC
Magazines (now Time Warner). The first cover was The Chemical Brothers or The Dust Brothers just around that time. Muzik was trying to take the spirit of NME and Melody Maker to dance music and not just gush over everything being made. We wanted to be edgy, honest and heartfelt. “We launched in May 1995 at Tribal Gathering and left in the summer of 2000. I wanted to pursue a more entrepreneurial role in the industry and also to take some ownership of projects or properties I was putting my whole life into. Nobody told me about equity and IP when launching Muzik – I was 21 years old and just happy that a huge company was funding my dream and our vision. Not that IPC would have given me any ownership. “But I was around people like James Barton who was building his own Cream brand, and I wanted to set along a path of building my own concepts, properties or participating in events created by artists around me. “I moved from Muzik initially to be an Editorial Director of worldpop.com. Worldpop went bust in the dotcom crash, and at this point I said I’d never work for somebody else’s company again and set up Graphite Media immediately.
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FEATURE BEN TURNER
“Pete Tong is a ‘change agent’ and one of the best brains in our scene”
“Today Graphite is really focused on artist management. In artist management your work is never, ever done. You will always be working at things, and always thinking about things and ideas. It’s a job I love but it’s inside of you 24/7. The most rewarding aspect of artist management is making projects happen and dreams come to fruition for the talent you work with. The work is about them, not you. “My first management clients were A Man Called Adam and Rob da Bank. I diversified from the start, as Worldpop taught me so many new skills for the digital age. I did continue to create magazines initially – I created the Pacha Magazine, House for Soho House and did a number of contract publishing jobs. I have totally put that
IMS culminates in the Dalt Villa party
part of my life to bed, as the magazine production schedule did not work well with representing artists and dealing with the day-to-day issues that come up. So IMS is my expression of editorial content today – curating that has a magazine feel to it.
Ben with previous IMS speaker Nile Rodgers
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“My desire to help make change came as a journalist at Melody Maker and The Guardian newspaper, where I had a voice that could influence the course of music. I guess I continue to think that way with the International Music Summit, the Association for Electronic Music (AFEM), and with Remedy State, our wellness platform for people in the entertainment industry.
Photo_ David Holderbach
“[IMS co-founder] Pete Tong is a ‘change agent’ and one of the best brains in our scene. [With IMS] we’ve created an amazing platform for the genre and it’s rewarding to see people enjoy it so much. I love Sonar and Amsterdam Dance Event but felt that Ibiza was a good place for an event of this kind. “IMS is a powerful platform but it wasn’t designed to have a mandate for change in the industry. It puts the topics out there but I felt we also needed a body to help implement change. We put it to the vote with the IMS delegation and when the response was so positive myself and Kurosh Nasseri put in the seed money to launch the trade organisation, the Association for Electronic Music. “AFEM is a labour of love but I think it’s probably my greatest contribution to this culture and I hope it survives me and
becomes as powerful as the CMA [Country Music Association] is to country music. “AFEM was a miracle to come together, to bring rivals into a room to discuss and share issues and to find that common ground between us. It’s almost back to the principles of why dance music was so special at the beginning. “We’ve really made a stand on topics like mental health and sexual harassment, and credit to Mark Lawrence, our CEO, for living and breathing a lot of this stuff day-to-day and being the nerve centre for so much disruption going on in our industry. “The response to sexual harassment has been strong; Get Played Get Paid has been a huge success and to hear that artists are now getting royalties through because of our work with PROs is incredible. For me, though, the fact that our industry can now speak with one voice is the real highlight.” HEYMUSIC.COM
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FEATURE MUSIC BY NUMBERS
ELROW Think clubbing has become too serious? You haven’t been to an Elrow party. Founded as a Sunday party in Barcelona in 2010, the infectious fun and madcap antics of Elrow has spread around the world. This year, the Elrow crew plan to touch down in 67 cities, across 26 countries, for 150 shows featuring a selection of the world’s finest DJs. Of course, Ibiza plays a huge part in those plans. Here are some facts and stats around Elrow’s 2019 summer season on the White Isle.
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Venue: Amnesia Capacity: 7000 Dates: Every Saturday from 25 May – 28 September No. of shows: 19 Themes: There are 12 themes this year, including Rowsattack, Nomads and Romuda Triangle Attendance last year: Approximately 1 million clubbers partied hard at Elrow Ibiza in 2018 Production: More than 1000 man hours go into making each party a visual spectacle Largest party props: Taxis, Barbie Box, Yellow Submarine and the Psychedelic Caravan Confetti: More than 1.7 tonnes of the stuff will rain down on the Amnesia dancefloor before the Elrow season is out Actors: Around 1700 actors will be drafted in for the season Stilt-walkers: 300 stilt-walkers will be living the high life
Photo_Luke Taylor
Aerial performers: 200 aerial performers will add extra swing Costumes: More than 1300 different costumes will keep it flamboyant Inflatables: It’s not a proper Elrow party without a raft of silly inflatables. 12,000 have been ordered for the season. Yup, you read that right HEYMUSIC.COM
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BACKSTAGE
GROUND FORCE Indomitable character Warren Noronha is Production Director for Dubai’s award-winning Groove On The Grass music and arts festival. Here, he gives us a glimpse into what that involves…
“I’ve been tripping over wires and falling off speakers since 1989. I started my promoter career in Dubai with a crew of like-minded people at a club called Catwalk, in the Barsha area. That group of people branched out to form Groove On The Grass and Analog Room. My fellow promoters and their respective brands – like Glitch, Warped and House of Afrika – are still very much part of the nightlife calendar here, and I love that. “Stripped back, in my role of Production Director I’m part politician, part creative, and I tackle a whole lotta troubleshooting (which includes my own mistakes!). “For each gig, there are numerous suppliers, partners and artists that are very certain of how they want their projects represented on site, and that has to fall in line with what we see as the best way to package the event. Managing expectations and delivering to that end is really what the role of Production Director comes down to. “Having the patience of a saint helps. Particularly in Dubai, we have to account for the vast multi-cultural background of all the teams we have on site. Different people bring a different work ethic with them, and in a venue like ours [Emirates Golf Club], the short set-up and dismantle times due to the nature of the space amplify the effect of any weak links. At the end of the day, getting the show on the road is the ultimate goal no matter what, and that’s what our crowd remember us for. 58
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“The most annoying thing that can go wrong is when the weather doesn’t play along – yes, even in Dubai. And it’s not just unexpected rain we have to contend with here, the wind can whip up sandstorms, which are a nightmare. “There are so many elements, from structures and creative aspects of the event, that depend greatly on the weather to function at 100%. When this is challenged, we have to go that much further to alter the experience whilst maintaining expectations. “I’m sure I echo the thoughts of all event production people when I say that every single event that comes out the box is a proud moment because of the level of commitment invested in each one. There’s a sense of triumph when each gig comes together, especially after dealing with unexpected or unforeseen behindthe-scenes challenges. All the stress is worth it though when we see the crowd interact, define and eventually make our event their own. “It’s been fun and challenging to see my role grow along with the brand. Groove On The Grass has been the best teacher life could ever have given me. Or maybe I’m just a masochist!”
The next Groove On The Grass takes place at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, on 19 April. Check grooveonthegrass.net for more info.
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