What not to miss at Shakedown this year

Duncan Hall spoke to the festival founder Steve Jones, as well as two of the brands involved in this year's event.

Shakedown

Waterhall, Brighton, Saturday, August 15

"MUSIC and festivals have changed. We are reflecting the needs, wants and desires of our audience, and where music is going today."

So says Shakedown founder Steve Jones as the dance festival prepares for its fifth incarnation.

And this year is very different as the previous crossover pop headliners - such as Ed Sheeran, Dizzee Rascal and Katy B - are ditched in favour of a more straight-ahead dance experience.

Each of the four stages are being programmed by different dance labels, including house brand Defected, and drum and bass label Hospital Records under their Hospitality monicker.

"It's always tricky to balance the different line-ups and stages," says Jones. "House music is doing massive stuff at the moment, but we are staying true to our bass music roots. This year I think we have ticked all the boxes.

"We are really ramping up the production side of things. Defected and Hospitality are known for their lighting, special effects and visuals. It's important to take things up a notch."

Circus-themed brand Cirque Du Soul is making its Shakedown debut this year with its own stage, after initially being approached to provide a VIP tent.

They are now set to bring legendary brothers 2ManyDJs to the day-long party.

“We’ve never worked with them before,” admits promoter Luke Wolfman, who will also being playing a DJ set on the stage. “They have always been on our list – I’m really looking forward to seeing them play.”

He believes the festival scene, so often the preserve of rock and indie fans, is fast expanding to take in dance-lovers.

“Even in Brighton you now have Shakedown and Wild Life,” he says. “That’s just one part of the UK – in Manchester there’s Park Life, Nottingham has Detonate, Bristol has Love Saves The Day, and London now has more than ever. I guess it’s all to do with people having a good time out there – and it’s only going to grow.”

What characterises Cirque Du Soul isn’t necessarily their guest artists, but the care they put into the look and feel of their events - bringing circus-themed performers and high production values to the stage.

As well as the Shakedown stage they will also host an after-party at The Arch in King’s Road Arches, headlined by special guests Eton Messy.

“The main event is the festival,” says Wolfman. “There will be a few circus performers knocking around for the after-party too after performing at Shakedown.”

One clubbing brand which has been with Shakedown from the beginning is Brighton’s own Supercharged.

Although the label is best known for its drum and bass club offerings, for Shakedown it is providing a multi-genre line-up, including big names Sigma, Example, Mike Skinner and Oxide And Neutrino.

“With a festival like this there is more chance for people to get exposed to new music,” says Supercharged promoter George Teal.

“In a club the majority of people know what music they are going to get – in this setting they can discover new music and new genres.”

Supercharged was part of the first Shakedown in 2011. Teal says there was a need for a dance festival in Brighton.

“We have tried to minimise clashes,” he says. “It’s one pet hate of festivalgoers when you have two favourite artists on at the same time. The stages have been working together as best we can to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

He is looking forward to Shakedown’s second year at Waterhall.

“We had a really good crowd last year,” he says. “We are always following the scene and seeing how the genres are progressing and evolving to see what we can provide next, while making sure we still give our fans the artists and music they currently enjoy. We have a strong alliance with Shakedown.”

Starts noon to midnight, tickets from £45. Visit www.shakedown.co.uk

Who not to miss at Shakedown 2015

2ManyDJs

PERHAPS the most eagerly anticipated name of the Shakedown line-up this year, 2ManyDJs are headlining the circus-themed Cirque Du Soul stage.

Starting out as indie-rock band Soulwax, Belgian brothers David and Stephen Dewaele launched into the electronic dance world in 2002 with the As Heard On Radio Soulwax Pt 2 album mashing up everyone from Salt N Pepa to Iggy Pop.

Sigma

CURRENTLY kings of the UK drum and bass scene following number one hits with Nobody To Love and Paloma Faith collaboration Changing, Sigma are headlining the Supercharged stage.

Cameron Edwards and Joe Lenzie are set to release their debut album Life this year, which will feature collaborations with Labrinth and Ella Henderson as featured on latest single Glitterball.

Example and DJ Wire

ONE of many coups on this year’s Shakedown line-up is the return of chart-topping rapper and singer Elliot Gleave, backed by long-time collaborator DJ Wire on the Supercharged stage. Example is currently hard at work on his sixth album.

MK

US house DJ and producer MK is heading up the Defected stage. In the UK he is best known as a remixer – having worked on singles by Lana Del Ray, Haim, Duke Dumont, Rudimental and his chart-topping 2013 remix of underground hit Look Right Through by Storm Queen.

Camo And Krooked

AUSTRIA’S Camo And Krooked signed to drum and bass label Hospital Records in 2010. Reinhard ‘Camo’ Rietsch and Markus ‘Krooked’ Wagner are set to headline the Hospitality stage drawing on more than 13 years production experience – including three albums, a side project as Chrome and seemingly countless remixes and collaborations.

Sub Focus Featuring ID

ENGLISH drum and bass producer Nick Douwma is joining forces with longtime collaborator MC ID for his Hospitality stage performance. As well as supporting the likes of Pendulum on tour, producing Example’s track Kickstarts on second album Won’t Go Quietly, and collaborating with Alex Clare and Kele, Sub Focus has two studio albums to his name.

Oliver Dollar

BERLIN’S Oliver Dollar has repeatedly topped the Beatport charts, and collaborated with Swiss jazz house lover Jimi Jules on the Defected label.

He’s now working on his debut solo artist album.

Sam Divine

TEN years on from her Ibiza debut, former record shop employee Sam Divine has since played dancefloors across Europe and the world as part of Defected’s DJ agency. Expect a blend of deep, vocal and Balearis house.

DJ EZ

TOTTENHAM’S UK garage legend DJ EZ is another top booking for the Supercharged stage. As the man behind the classic Pure Garage series of compilations it’s safe to expect a mix of the old school and cutting edge.

Mike Skinner

THE former Streets frontman takes to the decks on the Supercharged stage and perhaps gives a hint of what he has been up to since retiring his alter ego in 2011.

Oxide And Neutrino

PIONEERS of the UK garage scene, Oxide And Neutrino took the genre overground with their number one hit Bound 4 Da Reload (Casualty), as well as being members of the notorious So Solid Crew. They are one of the early acts on the Supercharged stage.

Monki

LONDON-BASED BBC Radio 1 Monday night regular Monki mixes piano house with sub bass and everything in between, and is the other big name on the Cirque Du Soul stage.

She made her name on cult radio station Rinse, having started out fetching tea and Nandos, and now runs her own Zoo label.

Sonny Fodera

IN 2013 Sonny Fodera was named as one of Mixmag’s Hot Six in the fledgling house revival. Since first starting out as a hip-hop producer at the age of 16, Fodera has played with the likes of David Morales and Defected boss Simon Dunmore who signed him to his label.

Simon Dunmore

SIMON Dunmore created Defective Records in 1999 in partnership with Ministry Of Sound. The label went on to send Soulsearcher’s I Can’t Get Enough and Roger Sanchez’s Another Chance into the higher reaches of the UK charts. On top of that Dunmore is a respected house DJ with more than three decades behind the decks.

Fred V & Grafix

INSPIRED by Pendulum and High Contrast, Exeter’s Fred Vahrman and Josh Jackson embarked on a journey into drum and bass which saw them get picked up by Hospital Records for their 15th anniversary compilation.

Their debut album Recognise was released last year, with the single Forest Fires seeing them cross over onto the BBC Radio 1 playlist.

Jaguar Skills

THE masked favourite of Brighton’s seafront clubs returns to the Supercharged stage with a festival set, playing on his multi-genre, cut-and-paste style.

After-parties

Supercharged

Concorde 2, Madeira Drive, Brighton

MR Science hosts a hard-hitting drum and bass bill including DJ Hazard, Dub Phizix and Strategy, and Primitive People.

11pm to 5am, from £12.50. Call 01273 673311.

Cirque Du Soul

The Arch, King’s Road Arches, Brighton

ETON Messy head up Cirque Du Soul’s post-festival rave-up, with a distinct circus theme. Also on the bill are Weaver Brothers, Luke Wolfman, Mylo Harvey, Jack Burbage fresh from their Shakedown sets, plus Charlie LBC and DR Cool Face.

10.30pm to 4am, from £10. Visit www.residentadvisor.net

Shakedown Afterparty

The Coalition, King’s Road Arches, Brighton

CORNISH 18-year-old XYconstant, aka Alfie Coleman, plays the main room with support from Dom Decyfa, while Outbreak looks after room two. The Blow afterhours night for real nightowls starts at 3am, with tickets from £8.

11pm to 3am, £8/£10. Visit www.coalitionbrighton.com/

Pryzm Saturdays

Pryzm, West Street, Brighton

SAV Manganaro presides over a mix of disco, EDM, house, old school and R&B.

9pm to 4am, £8/£10, free entry to anyone with a Shakedown wristband. Visit www.pryzm.co.uk/brighton