No theme this week (the Sahara dust cloud has clogged my synapses to the point where smart connections are just too hard :( ), just a number of reasons to get out of the house and down to celebrate a) one of the UK’s most inventive radios stations or b) the launch of Bestival’s festival season or c) the exciting roster of the LuckyMe label or d) the launch of a great EP from Nightwave or e) Sheffield, in general. As always, there’s something for everyone. Don’t stay in.
**NTS 3rd Birthday @ Corsica Studios, London **
Saturday 5 April
For the uninitiated, NTS is a radio station that for the past three years, has been broadcasting out of a small hut on a square near a hairdressers and jazz bar in Dalston, east London. And, while some stations have playlists or required spins for certain tracks, Femi Adeyemi and crew (the local broadcasters and special guests keep changing, so it’s difficult to count) are having none of it. Seriously, just check
) should tip it.
**Bestival Launches Desert Island Disco feat The Wytches & more @ The Bussey building, London
**Friday 4 April
We’re currently building up to festival silly season. Headliners have (mainly) been announced for all but Glastonbury, the sun has started to warm the soggy earth and it’s really not that long before we start having to figure out how to wear the pastel trend, while spending four nights sleeping in a tent next to endless disposable BBQs and countless tiny piles of sick.
If you can't wait for the festival feeling though, Rob Da Bank’s Bestival is launching its theme ‘Desert Island Disco’ not on the Isle of Wight, but in the equally glamorous Peckham. OK, there might not be grass, sunshine and woods but the toilets are (slightly) better and there is live music from great new band The Wytches, plus a set from Paul Woolford’s Special Request. Maybe give the pastels a trial run?
Karenn @ Hope Works, Sheffield
**Jamie Jones @ The Plug, Sheffield **
*Friday 4 April *
Manchester, Glasgow and Liverpool have ‘won’ the weekend over the last few weeks, but what about somewhere towards the middle of the UK? Take a bow, Sheffield. This weekend there’s plenty on, but the pick has to be these two on Friday night. Blawan and Pariah’s Karenn headline at Hope Works for a night of the ‘freshest acts in techno right now’, while at The Plug, Manchester-born promoters Kaluki welcome Paradise party man Jamie Jones back to the city for more warmed-up tech from his Hot Creations label and more.
Krystal Klear @ The Exchange, Stoke On Trent
Saturday 5 April
Another city that hasn’t really had enough love here is Stoke (sorry, Stoke), so here’s something to right that wrong. This weekend, promoters Move have booked in All City signing and Hoya
should do the trick.
Nightrave w Artwork @ La Cheetah Club, Glasgow
*Friday 4 April *
There were a raft of release parties 2 weeks ago (shout out Evian Christ, Wen, Duke Dumont and R&S), but here’s another from Maya Medvesek, aka Nightwave, who’s going all out for the launch of her Hit It EP ft DJ Deeon. Rinse FM don Artwork (techno – did it; garage – did it; dubstep – did it; major label with Magnetic Man – did it) headlines alongside resident Cleoslaptra, plus a secret guest going b2b with Nightwave. ‘The secret guest is special indeed you won’t see him/her play an intimate venue like La Cheetah anywhere else in the World,’ she says. Sounds like a must.
Follow Sian on Twitter @Sianrowe_
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.