Pukkelpop 2025 blokkenschema dag 3 - zaterdag 16 augustus 2025

SOAPBOX are the unruly voice of Glasgow’s punk underground. Loud, unapologetic, and fiercely independent, the band has built a reputation for electrifying live shows, sold-out headline gigs, and anthems that challenge the status quo. Their latest single, The Fear, has propelled them further into the spotlight, earning key Spotify editorial placements alongside acts like SOFTPLAY, IDLES, and KNEECAP. After shutting down King Tut’s with a sold-out riot and supporting Australian punks Press Club at London’s legendary 100 Club, SOAPBOX are primed to set festival stages alight with their relentless energy and no-nonsense punk ethos.

Some things never go out of style. Emerging from the London punk scene with a high energy blend of Oi! hooks and hardcore stomp, The Chisel have a sound that’s as timeless as it is exhilarating. Now on their sophomore album, What A Fucking Nightmare, the band somehow cranks the dial further into the red with a whopping 16 tracks that are even more aggressive and even more anthemic. The Chisel formed in 2020 out of the same pool of talented friends and collaborators that bore bands like Violent Reaction, Arms Race, and Chubby & The Gang. After a series of singles and EPs, the band–whose current line up is vocalist Cal Graham, guitarists Luke Younger and Charlie Manning Walker, bassist Momo, and drummer Lee Munday released their debut full-length, Retaliation, in 2021 and secured their reputation as one of the most exciting new punk bands coming out of the UK.With more attention often comes more pressure, but The Chisel approached their second album with something very key in mind: “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” says Younger, explaining,“after we recorded the first record we just didn’t stop writing. So by the time it came out we already had even more new songs.” That prolific streak didn’t stop and the result is What A Fucking Nightmare – a behemoth of a punk record that doubles down on everything that makes The Chisel such a compelling band. What A Fucking Nightmare grabs the listener by the head and doesn’t let go. Recorded by James Atkinson and produced by Jonah Falco (Fucked Up, High Vis, Chubby & The Gang), the album hones The Chisel into the keenest and most effective version of themselves where the hooks are bigger and the bite is sharper. The heart of their sound draws on elements of old school hardcore, UK82, and other corners of aggressive punk, but it's The Chisel’s ability to pack a melodic punch that makes them stand out from the pack. Graham’s biting-yet-tuneful delivery is key to the band’s ability to swing from eye-bulging street punk ragers to triumphant singalongs that even the most faint-of-heart rock and roll fan couldn’t help but enjoy.What A Fucking Nightmare is the kind of album that reminds listeners of all the things that are so impactful and enduring about punk music: there’s a vitality to these songs, tangible sweat, blood, and bootprints that leave a mark long after they’re done. There’s absolutely no doubt that this is The Chisel's world–and we're just living in it.

‘Never Exhale’ is the sound of a band that hasn’t stopped for a breath. DITZ have toured  relentlessly since the release of their first album ‘The Great Regression’ and even before  that, travelling at least 100 days a year since COVID. The songs that form their newest  offering were written across Europe, often on off days and in borrowed rehearsal rooms  just to break up the long drives.  It could be said that the band treat recording and release of music as an afterthought.  Often playing songs live years before their release, tweaking them as they go. The songs  on the final record may change before they are ever heard as part of the album. Formed in late 2015 and playing their first show the following summer, DITZ came  together after vocalist C.A. Francis, guitarist Anton Mocock and bass player Caleb  Remnant went to watch METZ and Lightning Bolt and Concorde 2 in Brighton. “Let’s do  that.” A few shows in they picked up current guitarist Jack Looker, although his original  position was behind the drum kit. After a few singles such as ‘Seeking Arrangement’,  ‘Gayboy’ and ‘Total 90’, the band arrived at its current lineup with Sam Evans joining on drums. This was summer 2019. The band embarked on their first proper headline tour at  the start of 2020, completing it just before the world shut down. They made use of this  time wisely, holing up in the closed pub that Sam lived in an worked at to write parts of  their first album. As soon as they could play shows again, they did, managing to get  several tours under their belt before the release of their debut album “The Great  Regression” in 2022. One of these tours was dubbed “the brexit tour” by the band. “We  got in a van and tried to play the most random small towns we could, often just to the  opening bands and some regulars. It was character building trying to win over these  audiences that really couldn’t give a shit. Chichester was a particular highlight.” Francis  remarks.  After the album’s release things began to take off for the band, shows started selling  out, both in the UK and Europe, publications such as Pitchfork heaped praise on the  album and the band had to start thinking about writing another. The problem was that  they were always on the road. The answer was to write them on days off, the result is an  album that reflects the sound of the road.  ‘Never Exhale’ was largely recorded at Holy Mountain studios in London during a  freezing cold January. The process was fraught with obstacles. The original plan, to go  and record in Rhode Island, was abandoned when DITZ were offered a support tour with  IDLES, although the album was still mixed by the originally intended engineer, Seth Manchester (Model/Actriz, Lingua Ignota, Big Brave). The result is an album hardened by  the pressure of its own making. Laboured but not loved.  The album themes reveal themselves more on further listens. The opening gambit ‘Taxi  Man’ is an exploration into what it would be like to weigh up your impact on the world.  The eponymous taxi man could be seen as a St Peter type figure, or like Charon, ferrying  the dead into the underworld. The song was written in Cologne on the second day of a  two-day songwriting session. The first day was a bust. Nothing was achieved outside of  general frustration between the band members. The atmosphere was soured by months  on the road. This carried on the next day, the band members reluctantly arriving  separately in drips and drabs. As if out nowhere, Looker came up with the central riff  which was quickly strengthened by Remnant’s contribution. The lyrics came from poem  written by Francis in the Taxi Ride home the previous day.  Further on the album explores themes of unnecessary hatred and division in ‘Space/Smile’ and ‘It Smells Like Something Died In Here’, ‘Senor Siniestro’ looks at  aging and in ‘The Body As A Structure’the separation of the physical from an ingrained  sense of reality. It’s political, but ultimately personal. More Genet or Kafka than Orwell  or Huxley.  Sonically the album has its roots in the usual DITZ influences, classic noise rock such  as The Jesus Lizard or Shellac, or the obtuse post punk of the Fall, but also brings in  fresh influences. ‘Space/Smile’ in particular holds these references aloft. The initial  demo was a slower affair written by Remnant, revved up in the rehearsal room by the  fury the track demanded. The closing track ‘Britney’, could be compared to Radiohead  or Mogwai. Jack wrote the initial version of the instrumental on weekend at home with  family. It was an attempt to reconcile two different emotions. It was tentatively shared  with the rest of the band, Looker believing they would pass on something so different  from what they’ve previously released. He was wrong and they embraced the chance for  experimentation. Francis’s lyrics reflecting the vulnerability of the instrumental.  Overall the album is a clear development from their first effort. A sign of things to come

Team DAMP is Belgium's leading dancehall sensation, born from a deep-rooted tradition of Jamaican culture. With a profound love for classic Jamaican Dancehall and Reggae on one hand, and a passionate embrace of modern dancehall trends on the other, Team DAMP bridges the best of both worlds. They are also the creative masterminds behind the renownedBomboclat Festival in Belgium.Over the past years, the duo has released groundbreaking tracks featuring icons like Busy Signal, Charly Black, Million Stylez, Bay-C, and Jahyanai. And they’re keeping the momentum going in 2025 with upcoming collaborations with artists such as T.O.K., Suku Ward, Lanae, Busy Signal and Charly Black. Backed by prominent labels like Basshall, Flex Up Records, andEvidence Music, you know they’re delivering quality.

Hailing from Limburg (Belgium), HYALYTE is known as a true genre-bending expert, combining international sounds. UK Garage, Trance, Hiphop, Baile Funk, Breaks … This guy makes it look so easy. If you watch Boiler Room sets, you will come across multiple HYALYTE edits and remixes, being played by the biggest artists. His tracks are being supported by Fred Again, Skrillex, Hudson Mohawke, Baauer, DJ Snake and manymore.Get ready for pure nostalgia wrapped in alternative paper, HYALYTE will be remembered as the highlight of the night.

Simula has been writhing around in the depths of electronic music since 2015, and continues to push his gritty and dark sound forward into the void. Combining elements of jungle, jump up, and a variety of styles from the soundsystem culture, Simula pushes forward his own flavour of evil drum & bass. 

Tasmanian born, Perth Raised, Gold-Coast based Australian Christian Benson aka LUUDE is an exciting act in the middle of a global breakout moment. An artist who is consistently evolving and finding success across multiple endeavors. After bursting onto the scene in Australia with a series of remixes and original tracks that amassed millions of streams, LUUDE quickly took hold of the local club circuit, becoming an in-demand name for all promoters off the back of hard ticket sales. That constantly forward thinking take on dance music has now connected with the world outside of Australia in a big way - with back to back global hits in “Big City Life” and “Down Under” Luude has cemented himself as one of the scene's rising stars.

A globally renowned DJ and producer, Netsky has become a leading figure in the Drum & Bass scene, captivating audiences from Coachella to Glastonbury. In 2017, he launched his Netsky & Friends brand, headlining Tomorrowland's Mainstage and curating stages across Europe. With four studio albums featuring collaborations with Lil Wayne and David Guetta, plus remixes for Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran, his sound has earned him numerous accolades, including being the highest-ranked Drum & Bass DJ in DJ Mag's Top 100. His 2020 album Second Nature led to sold-out Glasshouse shows, and in 2023, he continued to push boundaries with his hit single Barricades featuring Rita Ora.

Flavour Drop is one of the newest faces of Studio Brussels! As a permanent value of the StuBru family, he’s been impressing audiences at Rock Werchter and the StuBru Snowcase for several years. He brings an energetic mix of hip-hop, drum & bass, rock, and even the occasional reggae classic, spreading good vibes only. Besides his radio career, Flavour Drop played at lots of major Belgian Festivals in the summer of 2024: Tomorrowland, Suikerrock and even the mainstage of Maanrock & Campo Solar. But maybe the biggest highlight of his career was closing down the fully packed famous Boiler Room of Pukkelpop with a three hour set. For Flavour Drop, diversity is key! With his heavier drum & bass side, he smashed the mainroom of Kompass Club in May, while during the summer, he unleashed his tropical sweetness at stages like Afro-Latino Festival and Polé Polé Gentse Feesten.With his own concept, Flavãsoul, he has been a regular guest at the Ghent dance hotspot Charlatan since 2022. Additionally, with this concept, he has filled the stage at Polé Polé for three consecutive years and even has a stage at Tomorrowland in 2025! The ingredients for a FlavãSoul night can be found in the tropical higher regions, along with Flavour Drop’s infectious energy! On stage, you'll find him alongside hype man MC Rim, ramping up the excitement even more.

Catalina has been carving her place in the Belgian electronic music scene through sonic combinations of breaks, leftfield electro and weighty UKG. With her monthly “C’est la Cata” show on the airwaves of Kiosk Radio, she’s made a name for herself by exploring the chemistry between deconstructed, percussive tempos and aquatic melodies, all the while borrowing elements from her musical influences in the UK. Her sets showcase a technical ability to transcend genres, focusing on the experimental and joyful side of electronic music and teleporting the dance floors further into the stratosphere and beyond.Catalina has been leaving her mark on the best dancefloors in Belgium (and beyond!), from throwing down at festivals such as Horst, Listen and Paradise City to setting the stage at clubs like Fuse and C12. She’s spun at Nuits Sonores, vibed at Siblings and Funke, and drove the energy at Club Détour. Her residency at one of Brussels’ most coveted DJ booths, La Cabane, is where you can see her showcasing her versatility. Catalina is a fixture as a resident of the esoteric Breaxx and Under My Garage parties. Whether it’s a festival stage or a packed basement, Catalina knows how to keep the crowd guessing — and dancing — with her signature blend of chaos, bass, and just the right amount of unpredictability.UK-inspired sounds are at the core of Catalina’s sound. Jungle’s raw breakbeats, garage’s smooth grooves, 2-step’s syncopated rhythms, and electro’s punchy basslines all define her dynamic sets. The heavy, dark elements punch through the more whimsical melodies, adding depth and contrast to Catalina’s sets. Three words: heavy hitting humor.

Brussels-based DJ Ava Eva brings a unique blend of intention and intuition, channeling nostalgia and curiosity through house-driven energy, bass-heavy cuts, and hypnotic rhythms — sounds that feel both timeless and freshly unexplored. Known for weaving together rare yet seemingly familiar tracks, she creates an atmosphere that’s as thoughtful as it is energeticBeyond the club, Ava Eva shares her soundscapes on her radio show, Anemoia on We Are Various community radio. Focused on the nostalgic pull of eras we’ve never known, Anemoia invites guest DJs to reinterpret this concept through their own lenses, each bringing a distinct twist to the journey.

London-based producer and DJ Effy grew up in the North West of England listening to the high energy sounds of artists like The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy.Effy was named as one of Pete T ong's Rising Stars and has attained blanket support on BBC Radio 1 & Radio 6 with Mary Anne Hobbs. Her debut EP Not What It Seems sees Effy stepping into the sounds she turns to when she DJs, as well as hearing that Prodigy influence with acid, rave and broken beat sounds.Effy’s latest EP ‘The Highest Level’ gained blanket support amongst the likes of Pangea, Bicep and was playlisted on Radio 6.She has so far played across some iconic venues and festivals such as Fabric, The Warehouse Project, Amnesia Ibiza, Printworks and Glastonbury. Effy capped off 2023 with a highly anticipated debut Boiler Room in Sydney. Comprised of predominantly her own productions, including her latest single with Australian based rapper VV Pete.

Interplanetary Criminal is the Manchester-based producer, DJ and ATW Records co-founder leading a rip-roaring new wave of UK garage. Straight from the studio to the iconic Arcadia spider, and from Dekmantel to Depot Mayfield, Croatia, Bogotá, Sydney, Miami and all-nighters at Leeds’ beloved Wire, IPC and his speedy, rowdy sets – and speedier, rowdier productions – are connecting with up-for-it audiences. His formula? Fresh, fun and foundation-minded, balancing innovation with a wholehearted appreciation for everything that’s come before, including the enduring influence of the North West. His dedication is paying off. Recent years have seen IPC (real name Zach Bruce) earn DJ Mag’s Best of British awards for Best Producer and Best Track, along with a Brit Award nomination. He’s played ecstatic b2bs with legends like Skream, remixed for formative heroes like Dusky and been a regular on Rinse FM. Not to mention all the music he’s created and shared, counting 2022’s celebratory “All Thru The Night” V/A compilation for the seminal Locked On label. Plus, of course, the chart-topping “B.O.T.A. (Baddest Of Them All)” – an irresistible collab with Eliza Rose. He’s been on a collaboration tip this year as well, releasing the sing-along, 00s-flavoured “No Time” (featuring Canadian artist SadBoi) and the icy, 2-step-meets-drill “Races” (with Harlem Spartans founder Blanco) via Room Two Recordings. And in the afterglow of another packed festival season, he’s just wrapped up a North and South American tour. The UK and Europe are next, with IPC’s hotly-tipped headline show at London’s HERE @ Outernet selling out in hours. It’s going to be a massive club autumn/winter. Perfectly aligned, then, with his new solo EP for ATW Records, which he launched in 2020 alongside Danish artist (and kindred spirit) Main Phase. If you were to ask IPC to describe “ATW007,” he’d say it’s “no-nonsense, brash, rudeboy energy,” primed for club usage and crafted specifically for his USB. The EP features an incendiary link-up with veteran MC Riko Dan (“Gunman”), IPC’s go-to set opener (“The Valley”) and a “classic speed garage” love letter to his hometown (“Manchester” – of course). Listening to it is like being plunged into a peak-time dancefloor, not just in how it sounds but in how it makes you feel – pulled into a crowd, locked in a groove, in the thick of something special. This new EP (much like IPC’s output at large) is dedicated to the underground, which makes total sense. When it comes to IPC personally – but also UKG more broadly – context and authenticity are everything. ATW Records champions that, aiming to capture the energy and perspectives of today’s garage scene while carving a distinct identity. For IPC, this is the key to all that he does: taking in, giving back and staying true to what he stands for.

ISAÏ is een vooraanstaande muzikant en solo-artiest in de Nederlandse muziekscene. Met zijn ongeëvenaarde passie voor muziek heeft ISAÏ een indrukwekkende carrière opgebouwd.In 2012 maakte ISAÏ zijn debuut als percussionist in de dance-industrie. Zijnsamenwerkingen met bekende DJ's en zijn bijdragen aan bands zoals Rondé, Taymir, S10 en GOLDBAND hebben hem een solide reputatie bezorgd in de Nederlandse muziekwereld.In 2021 besloot ISAÏ een nieuwe weg in te slaan en lanceerde hij zijn eerste solo-project, simpelweg genaamd ISAÏ. Met zijn kenmerkende sound die elektronische elementen vermengt met invloeden uit pop, hiphop en rock.Zijn debuutmixtape 'Nachtblind' belooft een opwindende mix te worden van gevoelige onderwerpen en dansbare muziek, die zijn unieke artistieke visie en veelzijdigheid weerspiegelt. Met zijn aanstekelijke beats en onmiskenbare energie weet ISAÏ keer op keer het publiek te veroveren en de clubs op hun kop te zetten.

Toen Jelle Denturck, frontman van decibelmakers DIRK., het gevoel had dat hij wat vastzat in zijn leven, leidde de zoektocht naar zichzelf tot de geboorte van Dressed Like Boys. Met zijn eerste soloproject giet hij die zoektocht, en de aanvaarding van zijn geaardheid, op intieme wijze in verbluffend mooie songs. Het titelloze debuut, geproduceerd door Tobie Speleman (o.a. ook The Haunted Youth, Calicos, Isolde Lasoen) verschijnt op 29 augustus. “Waarom ben ik hier eigenlijk?” Het was een van de Grote Vragen die Denturck zich op een bepaald moment stelde. Als voormalig student filosofie (“mátig student, ik was meer bezig met pintjes en vrienden”) ging hij in boeken en bij de klassieke filosofen op zoek naar het antwoord. “Maar door mij af te vragen waaróm ik besta, liep ik voorbij aan het simpele besef dát ik besta. Er mogen zijn is een mirakel en dat elke dag ten volle beseffen is magisch.”In die periode borrelde er ook veel muziek naar boven en ontdekte Denturck een heel nieuw muzikaal facet van zichzelf. “Ironisch genoeg kennen de mensen mij vooral van DIRK., maar eigenlijk is dat de uitzondering, muzikaal het uitstapje. In de democratie die de band is, schrijf ik minder persoonlijk. Dressed Like Boys is de muziek die het dichtst bij mezelf ligt, en mijn bevrijding als songschrijver. Ik had oneindig veel tijd om de perfecte gouden melodie te vinden. Pas als alles goed zit in mijn hoofd, zet ik mij aan een instrument en neem ik een demo op. Ik heb het gevoel dat de artiesten naar wie ik opkijk ook zo werken: Bowie, Lennon, Nina Simone, Sufjan Stevens, Tobias Jesso Jr. Die maken allemaal songs waarvan je het gevoel hebt dat ze altijd al hebben bestaan. Dat is mijn doel als songschrijver, songs waarvan je denkt: hoe heeft nog nooit iemand dit uitgebracht?”Uit zijn zelfonderzoek puurde Denturck persoonlijke songs als Healing, Pinnacles en Gregor Samsa: van mijmeringen over zijn liefdevolle geboortedorp Ingelmunster (“maar ook een gouden kooi”) tot de depressie na het overlijden van zijn moeder 7 jaar geleden. “Ik ben het type mens dat altijd pas achteraf door heeft hoe diep hij gezeten heeft. Pas twee jaar geleden, toen ik de zon in het leven weer begon te zien, besefte ik dat.” Hét thema is onvermijdelijk Denturcks geaardheid, die hij eindelijk helemaal omarmt. “Dat heeft wel even geduurd. Ik ben uit de kast gekomen en er een tijdje weer in gekropen. Jezelf aanvaarden is één ding, beseffen dat je de aanvaarding van de wereld niet nodig hebt nog wat anders.”Heel persoonlijk is Pride, over het moment waarop Denturck en zijn vriend fysiek worden belaagd en daar verschillend op reageren. Andere songs gaan over queer history in het algemeen, zoals Stonewall Riots Forever, waar ook de naam ‘Dressed Like Boys’ van komt, Agony Street, over de tumultueuze relatie tussen de Franse schrijvers Rimbaud en Verlaine, en Jaouad, een ode aan queer icoon Jaouad Alloul. “Ik zie me niet als een activist, maar als ik via mijn muziek een steentje kan bijdragen aan de queer struggle, ga ik die kans niet laten liggen. Wel met de nuance: ik zie mezelf in de eerste plaats als muzikant. Ik wil dingen maken, mooie dingen maken. Dat is mijn levensdoel.” Had Denturck het gevoel dat hij met zijn demo’s maar wat aan het ‘prutsen’ was, dan vond het platenlabel die toch beter dan de opnames in “een dure studio met hypergetalenteerde muzikanten”. Denturck besloot het album helemaal opnieuw op te nemen en elke song zijn eigen karakter te geven, meteen in de opname. Hij schuimde hij het land af op zoek naar buffetpiano’s met de juiste klankkleur, tijdens een wandeling door Ingelmunster zong hij Our Part Of Town in op zijn iPhone, met vogels op de achtergrond, en een snare drum werd opgenomen met een koptelefoon in plaats van microfoon. “Hoe meer we op die manier bezig waren, hoe meer fun dat werd. En ik ben ongelofelijk tevreden met het resultaat, omdat ik het gevoel heb: qua sound, dat heb ik in België nog niet gehoord. Nu mag heel de wereld zeggen: dude, dat is de meest shitty plaat die ik al gehoord heb – ik ben blij, ik ben content.”

Being Dead — the Texas-based trio of best friends Falcon B*tch, Gumball, and Ricky Moto — announce their debut album, When Horses Would Run, out July 14th on their new label home Bayonet Records, and share the lead single/video, “Muriel’s Big Day Off.” When Horses Would Run propels listeners into vivid landscapes: desert planes, dirty basements, lush rolling hills. Being Dead is here to create worlds where we can soak in stories of carefree shoplifters, wayward cowboys, and the final moments of a lonely Buffalo on the range. Merging surf rock, freak pop and frantic punk, Being Dead’s eclectic influences and energetic pull swells on their excellent debut album.

Yukimi is forging a new path. Following her success as the vocalist and percussionist in Grammy-nominated group Little Dragon, this year she is branching out with her first solo project. Born and raised in Gothenburg, Yukimi had a musical childhood, forming Little Dragon in high school alongside Erik Bodin on drums, Fredrik Wallin on bass and Håkan Wirenstrand at the keys. Her journey so far has spanned performances including Coachella, Glastonbury, Hollywood Bowl, Lollapalooza, and NPR’s Tiny Desk.Continuing her musical relationship with Erik Bodin, her sound builds on the pioneering blend of R&B, Electronic and indie that made Little Dragon a global band  and creating beautifully and meaningfully crafted songs. With the live band including Agnes Perrson on guitar, and Angelica Kvarby on bass, there is a compelling female energy to the sound. They are also joined by Erik (drums) and André Roots (keys).

What do you do when everything you’ve ever wanted suddenly lands in your lap, but the questions still keep on coming?Since first steering their golden Rover into swift public acclaim back in 2020, Leeds quartet Yard Act have become one of the great indie success stories of the decade so far. Along the way, they’ve ticked off milestones ranging from a Number Two chart placing and Mercury Prize nomination for debut album ‘The Overload’, to a co-sign from Elton John who joined the band to guest on a string-laden reworking of album closer ‘100% Endurance’. Yet, whilst the band’s trajectory continuously shot upwards, vocalist James Smith and his wife had also welcomed in a son. And it’s this duelling sense of responsibility and ambition, guilt, love, drive and everything in between that forms the narrative backbone of brilliantly exploratory second album ‘Where’s My Utopia’. Written in snapshots of time between a relentless touring schedule, and produced jointly by the band and Gorillaz’ Remi Kabaka Jr, the quartet’s second act is a giant leap forward into broad and playful new sonic waters. “The main reason that ‘post-punk’ was the vehicle for Album One was because it was really affordable to do, but we always liked so much other music and this time we've had the confidence to embrace it,” James explains. Across the record, influences ranging from Fela Kuti to Ennio Moricone via Spiller’s ‘00s pop smash ‘Groovejet’ make themselves known.It’s a celebratory palette upon which Smith allowed himself to reach lyrically deeper into himself than ever. Gone, largely, are the outward-facing character studies of yore, replaced with a set of songs that stare fully into the headlights of life, wrangling with the frontman’s own fears and foibles to create a sort of Promethean narrative - but with jokes. “You can commit to the idea that we’re just animals who eat and fuck and then we die, and that’s fine,” he suggests. “But for me, creativity always seems to be the best way of articulating the absolute minefield of what human existence is.”

Raised in Calabar, Nigeria, before moving to London as a teen, Obongjayar’s sound is a singular blend of the worlds he moves through. Working with everyone from Jeshi to Little Simz to Pa Salieu, OB is famed for his distinct fusion of global pop melodies grounded with West African inflections, alongside his mesmerizing live performances and his innate punk sensibilities. It won him an Ivor Novello for his singular pen and earned him a Top 5 single with over 225 million streams for his feature on Fred Again…’s “adore u,” which heavily samples OB's original "I Wish It Was Me". With fans in the likes of i-D, Dazed, Crack, The Guardian and NPR already for his critically acclaimed debut Some Nights I Dream Of Doors, OB’s highly anticipated follow up Paradise Now sees him primed and ready to live (and thrive) in the moment. Grappling with everything from self-acceptance and transcendence to grief and loneliness, FOMO, procrastinations and nights you never want to end, it’s an adventure through the subconscious of one of the UK’s most thrilling modern voices. Produced between London and LA with Kwes Darko (Pa Salieu, John Glacier), Yeti Beats (Doja Cat) and Beach Noise (Kendrick Lamar, Baby Keem, Bakar), it’s a Trojan horse of some of his most intimate storytelling yet, candy-coated in electro-pop synths, soaring strings and ever contagious percussion.

Belgian five-piece Whispering Sons brings a dark and unique blend of experimental and frenetic post-punk. The propulsive instrumentation combined with Fenne Kuppens’ deep vocal delivery amounts to a constant sense of unease that’s been inherent in their music since the beginnings. With their energetic and captivating performance, the band has firmly cemented themselves as a must-see live act.Over the last years, the band has been slowly but surely redrawing their own boundaries and going beyond them. Where their debut album ‘Image’ (2018) was theatrical and widescreen, their following record ‘Several Others’ (2021) focused more on their greatest strength: sheer, unpretentious intensity. After the release of ‘Several Others’ the band started working on a new album over a period of two years. This third full-length album titled ‘The Great Calm’ might surprise long-standing Whispering Sons followers. It’s less dark than ‘Several Others’ and less grand than ‘Image’. Yet that typical Whispering Sons identity is still inherent in every song, as the band never strays far from their raw energy and emotion. This new album might be more uplifting and playful, but that ominous undertone is still lurking. 

Al meer dan 20 jaar dwaalt kempenzoon Eppo Janssen professioneel door muzikale velden als radiomaker (Janssen&Janssen op Willy en Duyster op Studio Brussel), muzikant, dj, (Pukkelpop) progammator, …Die veelzijdigheid hoor je terug in zijn dj-sets. Eppo gaat swingend, fantasierijk en uitdagend door de muziekgeschiedenis: van indierock en pop over r&b en hiphop tot de laatste toffe dance platen. Enfin, Eppo Janssen rijmt niet toevallig op keihard dansen.Speelde eerder op: Best Kept Secret Festival, Pukkelpop, Lokerse Feesten, Hindu Nights, Dour, Graspop, ...

With a sound that blends the best of the past and present, Zinadelphia crafts timeless, colourful songs that play the long game.Following a successful trio of singles, Zinadelphia released her debut Lucky EP in 2023, and began touring as support for artists who are equally as audacious: Medium Build, Teddy Swims and most recently, Tori Kelly. “It’s the most fun I’ve had in my whole life,” she describes. She built her audience organically, performing cross-country for the first time and captivating new fans with her singular voice and charm.Entering 2024, Zinadelphia brought together writer-producers Leroy Clampitt and Gabe Goodman, working out of LA together to create a sound that is everything she’s always wanted. “I’m very much a maximalist,” she explains. “I wanted to dip into an old Hollywood feel, almost Burlesque-like.” This aesthetic, combined with her love of 60s and 70s icons like The Supremes, Gloria Gaynor, and Tammi Terrell, birthed songs that feel reminiscent of those decades, while still being grounded in the present. Her next single, “Love Over Glory,” encapsulates the power that Zinadelphia has always possessed, now on full display. She strives to be realistic, rather than aspirational, about her struggles, contrasting darker themes with high energy tempos. Referencing disco motifs with bombastic horns, funk basslines and a four-on-the-floor beat, the single sets the stage for a new era to come: “It’s the most me I’ve ever felt.” Zinadelphia embraces life’s “ugly truths'' through her songwriting, using music as an outlet to process new experiences and express herself. She captures the highs and lows of womanhood, marrying vintage aesthetics with a fresh and exciting perspective.

A precociously talented five-piece from London, the band recently celebrated their 100th gig. Since their debut at 16 years old and across three self-released singles, the band have proven themselves as one of the most exciting and unpredictable young acts in the capital, both joyous and raucous in equal measures. Last year’s “What Lucy Found There” was to be their breakthrough, securing attention for the band from the likes of The Quietus, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, So Young, BBC 6 Music and more.This November the band truly come of age with their debut EP, “Eazy Peazy”, to land on the indie taste-maker label Fat Possum Records. Recorded with Gilla Band’s Daniel Fox at Echo Zoo studio in Eastbourne, the group present us with cinematic arrangements, mauled by moments of cacophony;  the band’s Billy Ward says of their writing process, “we thrive on the thin line between pretty and noisy, often trying to jump between the two - it’s that chaos that excites us.”From the driving immediacy of opener “The Boss”, to the robust backbone of “Sports Day”, to the theatrical beauty of “Grow A Tongue In Time” and orchestral highlight “Ode To Clio”, the six track EP captures all the cerebral intensity, and celebratory melody, of the Man/Woman/Chainsaw live performance. It signals the start proper for a band who have been allowed to experiment, given the time to find their sound and line-up in a vibrant, supportive DIY community, and who will surely finish the year ready to take on the next with unbridled confidence. With boundless potential like theirs, you’d not bet against them.

Riding the soul revival wave, DON WEST coins his own brand of coastal soul music. Taking influence from the likes of Marvin Gaye & Curtis Mayfield to the modern players Jalen Ngonda and Thee Sacred Souls. DON WEST has made his own mark on the genre with the release of his debut EP in November 2024. Key tracks include ‘Small Change’ and ‘Friends’, seeing global success. Alongside a 5 star review, Richard Kingsmill adds that ‘Plenty try it [soul music], and often fall short. This guy glides into it with ease.’ With the latest releases & more to come, you can see DON WEST as an artist totally in his element.

19-year-old multi-talented artist and instrumentalist SOFIA ISELLA has been making waves as of late. A classically trained violinist, songwriter, producer and poet, the young creator’s biggest influences are among the likes of Trent Reznor, Beck, Sylvia Plath, Margaret Atwood, Mona Awad and Anne Sexton. ISELLA has spent the last few years touring globally and domestically, most recently opening for Tom Odell in the UK and Melanie Martinez in the US, UK, and Mexico. ISELLA recently opened for Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour in London at Wembley Stadium.

Carving out their space in the Nu-Rave scene, Belgian duo Promis3’s captivating productions, mesmerizing visuals and striking aesthetic are a tribute to European club & queer culture. The duo constantly pushes the boundaries of their recognizable, yet confronting identity. Shaped by Europop, Hyperpop, Y2K trance, Rave and so much more, it's clear that Promis3’s sound is genre fluid. In the past Promis3 shared the stage with names like Shygirl, h0rsegiirl, Cobrah, and Ascendant Vierge, solidifying their position in the music industry. Their single “Archangel” – a thrilling rework of Burial’s timeless classic, caught the attention of the renowned collective LIVE FROM EARTH after their standout set at HÖR BERLIN and got released on their label.Early 2025 they released on CDLF, the label of Parisian techno icon & possession founder Parfait. With a recent mix on LIVE FROM EARTH’s ‘Klub’ series and upcoming mixes on BCCO and Apple music, Promis3 showcases their versatile hybrid dj sets, a new format next to their full A/V liveshow.With past recognition from platforms like PAPER, METAL, and Wonderland, and a busy performance schedule, including major festival appearances and collaborations, Promis3 continue their steady growth.Get ready for the sound of the future with a nostalgic touch of the past.

From serenading the dimly-lit corners of East London pubs to Courting interest from several major record labels, agents, promoters & publishers in a few short months, The Last Dinner Party have burst forth gloriously into the guitar music renaissance.Conceived during a wine-stained evening in Brixton, the name embodies a musical and aesthetic ethos of decadence, mystery, spectacle and charm. Finding artistry in the intersection between the beautiful, sublime and grotesque, the band are guided by their favourite Romantic poets and Gothic novelists.The preceding years of isolation and anxiety have only served to heighten The Last Dinner Party’s creative appeal as they usher in a new era of unashamed maximalism and untethered euphoria. They cast their net of inspiration across artists and genres, from Kate Bush and David Bowie, glam rock and new wave, to unexpected moments of twelve bar blues, classical overture and heavy synth breakdowns.Singer Abigaille, guitarists Emily and Lizzie, keyboardist Aurora and bassist Georgia weave a fantasy of haunting melodies, explosive choruses, and lyrics that embrace tragedy and triumph in equal measure. At their shows, the band lead audiences through the soaring crescendos and pin-drop silences of the most debaucherous dinner parties, gathering a dedicated and growing company of attendees with every performance.The band are currently based in London writing, recording, and preparing for their next spectacle.You are cordially invited.The Last Dinner Party

 TANGK is the righteous and vibrant fifth album from madcap truth-seekers, IDLES. Pronounced “tank” with a whiff of the “g” - an onomatopoeic reference to the lashing way the band imagined their guitars sounding that has since grown into a sigil for living in love - the record is the band’s most ambitious and striking work yet. Where IDLES were once set on taking the world’s piss, squaring off with strong jaws against the perennially entitled, and exercising personal trauma in real time, they have arrived in this new act to offer the fruits of such perseverance: love, joy, and indeed gratitude for the mere opportunity of existence.A radical sense of defiant empowerment radiates from TANGK, co-produced by Nigel Godrich, IDLES guitarist Mark Bowen, and Kenny Beats. Despite his reputation as an incendiary post-punk sparkplug, frontman Joe Talbot sings almost all the feelings inside these 10 songs with hard-earned soul, offering each lusty vow or solidarity plea as a bona fide pop song—that is, a thing for everyone to pass around and share, communal anthems intended for overcoming our grievance. Lead single “Dancer” stands as the throbbing and scuzzy highlight at the album’s center - rattling bass and ricocheting guitar giving Talbot space to talk about sweat and sex on the dancefloor. (You will spy LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Nancy Whang here, too, singing.) It is lascivious and playful and positive, the ecstatic sound of at least a temporary fix. In the improvised hook, Talbot offers IDLES’ essential new mantra: “I give myself to you/As long as you move on the floor.” He is singing about the rapture of a new relationship, but he is also singing about the special dynamic between IDLES and their fans, or IDLES and the world at large. This is a band’s vow to keep lifting and fighting for themselves and their listeners, to keep offering the grim persistence of joy and hope and love and wonder as long as that’s what anyone needs to survive. It is a love song the same way that TANGK is a love album—open to anyone who requires something to shout out loud in order to fend off any encroaching sense of the void, now or forever.

Multi-platinum and GRAMMY award winning rapper Macklemore has made history as an independent artist with a combination of commercial success, critical acclaim and international appeal. ‘GEMINI’, Macklemore’s first solo effort in 12 years, was released in 2017 and debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and #1 on the charts for Rap, R&B/Hip-Hop, and Independent Albums. ‘GEMINI’ includes three Platinum-certified singles, “Glorious" (featuring Skylar Grey), “Good Old Days” (featuring Kesha), and “Marmalade” (featuring Lil Yachty).‘GEMINI’ follows two releases with producer Ryan Lewis: the multiple-GRAMMY award winning and multi-platinum album, ‘The Heist’ (which spawned two #1 singles, the Diamond-certified “Thrift Shop” and multi-platinum “Can’t Hold Us”) and 2016 release “This Unruly Mess I’ve Made”, which featured the Platinum-certified single "Downtown".In 2021, Macklemore released the single “Next Year” featuring Windser. The new record is produced by Ryan Lewis, the first new song the two have made in five years.His most recent full-length album, ‘BEN’, dropped in March 2023. The introspective project includes tracks like “Faithful” (feat. NLE Choppa), “Heroes” (feat. DJ Premier), and “No Bad Days” (feat. Collett), and showcases a return to deeply personal storytelling and sharp lyricism.

Het succes van vorig jaar was zo overdonderend dat een vervolg niet kon uitblijven. Classic, natuurlijk. Op zaterdag 16 augustus staan de 47 hybride geschoolde muzikanten van The Atomic Orchestra opnieuw in de Marquee. Onder leiding van Jo Hermans, de charismatische chef d’orchestre en een lading nieuwe muzikale gasten. 

Yong Yello is de alias van rapper en producer Yello Staelens. In een vorig leven was hij lid van het legendarische hiphopcollectief Eigen Makelij, waar hij samenwerkte met onder anderen Tourist LeMC. Later groeide hij uit tot de vaste producer van Glints.Ondertussen kennen we hem als de nieuwe kroonprins van het Antwerpse lied. Zijn muziek heeft wortels in de 90s-hiphop waarmee hij opgroeide, maar is sterk beïnvloed door soul, funk en soundtracks uit de jaren ‘60 en ‘70. Hij schrijft met de finesse van een chansonnier en zijn refreinen zijn meeslepend als een popsong.In 2020 schopte hij het tot finalist van De Nieuwe Lichting met de single Als Ge Slaapt.Later kregen we singles uit zijn debuutalbum Marcel & Het Magnetisme Van De Goot (2021) voorgeschoteld. Met nummers als Cirkels, Waanzin en Luchtkasteel liet hij een stevige indruk na. Dit bevestigde hij met uitverkochte zalen, voor “Yelloooooo” scanderende menigtes en krachtige festivalshows op de weides van Pukkelpop, Rock Werchter en de Lokerse Feesten. Dit leverde hem onder andere een MIA-nominatie op in de categorie Hip-Hop/R&B.Het album Marcel & Het Magnetisme Van De Goot  werd vandaag bekroond met een Gouden Plaat.

Under the moniker Still Woozy, Portland-based singer-songwriter/producer Sven Gamsky makes psychedelic alternative music with a homespun mix of acoustic and electronic instruments. On his debut album released in 2021, If This Isn’t Nice, I Don’t Know What Is, Gamsky ultimately redefines the limits of modern pop, introducing elements of soul, folk, and psychedelia into a wildly infectious sound that immediately leaves a lasting impact. He shared an ingeniously detailed body of work, including beloved singles “Window,” “That’s Life,” and “Woof,” and graces each song with the uplifting energy he brought to the stage at major festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza and a sold out If This Isn’t Nice Tour across North America and Europe. With his distinctive blend of dreamy melodies and innovative soundscapes, Still Woozy continues to captivate audiences, solidifying his place as a unique and influential force in the contemporary music landscape. With a sophomore album, Loveseat, due for release on June 28 2024, Still Woozy returns with a new single “Shotput” out now. 

GRAMMY-nominated artist and producer, RY X, is constantly in pursuit of connection. Connection to nature, to spirit, to the human experience - expression and vulnerability is at the core of his work and what he evokes as an artist. He has toured and performed around the globe in some of the worlds most Iconic spaces, and collaborated with orchestras and establishments like LA Philharmonic and London Philharmonic, along with producing and writing records for artists like Drake, Diplo, Black Coffee, and John Legend. He has amassed over a billion streams online, and received platinum and gold records for his recordings, along with being invited to share his work at the Nobel Peace Prize and places like Notre Dame.He has also scored for the Gothenburg Opera and NDT, and continues to work in collaboration with dance and other art mediums, along with scoring numerous film projects. His work is multifaceted, deeply emotional, and continually based in a reflection of what it ultimately means to be human, in its wide range of somatic and emotional experience. Ry engages all forms of artistic expression with his heart at the fore.

“‘A LA SALA,’ I used to scream it around my house when I was a little girl, to get everybody in the living room; to get my family together. That’s kind of what recording the new album felt like. Emotionally there was a desire to get back to square-one between the three of us, to where we came from–in sonics and in feeling. Let’s get back there.”  - Laura Lee OchoaThe title makes it clear. A LA SALA (“To the Room” in Spanish), the fourth studio album by Khruangbin, is an exercise in returning in order to go further, and do so on your own terms. It extends the air of mystery and sanctity that’s key to how bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, Jr. and guitarist Mark “Marko” Speer approach music. Yet if 2020’s Mordechai, the last studio album Khruangbin made without collaborators, was a party record whose ensuing post-lockdown tour enhanced the band’s musical reputation far and wide, A LA SALA is the measured morning after. It’s a gorgeously airy album made only in the company of the group’s longtime engineer Steve Christensen, with minimal overdubs. It is a porthole onto the bounties powering Khruangbin’s vision, a reimagining and refueling for the long haul ahead. A LA SALA scales Khruangbin down to scale up, a creative strategy with the future in mind.It is also a response to the unique moment Khruangbin finds itself in now: following a decade spent cultivating extraordinary music paths, beginning a year when they'll perform for more people, in more iconic spaces, staging a live show that pushes a creative envelope peculiar to them alone. (Look for the band at major festivals and venues near you.) 2024 feels like both marker and pivot, cementing Khruangbin’s stature as a commercially and critically successful group that continues to be guided by creative possibilities.Such crossroads are familiar for iconic artists throughout the rock era — your Dylans, Stevies and Bowies, up thru turn-of-the-century Radiohead, all have navigated these straits. On A LA SALA, Khruangbin also pulls exploration inward, spurning the din of the crowd’s expectations, mapping a personal direction home. The trio’s collective musical DNA and the years spent constructing it in Houston’s local-meets-global cultural stew ensure the band carries on sounding like no one but itself. A LA SALA may in fact be Khruangbin’s purest distillation. A cascade of crisp melodies still emanates from Marko’s reverb-heavy electric, dancing gently around Laura Lee’s minimalist almost-dub bass triangles, while DJ’s drums serve as the tightened-up pocket and unwavering dance-floor on which all this movement takes place. Where prior album-by-album growth seemed to point the narratives towards music’s polyglot edges, such inquiries now sound like known intimacies. What once seemed like sonic invocations — spaghetti-western film scores, found-sounds, dancing moments more living room than rooftop disco — are ingrained characteristics. This is who they are! And there’s a freshness to the instrumental interactivity on A LA SALA that’s less concerned with getting further out than going deeper in. That depth is not about therapeutic self-reflection, but a profound desire to celebrate the world’s external wonders.A LA SALA invites intimate intercontinental partying. The first single is, after all, called “A Love International.” “Pon Pón” holds the band’s table at the West African discotheque; yet the joy now moves to the corner left of the dancefloor, where the back-and-forth between Laura Lee’s bass, DJ’s hi-hat, and Marko’s tuneful rhythm scratches, is a marvel of knowing head-nods. There’s “Hold Me Up (Thank You),” a familial sweetness in its spare lyrics, feeding off the rhythm section’s sturdy funk shuffle, and a chorus on which Marko’s guitar evokes both sides of the Atlantic in confident unshowy rhythms. They’re on “Todavía Viva” too, next to DJ’s noir-soul rim-shots, synth strings and a pregnant pause that is Laura Lee’s favorite moment on the album, the mood kin to the band’s glorious live interpretations of G-funk fantasias. And the rocked-up miniature, “Juegos y Nubes,” demonstrates Khruangbin’s Houston-born superpower to culture-mix, a dancing mood less concerned with worldly glamor than communal grooving.“I read something long ago, attributed to Miles Davis. He said, ‘When they play fast, you play slow. When they play slow, you play fast.’ And it's definitely how I've approached looking at music: Don't follow the trends. And if the trend is this, then do something else.” - MarkoFrom the get-go, Khruangbin’s journey has been emphatically its own: a sound and visual representation with few precedents, ignoring pop expectations, relying only on internal inspirations, and a multitude of visions. It’s a mindset of penetrating the self, connecting to the surrounding world, modeling your own life experiences. This ethos is threaded throughout A LA SALA, audible in the album’s form and function. (It’s even visible in the vinyl version’s physical package, which will be released as a set of seven distinctive covers and color-sets — more on which in a sec.) The building blocks for the album’s 12 songs were jigsaw pieces found in Khruangbin’s creative past. Having stockpiled ideas originally set down as off-the-cuff recordings (voice-memos made at sound-checks, on long voyages, as absentminded epiphanies), they began fitting those pieces together in the studio. Which parts were apt? Which could be massaged and stretched out? Which inspired new sections or rhythms or musical interactions? Once more, Khruangbin’s familial DNA kicked in. Layer-by-layer, the intimate work, rework and re-rework bore new fruit. They also brought back a strategy once foundational to their records: seeding an album with field recordings.  Some results fold directly into A LA SALA’s down-home feel. “Three From Two” and “May Ninth” are wistful mid-tempo numbers, with guitar melodies that reside somewhere between Bakersfield and by-the-riverside, cues that, for all its borderless inclusivity, another core Khruangbin value is being steeped in American roots. And in the landscape that music comes from. Like all albums prior to Mordechai, Marko made sure environmental sounds — natural and man-made — appeared as textures. (At times philosophically: the group recorded while cricket chirps played in their headphones, presumably for terroir.) It’s how A LA SALA achieves such interconnected set-and-setting-ness.   Other results are more metaphorical, especially in Khruangbin’s flirtation with ambient spaces. The dramatically beatless “Farolim de Felgueiras” and “Caja de la Sala” both feature only Marko’s unmistakable guitar dueting with Laura Lee’s Moog, lightly layered with sounds of shoes on stone steps, and cicadas in an open field. The closing “Les Petits Gris” more fully reduces and fleshes out the ambiance, with a piano and a simple single-note bass pattern, Marko’s plaintive spare guitar echoing the melody of a ballerina-turning music box. It feels an apt way of ending — as a passing of this particular moment, preparation for the next one, soon-come. Even the seven different covers that adorn A LA SALA’s various vinyl editions offer a throughline from the music into Khruangbin’s current frame. Designed by the band using Marko’s multitude of travelog photos, they are windows from the band’s living room onto a set of daydreams, scenes of impossible skies, external glances illuminating what is going on inside. These are also directly related to David Black’s images of DJ, Laura Lee and Marko which accompany A LA SALA, and to Khruangbin’s live staging reinvention. It’s all about looking out and looking back, in order to better look ahead.  “All the little moments you capture. You don't see how impactful they are until you hear what eventually comes of them. A lot of those scraps end up being the thing — and you don't realize it until it's ‘The Thing.’” - DJ

De carrière van De Jeugd begon in 2005 met de nummer-1 hit ‘Watskeburt?!’ en sindsdien werd de groep gezien als een van de meest vernieuwende en invloedrijke acts in de Nederlandstalige muziek. Ze scoorden hits als ‘Sterrenstof’, ‘De Formule’, ‘Manon’, 'Hollereer’, 'Get Spanish' en 'Gemist’ met meerdere (multi)platina en gouden awards. De groep bracht tot nu toe acht studio albums uit waarvan de laatste ‘Moderne Manieren’ in 2023 binnenkwam op #1 in de Nederlandse Album Charts. De jongens hebben talloze awards op de mantel waaronder meerdere Edison-awards, MTV Award en de Popprijs. Willie Wartaal, Vjèze Fur, Faberyayo en Bas Bron staan bekend om hun energieke live shows. Ze geven steevast uitverkochte concerten in alle poppodia in de Benelux, in de Lotto Arena ,  AFAS Live, Rotterdam Ahoy en het Olympisch Stadion. 

Kraantje Pappie (Alex van der Zouwen) had een glansrijke carrière kunnen hebben als haarmodel maar liet het in plaats daarvan lukken in de muziek. Niet alleen tot opluchting van zijn moeder, maar ook van de rest van Nederland, dat al jaren reikhalzend uitkeek naar de perfecte kruising tussen George Clooney en Ludacris. Zijn binnenkort niet-meer-trilogie Crane verschafte naast een groots, eigen en elektronisch geluid een verzameling aan gouden- en platina hits als ‘Waar is Kraan?’, ‘Feesttent’,‘Pompen’ en ‘De Manier’.Ook het derde deel Crane III behaalde de platina status. Wat ooit een drieluik was, blijkt nu een doorrollende saga: momenteel werkt Kraan aan de roll-out van CRANE IV, welke eind oktober verschijnt. Toch nog een tetralogie dus – of zoals Kraan het zelf zou noemen: 4 stuks mien jong.Ondanks dat we het steeds over CRANE IV hebben, was het DADDY, officieel Craney’s 4e studioalbum, die binnen één week de gouden status behaalde. DADDY kent platina- en dubbel platina hits als ‘Lil Craney’ en ‘Liefde In De Lucht’. Kraan is bovendien de enige persoon ter wereld die een samenwerking met Jan Smit deed opvolgen door een mixtapeserie getiteld Guardian Of The Real Shit (2015).Naast hitmachine is Craniac reserveburgemeester van Groningen, presentator van o.a. Home of Hits en The Headliner, runt hij zijn eigen boekingskantoor en is hij de Kraantje Papa van dochters Maeve Celine en Marly Chloé, die hij – nuchter als hij is – alleen in matchende designerkleding hult als de situatie daar expliciet om vraagt. Ook werd hij tweemaal 1e (lees: 11e) in Expeditie Robinson, en begint hij na zijn rollen in Fck de Liefde 2 en Juf Braaksel serieuze strepen te verdienen als de Nederlandse Hugh Grant. Dat hij daarnaast ook nog de knapste BN’er met een tattoo van rocklegende Slash op z’n bovenarm is, mag gerust indrukwekkend genoemd worden.Omdat Kraan a.k.a. Juice Meeuwis bekendstaat als zeer bescheiden, zul je hem nooit horen opscheppen over zijn feilloze livereputatie, opgebouwd sinds 2007 met meer dan 1000 shows, waaronder op Lowlands, Pinkpop, Concert at Sea, Zwarte Cross, Rock Werchter en Pukkelpop. Ook over zijn uitverkochte clubtours en shows – zoals Come To Daddy in AFAS Live – zul je hem niet snel horen. Toch werd hij in 2023 verkozen tot gastheer van Vrienden van Amstel Live, de concertreeks waar hij sinds 2018 een vast gezicht is, ondanks dat hij thuis zelden de favoriete snacks van zijn gasten in huis schijnt te hebben.Na een 2023/2024 met hits als ‘Ruggengraat’, ‘Zin In De Zomer’, ‘ChinChin’ en de Euro Visie EP met Bizzey, staat 2025 volledig in het teken van zijn nieuwe soloalbum: Crane IV. Na de eerste geluiden ‘Ik Ben Er Nog Steeds’ en ‘Laat Me Er Langs’ is het vooral de derde release, ‘Lil Freakje’, die inmiddels in alle charts opduikt.

Kneecap is a global phenomenon. Bursting out from a squat in Belfast, Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, and DJ Próvaí are spearheading a moment in Irish culture, music, language, and cinema that has brought them to sensational levels. All it took was a generational talent to tear through conventions, expectations, and records. This is hip-hop at its most exciting - a potent and revolutionary force, smashing bans, barricades, and the occasional bottle of Buckfast.Their fiercely intelligent breakthrough concept album, Fine Art (2024), was produced by Toddla T, and set across a raucous night out, traversing a fantasy pub called The Rutz, with adventures spilling out on to the streets of Belfast and London, during ketamine and cocaine binges gone wrong (and right), and featuring guest appearances from Lankum’s Radie Peat, Fontaines DC’s Grian Chatten and Tom Coll, alongside Jelani Blackman and Annie Mac.Critically acclaimed, and earning plaudits from The Irish Times, NME, The New York Times, The Guardian, Rolling Stone Magazine, Dazed, and multiple other global outlets, Fine Art further launched Kneecap on to huge stages and headfirst into mosh-pits across Europe and the US, as well as into the studios of Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show.  Live, Kneecap continues to electrify festivals and venues around the world. A morning gig at Glastonbury’s Woodsies stage in the summer of 2024 filled the tent with thousands of fans, their festival appearance capped off with an epic late-night show at Shangri-La, where Noel Gallagher waited backstage to heap praise on the group. Their autumn US tour saw sold out gigs across multiple American cities. 2024 was capped off with a series of sold out shows across Ireland, including five consecutive dates at the prestigious Vicar Street venue, yet another sold out run of gigs across England, Scotland and Wales, and a massive arena show in their hometown of Belfast sold out to 9,000 people. 2025 will see them join forces with Fontaines D.C. for a massive outdoor show at Finsbury Park in London, touring Australia and New Zealand, and back in the studio with Toddla T to record their follow-up to Fine Art.Whether they’re rolling up to Sundance in a police Land Rover, encouraging tens of thousands of young people to learn Irish, breaking box office records in Ireland, suing the British government and giving their winning away, storming the Reading and Leeds festivals with epic main stage sets, Kneecap’s message and mode of unity, community, and carnage, all comes with a revolutionary sound, and blistering live performances that have built a global movement of fans.

Amaarae is a critically acclaimed global singer & songwriter with her roots firmly planted in the afro pop space. Merging her unique alte sounds with r&b, rap, eastern, baile funk and other global influences, she has garnered accolades since her debut album “The Angel You Don't Know landed on top of international best music lists in 2021.Following up from her platinum selling mega hit SAD GURLZ LUV MONEY" ft  Kali Uchis, her 2023 sophomore album Fountain Baby continues to make waves, reaching over 1 billion streams, ranked no.1 on metacritic and recently earning a top spot in pitchforks 20 best albums of the decade. Amaarae is fearlessly redefining what it means to be an African global popstar, shifting culture in ways that has seen her embraced and revered by music and fashion gatekeepers alike.With major publications such as Rolling Stone, Variety, Vogue Magazine, New York Times, Harpers Bazaar and GQ affirming Amaarae’s position among the top cultural trailblazers, she is now firmly established as international musical royalty with the best yet to come.Lauded by critics, artists and fans alike as the future icon of alternative pop, she has racked up collaborations in the past year with chart topping artists such as Childish Gambino, Kaytranada, Janelle Monae & Stormzy.Having just wrapped a sell out US arena tour with global pop megastar Sabrina Carpenter and with major 2025 festival appearances yet to be announced, Amaarae once again reinvents herself, looking ahead to the release of a brand new project in 2025 that promises to be her most thrilling chapter yet.

The art of blending, mixing, compiling and making music into something you’ve never heard before whilst looking for new ways to approach house music. That’s what ANOTR stands for.Characterised by their hypnotic, energetic and slick beats with influences from disco, soul, funk, jazz and everything in between, their music is a blend between the old and the new, whilst finding the sweet spot between what is made for clubs and what is made for live performances.The Amsterdam-based pair believe that the way to move forward is to follow what is right for you as an artist, instead of following what is right in public opinion. Expect the unexpected. Feel inspired by what you already know about music but be open to learn even more. ANOTR will guide you through their way of thinking, interpreting music and their way of challenging you to hear what else is possible.Act before you think, forget the rules, and let us take you on our journey into sounds selected, curated and created by ANOTR.

Berlin’s Paul Kalkbrenner has charted a career path like no other. A techno talent, who over the course of two decades has emerged from the underground, to top charts, act in and soundtrack a movie, headline festivals and amass millions of fans, all while refusing to compromise his grand techno sound. Kalkbrenner is synonymous with dance music, he came of age in a golden era for techno, turning twelve when the Berlin Wall fell, and spending his teenage years raving, before starting to DJing and collect records as electronic dance music’s first tidal wave spilled throughout the city. He realized early that DJing wasn’t for him, and has focused on producing and playing his own music live ever since. Though he rose to popularity in the peak of techno’s ‘Berlin era’, and his early career was associated with Bpitch Control, his fan base was never confined to this scene. By the time he played the lead in the seminal movie ‘Berlin Calling’ and its soundtrack smashed records across Europe he had already released multiple albums (Superimpose, Zeit, Self) and built a significant following globally. With a catalog that now includes eight albums, over 137 individual tracks and numerous remixes, Paul is one of the unique electronic artists who can deliver the ebb and flow of a dancefloor journey using only his own music. His transcendent live performances have seen Paul break down traditional electronic music barriers, headlining festival and arena stages typically reserved for rockstars. He was the first techno artist to play Tomorrowland’s typically commercial main stage, and was invited by the German Federal Government to perform to 400,000 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. After creating his own label in 2009 and releasing two albums and a live documentary, Kalkbrenner signed to Columbia Records in 2015. He was the first artist to be given unfettered access to the Sony Legacy vault, enabling him to rework previously-unsampled icons like Luther Vandross and Jefferson Airplane on his album ‘7’. In 2022, after leaving Sony, Paul will again release music independently. Traditionally known as an album artist for much of his career, releasing eight LPs, registering 3 No.1 overall records and entering the Top 10 overall charts in 10 countries and selling 1.5 million units, Kalkbrenner has experimented with other formats including a viral mixtape compilation (Back To The Future - downloaded upwards of 3 million times), and more recently a spate of singles, No Goodbye, Speak Up and Parachute. His seminal single Sky & Sand continues to hold the German singles record for most weeks at #1 (121 weeks).Despite the major releases and mainstage performances, Paul’s career remains intertwined with techno. He is a figurehead and pioneer in the electronic music scene, an uncompromising artist who has endured despite dance music’s fickle trends and obsession with the new.