As Bestival prepares to bring its annual carnival of curiosities to the Isle of Wight, Red Bull Music Academy is delighted to announce it will once more join the flurry of talent with a stellar line-up of dance music stalwarts, up-and-comers, and Academy alumni across four nights.
A takeover by Glaswegian electronic music Mafiosi Numbers kicks things off on Thursday, promising the proverbial cream of UK pickings that includes co-founder Jackmaster in the top slot alongside Oneman, with their brand new four-deck b2b concept Can U Dance. Live sets from Redinho and Academy alum Kool Clap, plus Spencer b2b Optimo prove that when it comes to parties, Numbers really are in their prime.
Friday sees DJ Harvey topping the bill, channelling the same wide-grinned disco as his sell-out UK comeback gig with RBMA in 2012. The ever-charismatic Berliner Hugo Capablanca joins in, alongside stalwarts of the sunrise anthem Pachanga Boys, and techno DJ du jour Daniel Avery. Eric Duncan brings the party-throwing antics of his NYC outfit Rub N Tug to the fray, while the alumni corner is repped by Jolly Mare and Andre Laos, both from the 2013 edition in New York.
Saturday’s line-up comes packing some urban heat, headed up by Boy Better Know’s JME, Skepta, and ex-Kiss FM DJ Logan Sama. They’re joined by garage poster boy Preditah with dexterous MC C4, Rinse co-founder and “Godfather of Grime” Slimzee ft. Riko Dan, dubstep pioneer and early FWD fave Plastician, and DJ Q. Saturday’s special guest comes in the form of garage royalty DJ EZ, while Elijah and Skilliam go b2b.
Bringing the weekend to a close, Sunday sees Diplo takes the headline spot, with appearances through the night from young Montreal beat hotshot Kaytranada, production whiz kid Ryan Hemsworth, enigmatic remix artiste Trippy Turtle, Magnetic Man member Artwork, and NTS fav Martelo. Rounding up Sunday’s roster, 2013 RBMA alumni DJ Slow and Sinjin Hawke weigh in.
Supplementing the music, the stage will be brought to life along a ‘dance temple’ design theme, complete with totem poles and resplendent tribal miscellanea inside and out – a fitting testament to the pantheon of talent on offer. Cranking out sermons of foot-tapping hedonism, together, the roster brings together acts from all ends of the spectrum, giving Academy alumni the chance to share the bill with legends at one of the highlights of the UK festival calendar.
