Plan B, Goldfrapp, Azealia Banks Plus Many More Announced For Lovebox 2013
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Written by Jon Stickler
One of the most anticipated events in the London festival calendar, Lovebox returns to its original weekend this year for three days in July. Celebrating the very best in music, fashion and art, Lovebox has once again delivered one of the most diverse and exciting lineups around this summer, bringing a fantastically unique and eclectic range of the finest international talent to London’s doorstep.
Ensconced, once again, in the beautiful surrounds of Victoria Park in East London, the dance hordes will be out in full force, with Lovebox curating its biggest and most credible lineup to date. Indeed, this is the only festival in London where you’ll find dance heroes such as Annie Mac, DJ Harvey, David Rodigan hosted by Red Bull Music Academy, and Heidi curating their own stages across the weekend. Showcasing immortal legends of electronic music alongside the vanguard of new acts, this will surely prove to be the headiest installment of the festival to date – and all for extremely practical prices indeed (day tickets, for instance, are from only £29.50).
Last year, Lovebox celebrated its 10 year anniversary with a lineup which included the likes of Grace Jones, Kelis, Friendly Fires and Lana Del Rey but this year sees its creativity, innovation and vision utterly undimmed, continuing to expand its scope and sound while simultaneously retaining its irrepressible air of handcrafted, authentic, bespoke fun and exhilaration.
FRIDAY Friday gets the Lovebox party started with one of the fiercest and brightest new talents in the hip hop firmament, Azealia Banks. The Harlem-born rapper is, without a doubt, one of the most electrifying new talents out there right now, blazing her own distinctive trail ever since breaking through with her underground hit “212”. Joining her are Hackney foursome Rudimental, who shot straight to the top of the UK Singles Chart with their underground smash 'Feel the Love', and crossover hiphop/dubstep four piece Foreign Beggars.
Over at the Big Top, Noisey and The Hydra are hosting an absolutely vital roster of heavyweights such as Flying Lotus, Julio Bashmore, SBTRKT and John Talabot. Annie Mac will also be hosting a live performance by Redlight, along with PA sets from the world-beating Wiley and white hot Lulu James, and DJ sets from UK bass heroes Disclosure, critically SPECIAL GUEST SBTRKT, Rinse’s Monki and, last but not least, the new number one chart champion Duke Dumont, currently riding high with 'Need U'.
Finally, after a one day takeover in 2012, the world-travelling Red Bull Music Academy returns to Lovebox for all three days. Friday sees ambassador of dub and radio legend David "Ram Jam" Rodigan top the bill with Soul II Soul’s Jazzie B. Joined by NY-based Jamaican hitmaker Dre Skull and Sheffield's first son of dancehall Toddla T, expect a taste of reggae riddims through the ages, from original dubs to future forward booty shakers. Magnetic Man's Artwork, dub sound-system Iration Steppas and hot sound-clashers Venum Sound. Coming hot on the heels of five weeks in New York, the host city for this year's series of workshops and lectures, the line-up will feature recent grad Evian Christ completing the line up as he performs one of his first live shows after the Academy.
SATURDAY Saturday switches things up and sees even more big hitters taking to the stage, with the one-man rapping/acting/directing juggernaut Plan B headlining the proceedings. East London’s Ben will bring his only London headline show of the year to Victoria Park for what will no doubt be an absolutely unmissable event. Shifting seamlessly from the abrasive hip-hop of his debut LP 'Who Needs Actions When You Got Words' to the crisp-suited, blue-eyed soul of the chart-smashing 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks', Ben’s headline performance right here in his home city will undoubtedly be of epic proportions.
Dance-wise, Lovebox have also roped in some of the biggest names to make this a day to remember. First up is the Big Top stage hosted by the world famous Hospitality, bringing together the very best in bass heavy music to create a clubbing experience all unto its own, as well as bringing things full circle by throwing a party in East London, where it all began. Boasting showstopping DJs such as Netsky, Andy C, High Contrast, Danny Byrd, Camo & Krooked, Metrik, Londiconion Elektricity, Sry, Nu Logic and Fred V & Graphix, this is bound to be party starting excitement of the highest order.
Meanwhile, Jamie Jones and Lee Foss’ white hot label Hot Creations will be taking over the Terrazza. Following on from two completely sold out shows at Brixton Academy in April, Hot Creations will be showcashing their incredible roster of rising talent such as Art Department, Infinity Ink, Richy Ahmed, PBR Streetgang, Sub - An and more.
Saturday sees two of the Big Apple's biggest party DJs – Mark Ronson and A Trak - taking to the Red Bull Music Academy Stage, bringing good time hip hop, festival funk and summertime jams. Ensuring the party never ends will be one half of Masters at Work, Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez, Kon & Amir, Seb Chew and Greenmoney and RBMA New York alumni DIRG.
Also appearing on the day are acclaimed London duo AlunaGeorge, already achieving well-deserved kudos for their sublime, knowing interpretation of 90’s neo-soul, along with Belgian-born drum and bass producer Netsky bringing his exciting LIVE! show – complete with full band – that he debuted to rave reviews at Hospitality Brixton last year and has since toured the world with.
SUNDAY Lovebox’s Sunday has become the destination event for anyone excited about the coolest music, emergent art and cutting edge fashion around. Nowhere else would you find a day which blends immortal legends such as Grace Jones, Chaka Khan and Chic alongside the very best new acts like Lana Del Rey, Patrick Wolf and Cut Copy, with very unique and thrilling happenings such as one-off fashion shows and art exhibitions thrown in for good measure, making it a day quite unlike anything else.
This year promises an even more vibrant and exhilarating affair, with an array of the bold and the beautiful closing out the festival in inimitable style. On the main stage, the iconic Grammy nominated electro-gram Goldfrapp will be on hand to deliver a long-awaited headline set full of drama, desire and danger. Meanwhile noir-pop duo Hurts will be playing brand new tracks from their critically praised sophomore album “Exile”.
World renowned BBC Radio 1 DJ and Get Physical figurehead Heidi is hosting her famous Jackathon, it is all about dance champions like Frankie Knuckles, Derrick Carter, Heidi and Solomun getting down and dirty with the best and brightest of the younger generation, such as infamous London duo Krankbrother, Bicep and Hercules and Love Affair’s Kim Ann Foxman.
It’s time to disco at the Red Bull Music Academy Stage with a roster of some of the sound's most revered protaganists. After bringing him back for his first UK gig in 10 years last November, Red Bull Music Academy once again hosts the inimitable DJ Harvey with his Sarcastic Disco. They're joined by odd ball London house duo Idjut Boys, Rub n Tug's Eric Duncan, Norway's Prins Thomas and Japan's house leading lights Force of Nature, providing as global a perspective on the genre as you're likely to find anywhere.
Over on the Big Top, there will be a stunning mixture of talent both established and nascent. Paul Kalkbrenner, the brains behind Berlin Calling’s platinum-selling soundtrack and perhaps Germany’s best known electronic artist, brings nearly two decades’ experience as both a producer and live act for a live headline slot. Berlin’s Benoit and Sergio carry on the German influence, with the atmospheric Canadian duo Purity Ring providing a cross-atlantic flavour and Phil Kieran bringing his live show all the way from Belfast for good effect. Dark, intense experimentalists Factory Floor will also be making an appearance, as will transvestite rapper Mykki Blanco, who is as famous for her fluid dissolution of gender barriers as she is for her unique strain of strangely alluring, off-kilter hip hop. Ever thrilling electropop icon Miss Kittin and Phil Kieran’s enticing side project Le Carousel will also be present and correct. Also joining them will be Zebra Katz, who shot to fame when his debut single “Ima Read” and became a cult hit in the fashion set.
There really could be no better way to round off what is already shaping up to be an absolutely stupendous – and stupendously entertaining weekend.
LINE-UP SO FAR: Plan B - Goldfrapp - Azealia Banks – Jurrassic 5 - Flying Lotus - Hurts - Rudimental - Paul Kalkbrenner - Aluna George - Wiley - Foreign Beggars - John Talabot - Factory Floor - Redlight - Miss Kitten - Zebra Katz - Gold Panda - Lulu James - Purity Ring - Quadron - Le Carousel - Mykki Blanco - Benoit & Sergio - Oddisee - David Rodigan MBE - Jazzie B (SOUL II SOUL) - Toddla T Sound - Dre Skull - Artwork - Iration Steppas - Venum Sound - Evian Christ - Mark Ronson - A Trak - Kenny “Dope” - Kon & Amir - Seb Chew & Greenmoney - DIRG - DJ Harvey - Eric Duncan - Prins Thomas - Force of Nature - Idjut Boys - Jamie Jones - Disclosure - Annie Mac - Solomun - SBTRKT - Julio Bashmore - Art Department - Heidi - Frankie Knuckles - Derrick Carter - Duke Dumount - Netsky - Breach - Mele - Krankbrother - Camo & Krooked - Lee Foss - Bicep - Richy Ahmed - Subb-An - Danny Bird - HighContrast- Infinity Ink - S.P.Y - Kim Ann Foxman - Nu-Logic - London Elektricity - PBR Streetgang - Fred V Grafix - Lung – Metrik - Monki
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