DANNY HOWARD NOTHING ELSE MATTERS
<p>Danny Howard's collum from DJ Mag</p>
DESTINATION DANNY...
So, for the first time ever, I’ll be spending the whole summer in Ibiza as an actual resident — for the best part of four months anyway! Not just content with playing Pure Pacha every Saturday at my favourite club, I’m going to be the man on the ground keeping a weekly eye on all things dance. What will be ‘the’ tune of the summer?! Which DJs will come into their own?! Where will the biggest and best parties be?! That’s exactly what I’ll be finding out, so all I can say is — come and party! I’ll report back as and when...
SUN, SEA & A SERIOUS WEEKEND OF RAVING!
The biggest weekend of the entire summer is happening again — BBC Radio 1 in Ibiza will be returning to the White Isle for its 19th season!
It all goes down on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd of August, where I’ll have the ultimate honour and pleasure of hosting proceedings with the king and queen of Radio 1 dance music... Pete Tong (MBE) and Annie Mac. That’s all I can really tell you for now, but get the date in your diary and even if you can’t be there, you’ll be able to watch and listen to the whole party. If the rumours and names that are flying around the Radio 1 office right now are true, then we are all in for an absolute treat!
PUSHING ON TO GET PHYSICAL
It’s 15 years of Defected this year, and what a year it has been so far! Flying the flag for the UK and pulling the strings to dancefloor-destroying effect is head honcho Simon Dunmore. After rounding off 2013 with a UK official No.1 record thanks to Storm Queen & MK, Dunmore and his team are on A&R fire going into summer 2014, with huge releases already causing a stir such as Oliver $ & Jimi Jules’ ‘Pushing On’ and Nice7’s ‘Time To Get Physical’ — the Sonny Fodera remix in particular. And that’s just for starters!
If, like me, you’re a sucker for the piano, look out for Gerd’s ‘Still Believe’. For the disco heads, Sure Thing’s ‘Holding You Tight’ is a beauty and keep an eye on up-and-coming Geordie talent Cristoph who’s just done a bunch of exclusive remixes on some of the label’s finest latest releases.
‘MY BALLS!’
Not one of Pete Tong’s most famous catchphrases, but much to the delight of many innuendo-minded geeks, it gave us all a chuckle when he introduced the latest track ('My Balls') from 'on the rise' Swiss producer Andrea Oliva on his BBC Radio 1 show last month. Not just innuendo, it was the only excuse I could think of to crowbar the mention of this year’s FIFA World Cup into my monthly dance music column. Being the massive football (I mentioned ‘balls’... sort of) fan that I am, I’m so excited about the Brazilian flavour that’s set to sweep the globe.
Cue the onslaught of samba-inspired house tunes in the inbox. As temporarily exploitative and diluted as it may become as far as jumping on a ‘trend’ goes, I think we should all embrace the carnival flair that Brazil brings, even if you are more into your beats than your balls. It is a party after all.”
