New music
St Patrick’s Day is, if nothing else, a great excuse for a party. It’s almost a moment to pause and reflect on the colossal contribution that Ireland has made to the arts – a small island, with a colossal impact. Right now, Ireland’s electronic communities are on fire, with their staunch creativity – on both sides of the border – resulting in a slew of excellent artists and fantastic releases. AVA Festival sits at the heart of this, growing from some ad hoc parties to become one of the best electronic events on the European calendar.
AVA Festival returns to its Belfast site this summer (June 2nd and 3rd), with names on the bill ranging from Central Cee and Peggy Gou through to Interplanetary Criminal, Blawan, Overmono, I. JORDAN and beyond.
Ahead of the weekender, AVA Festival recruited some stellar names to dig out some club heaters for St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s what they came up with…
KESSLER
Calibre – ‘Mr Majestic’
Goes without saying, one of the most iconic DNB tracks ever. Nuff said.
Sputnik One & Emby – ‘Supa Natural’
Fresh sounds from two of isle’s finest, killing the game atm.
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Holly Lester
Gleave – ‘Fire Devil’
Hearing Jordan Nocturne drop this one in the Grasses stage last year was a big full circle moment for NI dance music – most of us over a certain age have lost a few marbles to this one and it was great to see it reintroduced to the next gen.
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OPTMST
Hank LW – ‘Learned Response’
Secondly I have to mention this track from Hank LW on a compilation I released in 2018 focused on NI/ROI based artists. The whole compilation is really lovely and warm but this will forever hit me in the feels and be a representation of the underbelly of standout talent in NI/ROI.
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Kessler – ‘Old Wives Tale’
This track and EP holds a unique space for music from Belfast marking the rise of one of the new schools grass roots artists. I’ve early memorys of meeting Eddy in 2015 to make music in his attic and after years of tossing demos back and forth for feedback, seeing him solidify his sound in this body of work is something I’m very proud of and the quality was destined to get him to where he is now.
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Jordan
Agoria – ‘La onziemme Marche’ (Phil Kieran Remix)
Phil Kieran is a force to be reckoned with, and this classic is him in full techno mode. This remix epitomises Belfast when I first started clubbing and the Mandela Hall influence in it is huge – it’s tense, emotional, raw and ballsy in equal measure. Big room techno, but in a good way.
Bicep – ‘Metro’
Bicep are integral to the legacy of AVA, and ‘Metro’ – the B-Side of their massive ‘Glue’ – is one of the lesser mentioned Bicep records and a favourite of mine.
This is a straight up club banger and ticks all the right boxes my sets.
EMBY
Bloom – ‘Quartz’
This came out a decade ago on Gobstoppers by Bloom hailing from North Belfast. Belfast really wasnt ready for the sound then but I think if it came out today it would be huge. Experimental grime that will have you jackin the riddim.
RORY SWEENEY – JUNYA WATANABE (ft. AHMED WITH LOVE, E THE ARTIST, JULIALOUISEKNIFEFIST
Gang went crazy on this one. Dublin’s finest coming together on a track well ahead of its time. On Rory Sweeney’s album ‘Trash Catalogue Pt.2’.
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Timmy Stewart
Cromby – ‘Ahhh‘
I love club music that’s executed with a less is more approach. This one from Belfast ex-pat Cromby is hypnotic, yet also slays the floor due to it’s simple drum groove and rising synth line.
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Gombeen & Doyen – D’Americana – ‘Wah Wah Wino’
Big fan of Wah Wah Wino, everything that comes out of that camp is gold and always packed with personality. This one is a bit like Maurizio being put through an Irish whiskey blender.
AVA Team
Kessler – ‘Moonlight Branches‘
Kessler has been on a mercurial ascent over the past two years and it makes us very proud to see how in demand he is after being a part of AVA for so many years. Be sure to check out his Rinse FM residency, and come see him throw day at AVA in June. This tune is always on rotation in the office.
Gemma Dunleavy – ‘Up De Flats‘
Gemma Dunleavy is a modern-day Irish hero. Her music unifies people and that’s what AVA is all about. She completely stole the show both times she came to perform at the festival. Perfect listening for the day that’s in it.
Orbital – ‘Belfast‘
Not much needs to be said about one of the most iconic, timeless, dance music anthems of all time – named after one of the greatest cities on Earth. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
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AVA Festival takes place in Belfast on June 2nd and 3rd. Ticket information can be found on their website.
Photo Credit: Lewis McClay
