Basement Jaxx headline RBMA Notting Hill Carnival party – 25 August 2014
As the Out-of-Offices start tumbling in, and the sounds of summer swell with the chorus of late night hedonism, the August bank holiday rolls ever nearer, and with it the promise of carnival. Red Bull Music Academy Sound System, a stalwart on the carnival circuit, returns with its vibe-infused miscellany of stomach-crunching bass, cocktails, and jerk delights.
Storming the headline slot with a special DJ set – the frenetic, rabble-rousing antics of UK party house revolutionaries Basement Jaxx, dropping their hotly anticipated new album the very same day. Normally found topping the bill at the likes of the best festivals and best and biggest arenas around the world, catching a DJ set in more intimate confines is a chance not to be missed. With two BRIT Awards under their belts and shows that have become near-mythologised for their heady rambunctiousness, this will be a carnival show-down to remember.
They’re joined by a host of acts who’ll be blessing the carnival crowd with their UK debut: Jamaican reggae/dub cohorts Protoje & Yaardcore, Tropkillaz, blending trap and tropical bass with the pelvic rhythms of their native Brazil, and RBMA alumnus Kalbata & Mixmonster, who’s newly released album Congo Beat The Drum – recorded between their studio in Israel and Kingston, Jamaica – sliced through the blogosphere to high critical kudos. They’ll also welcome first-generation dancehall MC Clapper Priest as part of their set. Soca-fuelled riddim fanatics Jus Now, fresh from repping their hometown at the RBMA x St Paul’s Carnival Sound System, are back and bass-laden for the Notting Hill edition, whilst Mixpak Records, home to the sun-summoning likes of Dre Skull, Popcaan, Vybz, and Jubilee, bring their sonic powerhouse Mixpak Soundsystem to the fray. Finally, feverous bashment crew The Heatwave complete this year’s line-up, bringing the spirit of the Caribbean to the concrete jungle.
Tickets will be free and available via ballot system, with hopeful entrants able to apply from Monday 11th August until Friday 15th August via redbull.co.uk/rbmacarnival
In anticipation of the annual Notting Hill Carnival, a diverse cast of Londoners attempt to master a selection of must-have carnival dance moves including the Big N Nasty, Tempa Wine, Bruk It Down and Willie Bounce in this Carnival Dance Guide set to GotSome x Jus Now’s ‘Run Di Dance’. Check it out below: