Posted on

Ultra Beach Costa del Sol

Maaan, were we SO excited to hear that the American beach festival brand ULTRA Worldwide had plans to land on Spain’s Costa de Sol in 2022! This global super brand hitting the Costa was going to be an absolute highlight of the summer in Southern Spain: staged at the Marenostrum venue (Jennifer Lopez, Sting, Marc Anthony, Simple Minds, Texas & Simply Red all played there too), the massive stage by the beach was the perfect location for this dance fest. On this occasion, one of their other hugely successful event concepts is the techno brand RESISTANCE, which usually tours separately, was given a stage in the adjacent Castillo Sohail on the Marenostrum grounds – a castle that’s over 1000 years old! What a place to hang out at and dance the night away – this was a ‘2 for 1’ that sounded too good to be true…

And then: BINGO! The gig was confirmed and we went bananas over the news. When the day finally came, we were properly stoked to have superstar DJs such as Afrojack, KSHMR, Adam Beyer, Joseph Capriati and Oliver Heldens rocking the place, with Mykris, Acraze, Ben Sterling and Blackchild being part of a truly international line-up, amongst many others. The atmosphere was electric throughout the day and night – living proof that an event of this kind and calibre was long overdue on the Costa del Sol.

The brilliant organisation of how the festival was run, great food stalls and amenities, together with beyond wicked line-ups and a great sun & sand location made this dance fest an unforgettable one, as thousands flocked to Fuengirola to have a raving good time. Watch our cover to get the drift of what went down on the beach in Fuengirola, Málaga, on that glorious Saturday in August. Also check out our ‘In The DJ Booth’ series we filmed there, inviting you to hang out backstage with the guys. Such was the party atmosphere at Resistance, that many DJs, who had played their set already, were hanging out there themselves when Joseph Capriati was on – yep, it was an edm family gathering of the finest was that night. (costadelsol.ultrabeach.com)

Ultra Worldwide

The Ultra Brand was started in 1997 by Russel Faibisch, CEO, chairman & Executive Producer, who started out by producing electronic dance events in Miami. The Ultra Music Festival became a sold-out event very quickly, having been voted the #1 music festival by DJ magazine on numerous occasions. Following a unique and highly creative vision, growing organically throughout, the Ultra and Ultra Worldwide brands represent not only the biggest and most successful independent electronic music festival brand, but also the most international music festival brand in the world.

For 25 years now, thousands of the world’s most iconic DJs, producers and live acts have entertained and mesmerised festival and party-goers with outstanding sets at Ultra events across every continent all over the world! This includes countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brasil, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Taiwan and the UAE, amongst others.

The Resistance concept has held residencies at Ibiza’s famous ‘Privilege’, the largest nightclub in the world. Its 9-week residencies in the past have seen more than 50.000 ravers go through their doors, following the DJ Awards ‘Best Ibiza Night’ title in 2018. Following this incredible success, Resistance toured eight Latin American countries over two weekends – whaaaat? Their 6th edition of Ultra Japan saw over 500.000 ravers attend and subsequently busted all attendees records for any Japanese festival – Respect!

Ultra Worldwide continues to push boundaries to new frontiers across the globe, and so they arrived on the Costa del Sol in 2022! People went nuts over the utterly awesome line-ups for both stages, and so we hope for a bright future in Andalusia for this festival, with many years of summer fun to come. Meanwhile, fans can enjoy the Ultra brand’s streaming service ‘Ultra Live’, as well as audio broadcasting platform ‘UMF Radio, syndicated with FM Radio in over 62 countries, reaching more than 22 million listeners on a weekly basis.

Headlining acts at Ultra Beach Costa del Sol

Adam Beyer

This legendary Stockholm-based DJ, producer and founder of Drumcode Records had been at the peak of global culture for so many years, we can’t count them anymore. At home at the biggest festivals and most leading clubs all over the world (Amnesia, fabric, Gashouder, Privilege, Berghain, Ultra festival, ADE, Timewarp and a gazillion more), he brings his unmistakable sound of modern techno wherever he goes. His musical legacy is felt right across the playing field, from headlining festivals to playing coveted club floors, to Beatport charts and turning Drumcode into a fully fledged festival brand, Adam’s mantra, which has made him stay right at the top for so many years, is a simple one: respect the sound, maintain its integrity and then slowly push forward! He’ll be around forever, we’re sure…

Afrojack

Nick Leonardus van de Wall has become one of dance music’s major icons, having grown from the humble beginnings of a DJ to become a multi-award winning and platinum-selling producer. With two Grammy Awards in the cupboard, the Dutch DJ (Ushuaïa Beach hotel, Pacha, Central Studios, Amnesia, Creamfields festival, ADE, Kingsland festival), continues to influence the edm world on a major level. As founder of record label Wall Recordings, he also enjoys a more hands-on approach, now discovering & mentoring young DJ talent as CEO of talent management company LDH. The DJ heavyweight now counts amongst the world’s most popular DJ acts, also having helped David Guetta write the global monster hit ’Titanium’ (one of the Grammys he won was for a Madonna remix, he worked on with pal David Guetta previously).

Posted on

Fashion in Motion: Daniel Lismore at London’s V&A museum

So what exactly is a ‘Living Fashion Sculpture’? Meet Daniel Lismore and you get the drift…as a fashion stylist and ex-creative director for luxury women’s wear über-label Sorapol (Nicki Minaj, Cara Delevingne, Boy George, Debbie Harry, Rita Ora and Mariah Carey are all fans), he has been a prominent feature on London’s fashion & art scene for many decades. But what makes him go through so much effort to express himself in such detail, with such originality and talent?

Hailed as ‘England’s most eccentric dresser’ by Vogue, his wearable artworks are not just extravagan and elaborate and, as the V&A describes them ‘three-dimensional monuments’, but usually come with a message too. Sustainability is hugely important to him, hence charity shop finds, haute couture, anything vintage and even scraps off the floor are mashed into impressive eye-catching psychedelia. As a campaigner and activist, he also uses his creations to drive home his points of view and message to the world. The fact that he actually took part in the V&A’s brilliant showcase ‘Fashion in Motion’ as a living sculpture himself, shows how committed he is to his cause and raison d’être. 

Attendance for his shows that day were all maxed out, with people in awe of his impressive ‘fashion soldiers’, having modelled the idea of the exhibition on the world-famous terracotta soldier army. Their looks and styling themes are a reflection of the people he has met on his extensive travels, and you can’t help thinking of them with a somewhat strange sensation of a ‘family of multiple selves’ – which is a huge statement of recognition and sufficiency of ’self’ in its own way. Watching this video puts across in visual form what words sometime fail to describe about this multidisciplinary artist, so hit that start button now to go on a journey, with Daniel Lismore, yourself (daniellismore.com)

Daniel Lismore

Daniel’s design philosophy has too many angles to state, but that’s precisely why he is such a multi-talented human being. As a fashion sculptor, designer, creative director, artist, speaker, campaigner & activist, as well as brand ambassador, there is no end to him channeling his creativity.

By wearing his own flamboyant dress sense himself, you get the feeling that he puts his money where his mouth is. Starting off in the industry studying photography, he soon ended up in front of the camera himself, working with renowned photographers such as Steven Klein, David La Chapelle, Mario Testino and Ellen von Unwerth. As a fixture on London’s fashion scene, when the luxury label Sorapol was launched in 2012, he was hired as creative director in 2012. The fashion and music scene just loved it when one of his exclusive designer pieces was created, mashing Maasai culture with the looks of Marie-Antionette. Just imagine…

Not surprising then, that Daniel became an ambassador for the Tate Museums in 2016 and also supports Graduate Fashion Week in an ambassadorial role. His vision of sustainability has his eyes firmly locked into the future, hence he is also an ambassador to the charity Cool Earth, furthermore working closely with Vivienne Westwood on her Climate Revolution projects, amongst others.

Wearable artworks are his ultimate statement, and an assembly of found items, accessories, reassembled garments, haute couture and bits & pieces (right down to objects such a Mercedes star, we’re talking car maker here) make his fashion’ creations utterly unique and highly original. How does he even begin to contemplate a certain look right from the start? Well the answer is: he doesn’t! He might start with a particular item, but then lets the creative process take over and lead him to wherever it may take him. He says about his way of working, that sometimes he makes a mistake and then it turns out that it’s the best thing he’s ever done. This free spirit and mind without borders or limits is why only one Daniel Lismore exists on this planet. In an industry that lives and survives on copying others, he is a master of originality. But his message is still for the greater good and people as a whole: be yourself, in whatever way or shape this might be expressed as.

Of course, having been raised by his grandparents, who were antique dealers, trained his eye for beautiful things from a very early age onwards. His father owned an antiques auction house, which was, no doubt, another great stepping stone on his quest to find unique items with a past and a history to gain new life in another time, another place and another world.

Hence, his first book ‘Be Yourself – Everybody Else Is Already taken’ is a celebration of all things unique. A collector’s item itself by now, it’s a stunning publication of fashionable eye-candy by Skira Rizzoli in New York, and the most fabulous gift for any fashionista walking this earth. From then followed exhibitions and shows, including a stint at the Venice Biennale, being part of Reykjavik’s Arts Festival and he also opened Naomi Campbell’s Fashion For Relief catwalk show at the British Museum. He also gives compelling TED Talks all over the world, speaking about fashion, diversity, fashion history and the business of fashion, quite apart of his life as a living sculpture. He furthermore has countless TV appearances to his name…and still finds the time to be a Human Rights activist.

The extraordinary thing is that he is invited to speak to people of ALL ages at leading venues and educational institutions, corporations and museums as far as Canada, India and the Far East, including France, Monaco, Italy, the Check Republic and of course many places in the UK. So, it comes as no surprise, that Daniel is no stranger to the V&A: in 2017 he was invited by the museum to chat to fashion editor Hilary Alexander presenting a talk in order to discuss the subject of personal identity and style. Clearly a subject he is well versed in, since he decided for himself to live his life as a fashion sculpture.

Of his participation at the V&A’s Fashion in Motion show case, he says:
‘I am delighted that my sculptural looks will be showcased at the V&A. The pieces are a product of 20 years collecting, collaboration and travel – each individual accessory, textile and adornment has a unique story. I hope that visitors will be inspired and empowered to express by my life as a living sculpture to express themselves however they choose.’

Fashion in Motion at the Victoria & Albert Museum

‘Fashion in Motion’ is a free-to-attend catwalk showcase at London’s world renowned and much loved V&A! Enabling anyone to see collections close-up and in detail by allowing the visitors to experience what it’s like to have a front-row view at a professional fashion event, it is the only fashion series of its kind. The setting of the museum is just perfect and offers a truly unique fashion adventure.

Amazing then, that it’s been going for over 20 years already, having featured great designers like Alexander McQueen, Christian Lacroix, Harris Reed, Ashish, Christopher Raeburn, Jean Paul Gaultier, Kansai Yamamoto, Erdem, Gareth Pugh, Giles Deacon, Grace Wales Bonner, Yohji Yamamoto, Kenzo, Molly Goddard, Jenny Packham, Missoni, Roksanda Ilincic, Vivienne Westwood and other global names in fashion in the past, not to forget the countless students, who have been given a platform to showcase their designs there too.

That is one of the reasons why the V&A is such a leading light on the fashion scene. By organising these kind of unique events & experiences, quite apart from hosting the most outstanding exhibitions as the world’s largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, it also houses a permanent collection of over two million objects. It’s fashion collection is designated as the UK’s National Collection and is one of the most comprehensive collections of dress on a global level. Many pieces are totally unique to the V&A, presenting the most iconic looks of the last four centuries. Its collections have been, and still are, the source of inspiration for many designers, including Sandra Rhodes and the late Alexander McQueen, not to mention the multitude of students and researchers, who regularly visit the museum for special projects.

On Daniel Lismore being the latest participant at Fashion in Motion, Oriole Cullen, one of the museum’s senior curators, comments:
‘Daniel Lismore’s spectacular sculptures embody his unique lived experience – we are excited to present his dramatic and uncompromising vision of beauty and authenticity as part of the V&A’s Fashion in Motion series.’

Posted on

Noisily Festival 2024 from 11 – 14 July at Barkestone Wood near Grantham, Leicestershire

This has to be one of our all-time greats: Noisily Festival came back for its 9th edition in 2022 with a vengeance, after a 2-year hiatus, due to covid! The build-up of excitement in 2021 (also watch our exclusive interview with Will Hazlerigg, one of the festival’s co-founders) with the subsequent let-down of being told by reviewed government guidelines on covid one week before the festival, that it still cannot go ahead, left everybody devastated. Not just the organisers, but the ticket holders too, who loyally allowed for their tix to be carried forward yet again, looking forward to party again in 2022.

And now we know why so many people are just in love with this festival: Coney Woods is turned into the most enchanting, rave-friendly place on earth. Good, local food and drink allow you to recharge at all times, and, if you’ve booked yourself into a Portobello tent, boutique camping, or glamping, can be experienced at its finest. The atmosphere is super friendly, everybody seems to want the most enjoyable atmosphere possible for absolutely everybody, and this is also made possible by the lunatic dress codes, in which people make it their business to take to extreme heights. To the delight of everybody else…

The various stages provide great DJ set entertainment – either in a private party-in-the-garage atmosphere or, heading for the Liquid or Pyramid stage, where crowds heave in delight to electronic dance belters. Even though it’s all happening outdoors, the sound systems are utterly brilliant. We utterly adore the whole festival craze being lived out to the max at Noisily, as eco-friendly and health & wellness conscious as it is – your time to go CRAZIIIEEE is definitely NOW! (noisilyfestival.com)

Noisily Festival

Noisily, as it describes itself, is a ‘celebration of the individual, cultivates understanding for the collective and explores what it means to be human in this world.’ This includes proper respect for the environment, Coney Woods, and the fact that the Noisily wants to act as a leader in the UK’s festival wellness scene, also offering holistic and spiritual workshops and practices throughout the festival. Not difficult to see how that works, as these woods are just so enchanting…at the same time, the festival prides itself with being a platform for music, arts, psychedelic culture and creativity. Add to that the word ‘brilliant’ and you’re getting closer to reality!

Situated to the South-East of Leicester, you can reach the village of Nosely either by driving up the M1 or the A1 – the festival is roughly equidistant between both these highways. However, people are enticed to make their way to the festival by all sorts of transport, including bicycles and hiking. However, the nearest airport is London Luton, and taking the train from London would mean hopping on in St. Pancras to the festival’s nearest station, which is Market Harborough.

Noisily’s loyal following have allowed the festival to survive a pandemic lasting for 2 years. Through their crowd-funding efforts with ticket holders, the organisers have managed to keep it all afloat with the result, that 2022 came back with the loudest bang ever. Ravers were keen to live the experience, they’ve been waiting to make for two years, to the max. Hence, Will Hazlerigg (one of the co-founders) talks of the Noisily family with affection and a duty of care to make it all happen. The 2022 edition will be the last edition to take place in Coney Woods, as the festival will move to a larger site for their 2023 edition. Increasing capacity by a huge margin, every effort tis being made for the festival to keep its off beat character (mainstream is almost a swear word in this instance). Hence, the future looks bright and hugely exciting – see you all at the next edition, when the festival will be held from the 6 – 9 July 2023.

Henri Bergmann

Fresh talent of her quality will always stand out, and so Henri massively impressed us playing the Pyramid stage. The techno & house DJ and producer put on some absolute bangers, from older classics to brand new stuff of her own. She’s signed with Watergate’s DJ roster, hence is at home in Berlin, as she is in London. The BBc’s Radio 1 and Ibiza Global Radio have discovered her already, whilst DJ support comes from the likes of Laurent Garnier, Nick Warren, Ilario Alicante, John Digweed and many more.

After a mini-India tour in July’22 and recently debuting at Ibiza’s Pacha, she’s super excited about pushing on – also watch our exclusive interview with her after her set at the Pyramid stage! Having played iconic clubs in London like The Steel Yard, Egg London, Orange Yard, the Electric Brixton, E1 and Village Underground, she is so ready to impress the rest of the world. We love her style and we love pushing fresh talent at TA-DAH.TV…so watch this space!

Quivver

The man is a multi-talent! His real name is John Graham, and he is not just a DJ, but producer and in-demand vocalist as well. With a career spanning over two decades, we are not surprised that he spent over five years in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs. Keeping his sound on point and current, he’s part of a staple diet of DJs in the electronic scene on an international level. ‘Gangsta House’ is one of his musical creations, mixing old-school rap with hip-hop into fresh house remixes. 

TV and film scores are also part of his portfolio, having been involved with films such as ’The Taking of Pelham’, ‘Shrek Forever after 2010’, ’Twelve’ and a Charlize Theron movie trailer of ‘Young Adult’. Club-wise, he’s regularly seen at the decks across the pond, from LA, via San Fran to Miami as well. EDM runs through his veins, and there isn’t a beat he can’t handle and turn into new spun gold. At Noisily, the crowd was absolutely loving his set, where he mixed in some oldies-but-goodies floor fillers, to which people went absolutely crazy – a reinventor par excellence.

John Digweed

A man of dance music history, he clearly still has what it takes to get the crowd going! Headlining on the last day of the festival, his dance trance mixes just elated the crowd even further! Having made out as a DJ at the age of 15, there clearly isn’t a beat he hasn’t mixed, delving into pop along the way. Originally from Hastings (raves at Hastings Pier include top names like Carl Cox and The Prodigy), where he put on successful club nights, and when he hooked up with DJ Sasha (Alexander Coe), the duo Sasha & John Digweed was born. The two were the first ever Brit DJ duo to hold a residency at NYC’ most well known club at the time.

His vision and creative insight got him to seek out mixes/remixes from diverse acts such as Rui Da Silva (watch our exclusive interview with him in London on our YouTube channel in the Girl About Town section), Second Hand Satellites and POB, amongst others. His name stands for rock solid edm tunes, and whilst travelling the world, he still held down residencies at London’s Heaven and The Beach in Brighton. As part of the Bedrock label, he’s enjoyed Top 40 chart success, including the track ‘For What You Dream Of’, which was used for the cult film ’Trainspotting’. His radio show on Kiss100 became one of England’s most successful dance music shows in England – needless to say, he is in the top 20 of the highest earning DJs in the world.

As a person, he comes across rock solid, and maybe not the craziest guy on the planet, but he knows his sound and he knows how to mix, and the minute he dabbled into trance music for the set at the Pyramid stage, the place just lifted yet another notch higher in feel-good factor. He’ll be playing at the Aquasella Festival in Spain in August, will be at the BEON1X Open Mind Music Festival in Cyprus in September and has a 5-hour-set at London’s fabric coming up on 8 October’22, so sort your tickets early, ‘cos the man is totally worth it.

What is Noisily Festival

From their first festival back in 2012 with a modest crowd of 450 people, Noisily festival has been held amongst the trees of Coney Woods ever since. The organisers have been keen to put on an unforgettable event every year ever since.

With 3 main stages, 2 roaming stages and further speaker & activity stages, ravers can’t wait to have a simply awesome time in the Woods, escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immersing themselves into the creative and soulful atmosphere of Noisily Festival. Featuring 3 days of top DJ sets, playing amongst spectacular stage design and wicked light shows, you can also take part in woodland walks, yoga classes, meditation sessions and even cacao ceremonies – it’s an unmissable experience. On top of this, all beverages and food are locally sourced, supporting the surrounding communities. So, it’s all good – for visitors and locals alike.

The founders’ ethos is centred around open mindedness and sharing knowledge. With 5 pillars at the core of their message:

  • Inclusion – The festival celebrates all and allows everyone to enjoy their party, irrespective of gender/sexuality/ethnicity.
  • The Environment – Caring about the environment is a central part of Noisily, focusing on looking after the local wildlife and community.
  • Wellness and Education – Offering a unique and alternative experience for learning holistic and spiritual practices.
  • Community – Despite an attendance of more than 6,000 people, the owners and founders of Noisily festival, are proud to maintain a community feel. Promoting the message that all who attend are part of one big family for these 4 days.
  • Creativity – The festival offers a platform for creativity to flourish, with music and the arts at the centre of the festival.

DJ sets at Noisily Festival

Noisily Festival has three main stages: Noisily Stage, Treehouse Stage, and Liquid Stage. Each year all three make sure you can get lost in dance and forget about time. Festival goers can expect a proper diverse collection of dance music with sets covering all genres such as House, Disco, Bass, Glitch, Hip Hop and Breaks. Whilst also offering one of the UK’s best outdoor psychedelic experiences from their famous Liquid Stage, lovers of EDM, house music, and deep house can dance until their feet hurt.

Despite the festival having been moved to next year, the line-up for 2021 would have been a real treat of homegrown British talent, including Eats Everything, John Digweed, Aidan Doherty, Audio Anonymous, Audley, Ben Coda, Dubspeeka, Henri Bergmann, Ipcress, John Monkman, Quivver & Tripswitch, and many others! Hopefully, many of them will make it to the next year’s edition, as they’re firm favourites with loads of ravers, so get your tix booked promptly.

Exploring mind, body, and soul at Noisily Festival

Surrounded by mother nature, Noisily festival is more than just a music festival, as it also offers an immersive wellbeing experience, allowing festival goers to connect with themselves and the event’s natural environment! This way, ravers can develop a deeper knowledge about their bodies, minds, and souls. It’s a real compilation of hedonism and escapism in a safe and inclusive space for all!

Across different areas of the festival, you will find a huge variety of classes and interactive workshops. Some of the events which take on a key feature each year include, yoga classes, cacao ceremonies, mindfulness workshops, woodland walks, and meditation practices. Not only will you leave the Leicestershire woodland full of joy and exuberance – you may even learn a thing or two about how to extend your general wellbeing, taking away the knowledge of certain rituals and practices you can implement to enhance your everyday life. There’s not a single festival around, that offers such a great overall experience quite like Noisily.

Looking forward to 2022, the festival will be celebrating 10 years since they opened their gates, hence the organisers are working super hard to make it the most fabulous summer gig ever! It is indeed a big deal, also giving them the chance to say Thank You to all the loyal fans and supporters, who make up the Noisily family, and who have helped to keep the festival alive through Crowd Funding efforts.

Be sure to go to TA-DAH.TV’s music channel to find out more about the best music festivals in Europe!