Creators Forum 2024 – Meet The Selection

 

All new for 2024 we launched the Creators Forum, AVA’s new artist talent development opportunity for aspiring electronic music makers. Supported by Arts Council England the Creators Forum is an artist camp that began at AVA London, to inspire, creatively develop and professionally educate & connect during the conference then undergo a writers residency at TYX Studios. Ten selected participants had full access to all of AVA London’s workshops, lectures, talks, recording studio time and 1-to-1 mentoring with music-focussed creative professionals.

After hundreds of applications and very careful consideration from our mentor committee, we arrived with a cohort of 10 talented individuals, each of whom participated in the programme. Watch this space for new music and projects from these artists…

 

naafi 

[SC / IG]

Originally from Fife on Scotland’s east coast but now based in Glasgow, producer naafi has been quietly building a reputation in the Scottish music scene through their collaboration work in the last couple of years; a co-writer on some of TAAHLIAH’s award-garnering Angelica EP, production work on Alliyah Enyo’s debut album alongside a special performance at last year’s Hidden Door festival with Enyo, and Soundbox – an artist development programme with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra pushing the boundaries between classical and electronic genres.

naafi makes music that combines club-infused beats with floating ambient tendencies. Or, in naafi’s own words “sparkly”, the type of melodic electronic music they grew up listening to. After releasing debut single “Magnolia” – featured on taste-making playlists from Crack Magazine, Dummy and Disco Naïveté, plus radio support from KEXP and Amazing Radio – and second track “UVA”, naafi is set to release their debut EP – also called UVA – on 12 April.

 

Sloucho_AVA Creators Forum
Sloucho

 [SC / IG]

Unbeknownst to himself, Sloucho was placed on this earth during a nefarious plot by his incidental creator Rás nearly 10,000 years ago. In an attempt to find his ancestors and the meaning for his existence, Sloucho with the help of his dog Maramu has been ‘Memory Walking’ across Ireland following whispers of his home world Athrú. Sloucho explores this journey sonically through his debut album ‘NPC’ forthcoming via Sweet Sun Records. This story is just beginning…

 

Carδamo - AVA Creators Forum

Carδamo

[SC / IG]

Carδamo is a neuroqueer producer and performing artist from West London who draws influence from UK Club Culture as well as the Underground Queer Scene; pioneered by Trans artists and DJs like SOPHIE. Trained as a classical violinist since infancy, Carδamo possesses great theoretical knowledge as well as innate performative instinct. Having spent the last 5 years in further education studying the socio-cultural implications of alternative dance music alongside self- producing and releasing ‘ANDROGENISE’ as their debut LP, Carδamo seeks to continue to grow and develop their sonic signature. Inspired by the likes of Charli XCX, Dorian Electra, Count Baldor, Shygirl, JME & Artful Dodger, it is evident that Carδamo is an artist looking to radicalise the dancefloor by exploring the fringes of “acceptable” dance music.

 

alien izz - AVA Creators Forum

Alien Izz

[SC / IG]

Alien Izz is a producer, DJ and radio host whose music explores an eclectic mix of underground sounds from acid, breaks, trance and electro to the more leftfield and wonky fringes of techno, bass and beyond.

 

brawni - AVA Creators Forum

Brawni

[SC / IG]

Brawni’s intention is to make electronic music inspired by places to create a portal for listeners to dive into. Following releases on community-label Cloudcore (alongside fellow Irish producer Sloucho) and support from UK mystery duo Two Shell, Brawni has established himself as one of the most exciting, future-facing electronic music composers in Ireland and beyond. Previously a member of the CABAL collective based in Limerick – the artist has his sights set on a forward-thinking club-night concept that incorporates his love of machines called ‘Hardware’ which will see four different live artists go back-to-back for four hours of live innovation across a range of DIY spaces. Committed to pushing the boundaries of what is expected from modern electronic music, Brawni’s is a testament to the artist’s dedication in producing incredible sonic experiences that are not quickly forgotten.

 

Body Clinic

Body Clinic

[SC / IG]

Having just released his debut 12-inch as Body Clinic on DJ Cosworth’s HARDLINE sub-label Body High, as well as a single on Holly Lester’s Duality Trax imprint, 20-year-old Rory Gilmore has showcased a tasteful sonic palette well beyond his young years, having already received support on the likes of Boiler Room, Rinse Fm, Balamii, NTS and BBC R1. Showcasing a blend of his biggest influences – from tech house wobblers to steppy UKG and post-punk electronic hybrids to progressive warpers, you can catch him at upcoming festival slots across the UK, with the likes of AVA Festival and Demsfest.

 

LACATY - AVA Creators Forum

LACATY

[SC / IG]

LACATY is a DJ developed in Berlin, now based in London. Known for mixing underground 90s house gems with trance, breaks, power house and garage, and with a slew of exciting projects on the horizon including her debut EP. LACATY is poised to take the scene by storm.

 

Nina Rose

Nina Rose

[Spotify / IG]

Introducing Nina Rose: The Rising Star Bringing the Rhythm of Afrobeats to the World. An exciting new talent in the music industry, Nina Rose is making waves with her unique blend of Afro-inspired beats and captivating melodies. With her infectious energy and soulful vocals, Nina Rose is poised to become a prominent figure in the Afrobeats genre.

Hailing from London with Jamaican and Ghanaian heritage, Nina Rose has always been deeply passionate about music. Her latest single “FOLLOW”  has already garnered significant attention from both fans and industry insiders. Its infectious rhythm, paired with Nina Rose’s enchanting vocals, has propelled her into the spotlight, gaining recognition for her talent and potential. Listeners have praised her ability to effortlessly blend modern, international sounds with traditional African influences, making her music accessible and enjoyable to a diverse range of audiences.

 

Raji Rags - AVA Creators Forum

Raji Rags

[SC / IG]

Raji Rags is a shape-shifter, always taking on new forms. Whether you know him as a DJ, a label head, an A&R or behind the scenes at institutions like Boiler Room, Warp, Bleep, Livin’ Proof and now at the helm of his own label, OTIH Records, he has refused to be boxed into one category, constantly evolving. A mainstay of the London music scene, Raji Rags skips across genres gracefully, epitomised by his long standing NTS radio show. The British-South Asian creative has already lived many lives, and now it is time for the next one.

‘Congratulations’ is the debut EP from Raji Rags. A culmination of his influences merged together, the EP spans breakneck percussive rhythms across five tracks, melding together string arrangements and orchestration with hip-hop methodology. It’s full of vigour and purpose, not a note out of place, melodic and layered, the EP is gratifyingly hard to categorise.

 

Yumé NET - AVA Creators Forum

Yumé NET

[SC / IG]

As our lives move more and more online, the boundaries between the natural and digital world become increasingly blurry. Yumé NET is interested in interrogating these boundaries. Whether it’s in her research as a bioelectronics PhD student developing electronics that interface with the human nervous system. Or in her music, where she crafts coruscating and otherworldly musical landscapes that explore what it means to be human in an increasingly online society. Using a meld of modern jazz and experimental electronic music as her framework, Yumé sets out to tell stories about the very personal and very human aspects of her life (platonic love, trans joy, identity, bigotry, community) and how technology has transformed them. Tender but heavy, calculated but full of love, her music invites the listener to join her in exploring what lies between and beyond the 0s and 1s.

AVA Creators Forum is co-funded by the Arts Council England with TYX Studios, alongside a range of supporting audio and cultural partners.

AVA x Boiler Room: Year 10 Announced

10 Years of AVA X Boiler Room

For a decade now, the high-energy Belfast crowd has served as the backdrop for kickstarting the careers of many iconic artists. Now it’s time for Boiler Room to return to “their favourite place” once again.

We’ve joined forces once again for 10 years of Boiler Room at AVA. Expect some seriously exciting debuts alongside some of the most respected international names in electronic music and the return of some AVA festival favourites, this June.

Please welcome KI/KI, Special Request b2b Anz, DJ Boring b2b salute, Narciss, Nick Leon, Sam Alfred, Juicy Romance, Space Dimension Controller, Aika Mal and Sloucho [Live].

AVA London 2024: Rewind

AVA London 2024 was a homage to cutting-edge electronic music artists and the creative industry.

The seventh outing of AVA London has been a testament to the strength of the current creative community – uniting the world’s brightest minds for discussions, keynote talks, workshops and audiovisual club shows across three days. In a time of constant evolution, rapidly changing technology, and new ways of working for the music and arts industries – AVA was a vital node for the industry, artists and appreciators to come together. 

Taking place from 29th Feb – 2nd March, AVA took over The British Library and The Standard on Thursday, with Friday spread across KOKO and HERE at Outernet. Over 500 audience members soaked up 40 sessions and 100 speakers & artists across three days. Pre-conference on Thursday, AVA kicked off with a breakfast session bringing 30 international festivals and promoters to one table to dig deep on the current climate for festivals and for the future in the inaugural AVA Forum. Moving to the opening keynote, Brian Eno inspired the audience, diving into topics of sustainability and the art of giving back, in partnership with his EarthPercent charity which encourages artists and those within creative industries to pledge small percentages for purpose-driven projects.

 

A key highlight from Thursday’s event included Resident Advisor’s live RA Exchange with Charli XCX, exploring the professional party girl’s creative process and how her edgy pop productions have gained her notoriety. Staying true to herself as an artist, Charli XCX has been a definitive name in recent years. Cultural platform Trippin hosted two panels exploring topics including Micro Scenes to Global Trends, and Curating Contemporary Culture. Known for their carefully curated insights into culture across the globe, the team hosted these two panels that delved into questions around authenticity, hype, connection and more. 

The ‘Requeering Dancefloors’ discussion focussed on how queer artists, promoters and parties are moving forward to create new, safe and dynamic spaces to connect. French legend Laurent Garnier sat down with acclaimed journalist Séamas O’Reilly to go deep on his process of discovery, and a look at how he has managed to stay one of the globe’s most relevant and influential artists across thirty years. Listening to over 500 tracks a day, Laurent is more passionate and driven than ever. Resident Advisor also hosted workshops with revered Colombian electronic label TraTraTrax and Foundation FM.

For the second conference day, Elijah opened with an interactive keynote session based on his yellow square project – based on the topic of ‘If You Love Music, You Should Learn How To DJ.’ Opening up to discussion to the crowd, Elijah touched on topics from barriers to entry for musicians, putting the fun back into DJing and creating, and seeing DJ culture with a new perspective.

Founder of Metallic Inc and Homecoming Festival Grace Ladoja also showcased why she is a legend in the industry – a creator who has garnered respect globally for her work creating stories for brands such as Supreme and artists including Skepta and Sarz, Grace was recognised with an MBE in 2018 for her outstanding services to music. Other talks from the second day at Koko included a panel on The Future of International Nightlife featuring some of the scenes most crucial names, including Amy Lamé (London Night Czar), Lutz Leichsenring, (Berlin Club Commission), Judy Griffith (fabric), Amy Van-Baaren (RA) this talk will be hosted by Georgia Taglietti (AFEM). The final panel of the second day bought together a group of industry experts who have influenced the music industry in some way. 

Leading UK artist development agency One House curated a series of talks covering topics between working sustainably with artists, navigating brand partnerships and technology, iconic nightclub fabric hosted a talk with their team looking at their future and next moves after 25 years in the game. On top of that two huge festival brands – Sonar and Mutek sat down to discuss the current festival landscape.

AVA London moved into their night programme with two sold-out shows at KOKO Camden and Outernet with Marlon Hoffstadt aka DJ Daddy Trance, Or:la B2B Spray, DJ AYA, Sloucho and more. Friday’s KOKO show saw emerging Irish artist Aika Mal open proceedings before a highly anticipated B2B from the renowned selectors Danielle and Amaliah. Or:la and Spray joined forces for a debut peak time B2B before AVA stalwart DJ Boring closed out night one. On Saturday night, Irish breakthrough artist Sloucho blew the audience away with his dynamic live A/V show, followed up by the Irish-born, Berlin-based Radiant Records label head Byron Yeates. DJ AYA then took control with a powerful mix of percussion, breaks and techno before headliner Marlon Hoffsdtadt aka DJ Daddy Trance sent the crowd crazy with high energy, trance-infused set of original material supported by a live visual show from Pitch Studios.

AVA are proud to have been able to deliver this year’s music and digital arts focussed conference. An ambitious, but necessary project that was focussed on education & the present – a crucial meeting of minds for the industry and a space for new relationships and ideas to flourish.

To end the conference on a special note, Donna Grantis (the legendary guitarist known for her work with Prince) closed out the second conference day with an intimate and heartfelt performance in KOKO’s main space.

“Everything we consider to be a deep transcendental experience is actually an act of surrender. I always enjoy seeing people surfing, it’s about surrendering to the wave and taking back control. It’s a great life skill to learn” – Brian Eno

“DJs are music journalists. Wouldn’t it be useful if a music review said that this song would go well with another song?” – Elijah

“What is art without conviction? It’s crap.” – Charli XCX

“The press model. With the decline of traditional alt media, festivals in a weird way are one of the last places that you can go and are representative of culture in large numbers.” – Paul Sónar

“By merging both sides of the stage AVA London brought inspiration and aspiration to artists, industry and audience for the future. Our intention is to push the boundaries of these art forms and I’m excited to see where we are taking this.” – Sarah McBriar, Founder AVA Festival

Photography by Khris Cowley @asianprovocateur for Here & Now @wearehereandnow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AVA MIX 015: SLOUCHO

 

Sloucho is a mythical being. One of the most mercurial new artists coming out of Ireland in recent times, this prolific producer hops between a myriad of musical styles through CloudCore-inspired broken beats, bass-driven percussion and alternative dreamscapes in his productions, which should speak to fans Two Shell and the post-dubstep continuum.

Sloucho’s identity is shrouded in mystery and a tapestry of deep lore, inspired by Irish Folklore & the Neolithic Age – a story which he is deploying in the lead-up to the release of his debut album this May. A strong Irish artistic presence runs through Sloucho’s work with guest features from Irish natives Rory Sweeney, EMBY, Curtisy and more. This week, the hooded figure takes to the AVA Mix Series, to offer you a glimpse of the energy he brought to AVA London last weekend.
2024 is the year of Sloucho.

Sloucho made his debut with AVA in London on Saturday 2nd March at HERE in Outernet with a stunning live AV set which consisted of mainly unreleased, a story which they are deploying in the lead-up to the release of his debut album NPC this May on Sweet Sun Records.
The first single with Rory Sweeney drops this Friday, March 8th.

 

TRACKLIST
BJF – Dengue
El Gusano – Arrebatao (ft. El Descarao)
Pantera – Socadinha w. Paul Mond, Dave Nunes
DJ Ranking – Ravesito UmU x Kuchi Kuchi
DJ Ranking – Que levante la mano mi gente
El Gusano – Saka La Bolsita
Bing – la9 (edit)
Judge Jude – Diva
Portway – Dropshipping
Fork and Knife – Glib
An Arvin – Paticake
SMIFF – BANG!
Bluetoof – Newt Licker
INVT – IGNITE DEM
Bitter Babe & Nick Leon – Gøce
Tokischa – Toy En Nota (Wost Remix)
An Arvin – Sloppy
DJ Fucci – Parranda
Doctor Jeep – Push The Body
Danny Goliger – Archos Gmini
Galactic Sound Dealer – 2003
MadeInParis, Maureen – Auto (Cardozo Edit)
DJ Fucci – MXN
Siu Mata & Amor Satyr – Nechung
King Doudou – Hellcat
LAZA – Atomica

What was your approach to producing this AVA Mix?
I found an oddly shaped rock while out with my dog Maramu. Fortunately I had just built a new codec analyser in my studio for processing items just like this. Who knew this is what rocks sounded like.

Tell us a bit about Sloucho.
Sloucho is the future and the past.

What were some of your earliest musical influences?
The sounds of trees, the crashing of giant waves and the howling winds.

If you had a studio fire, what’s the one bit of kit you’d rush to save?
My head-torch.

What’s your ultimate opening or closing track?
Sloucho – Mind Traveller

If you could work or collaborate with any artist living or dead, who would it be?
Yamagōchi

You have a new album coming up, what’s the concept behind it?
The dual existence of being a main character and NPC. Both states of existence can be simultaneously true.

What is Cloudcore?
Cloudcore is a webspace music sanctuary, a place to make friends, share music and hang out.

Photography by Khris Cowley @asianprovocateur for Here & Now @wearehereandnow

AVA London Delegate List

Dylan First • Agent, WME
Charles Green • Booking Agent, Omni-Artists
Anna Meacham • Founder and Director, Huxley
Lewis Wilde • Head of Music, DICE
Peter Beer • Agent, FMLY Agency
Jamie Waldman • Agent, United Talent Agency
Dave Redmond • Partner & Booking Agent, Sweat Lodge Agency
Samuel McGlynn • Booking Agent, von der haardt
Jack Clark • Agent, United Talent Agency
Joel Mills • Director of Music, British Council
Karl Schussig • Director, Flash Festival
Benedetta Venturini • Director, Flash Festival
Éilis Sanfey • Programme Director, Homecoming
Fred Letts • Co-Founder, Waterworks Festival
Florian Czok • Festival Director, Goodlive / Melt Festival
Wiecher Troost • Head of Conference, Amsterdam Dance Event
Brenda Narvaez • ADE Lab Program Curator, Amsterdam Dance Event
Jan Willem van de Ven • Managing Director, Amsterdam Dance Event
Ben Turner • Co-Founder, International Music Summit
Molly King • Head of Development, Other Voices / South Wind Blows
Simon Denby • Co-Founder / Director / Co-Owner Body Movements / Percolate / Waterworks festival
Clayton Wright • Co-Founder and Director, Body Movements Festival / Little Gay Brother / Feel It Events LTD
Alix Herrmann-Auclair • Artistic Director / Programmer, Bordeaux Open Air / TALENT BOUTIQUE SARL / Peacock Society Festival
Cali McKinney • Artist Manager, One House
Richard Seabrooke • Chief Culture Officer, The Tenth Man
Abbie Jessup • Publicist, XL Recordings
Jennifer Metcalf • Labels Coordinator, Warp Records
Casper Mills • 4AD
James O’Donohoe • Music Manager, Heaven-Sent Management
Amy Krawczyk • Project Manager, 4AD
Josh de Silva • Agent, One House
Caroline Trout • Artist Manager, Red Light
Nicolas Bestley • Associate Director of Publicity, Huxley
Emily Hornbuckle • Day to Day Manager, One House
Chanel Kadir • Director / Head of Press, Dawn / Boiler Room
Adam Moujahid • Artist Manager, 285 Group
Sasha Edge • Artist Manager, This Is Music Ltd
James Carr • Artist Manager, This Is Music Ltd
Hugh Mac Donnell • Leading Go To Market, Amondo
Chris Gold • Manager, 285 Group
Emily Connick • Press Coordinator, Huxley
Vidhi Gandhi • Head of A&R
Nik Whybrew • Operations Director, Assembly Festival
Theo Kottis • Head of Music, Poolsuite Music & Events
Marcus O’Sullivan • Co-Founder & Director, Circulate
Ina Singeorzan Culture • Marketing Manager, Red Bull Ireland
Amelia Holder • Artist Manager & TM, This Is Music
Tom Wiltshire • Brand Partnerships, Freelance
Callum Wright • Partnerships & Project Manager, AEI Ventures & The Halley Space
Ranen Ekubia • Co-Founder / Senior Event Producer & Marketing lead, MOTP
Emile Martin • Agent, Omni Artists
Nick Cooke • Head of New Business, Mustard Media
Rupert Plumb • AEI Music / Ventures
Tsvetelina Tomova • Creative Producer, Metallic Inc / Homecoming Festival
Paolo Silvestro • Workspace & Community Manager, The Halley (AEI Group)
Kitty Bartlett • Head of Event Coordination & Senior Booker, Percolate Music
Fabian Huismans • Booking Agent, Temporary Secretary
Remo Bitzi • Founding member, zweikommasieben / The Rest / INTR
Katharina Meissner • Programming, MUTEK
Courtney Bole • Senior Account Manager, Music Festivals and Events The Collab / AEI Music
Shona McCarthy • Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society

Volunteer at AVA London 2024

 

Join the AVA London 2024 Crew

Be part of the future of Audio Visual Arts! 🌐🎶

AVA London, the annual multi-day festival and conference, is gearing up for its much-anticipated edition year in 2024, and we want YOU to be a part of this experience. Volunteers are the heart of our conference and for our 2024 edition, we’re searching for a talented team to help us create an unforgettable experience for our local and international attendees.

About AVA London:

AVA London is more than just an event; it’s a convergence of electronic music and digital arts communities, featuring cutting-edge performances, the latest technologies, and culture. Across three unforgettable days and nights, AVA London invites you to immerse yourself in a dynamic program of talks and live shows, all designed to push boundaries and contribute to the future of music.

Dates: Thursday 29 February – Saturday 02 March

If you would like to be part of the 2024 edition, please fill out this form.
If you have any questions contact
info@avafestival.com 

What We Offer:

  • Unique Experience: Be at the heart of one of the most exciting cultural events in the UK, hosted across leading venues in Central London’s Knowledge Quarter.
  • Networking Opportunities: Connect with industry professionals, artists, and fellow music enthusiasts, fostering meaningful connections that extend beyond the event.
  • Contribute to Change: Play a vital role in shaping the future of music by supporting an event that strives to ignite conversations and innovations within the electronic music and digital arts spheres.
  • Tickets: You will have the opportunity to gain access to our most sought after shows in 2024.

Volunteer Positions:

  • Event Logistics: Assist in the seamless execution of AVA London, ensuring that every detail contributes to an unforgettable experience.
  • Guest Services: Be the welcoming face of AVA London, helping attendees navigate the event and providing information with a smile.

Thank you for considering volunteering at AVA London 2024. 🚀

AVA Mix 013: Yung Singh

AVA Mix 13 – Yung Singh

The latest edition of the AVA mix is a biggie!

Yung Singh is an open-format DJ. His DJ sets can vary in genre from garage to grime, old-school jungle and DnB expertly blended with Punjabi folk, organ house, trance, and everything in between. He blew us away with an electric set at our woodland stage at All Together Now Festival last year, and helped us ring in the new year in London with a Punjabi-folk special. This off-the-wall mix comes ahead of a hotly-anticipated Belfast festival debut at AVA in less than 3 weeks’ time with a headline after party alongside Sìofra for good measure – Singh already knows the crowd are going to be up for it.

Speaking about the mix, he said: “It’s definitely a similar vibe to that All Together Now set, I sort of approached it with the mindset of trying to re-capture that energy! Very much wanted to go with a summer festival going into an afterparty vibe with some proper old school rave cuts as well as loads of speed garage, organ house, hardcore, breaks, hard house and jungle bits. These are all sounds I grew up with and associate with summer Had to slip in that Club Caviar remix of 666’s D.E.V.I.L. that popped off at ATN last year. After that set I was told that apparently i’d “done my research” – turns out I inadvertently played an Irish rave classic in the woods! Had a feeling it would go down well.

Give it a listen, energetic doesn’t even begin to cut it!

TRACKLIST

Maximum Dub – Bakey
Hold On – Lu.Re
Da Beat – Longeez
Aaja Nacheye – Notorious Jatt
Burnin’ Up – Wildcat
99 – DJ Q
Dels Diner – Trotters Independent Traders
Gotta Get Your Ting Together – Big Ang
D.E.V.I.L. Club Caviar Extended Vocal Mix – 666
Everybody’s Talking (Well Let’s Talk) – Theo Everyday
The Essentials – Isaiah
Big B – Finn & I.JORDAN
Hardcore Heaven (Remastered) – DJ Seduction
Music 4 da People – Yolk
Do It Again – Pete Cannon
Flashback – Lemon D
All Of The Massive (Mixed) – Fracture

Emerging Talent Programme 2023

AVA’s Emerging Talent Programme returns for 2023 offering a creative opportunity for one DJ, Music Producer and Visual Artist in each category.

You could win:
– A DJ slot at AVA 2023
– Your music released via the record label Extended Play
– A creative workshop with visual artist Kev Freeney

For more info on the entry requirements please visit the links below for each relevant category.
AVA Emerging DJ
AVA Emerging Producer
AVA Emerging Visual Artist

Applications will be assessed by a team of industry professionals including Timmy Stewart (The Night Institute + Extended Play), Holly Lester (Duality Trax + Free the Night) and Kwame Daniels (Bounce Culture + Neo Neo), visual artist Kev Freeney as well as senior AVA Staff.

We welcome applicants from across the UK & Ireland, and we particularly encourage applications from minority groups and individuals that are underrepresented throughout the industry.

Applications to the Emerging Talent Programme 2023 are now closed.

Best of luck to all applicants.

AVA Mix 012: Mount Palomar

The twelfth edition of the AVA Mix Series comes courtesy of Neil Kerr aka Mount Palomar.

Kerr’s résumé includes many accolades across many mediums including DJ-ing, producing, screen-printing and fashion photography. He’s collaborated with Joshua Burnside and Enola Gay, thrown parties with Visual Spectrum and Salomé Pressac and curated art exhibitions to coincide with the release of his EPs. Booked to play at the world-famous Berghain for his second gig, Neil went on to play the iconic venue 4 times within his first year, culminating in a peak time set on the main Berghain floor for their Pride party.

Neil returned in November 2022 with his new critically acclaimed EP, Brace For Impact, selling out his two 300 capacity return headline shows in Ulster Sports Club, Belfast.

Read on to see what he had to say about all these things and more.

So Neil, what was your approach to this AVA Mix?
Given that this is my first ever recorded mix, I just went with my gut and chose songs that I felt worked well dynamically, without sticking to one particular genre. I’m not a big fan of mixes being too predictable, I don’t like knowing by track 3 what’s going to be in store for the full mix. Despite my love of synthesizers, I opted not to just go with big synthy tracks throughout and it ended up being less melodic than I had initially expected. Thankfully, the tracklist ideas came quite easily and hopefully there are a few curveballs that make for a more interesting listen. Of course, once I finished it, I thought of dozens of other tracks that I wished I had stuck in but I guess I’ll just have to do more mixes soon, scratch that itch. I recorded it using the Xone 92 and a few effects, fuelled by tea and easter eggs.

 

You’ve been a veteran producer for a long time and only started DJing in more recent years. How has your tenure as a producer informed your craft as a DJ?
I am a complete audio nerd at heart and love timbral layering, so that always inevitably creeps into my sets at different points. Being fascinated with music production and how different sounds compliment or enhance each other always excites me, so I’m happiest when combining different sonic elements in order to present tracks in a way that they maybe haven’t been heard before. Producing music also helps tune your year to the ebb and flow of tracks and so, if I’m doing this DJing thing right, that sense of dynamism should hopefully be present in my sets. Like I said, I’d get bored just playing a load of really similar tracks, may as well just stick on “Now That’s What I Call A Westie House Party 2005” and have a sandwich.

 

You’ve had some big collaborations lately, including Joshua Burnside who loaned his voice for your track Simmer? How did that come about and do you have any other future collaborations in the mix?
Josh was one of those names I had seen pop up loads of times but had never actually heard any of his music. During the pandemic, I was going through a nightmare time with my greedy landlord who sold the house I was living in, or pretended to sell it, so that he could bump up the rent and evict us, to help further line his pockets. Anyway, my head was melted and so on evening walks with my dog, Mylo, I was listening to music to try to escape the stress. The name of Josh’s latest album, Into The Depths of Hell, and the artwork intrigued me and so I stuck it on one night and it blew me away. I then listened to his back catalogue and it was just one incredible track after another. I reached out to him about working together on a track and he was really positive and up for it and so Simmer was born. 

Vocal features will continue to pop up in my work going forward, I used to be a singer-songwriter many moons ago and so enjoy writing songs that aren’t all exclusively instrumental. I’ll be working with the Enola Gay boys again soon, I have a track underway with Manchester band, Maruja, and a couple of years ago I wrote a track that features Dana Masters, that will be released pretty soon. They’re all quite different from each other so I haven’t a clue what people will make of them.

 

You recently did an event at Ulster Sports Club, giving it the Mount Palomar treatment, flying in Salomé Pressac to dance alongside you. How was it?
It went really well, exceeded my expectations. Salomé and I are working together on a Mount Palomar music video that I am just finishing off, so we had already formed a good working relationship, having shot in both Belfast and New York. I knew she was incredibly talented and assumed that her performance skills would translate well to a live gig setting but I didn’t know what the reaction would be. Thankfully, the night was a real success and the response from the crowd was extremely positive throughout. Despite it being my first home-soil live show, post-pandemic, the night sold out and Salomé’s performance, alongside the lighting installation by Visual Spectrum, made for an event the likes of which Belfast hadn’t seen before, which was really satisfying.

 

As a producer you utilise a lot of hardware. In an age when you can do so much with just a laptop what does it mean to you to get hands on with the physical machinery? How has it shaped your journey as an artist?
To be honest, people tend to salivate over hardware too much, myself included. It has taken me years to come to the conclusion that it is no better or worse than software and both absolutely have their place. The amount of time I have wasted trying to get old Soviet synths to work is pretty astounding and I am definitely not as hardware-obsessed as I used to be. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the tactile nature of working with hardware and there are some bits of kit that are incredible and just don’t sound like software but you can make awful music with hardware and make incredible music with software and vice versa. I certainly wouldn’t tell young up and coming producers to go out and buy a load of gear when they’re starting out, the most important thing is how the track sounds and if you can make a banger with Ableton and a tin whistle then who’s to judge?

 

You also work in a screen printing studio, and curated a gallery-type take over of the National to coincide with the release of your album Brace for Impact. How did you get into screen printing?
By pretending I knew what I was doing. I signed up to a 2 day course at Belfast Print Workshop in 2014 and just paid attention and worked hard on my prints. Then once the course was done, I pretended I had studied screenprinting in Spain for a year and applied to become a member. I must have done ok in the class as they believed me and my membership was instated the following week. I now teach there part-time and printmaking has become a big part of my work as Mount Palomar, allowing me to screenprint my own record sleeves, merch etc… I have some other exciting, large-scale multidisciplinary projects in the works, including the biggest project I have ever undertaken, which is due to launch in London next year.

 

What were some of your earliest musical influences? Any guilty pleasures?
My first musical memory is singing Frankie Goes To Hollywood ‘Relax’ in the school playground at about age 5. Our idiotic lyrical amendment was “Relax, don’t do it, pick your nose and chew it.” We thought we were being young edge-lords but if we knew what the lyrics really meant, maybe we’d have chosen a different song. I still play Relax in my sets from time to time, it is an absolute tune and I can now enjoy the real lyrics for what they are. Hi Berghain.

Aside from that, I was into Michael Jackson, like every kid in the 80s, then discovered Guns N’ Roses aged 9 or 10, via Elvira’s Heavy Metal Heaven and became a wee metal head. I was into the usual; Nirvana, Metallica, Rage Against the Machine etc… Then, at about age 13 I stole my cousin’s The Prodigy “Experience” CD and so began a fascination with bleeps and bloops.

As for guilty pleasures, I am gay, there is no such thing as a guilty pleasure. Celine Dion, Kenny G, Backstreet Boys; nothing is too shit for these ears.

 

If you could work or collaborate with any artist living or dead, who would it be?
I’d be in a band with Jimi Hendrix, Nina Simone, John Lennon, Kendrick Lemar, Bjork and Chris Whitley and we’d be called The Guilty Pleasuredome.

 

Is there anything else coming up you’d like to shout about?
Lots but my hands are getting sore from typing so I’ll just say; come see me play at AVA please, come to my next solo live gig in Ulster Sports Club on July 15th and stop listening to hardstyle.

 

Tell us your favourite moments from AVAs gone by.
I could easily list at least 30 different moments, every year is a whopper but 2018 was probably my favourite so far. The Red Bull Stage on the slope was heavenly, the sets were so good, the crowd were so sound and I remember having many, many moments of “It doesn’t get any better than this!” that year. Can’t wait for the next one and I feel incredibly fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to take part in the festival over the years. 

TRACKLIST

  • Moiré ft Demigosh – Know Me
  • Odopt – Chaba Waltz
  • Blawan – Fawner
  • Pleasure Pool – Night Scars
  • Joy Orbison – Fuerza
  • Phil Kieran – Polyrhythmic
  • Moy – Scattered Disc
  • Anunaku – Temples
  • Moktar – Silk
  • Phil Kieran – Scream (Justin Van Der Volgen Remix)
  • Niv Ast & Rina – Staccato Sentimento
  • Splash Pattern – Furnace
  • Joe Farr – Spectate (Max Cooper Remix)
  • Blu Terra – 20,000
  • Aloka – XTX3
  • Tim Karbon – Boiling Mafé Bowl
  • Skee Mask – Reviver
  • Ourman – Onward & Downward
  • Hassan Abou Alam – Breathe
  • Moiré ft Demigosh – Know Me
  • Doctor Jeep – Push The Body
  • Diggerz – Chat Noir

AVA BELFAST 2023: Day Splits Announced

AVA announces individual day lineups and tickets to two of the biggest dates for headline talent in the Irish & UK festival calendar. 


FRIDAY

Friday’s proceedings include CENCH aka Central Cee, the West London rapper who was the most-streamed UK Hip Hop artist in 2022, with hits like ‘Doja Cat’ and ‘Let Go’ he will take to the mainstage in a huge Belfast debut. International house and techno polymath Peggy Gou has joined the bill to blend genres and styles with her amazing headline energy. On a homegrown Irish rap tip there’s Kojaque and returning favorites Overmono will play another electric live set, Job Jobse will make a highly anticipated return to the festival, Héctor Oaks and DJ Heartstring will bring their trademark takes on house, techno, trance and breaks to the AVA agenda, plus many more.

 

Saturday

Moving into the Saturday and there’s another serious session set for the day, headlined by UK alternative prodigy Slowthai. Fresh off the back from releasing his new album UGLY, Slowthai will his bring raucous, raw live energy to Belfast. Also on board for day two is Hessle Audio co-founder and all round good egg, Ben UFO, plus a very special B2B between two Irish and AVA OG’s – OR:LA b2B Sally C,Also on board for Saturday – they’ll be heavy and hard-hitting bass music mutations from Blawan and KETTAMA, whilst both Eliza Rose, Interplanetary Criminal and Yung Singh & many more.

 

For its ninth edition, AVA expands its music programming style – pulling together a diverse selection of artists, from their original electronic underground roots to rap, hip-hop, grime, RnB and more across two days, and four unique stages in their Titanic Slipways home. With just two months to go, AVA can now announce day tickets for Friday and Saturday are available from £55 for day passes – tickets available Friday at 10 AM via Resident Advisor.

 

FRIDAY 

Central Cee​ – ​Peggy Gou – Overmon​o ​ KOJAQUE​  Job Jobse – Héctor Oaks   southstar   DJ Heartstring​ – I.Jordan – ​Jossy Mitsu​ – Pretty Girl Live – imnotyourmate​ – Spray​ – Efa O’Neill – Swoose – Carlton Doom  ​Mount Palomar​  ​- Crilli DnB​ – ​Brién​ – ​Caoimhe​ – Nez​ – ​Plain Sailing​ – Dallas​ – ​Cricky​ – ​Blark​ – ​Nikki O​ – ​KEM – Danse Intermission​ – ​Paudie

SATURDAY 

Slowthai – Ben UFO​ – Boiler Room sets: KETTAMA – Eliza Rose – Special AV closing show: OR:LA b2B Sally C –  ​Blawan – SPFDJ​ – KI/KI – DJ Boring – ​Interplanetary Criminal – Yung Singh​ – XCLUB – ​Funk Tribu  Kessler​ – Timmy Stewart – Holly Lester​ – Jordan Nocturne – Emby​ – Marion Hawkes – Twitch​ -​Inside Moves​ – ​Cartin – Cyence​ -Ricky Chong​ – ​Síofra – Reger​ -​Hannah

{PAIRED} – AVA x Carousel returns for Spring 2023

{PAIRED}- Carousel x AVA – Saturday 29th April
Inspired by the rich and fertile creative terrain where food, music and experience overlap, {PAIRED} is a brand new collaboration with our friends from AVA.

The idea is simple: pair the world’s most exciting chefs with the most respected DJs and musicians and watch as the magic unfolds. Each pairing is a one-off, completely unique to that time and place and the audience who’s there to experience it.

Coming to Charlotte Street on Saturday April 29th, our next event brings together two more inspired Chef x DJ pairings for a simultaneous multi-sensory experience across our two floors.

There’s one 7pm sitting per pairing for just 70 guests at a time, featuring multi-course tasting menus and bespoke soundtracks. At 10pm, 200 more guests will join the party with back-to-back sets from our DJs.

THE LINE UP
Yuji Tani x Elkka
or
Youra Kim x DJ Tennis

Yuji Tani
HOUSE, TOKYO & NYC
Following on from the success of the original HOUSE in Tokyo’s Nishiazabu neighbourhood, Yuji Tani has just opened a sister restaurant in Brooklyn, a labour of love that has been in the works for five years. There Yuji combines classic techniques with the minimalist approach of his home town Kyoto to serve more of the deceptively simple and impossibly beautiful ‘homestyle’ French-Japanese dishes that have made his name as a leading light of the Tokyo New Wave.

Elkka
FEMME CULTURE
Multi-talented London-based artist Elkka is an award-winning DJ, producer and founder of Femme Culture, a record label and collective that champions women in the arts and pushes music that stands for inclusivity amongst all genders, backgrounds and beliefs. Beginning her career as a singer-songwriter Elkka’s genre-spanning music creatively merges house, electronica, percussive beats and soulful vocals and has received critical acclaim and support from the likes of Tom Ravenscroft and Annie Mac.

Youra Kim
PROPAGANDA, COPENHAGEN
“I make authentic Korean food,” says Youra Kim of Copenhagen smash hit, Propaganda. “I’m not really interested in toning down the flavours”. With a killer wine list, infectious house party energy and Youra’s repertoire of “high voltage” Korean crowd pleasers that draw on the flavours of her childhood – think sticky Korean fried chicken and kimchi and pork mandu, swimming in chilli oil – Propaganda has joined the A-list of the city’s must-visit restaurants in no time.

DJ Tennis
LIFE AND DEATH
Manfredi Romano is a former chef turned DJ and producer. Having spent two decades working behind the scenes in music and events, the Italian came to the fore as a DJ in 2010. In the same year, he founded Life and Death records, with a desire to ‘reintroduce psychedelia to the dancefloor’. Performing at seminal venues and festivals across the globe, his dynamic, eclectic sets feature ‘an intoxicating blend of nu-disco, post-punk and UK bass’.

DINNER – 7pm-10pm
£115 pre-paid set menu + after party entry
Book Now
______
AFTER PARTY – 10pm – late
£35 ticket fee – Sets from DJ Tennis & Elkka
Buy Tickets

AVA London Conference: Full Programme

Official Partners:
Square – Sentric Music – Easol – Volta XR
Resident Advisor – AFEM – War Child/The Right To Dance

Adding to an already impressive festival programme, AVA London Conference can announce the full set of talks, panels and workshops planned for London’s leading electronic music & visual arts conference taking place on Friday 24th February at Printworks London. The daytime session invites industry leaders, artists and game-changers to share ideas, exchange knowledge and grow ideas as it unites music’s brightest minds.

Tickets for the conference are available from £15.

The full programme takes place across four key spaces – Press Halls, Control Room, Dark Room and a Drop-In area, each hosting talks, workshops, and interactive sessions that are built around key themes of:
Innovation, Diversity, Sustainability & The Future.

In the main Press Halls area, the Opening Keynote from 11 AM will be a deep dive with Hot Chip band members Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard discussing their almost two decade journey as one of the UK’s most infamous electronic music duos, crossing pop, synth, electronica and more in their non-traditional productions. AVA’s closing keynote is the newly announced ‘Migrant Footprint’ talk, presented by The Right To Dance & War Child feat. multi-disciplinary artist GAIKA, DJ Nooriyah (Middle of Nowhere) and Eastern Margins founder Lumi, who will be discussing their unique personal and collective stories where migration and music have intersected.

The Press Halls also hosts ‘The Game Changers’, a heavyweight panel with 5 key industry professionals who have each played a role in facilitating a significant shift in the way we think about the landscape of electronic music. With Jaguar (BBC Radio 1) Christie Driver-Snell (Senior Editor, Spotify) Hannah Shogbola (Primary Talent, BEMA), Steve Hogan (WME) and David Boyle (Audience Strategies), a group of individuals who have been involved with prompting a shift – whether via artist promotion, festival curation, streaming or growing technologies such as A.I.

Another addition comes from Resident Advisor – with RA Presents – The Art Of Djing with Courtesy. Courtesy aka Najaaraq Vestbirk will host a live version of RA’s The Art Of DJing video feature series – an insight into her process. she will unpack her craft in front of an audience, demonstrating techniques and answering questions, with the RA Films team there to capture the magic as it happens. This will happen right after a live edition of the RA Exchange Live with Tony Andrews, the founder of Funktion-One audio. The brand is recognised as one the most pioneering loudspeaker manufacturer globally – and proudly championed at AVA’s flagship Belfast Festival.

Digging into the world of venue management and hosted by curator & broadcaster Emily Dust, The Venue Perspective – What makes music work? powered by Square, recruits the brains behind Printworks and 40+ other venues Sam Spencer (Broadwick Live), Scottish venue & festival founder Tom Ketley (FLY Events), Megan Scanlan who heads up Square’s venue & business development team and Michael Gwyther – Senior PM for Peppermint Bars & Events to discuss what it takes to make a venue tick, their audiences & artists to thrive in their environment, and the tech behind supporting that.

AFEM will present a panel exploring Neurodiversity In Music, and how leaders can empower neurodiverse colleagues and artists featuring Jeryl Wilton-Kruger (Infectious PR), Hayleigh Beckles (Triple Threat Management), Jen O’ Neill (Hoare Associates), Saytek (Artist), Sarah Hildering (InGrooves), Esther Oram (AIM / Artist Manager). AFEM will also work with charity EarthPercent to co-present a climate-emergency themed talk titled Music For The Planet.

Sentric Music will return to AVA London Conference for 2023 to present: “Sync State of The Nation” Patrick Cloherty, Head of Sync, Europe at Sentric opens up the conversation with supervisors across all key media types, including TV& Streaming, Film, Ads and more to review the current climate within the Sync sector. The talk will deep dive into changes, trends and key opportunities for producers across the landscape. Alongside this AVA collaborator Mark Gordon (Score Draw Music/Output Belfast) will host an important discussion around “Exporting Music” the strategy for reaching new markets, advice shared from speakers across the industry spectrum, including Sophie Jones (BPI Chief Strategy Officer), Richard Zijlma (Ex-GM ADE) and Amy Becker (XL Recordings).

Lady Of The House is a community celebrating, championing and honouring women in Dance Music through a multifunctional platform. “Past, Present and Future” Hosted by Vanessa Maria and introduced by LoTH founder Laila Mckenzie this talk will feature Lynn Cosgrove (ex-Carl Cox manager), AmyElle (Artist) and Maria May (CAA) delving into the past, present and future of diversifying dance music.

All of these are in addition to a heavy programme already announced featuring SHERELLE in conversation with NIKS (founder of Black Artists Database and co-founder of BEMA) Steel City Dance Discs will host a DIY tape-making workshop where attendees can create their own physical artefacts.

And of course, on the day there’ll be a drop-in area running with our partners Square, Easol, Volta XR, War Child / The Right to Dance, Steel City Dance Discs, Sentric Music, Bluman Associates, Immerse hosting a variety of b2b sessions, meetings with cutting edge technology providers across a spectrum of services, from website and ticketing to visual and processing and more.

Pink and black timetable for AVA London 2023

AVA LONDON CONFERENCE TICKETS FROM £15 kaboodle.co.uk
AVA LONDON CONFERENCE & AVA PRO £40 kaboodle.co.uk

AVA 2023 – Headliners & First Names Revealed

One of the world’s leading global music events, AVA Festival (Audio Visual Arts) has built a reputation for welcoming a diverse array of global acts to its Northern Ireland home, plus providing a platform for local talent north and south of the border.. Building on that ethos, AVA announce the names for their 2023 edition, including Central Cee, Slowthai, Kettama, Overmono, Eliza Rose, Hèctor Oaks, SPFDJ, Job Jobse, KI/KI, Kojaque, Sally C and more. Returning to their iconic Titanic Slipways location across 2nd – 3rd June, AVA looks forward to welcoming the most eclectic range of sounds the festival has seen to date. Tickets for the festival are available from Friday at 10:00AM, with Weekend, Group & Deposit-scheme tickets available starting from £30 – To get exclusive first access to tickets in our presale tomorrow at 10AM signup here.

AVA Belfast’s programme has evolved – staying true to its electronic roots but welcomes a wider array of sounds to reflect the tastes of its attendees. For 2023, Central Cee headlines – the West London rapper who has exploded for his unique take on UK rap / drill, aesthetic and continuously solid output. The first ever UK artist to achieve 1 billion Spotify streams in one year, the first UK rapper to achieve such a feat, Central Cee is one of the most vital artists to break through in recent years – and his performance at AVA will be one of a select few UK & Ireland summer shows. Also joining is esteemed artist Slowthai; whose intellectual, cheeky output influenced by rap, grime, punk, plus unforgettable performances have gained him a reputation as a solid talent. Representing the Irish squad is Soft Boy Records boss and Irish prodigy – Kojaque.

G-Town records boss and party starter Kettama joins the infamous AVA Boiler Room stage for an unmissable performance, plus AVA solid faves Overmono return for a live main stage show consisting of a euphoric blend of rave, trance, and breaks – following a highlight set at the festival in 2022. On top of that, there’s esteemed selectors and producers Job Jobse, KIKI, SPFDJ, I.JORDAN and many more.

An AVA first timer is Eliza Rose, the artist behind the UK “people’s anthem” and Number One record B.O.T.A. Eliza will be joined on the line-up by her production partner  Interplanetary Criminal, bringing good-time vibes, garage and more. Hector Oaks will also make an appearance, the revered party selector and resident at some of the world’s most loved parties Bassiani (Tbilisi), and Herrensauna (Berlin.)  Also on board are rising Berlin trance due DJ Heartstring and plenty more.

As always, there’s a stack of local legends on board to showcase the health of the current Irish movement including Holly Lester, EMBY, Jordan, Carlton Doom and plenty more. Kessler and IAMNOTYOURMATE both also rep for Irish acts, and after their electric performance at AVA’s NYE special, both sets will be hi-energy highlights on the bill.

AVA found its perfect home at the industrialist Titanic Slipways, and the team are excited to head back after a success. There’ll be adaptations – new indoor areas, arts spaces, bars, maximising the space in the heart of Belfast’s shipping area. For visitors, AVA is an opportunity to experience the Belfast craic in a way like no other – with the locals, in an incredible space, with the extended AVA family. Flights arrive into Belfast from most major cities and there’s plenty of hotel options.

AVA has grown into an essential event for culture in Ireland – pioneering the first large-scale multi-stage event to represent a modern Belfast, promoting the growing community in Northern Ireland and beyond. AVA support local artists with a platform along with some of the world’s most celebrated musicians, and also opportunities for work, education and networking. AVA has created an inclusive, vibrant, and celebrated space for talent to be nurtured from their DJ competitions to work programmes. We look forward to another year with AVA at the centre of Ireland’s thriving music movement.

‘At AVA, we are committed to evolving as both a festival and a cultural movement, with a mantra to never stand still. 2023 marks a moment where AVA is evolving as music and cultural tastes change. It moves with the moment whilst staying true to its origins in electronic music. It’s where multiple artforms converge to create memorable moments for music fans and electronic arts enthusiasts. Our commitment to design, festival experience, high production levels and amplifying local talent is as strong as ever, and we can’t wait to bring you our next AVA Belfast edition this June!’ – Sarah McBriar, AVA Festival Director 

AVA London Conference: First Speakers Announced

Returning to Printworks as part of the venue’s final season, we can reveal plans for the innovative AVA London conference taking place across the daytime of Friday 24th February 2023.

The programme will be led with a selection of talks, workshops, and interactive sessions that are built around four key themes : Innovation, Diversity, Sustainability & The Future. The key conference themes will be broken down into a range of topics and panels within our current electronic music industry, from creativity to diversity, shining a light on working with neurodivergency through to Web3’s role within audio-visual art.

Other participating speakers will include: Jaguar (BBC/BEMA), Heléna Star, (FoundationFM/BEMA), Niks (Black Artist Database/BEMA), Hannah Shogbola (Primary Talent, BEMA), Steve Hogan (WME), Simeon Aldred (Broadwick Live), Lynn Cosgrave (former Acting Management for Carl Cox, John Digweed), Maria May (Head of Electronic at CAA), Laila McKenzie (Lady of the House), Tom Ketley (FLY Events), Tristan Hunt (AFEM) plus many many more.

As always, there will be live interactive sessions, such as hands-on masterclasses, demonstrations and workshops, Australian born label Steel City Dance Discs will host a DIY tape making workshop where attendees can create their own physical artefacts. Overall this will contribute to a carefully curated programme, providing an educational and inspiring experience for conference attendees and delegates. Tickets for the conference are available from just £15 – and can be purchased from Kaboodle here.

Global payments and technology provider Square will join AVA as a new leading partner for 2023. Square makes technology that helps sellers more easily run and grow their businesses with its integrated ecosystem of commerce, staff, customer, and banking solutions. As part of this partnership they will host a special panel talk built around venue and festival operations with industry experts.

A key part of the AVA London agenda is the Keynote interviews, where a selection of carefully curated artists and industry professionals will impart wisdom, insights and their own stories to the audience. For 2023’s edition of AVA London, Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard will step up to discuss their experience as one of the UK’s most infamous crossover electronic acts, fresh off the back of selling out multiple Brixton Academy shows. Hot Chip have been pushing the boundaries of pop, electronica and synthpop since their debut in 1995, and this will be a rare opportunity to hear them discuss their journey.

After launching ‘Beautiful’ last year esteemed DJ and Hooversound label boss Sherelle will sit down in conversation with Niks (founder of Black Artists Database and co-founder of BEMA) to discuss the motivation behind the project. Beautiful is a label/organisation that offers resources (such as classes, workshops) for black and queer artists, inspired by Sherelle’s own experience within the industry and a drive to share her own knowledge.

Technology, music and art have always grown together, whether that’s from music production techniques to pushing the boundaries of live arts, visuals and creativity within the music industry. AVA London has always been inspired by cutting-edge technology, and are pleased to host a talk around this topic. Firstly, ‘How is technology changing the way we create, view and collect art?’ featuring David Rudnick, will discuss topics such as the metaverse, digital art, NFT’s and more. Another panel will explore Neurodiversity In The Music Industry, looking at how leaders can empower neurodiverse colleagues and artists. This session will be led by AFEM, presenting the results of their research with a selection of experts and artists.

Resident Advisor will curate an edition of the RA Exchange Live series with Tony Andrews, the founder of Funkton-One audio and Turbosound. A pioneering force in the professional audio industry since its formation in the early 1970s. Over the years, Andrews’ sound systems have been enjoyed by millions of people around the world. From the very beginning of Glastonbury to Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa tours, Roger Waters’ Berlin Wall Concert and, more recently, at Space Ibiza, Cielo New York, Resistance Ultra Miami / Privilege Ibiza, Berghain, Lost Beach Club, Carl Cox’s Awesome Soundwave at Wembley Arena and, of course, AVA Festival.

AVA London will also have a Drop In Area which will host a range of brands from labels and charities to tech and equipment. Networking activities will increase with space for meetings and industry catch-ups – aimed at generating business and attracting talent. Further information will be released closer to the event.

Built around on four key themes: Innovation, Diversity, Post-Pandemic & The Future – AVA London will provide a space to host important conversations around these topics. As the live industry moves into new spaces in 2023 in both technology and creativity, AVA’s London event will take a look to a bright future with insights and expertise from prominent professionals, experts and artists.

Last remaining tickets for the conference and club are available on the AVA website.

AVA Belfast 2023: Dates Announced

Belfast’s foremost electronic and visual arts festival returns for 2023 on 2 + 3 June, following a huge year at the idyllic Titanic Slipways in the heart of the city’s docklands. Featuring renowned international artists alongside the finest local DJ’s and live acts. Talent will be showcased in the stunning audio/visual style that has become synonymous with the festival’s summer starting weekender.

In 2022 AVA was described as ”one of the world’s most exciting electronic music festivals” by Mixmag. This year will see AVA push the boundaries of electronic music further than ever before whilst also providing a broader offering of genres with each iteration of the festival to reflect the increasingly diverse sound of the city.

Earlybird, group & deposit scheme tickets are now on sale:
https://ra.co/events/1618490

AVA Presents: Boxing Day + New Year’s Eve

To close out 2022 we’re launching our all-new club series at Banana Block, Belfast – starting with Boxing Day + New Year’s Eve!

Our clubbing concept @ Banana Block is simple:

✚ A ground-stacked central stage.
✚ The crowd surrounding the DJ booth.
✚ Brand new strobe lighting system, augmenting the venue’s distinct warehouse aesthetic.
✚ A four-point surround sound system..
✚ A focus on unique DJ sets and back-to-backs.
✚ Clubbing with community at its core.

Boxing Day comes in the form of three artists with top-tier releases on the Feel My Bicep imprint; Hammer, Cromby & Swoose in a B2B2B bonanza. Support comes from up-and-coming party-starter DJ Time of the Month.

Meanwhile New Year’s Eve sees three hometown heroes return to AVA to bring in 2023 in true Belfast fashion. We’re buzzing to dance right through the holiday season with this excellent selection of local legends.

Tickets available here:
https://avafestivalstg.wpengine.com/tickets/

AVA Mix Series: Nikki O

Belfast-born and London-based, Nikki O’s DJ sets blend genres from breakbeat & ukg, to the bassier side of techno. With sets at clubs and festivals both in the UK and Ireland, including AVA Festival, Wigflex Festival, and Village Underground, she’s played alongside the likes of Kettama, Interplanetary Criminal, D. Tiffany, and more.
She also produced “Dancing for Peace”, an award-winning audio documentary, about the roots of dance music in Belfast – featuring some of the local scene’s most prominent voices.

The audio from this mix is a section taken from a live recording of her party-starting set at AVA In The Woods at All Together Now earlier this year.

You can catch her monthly residency on London station Subtle.

______________________________

This mix is a recording of your set at All Together Now 2022. What were your key takeaways from the festival?

It was such a nice festival. My key takeaways were: The venue was beautiful, EMA is an amazing DJ, as are Long Island Sound, and white claw is the ultimate festie drink.

You’re absolutely smashing it on the British airwaves with Radio 1, Subtle and 1020. How does it feel to be tipped as “The

Mad! Biggups Phil Taggart for saying that. I fell into radio almost on a bit of a whim, I was doing my PhD in Microbiology and was looking for a bit of a creative release. I just loved tunes and wanted to talk about them, so I tried out for my student radio station. I had a radio show before I could even DJ, I used to just fade songs in and out in the beginning. It’s been such a blessing and it’s a lot of fun. 

You produced an award winning documentary about the Northern Ireland dance music scene during The Troubles. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

It’s an audio documentary that chats about dance music’s role in bringing communities together in Northern Ireland. It mainly discusses this role during the later stages of the troubles, which has been covered by TV docs & articles before too, but I also wanted to bring it into the context of today to see: did it make a lasting difference? And does it still make a difference? It was scored by the amazing Paddy Carser (PercBoi 3000) which really brings it to life. MistaJam ended up singing it’s praises which was really cool and kinda mad.

You’re currently London based, how does the scene there compare to back home?

I think they are very different. London is just so huge, the choice of venues means you are never short of somewhere to go and it has the benefit of better licensing laws which allow parties to go on to 6am and sometimes even 24h. The abundance of community radio stations is also great too. However I think there’s something very special about Belfast’s scene and that’s all down to the people. Crowds in Belfast are just a level above, everyone’s always up for it. There’s also a benefit to a scene being small as everyone knows each other and it’s generally super friendly. I think if the powers that be truly supported the night time economy, Belfast would thrive & become a nightlife destination. It’s why initiatives like Free The Night are so vital.

Tell us favourite moments from AVA’s gone by.

Ohhh so many to choose from. Hubie Davidson in the Boiler Room in 2016 playing Floorplan – We Magnify His Name is always a stand out memory. Was with all my pals and it was just such a fun feel good moment. From this year just gone, Matheson’s Boiler Room was so good, and Jordan’s set was also a stand out – tunes were class and the sun was just setting over the hills, another proper feel good moment. Getting to play the last 2 years was also super special as it really is Techno Christmas for Belfast.

What were some of your earliest musical influences? Any guilty pleasures?

I wish I was one of those people who said they grew up listening to really cool and obscure records, but in reality my teens were spent listening to clubland CDs mixed with pop-punk (I consider going to Avril Lavigne’s Under My Skin tour a seminal moment in my life – don’t judge). I think I’ve a super varied music taste now, I like and play a fairly wide breadth of genres within the electronic music sphere (which I hope comes across in this mix!). This maybe stems from listening to so many different genres growing up. I also used to play the Tuba and like to joke this is why I’m drawn to such bass-heavy music nowadays lol.

If you could work or collaborate with any artist living or dead, who would it be?

Mary Anne Hobbs – a living legend. Her 6 Music show is amazing, she just seamlessly goes from like Slipknot into techno into some obscure RnB B side, it’s such a trip. Her Radio 1 show was also legendary.

Any pro tips for surviving the incoming dark nights?

I’m probably not a great person to ask as I HATE winter! But taking multivitamins to make sure I get enough vitamin D. I also try to always go outside at lunch time to at least see some sunlight. Aside from that, I wrap up in one of those wearable hoodie blankets and remind myself that Spring will be here soon enough.

Anything else you’d like to shout about?

You can catch me on Subtle Radio every 1st Wednesday of the month, I’m joined by a different guest each month. Also bringing back Suckin’ Diesel, my radio show with Kurty, so watch out for that soon!

TRACKLIST

  1. Eliza Rose – Move To The
  2. Rhode & Brown x Benjamin Fröhlich – Days of Innocence (Bliss Inc Remix)
  3. Adam Pits – Buzz Dimensions
  4. DJ Simlocked – The Freaky Rite
  5. mpeg – Pitty Party
  6. Cassie – Me & U (Rubén Baiz rework)
  7. Player – Hit the Floor
  8. Chrissy – Can’t You Feel It
  9. Ruff Style – Another Badboy Tune (Frazer Ray Remix)
  10. Baby D – Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Pj Bridger Refix)
  11. Dismantle Van Basten – Smack the Door
  12. Mavado – Weh Dem A Do (Pj Bridger Refix)
  13. Diskop – Blast
  14. Pilot – Horny Breakdancers
  15. Pilot – Drop de Tiddies
  16. Bailey Ibbs – Killer Abra
  17. S T I N 9 – fantasi4

AVA Mix Series: R. Kitt


This latest AVA Mix comes from R.Kitt in the form of a live recording from our AVA in the Woods stage at All Together Now Festival in July.

Robbie is an energetic DJ, versatile producer and passionate night-life advocate. The Orainn label head is an avid lobbyist for Give Us The Night, campaigning for a better night life in the South of Ireland. The Dublin-native has seen releases on imprints like Night Tide and Dansu Discs.

We’ve had the pleasure of hosting Robbie on the AVA stage on a few occasions over the years. He brought his emotive and punchy energy to our Boiler Room, a stellar set in 2021 and a highly memorable stream for our AVA Online Weekender.

______________________________

This mix is a live recording of your set at AVA in the Woods at All Together Now. What were your key takeaways from the festival?
I really enjoyed the buzz with the crowd. Everyone at the gig seemed to be so into it! You can often hear the sound of people chatting but it felt like people weren’t talking too much and just dancing. Got the buzz from the entire weekend that people were there to engage with the music. It was very refreshing.

You’re heavily involved with night-life advocacy through Give Us The Night. Could you share with us a bit about how things are going with the campaign?
It’s been intense! I’ve been helping out with Give Us the Night for over 4 and a half years. The campaign was actually founded in 2004, and turns 18 this year. Sunil Sharpe has been there since the beginning. I can’t express how much of a legend he is and how much time and effort he’s put into the campaign.

We’ve been expressing the same points to government since we began to deal more directly with them in 2019. We’ve gone through extensive consultations with the Department of Culture through the Night Time Economy task force dealing with every aspect of policy that relates to cultural activity at night you can think of. It’s been a real education in how public policy affects our ability to relate socially and culturally and, uniquely in the South due to the Public Dancehalls Act, even how we move our bodies.
In September, the Government will publish the heads of bill on forthcoming licensing reform. Until then, we don’t know exactly what this reform will look like. One thing is certain for me; we’ve expressed the needs of electronic music communities in clear, structural ways.

We have communicated with Government across the areas of licensing, planning, fire safety, transport, sound issues and many more. We’ve made the case repeatedly over several years. From this persistence, we’ve seen a sea change in the way the Department of Culture regards cultural activity at night. There is a burgeoning recognition that there is a crisis for social and cultural space for young people. We will find out how that translates to the reform of our licensing system next month and we’ll be sure to update everyone on what we think of it!

We’ve got something similar in the North now in the form of Free the Night. Do you have a vision of what things could look like for the scene across the island as a whole?
I always refer to clubs as being excellent examples of social infrastructure. What I mean by social infrastructure is just a physical place where you can be around other people. Both North and South, young people face huge barriers to accessing the most basic of social infrastructure. I think it’s one of the biggest reasons why people emigrate in such volume. I would love young people all over this island to simply have access to those types of physical spaces.

Emigration across the island of Ireland has slowed so much progress. Young people drive change, they drive positive progress. There is so much that ties us here emotionally. Usually it’s our connections with the people around us. But there’s so little opportunity to build those connections so it’s all too often hard to find a reason to stay. I really believe that with greater access to social infrastructures, and yes I’m talking about clubs, but also all other forms of cultural, expressive, physical spaces, people will begin to find that reason. And then we can begin to change this place!

How do you think the scene in the North of Ireland compares to down South?
Hahaha, this question I simply cannot answer. There is no comparison!! I couldn’t compare Dublin to Limerick, Cork, Galway or Waterford in the same way as I couldn’t compare it to Belfast or Derry. There’s emotion all over this island. The unique histories and lineages of all of our cities are really deep. There’s a lot of conflict, there’s a lot of disregard of the citizens of these places. But even with those similarities, it’s uniquely different in different places. The thing that is shared though, that deep emotional thing whatever the fuck it is, I think it’s part of what produces this real energy at gigs. I’ve felt it everywhere I’ve played in Ireland.

Any upcoming releases, gigs or Give Us The Night activity you’d like to shout about?
Planning a series of releases before the year is out! Couple of previews in this mix!

What has been the highlight of your summer?
The gig at the AVA stage at All Together Now was up there. To be able to DJ for 2 and a half hours at a festival was a real treat. Really felt like there was the required time to build something with the dancefloor that was there. I also got a chance to play a live gig in the Irish Museum of Modern Art back in July. It was the first live show I’d done since December 2019, and I was shitting it. I basically forgot I was able to do it. It was emotional, and to be honest incredibly reassuring, to see people moving and dancing to music I’d made entirely on headphones in my room at home again.

Let’s go out with a fun one. If you could collaborate with any artist living or dead, who would it be?
They say you never want to meet your heroes but it’s got to be Mad Mike Banks for me. Underground Resistance are a huge inspiration. And he just seems like the most legit dude. I remember reading a YouTube comment under a video of UR playing the The Village in Dublin as part of DEAF back in 2009 or something. The person said that they threw up a demo CD of their tracks and it had their email on the sleeve. Mad Mike caught the CD and soon after the gig, wrote back to the fella’s email giving him an incredibly in depth critique of the tracks. I just love that shit. I’m ready to learn Mike let’s do this!

TRACKLIST

  1. Candi Staton – Do Your Duty (Erectus Rework)
  2. Kelly Lee Owen – Melt
  3. Golden Girls – Kinetic (Frank de Wulf remix)
  4. Robert Hood – Funky Souls
  5. Makam – What Ya Doin
  6. Skee Mask – Dial 274
  7. Underground Resistance – Transition
  8. Kasper Marott – Sky Dreams
  9. Ovuca – FI3AC2143120
  10. Ken Ishii – Distant Light
  11. Itty Bitty Boozy Woozy – Tempo Fiesta (Organ Fiesta Remix)
  12. Underworld – King of Snae (Dave Clarke Remix)
  13. The Electroliners – Crazy Train
  14. Kaycee – Love Stimulation
  15. DJ Duke – A No. 1
  16. Spray – Puk Codes
  17. Technasia – Force
  18. Jerome Sydenham – Adverb
  19. Mr Ho – Stonks Go Up
  20. OSSX – Split Wig
  21. Bakey – Jack Pot
  22. Player – Pump It Up Pt. 1
  23. Kassian – Breathe
  24. Trevor Rockcliffe and Blak – Visions of You (Trevor’s Original Oral Mix)
  25. Walt J – Reborn 1 (DJ Qu’s Journey Towards Birth remix)
  26. Escpae Artist – Levitator
  27. R.Kitt – Unreleased
  28. The Hacker – Fadin’ Away (Oxia Remix)
  29. X101 – Sonic Destroyer
  30. Cinthie – Push It
  31. ADULT – Hand to Phone (Carl Craig Remix)
  32. R.Kitt – Unreleased
  33. Phase – The Dialogue 
  34. Gerald Mitchell – Off the Boat
  35. New Members – No Mind
  36. Highrise – Hope for Peace
  37. Underworld – Two Months Off
  38. Thomas P Heckmann – Tanzmaschine
  39. Untidy Dubs – Can’t You See
  40. Plus One – Sparkler
  41. Errorsmith – Lightspeed
  42. Whitney X Soloman – It’s Not Bokeh but It’s Bokeh (Baliblend)
  43. Hardfloor – The Trill Acid Theme (E.R.P. Remix)
  44. Eoin DJ – Unreleased
  45. S-J – I Feel Divine (Steve Thomas Tradetubbies Mix)
  46. Randy Katana – Deception
  47. Robert Strauss – Booty Blast
  48. L.S.G. – Netherworld 

Festival Guide

WELCOME TO AVA 2022

The time is almost upon us.

We’re so thrilled to welcome you all to our 2022 edition of AVA Festival. Once again we’ve pulled together a mega line-up of homegrown talent combined with solid international heavyweights from the electronic music world and beyond. 

This year we return to our spiritual home in Titanic Quarter. We’ve got a new and improved open-air, multi-stage festival against the backdrop of the Belfast docklands. 

Please read this guide carefully for some recommendations on how to prepare for and navigate around the festival. 

The music starts at 1pm each day, full set times inside. See you on Friday!


FESTIVAL APP

Download our all-new Woov festival app via woov.to/ava22 to personalise your timetable, chat with your friends & get custom alerts so you never miss a set.


OPENING TIMES & ENTRY

AVA Belfast 2022 will take place on Friday 3 & Saturday 4 June at Titanic Slipways, Belfast.

The festival will open each day at 13:00 and close at 23:00. 

Last entry to the festival is advised by 6pm.

There will be a strict no re-entry policy.


PROOF OF AGE

This is an 18+ event. You will need one of the following to be permitted entry to the festival:

  •  A photo driving licence
  •  Valid Passport

Please note we are unable to accept ANY other form of ID, so please ensure you have these in good time, prior to the festival.


TRANSPORT

Titanic Slipways is accessible by foot, taxi and public transport via train/bus with regular services running from Belfast City Centre.

We strongly advise arriving on foot or via public transport, as there is likely to be significant traffic disruption around the festival site.


REUSABLE CUP SCHEME

This year we have introduced a reusable cup scheme and we’re excited to see the positive impact that this will have on reducing the volume of waste we produce as an event.

1. Buy your drink (you will be charged £1 for your first cup*)

2. Enjoy your drink

3. Exchange your cup – when getting your next drink, please bring your cup back to avoid £1 charge. No Cup = £1 charge

4. Don’t take your cup home. Please help us be sustainable. Bring your cup back to the bar or leave at one of the cup bins at the exit.

*£1 charge goes towards the cup scheme and our environmental goals. Non-Refundable



DO’S AND DON’TS

DO BRING:

  • Your Ticket
  • I.D.
  • Money (Cards / Cash)
  • Medical Info
  • Rain Coat
  • Sun Cream
  • Suitable Footwear
  • Pre-paid bus ticket to Belfast city centre (£3, available from the merch stand) 

DON’T BRING:

  • No Alcohol
  • Glass of any kind
  • Fireworks, flares or high-power torches
  • No Illegal or controlled substances (including psychoactive substances) 
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Dogs or pets are not permitted on site with the exception of assistance dogs
  • Drones / sky lanterns
  • Portable laser equipment and pens
  • Selfie sticks
  • Spray cans / marker pens
  • Professional film / videoing equipment
  • Megaphones / airhorns
  • High-Vis tabards or jackets
  • Any items which may reasonably be considered for use as a weapon
  • No large bags, only small bags permitted

ACCESSIBILITY

ACCESSIBLE ARRIVAL

If you’re arriving by coach, local train station, shuttle, or you are being dropped off at Titanic Slipways the route to the entry gates is approx 200m. Please note, the peak ingress hours which are 12pm until 5pm on Friday 3rd and 12pm until 5pm on Saturday 4th June.

Should you require help with your bags, we’ll have a team of volunteers on hand to help between the car park and entry gates.

Once you have passed the entry gates, you will be immediately inside the festival site. This year our site is a hardstanding site and will be completely level throughout.

ACCESSIBLE TOILETS

All interior festival venues are fully wheelchair accessible. The festival showcase is at Titanic Slipways with the entire public area situated on a single level or with only very slight elevations. We will have an accessibility viewing platform and adequate accessibility WCs throughout the site.

Our accessibility liaison and volunteers will be on hand at each venue to support anyone with a disability at the festival should they need any assistance.

SITE TERRAIN

Approximately 95% of the festival site is on open flat ground.

STROBE LIGHTING

Strobe lighting will be used during artists’ performances at the festival. Due to the nature of this, prior notice will not be given before use.

YOUR WELLBEING & MENTAL HEALTH

If at any point you feel overwhelmed or that you need a safe space, head to the Welfare Tent where the team will be able to help you. We also have a welfare team onsite who you can find around the festival site (in yellow and green uniform). Their primary role is to ensure the well-being of all AVA attendees so if you see one and need some assistance, simply approach them as they’re there to help you.


BELFAST HIGLIGHTS

DRINKS

The Sunflower Public House
Iconic pub with beer garden surrounded by street art. Serving up local craft beers and wood-fired pizza.

Ulster Sports Club
A former dive bar given a new lease of life as a retro leftfield music venue.

Bootleggers
Inventive boozy cocktails and hearty american style street food.

Bittles Bar
Every wall is covered with whiskey and portraits of Belfast’s prominent historical figures. Best Guinness in Belfast.

FOOD

Belfast Wood Fired Pizza Company
Handmade and authentic woodfired pizzas. 


A delicious taste of Mexico on the Lisburn Road; a fresh and classic menu with their own style.

Al Pastor
Mexican inspired street food in the heart of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter offering tacos, elotes, and charred corn.

St. George’s Market
Weekend market with fresh food from local vendors and handmade craft trinkets.

Orā
Out of this world tapas & wine.

Yugo
Colourful flavours of Asia with a unique Irish twist. Fresh vibrant food & classic cocktails.

Morning Martha
Boozy brunch in the heart of East Belfast.

COFFEE

Established
Speciality single origin coffee. Scandinavia-inspired minimalist decor.

The Pocket
Serving high quality fresh food, great coffee in a chilled atmosphere.

ACTIVITIES

Titanic Belfast
A world-leading visitor attraction tells the story of RMS Titanic, from her conception to sinking in the early 1900s.

Black Taxi Tour
Tour of Belfast interface areas, peace walls and world-famous murals.

Ulster Museum and Palm House
Located in Belfast’s Botanic Gardens in the heart of the Queen’s Quarter. Featuring art, archeology, botany, fashion and more!

AVA Mix Series: Dart


Jordan Rafferty is a Dublin native and AVA Emerging Producer alumni. We’ve been pleased as punch to see him go from strength to strength since he snatched the crown back in 2018. You may know him as DART (Dublin Area Rapid Trax) a play on the city’s commuter transit system.

In the early days of his Hanger residency he rubbed shoulders with some of Ireland’s most riotous acts, including Kettama, Tommy Holohan and Shampain. Since then he’s seen a string or releases on Shall Not Fade, Hot Flush and even a six track EP on Hammer’s Remmah imprint.

We sat down with the man himself ahead of his return to AVA Belfast, where in just two weeks he’ll step up for another shot at the Boiler Room stage in front of our second to none, Belfast crowd.

______________________________

You’ve come a long way since winning our Emerging Producer Programme back in 2018, tell us about your journey
It’s been pretty mental, other than almost 2 years of it being put on hold due to covid lol. I can’t complain though as I’ve been very lucky to be supported by so many amazing people and promoters – AVA being a big one. Playing clubs like Subby & Warehouse Project were only a dream to me before I won the Emerging Producer Programme. Those dreams have now all become reality.

Could you tell us a bit about your production process?
Melodies tend to come easy to me, so I usually start by writing some chords. I’m a sucker for emotional pads and breakdowns. Bass lines and counter melodies come next, with drums being added last. I tend to never spend longer than around an hour on a project and then it’s onto the next one. When I dwell on something I get too frustrated and start to hate the project.

Any favourite moments from AVA’s gone by?
So many, but I think my favourite is from last year’s festival. Watching my good pal Hammer close the mainstage was a special moment. It was many people’s first festival off the back of lockdowns and there was just a sense of happiness buzzing around. 

What were some of your earliest musical influences? Any guilty pleasures?
As far as I can remember I’ve been listening to stuff like hip hop & punk rock. I still do every day. When I was around 12 years old I started to collect electronic music records, mainly a mixture of trance/house/techno. My parents actually handed me down all of their records too! Everything from CJ Bolland to Chicane. 

If you could collaborate with any artist living or dead, who would it be?
I’m going to say two here because they’re both very different. Whitearmour & Title Fight!

It’s recently been announced that the clubs can open until 6am in the South, what do you think that means for the scene down there?
I don’t think that’s been confirmed yet? Although there have been promising signs that it will happen – mainly down to the huge effort by Give Us The Night. It’ll be welcomed with open arms by everyone involved in the night time industry but I’m sure there’ll be many learning curves too. There aren’t many clubs down here that will adapt to the 6am closing immediately in my opinion. The one thing I do know is that it’ll benefit everyone in the future and help the development of culture in the south.

How are you feeling about your return to Boiler Room at AVA this year?
I’m buzzing! It feels like this moment has been coming since 2018. You’d think there wouldn’t be much pressure as it’s my second time on Boiler Room, but this one is even more important to me as it’s at AVA – where it all began.

What was your approach to this mix?
I always approach every mix/set with high energy and this one was no different. Expect a load of trancey goodness along with some unreleased stuff thrown in there.

TRACKLIST

  1. Maruwa – Mindstab
  2. DJ Life – Hexed 
  3. Java – Cosmos (C Mix)
  4. Technotronic – I Want You By My Side (Hysteria Club Mix)
  5. Sally C – Downtown
  6. brandi – Late Nite Check Out (D.Tiff & Byron’s Mix)
  7. Exit EEE – Epidemic 
  8. S.U.N Project – Computer Breath
  9. Dinge Queen In The Mist – Take Me Alive 
  10. DJ Flavours – Your Caress
  11. DART – Unreleased 

AVA Belfast 2022 Day Line-Ups Announced

With just five weeks to go until the return of the 2022 edition of AVA Festival, we reveal day splits and tickets for the Friday and Saturday outings at Titanic Slipways, plus an opening event at Banana Block and afterparties across various venues for each night.

Weekend tickets are now approaching final release, and day tickets will be available from 10AM on Thursday. After a sell out festival in 2021, and fresh from another sell out show London’s Printworks, don’t miss the biggest AVA yet this June 3+4th. 

AVA x Boiler Room 2022

Boiler Room will return to AVA Festival Belfast this June. Kicking off the summer in monumental fashion – the only way a Belfast crowd knows how.

The energy at the Boiler Room stage has been legendary at AVA from the beginning and now going into our 7th year working together, we bring 12 artists to the Nomadic stage – 7 of which are international Boiler Room debuts.

This year the festival will once again take place against the iconic Belfast Docklands backdrop where we first set out, at our new home in Titanic Slipways.

Tier 4 Weekend festival tickets are selling fast, there are a limited remaining before they increase in price. £30 deposit payments will close on Friday, April 8th – don’t sleep on these.

AVA Mix Series: Holly Lester


The first contribution of 2022 to the AVA Mix series comes courtesy of Holly Lester. Fresh from her DJ Mag Award nomination for “Underground Hero”, the DJ, label-head and capybara enthusiast provides a warm and wobbly one hour mix of club ready goovers ahead of her AVA Belfast and London shows (tickets available here) – her first ever consisting entirely of vinyl.

It’s been a busy year for Holly, with a triumphant return to gigging as well as a string of powerful releases on her Duality Trax label with more planned this year. Holly is also the co-founder of Free the Night, an advocacy group campaigning for reform to Northern Ireland’s night-time economy, launched in early 2021.

We spoke to her about all this and more.

______________________________

Hey Holly! Happy New Year, did you set yourself any resolutions?
Happy New Year AVA fam! Play more records, visit more countries, try to go to the gym (standard answer), stop overthinking literally everything (probably the hardest one here for me haha). 

It seems like you had a pretty busy 2021, all things considered. Tell us about some highlights?
I put out some amazing music on my record label Duality Trax – in April a vinyl release from LA based artist Cromie featuring a brilliant remix from rRoxymore, and in August, the first in my Visions VA compilation series, with all proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders. I was very happy with how much we raised and super grateful to be working with such a super talented bunch of artists from around the world, including our local boy Optmst. 

I also had a load of incredible gigs within a very short space of time when restrictions finally lifted, including playing before Carl Cox at Parklife, supporting disco legend Cerrone in London, warming up the Telegraph Building right before Bicep and of course playing the incredible Nomadic stage at AVA Festival in September. Shout out to the Shine / CHSQ crew too for a very memorable and emotional first gig back at the end of August. 

Another huge highlight for me was officially launching my non profit organisation Free The Night in June and then being nominated only six months later in the DJ Mag Best of British Awards ‘Underground Hero Category’ for my work in this area. Definitely not something that happens every day!  

Any exciting plans for your label coming into 2022?
I have four releases now planned for this year with artists that I am very excited to be working with, but unfortunately with vinyl wait times it is looking like the next won’t be coming out til April some time. I don’t want to give too much away at this stage, since it’s still some time away, but I will say that I have been absolutely rinsing the title track and it’s a complete killer. You might have heard it out if you have seen me play over the past few months. I have also locked in a pretty big name on the remix for this one, doing something quite different from her usual style.

Tell us more about Free the Night, what made you realise it was time for a change?
Like most people I know, I have felt that it was time for change now for many years, but it was only really during the pandemic that I had the headspace and physical time to think about what I could personally do to change this. I think the fact that we also had much much bigger human rights issues to deal with in Northern Ireland prior to this meant that of course these issues needed to take priority. For anyone reading this outside of Ireland, it might surprise you to know we only had abortion rights and gay marriage rights legalised fairly recently. It definitely would have felt quite strange to start FTN without these issues being addressed first. Another influencing factor is that more and more people are becoming involved in activism and politics due to the pandemic. So yeah, I guess it’s a case of right place, right time. And of course, right people – I would be so lost without my current team who are all so brilliant. My co-founder Boyd and I are basically like yin and yang, it wouldn’t be happening without his expertise in lobbying and advocacy, whilst he would be similarly stuck without my knowledge of the industry and scene. I had made one failed attempt at doing something similar about half a year before we were introduced, so it is very clear to me that we could not achieve this without that political guidance from Boyd. I guess that it is just not within our nature for creatives to be wired in this way, but I am seeing this changing slowly and hope that others can see just how important it is to use your voice and not get complacent on issues that affect your career and life.

Care to let us in on what FTN is up to at the minute?
At the moment, things are extremely busy for us. At the time of writing, we are unfortunately over three weeks into a lockdown in Northern Ireland, which is only really affecting night time businesses and individuals working within the night time economy. We have been writing to the government to demand that the individuals who have had their livelihoods taken away from them be financially supported and are in the midst of a public call to action. We feel let down by certain organisations and bodies who should be lobbying for us but don’t seem to be taking action. So whilst this isn’t part of the main objective and aims for the organisation, we felt like we had to take action. Outside of pandemic related issues, we have been continuing on in the background with our main aims and mission to put Northern Irish nightlife on an equal footing with other UK and European cities. We are now working with Vibelab, an international nightlife initiative, which has opened up many new doors for us and introduced us to others who are doing the same as us around the world. 

So what did it feel like getting to play gigs again after all this time? Did you enjoy the September festival? 
It was honestly pretty life affirming stuff. The pandemic brought up quite a lot of things for me emotionally and mentally that I was forced to work through in that time. I think like many artists, I was extremely worried that I would have a career in music at after the pandemic ended (if it ever ended!) and there definitely was a worry for me that things wouldn’t be the same again in terms of gigging. I didn’t anticipate just how busy I would be from my first gig back at the end of August. It literally swept me off my feet. Some of the best gigs of my life happened in that short time period between then and December. Perhaps the most life affirming of all was the festival. Just to be on home turf and to be playing to that size of a crowd, I honestly didn’t expect it to go the way it went. I was surprised by just how comfortable I felt commanding that stage after being away for so long. It was one of those gigs where I felt super connected to the crowd and it all just seemed to fall into place. The feedback at the time and afterwards just sort of cemented how I felt about it all. 

Do you have any favourite moments from AVA over the years?
Too many moments to count! Being at various friends’ Boiler Room shows over the years and seeing them absolutely kill it, spending way too much time in the green room catching up with so many pals and old faces, watching Dave Tester own the stage in those insane platform boots, Julian Simmons opening Swoose’s Boiler Room last year, Call Super closing with Tony De Vit in 2019… Oh and the “secret” afterparty last year definitely deserves a mention although not technically part of the festival!  

What was your approach for this mix?
This is actually the first mix I have ever recorded entirely on vinyl. I have been moving around a far bit over the last ten years and was also pretty skint for most of my young adult life, so I never had a huge vinyl collection. It’s something that I’m building up a bit more now in recent years and want to get more into the practice of using. So I decided to throw all caution to the wind for this and just record something with my modest collection. Of course there will be moments that you might hear me correcting the mix and one or two of the records are a little bit crackley, but it all adds to the charm right? It’s a bit deep I guess, which might be reflective of the mood I am in right now, but there are definitely some nice club bangers later on, including a great tribal track from 1992 on Fourth Floor Records, the fantastic Remotif on Coymix and some good old prog from 2001 on Bedrock.

Anything we have missed you’d like to plug?
Yes! Now might be a good time to mention that I am starting another record label with my friend Steffan Todorović, who runs Gestalt Records, co-runs Coymix and is one half of Abdul Raeva. It will be a VA series style label, so each record will consist of four different artists. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more info on this, we will most likely be launching in the Spring some time and I’m very excited to share the releases we have been working on!

TRACKLIST

  1. Liquid Earth a.k.a. Urulu – Mellow Yellow [Voyage Recordings]
  2. Lauhaus & Nik Woldring – Context (Boris Werner Remix) [Danse Club Records]
  3. Afro- Mystik – Ritual De Rua (Dreamtime House Dub) [OM Records]
  4. 2 Bit Crew – Untitled B2 [2 Bit Crew Recordings]
  5. Tim Deluxe – Magic 97 [Cross Section Records]
  6. Andromeda – Without You (Fred Everything Dub) [20:20 Vision]
  7. Mazi & Lori – Your Touch [Magnified Recordings]
  8. Ed Hodge – Genesis [Gestalt Records]
  9. DJM Verbeni pres. PDQ – Again (Tribal Again) [Fourth Floor Records]
  10. DJ Life – Accelerator [Echocentric Records]
  11. G-Pal – Krevadence [Bedrock Records]
  12. Remotif – Ssssputnik! [Coymix]
  13. Luke Slater ‎– I Can Complete You (John Carter Remix) [Mute]

AVA Mix Series: Timmy Stewart


Timmy Stewart a.k.a. T-Bone has been referred to as The Godfather of the Belfast Scene… and there might be some truth to that. Timmy has thrown some of the city’s most revered parties alongside our own Jordan Nocturne as one half of The Night Institute, with an emphasis on showcasing the best in the local scene.

He uses his Extended Play and Black Bones labels as a platform to promote some of the most exciting new talent that the island has to offer and is always one to shout his favourite up-and-coming artists, as you’ll see from his chat with us. 

Catch Timmy at AVA Belfast 2022 on Titanic Slipways this June – if his recent Boiler Room (and secret set at our Baltic stage) are anything to go by he isn’t one you want to miss!

______________________________

1. What’s happening!!!…. in the world of Timmy Stewart today?
All good this side thanks. Enjoying the first rays of spring sunshine in the glorious east and planning our next TNI’s over here, which has been different but very refreshing as I was raised in this part of the city.

2. Tell us about your next release?
I’ve been working on a broad range of music these days. As we had all lost our dance floors for such a long period, I’d been replacing gigs with more home studio sessions. Recently I remixed David Holmes, The Vendetta Suite & new signing to Extended Play “just doc.” as well as a range of original material at varying BPMs. I’d definitely say without the distractions of gigs, I’ve made more music in the last few years than previously. I even started producing some stuff for a friend, as well as completing new Black Bones material and working on some interesting collaborations. Get ready for the effects of multiple lockdowns across some of my favourite labels.

3. Who is the next hot talent to come from Northern Ireland?
Reger a.k.a. Robbie McCammon is a proper talent behind the decks and on the computer, so passionate too. Very high hopes for Robbie as well as KEM, Gilmore, Matheson, More Gain, Caoimhe, Cartin, Sam Pyper, Nikki O & Sean Den.
Such a nice wave of next generation talent on the way and all very grounded and humble, which is great to see.

4. You have played with AVA since the beginning, tell us what is special about the Festival?
What’s not to like? Last year blew my mind a little, so I guess the fact it keeps evolving and being exciting plus the general togetherness it creates by uniting the Irish clans across a weekend.

5. Who are you most looking forward to at this years AVA Festival in Belfast?
I’ve really fallen in love with the productions of Logic1000 of late, she has two belters in this mix I’ve done for you guys. Check the Perfume track, anyone who can blend R&B and techno like that will always get my vote. Always such great percussion too, so very keen to hear what she plays!

TRACKLIST

  1. Special Request – The True Knot
  2. HY:LY – Stasis
  3. Calibre – Badman (with DRS)
  4. VTSS – Trust Me
  5. Mura Masa – Love$ick ft. A$AP Rocky (Four Tet Remix)
  6. Logic1000 – Precision
  7. Overmono – BMW Track
  8. Bicep – Metro
  9. Giant Swan – Pandaemonium
  10. Kessler – Endura
  11. just doc. – More Substance (T-Bone’s For The Love Of Dub)
  12. Soichi Terada & Larry Heard ft. Nami Shimada – Sunshower
  13. Warriors of the Dystotheque ft. Lydia Kaye – Lost in Your Silence (Cartin Remix)
  14. Jordan Nocturne ft. Le Boom – Day 2
  15. Logic1000 – Perfume
  16. LSDXOXO – Green Inferno
  17. Floorplan – Alter Ego/Gil Scott Heron – T.R.W.N.B.T
  18. The Vendetta Suite – Warehouse Rock (Timmy Stewart’s Sunrise Reprise)
  19. Jon Hopkins – Abandon Window

Shop Local Accepted Here!

AVA X TITANIC DISTILLERS

Use your spend local prepaid card and get an early bird weekend ticket for AVA Belfast 2022 and a bottle of Titanic Distillers Premium Irish Whiskey, saving £10 (RRP £110 for the bundle).

Available for one week only (8—12 November) from Thompson Dock and Pumphouse, Queen’s Road, Belfast, BT3 9DT.

Between 9am & 5pm.

Only Spend Local cards accepted. Proof of ID needed.

Festival Guide

WELCOME TO AVA

The time is almost upon us.

We’re so thrilled to welcome you all to our September edition of AVA Festival. Once again we’ve pulled together a mega line-up of homegrown talent combined with solid international heavyweights from the electronic music world and beyond. 

This year is naturally going to be a little different. We’ve got a brand new open-air, multi-stage festival so please read this guide carefully for some recommendations on how to prepare for and navigate around the festival. 

The music starts at 12 each day, full set times inside. See you on Friday!


OPENING TIMES & ENTRY

AVA Belfast 2021 will take place on Friday 24 & Saturday 25 September at Boucher Road Playing Fields, Belfast.

The festival will open each day at 12:00 and close at 23:00. Last entry to the festival is at 7PM.

There will be a strict no re-entry policy.


PROOF OF AGE

This is an 18+ event. You will need one of the following to be permitted entry to the festival:

  •  A photo driving licence
  •  Valid Passport

Please note we are unable to accept ANY other form of ID, so please ensure you have these in good time, prior to the festival.


TRANSPORT

Boucher Roads Playing Fields is accessible by car, foot, taxi and public transport via train or bus with regular services running from Belfast City Centre.

We strongly advise arriving on foot or via public transport, as there is likely to be significant traffic delays around the festival site.

AVA will operate a ticketed shuttle bus to the city centre in the evening from 8PM, tickets will be available from the merch/info stall.

The last train from Balmoral departs at 11:15PM.

Anyone arriving/leaving via a private mini-bus or coach should contact us directly via info@avafestival.com


COVID-19 POLICY

We will verify everyone’s COVID status to gain entry to the festival. Everyone accessing the festival must be able to show proof of one of the below. 

EITHER:
Proof of Full Vaccination, with the second vaccine having been given at least 14 days prior to arriving at AVA. This proof will need to be the original Vaccine card, or a Vaccine Passport, or a Vaccine Certificate.

OR:
Proof of a negative lateral flow test result via either Email, Text or a Screenshot of your report to NHS/gov.uk website; signed in your own name. You will need to ensure you’ve taken a lateral flow test within 48 hours of arrival.

OR:
Proof of Natural Covid Antibodies, based upon a positive PCR test within 180 days of the event you are attending including 10 days of self-isolation following the result).

Further information can be found on our COVID-19 page.



DO’S AND DON’TS

DO BRING:

  • Your Ticket
  • I.D.
  • Money (Cards / Cash)
  • Medical Info
  • Rain Coat
  • Sun Cream
  • Suitable Footwear
  • Pre-paid bus ticket to Belfast city centre (£3, available from the merch stand) 

DON’T BRING:

  • No Alcohol
  • Glass of any kind
  • Fireworks, flares or high-power torches
  • No Illegal or controlled substances (including psychoactive substances) 
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Dogs or pets are not permitted on site with the exception of assistance dogs
  • Drones / sky lanterns
  • Portable laser equipment and pens
  • Selfie sticks
  • Spray cans / marker pens
  • Professional film / videoing equipment
  • Megaphones / airhorns
  • High-Vis tabards or jackets
  • Any items which may reasonably be considered for use as a weapon
  • No large bags, only small bags permitted

BELFAST HIGLIGHTS

DRINKS

The Sunflower Public House
Iconic pub with beer garden surrounded by street art. Serving up local craft beers and wood-fired pizza.

Ulster Sports Club
A former dive bar given a new lease of life as a retro leftfield music venue.

Bootleggers
Inventive boozy cocktails and hearty american style street food.

Boundary Brewing
Weekend Tap-Room from Belfast’s foremost craft beer brand.

Bittles Bar
Every wall is covered with whiskey and portraits of Belfast’s prominent historical figures. Best Guinness in Belfast.

FOOD

Belfast Wood Fired Pizza Company
Handmade and authentic woodfired pizzas. 

Jumon
Asian Fusion restaurant featuring an entirely vegan menu and great cocktails.

Chubby Cherub
Classic Italian cuisine in a striking picturesque premises.

St. George’s Market
Weekend market with fresh food from local vendors and handmade craft trinkets.

Orā
Out of this world tapas & wine.

YugO
Colourful flavours of Asia with a unique Irish twist. Fresh vibrant food & classic cocktails.

Morning Martha
Boozy brunch in the heart of East Belfast.

COFFEE

Established
Speciality single origin coffee. Scandinavia-inspired minimalist decor.

ACTIVITIES

Titanic Belfast
Monument to Belfast’s maritime heritage on the site of the former Harland & Wolff shipyard where the RMS Titanic was built.

Black Taxi Tour
Tour of Belfast interface areas, peace walls and world-famous murals.

Ulster Museum and Palm House
Located in Belfast’s Botanic Gardens in the heart of the Queen’s Quarter. Featuring art, archeology, botany, fashion and more!

AVA Mix Series: Jordan Nocturne


The latest edition of the AVA Mix Series comes via DJ, producer, The Night Institute cohort and all around local legend Jordan McCuaig AKA Jordan Nocturne.

McCuaig is a festival regular who is always quick to showcase the wealth of talent in the local scene through his “From Belfast with Love” VA’s and TNI programming, choosing to opt for residents and locals over big international guests. The next 60 minutes of club inspired energy journeys through pumping percussive rhythms and squelching acid house, ominous trance and feel-good italo to seal the deal.

We caught up with Nocturne about what he’s been upto post-AVA including forthcoming music, getting healthy and newfound parenthood.

______________________________

Hey Jordan. You had your first few The Night Institute gigs in Belfast with Timmy Stewart, Matheson + K E M around Halloween, tell us how that went?
Hey! Yeah it was great to be back. It was the last weekend of COVID restrictions and despite all that, it sold 600 tickets across the weekend for all N.I. talent – so hopefully that’s a positive sign of the post-covid landscape. There is a real energy bubbling in the air and a hunger to get back to it.

How does it feel to be running nights again?
I’ve been throwing parties for most of my life so it definitely felt like the natural order of things was returning. By that I mean constantly checking ticketing apps and obsessive hours of preparing playlists. But yeah, it was great to get everyone in one room together, support new blood, drink some beer and just give people a good time.

You’re also running your own Nocturne label, any big plans there as we return to normality in NI?
The label has been a real outlet for my creativity during lockdown – we released loads of music from artists around the world – including two charity compilations to raise money for food banks and refugees. It was nice to see so many artists happy to contribute and maybe it’s time to finally do a label party too now that things are back to normal. 

Rumour has it you’re about to have a release on System records? Care to give us the inside scoop on that and your relationship with Dance System?
That’s right – I met James (Dance System) at the Mixmag Lab in London and we batted a few messages back and forward. I had a really long chat with his manager, Sophie who also co-manages the label, on the phone, and just really liked their attitude and how they roll things out. Coincidentally the music that’s dropping on the label was inspired by my AVA gig. I was a fan of his L-Vis 1990 work on Clone which was a mainstay at Belfast parties around 2015 I think, so it’s a nice association.

What was your approach to this AVA mix?
I’ve always approached internet mixes completely differently than club sets – generally they’re a bit weirder, slower and more psychedelic for a party, car or home listening. But with the AVA mix it was different – I have started to travel again to play clubs, and of course the festival, over the past few weeks, so it’s inspired by club energy.

How did you enjoy playing AVA 2021?
I loved it – I got to catch up with so many friends I hadn’t seen in ages, have a few drinks and hear some music outdoors. I don’t really ask for much more than that.

Any favourite moments from AVA’s gone by?
I’ve plenty. Aside from the festival which is always a cracker, we’ve had a good few off-season moments too. Our AVA trip to The Warehouse Project was pretty eventful – a pretty rowdy hotel room after half the lineup trying different methods to disable the smoke detector was good fun.
Another personal highlight was the first AVA x The Night Institute festival pre-party at Aether and Echo with Dekmantel Soundsystem. It was queued round the block. A proper stand-out party.

What did you get up to over lockdown? We hear you got married recently, congrats!
Thank you – my lockdown was pretty eventful and despite the obvious shitshow that affected all of us, I made the most of the downtime. My son was born at the beginning of the lockdown, and I got married last month (the end!) Between that I’ve been running the label, making music, learning to play piano, and getting healthy. After 15 years of late nights, 3am takeaways and two day afterparties it was good to have some time to take stock and come back to things with a fresh energy. I feel as inspired now as I did when I was a kid starting to play in clubs. 

What were some of your earliest musical influences? Any guilty pleasures?
My earliest electronic influences were the likes of Fergie, Eddie Halliwell and Gleave. I was really inspired by that energetic tech-trance sound which coincidentally is back in vogue. In terms of guilty pleasures, I wouldn’t call them guilty but I’m sure it’s no secret that I’m into some very questionable, camp Hi-NRG italo, freestyle and 80’s. 

If you could collaborate with any artist living or dead, who would it be?
Surely Madonna! 

TRACKLIST

  1. Divine Interface, Stefan Ringer – Start It Right
  2. Abrao & Fabio Vanore – Voodoo Ray (Cooper Saver Mix)
  3. Chris Massey – Floor On The Four (ROTCIV Remix)
  4. Zillas on Acid – Going into Trance
  5. Arrow – O’La Soca (Afro Soca Acid Dub)
  6. Theus Mago, Thomas Jackson – Sergio Ramos
  7. Bryan Kessler – Ramp & Rage
  8. Kendal, David Carretta – Pastaga
  9. Kolsch – Woohman
  10. Benjamin Frohlich – Club Fantasy (DJ City Remix)
  11. DJ Zank – Pegassans
  12. Granary 12 – Way We Do
  13. Mr Pauli & David Funk – Zanzibar Express
  14. Digital Emotion – Go Go Yellow Screen

AVA Mix Series: Space Dimension Controller


A lot has changed for Jack Hamill aka Space Dimension Controller since he last graced the wheels of steel at (the first ever) AVA Festival, breaking the internet with his unforgettable Boiler Room debut. In the years since, Hamill has been on a journey just as much as we have. After over a decade in the game he’s quit alcohol, launched a new record label; Tiraquon and streamlined his entire production process. 

The fourth edition of the AVA Mix is an hour of out of this world house and techno from the back of the cosmos. It’s a blend of intergalactic bleeps and bloops that contrasts the personalities of Space Dimension Controller and the new-age of Tiraquon.

Ahead of his set at AVA next week, we got together with Hamill for a candid interview about music, process and his current worldview.

______________________________

Hey Jack. How have you been doing over the last 18 months?
Things have been good considering the situation. My wife and I bought a house in the countryside and I built a really nice studio. Coming from an apartment to a detached house with no neighbours is pretty amazing as i’m able to make noise whenever I want. After making some things for the first Bandcamp Fridays before moving and a few other releases in the new place I had a break from writing electronic music for a while due to a bit of lockdown creative block. During that break I got really into Pink Floyd for some reason and back into playing guitar which has been really nice even just as a hobby.

How did you spend your time during lockdown?
I loved the first one as it felt like being a teenager again. I was playing World of Warcraft Classic whilst listening to ambient for about 8-12 hours a day just like when I was 16. It has also been really nice to have my wife working from home the whole time. When we moved house during Summer last year a lot of my time was spent building the studio so that kept me distracted, but the winter lockdown was pretty rough.

A lot has changed since you went viral at the first-ever AVA Boiler Room in 2015… What’s has changed for you though?
I’m a much different person than I was then, though I guess i’m the same type of DJ. I just lack the confidence of booze to behave anywhere near as rowdy as I used to.

How on earth are you going to top that at this year’s festival?!
I don’t think topping it has ever been part of the plan haha. Probably a party classics set or one hour of prog rock.

Do you have any favourite moments from AVA?
This will sound awful, but I don’t really remember much of the first AVA and i’ve only made it to two other editions of the festival in short visits. The first one I wasn’t really all there for various reasons, that period in general is quite a blur. Looking back at my Boiler Room set on YouTube it does seem like fun though, but I don’t remember playing it.

You’ve been quieter on social media than you used to be. Is there a reason for that?
I’ve been a bit more active on Instagram over the last couple of weeks, but overall it just doesn’t suit the type of person I am nowadays. I’m fairly private and really don’t like taking pictures of myself. Studio videos are pretty fun, but even then I think they can get a bit dull after a while. I don’t mind Twitter as it’s just a direct brain to internet interface, but I sometimes go through periods of tweeting absolute crap so i’ve got a bot set up that automatically deletes tweets around a week old.

You’ve been sober for a couple of years now, how does it feel and how does it affect your work as SDC?
It just hit 4 years last week. I try not to go on about it as much anymore as I did a lot at first which in hindsight may have been quite annoying to read. My last album was probably the most I could express the positive change it had on my life. Knowing exactly who I am, the structure and how much time I seem to have gained, all very nice.

Things got pretty nasty with R&S Records this year. As someone with a back catalog on the label, would you like to comment about it at all?
The label was so important to me from practically the start of my career as SDC. I’d been with them since I was 19, signing the contract on my 20th birthday while I was in London at the Red Bull Music Academy. When everything kicked off again once Raj left in October last year it coincided with the start of my creative block which wasn’t great. I’ve always liked not being on many labels and R&S was definitely my main one so I felt quite rudderless for the most part of the last year as I didn’t have that one label I knew I could send whatever to anymore. 

Talk to us about your new label and your Tiraquon project. We noticed a couple of tracks in the tracklist…
The first release was September last year followed by another in November. Both were digital only, but later this year i’ve got a vinyl double pack coming out that includes the first two singles along with a third and a vinyl exclusive track. Initially, the label started as an outlet for slightly less conceptual SDC stuff, but lately i’ve thought it would also be good for exploring other aliases. As for the new Tiraquon thing – Last year when I was making the hardware only EP’s for Bandcamp Friday it was my first real instance of solely hardware sequencing, so when I moved into the new studio I designed it with that in mind. A few months ago, I found the only way to get out of the creative block I was experiencing was to keep things as immediate and simple as possible which I guess is the main vibe i’m going for with the Tiraquon stuff. It’s just simpler, live arranged hardware tracks that I enjoy making with no expectations or concepts latched to it from myself and hopefully anyone else. It is also very chill to make music with zero concept after 13 years.

What is the inspiration behind it?
There isn’t any central theme or inspiration behind it all which is kind of the point. I want it to be something that I can do whatever I want with that reflects what i’m into at the time of production.

How did you approach this AVA Mix?
I guess I wanted to have it sit somewhere between this new Tiraquon stuff and SDC, though I think it maybe ended up leaning towards the Tiraquon thing more.

You’ve changed your approach to production recently, what’s exciting you the most about music these days?
Over the last few months i’ve sold a lot of vintage equipment that I was maybe too familiar with in favour of modern, more reliable equivalents and some more experimental stuff. Vintage analog synths are great, but when you’re working on a track with a bunch of machines that are 30-40+ years old all switched on at the same time it can make you feel a bit uneasy as you never know when one of them is going to stop working. 

One of the synths i’m really liking is a small modular and I haven’t a clue what i’m doing most of the time which is what is so great about it. It feels like when I first started producing music using Reaktor. I’m not thinking about getting massively technical in my arrangements, just fiddling with things until I get something that I like and recording a live take instead of spending a few weeks arranging one track that I dread working on every day.

If you could collaborate with any artist living or dead, who would it be?
Roedelius.

TRACKLIST
Our Mothers Meds – Bathing The Ghost – Sores (Sound+Matter)
Mark E – Rain (Patrice Scott Remix) – 18437
Louf – Tides (Saine Remix) – Omena
Marlon Kirk – Don’t Call Me I’ll Call You – Unprincipled Records
Schiggeria – Morning Dew – Wetpak Rec.
Tristan Arp – Alternate Looking Glass – Eternal Ocean
Giulia Tess – Mesto Ritma feat. ioieo – Scarlet Tiger
Doctor Jeep – Key Activation – DRX
CiM – Crash – Delsin
DJ ADHD – Blem – Pretty Weird Records
Tiraquon – Unreleased – Forthcoming Tiraquon Recordings
RR – Chord Bomb – Paloma

Silas Ryder – Inaugural Dance – untitled (recs)
Yush – Periwink – Awkwardly Social
Tiraquon – Unreleased – Forthcoming Tiraquon Recordings
Lack – Microshift – Livity Sound
Anastastia Kristensen – Volshebno (Ctrls Remix) – Houndstooth
Bolam – Hype Shifter (Al Wootton Remix) – Breaks N Pieces
Plant43 – Cloud Monolith – Future Massive
VC-118A – Update – Delsin

COVID-19 Information

We will verify everyone’s COVID status to gain entry to the festival. Everyone accessing the festival must be able to show proof of one the below. 

EITHER:

Proof of full vaccination, with the second vaccine having been given at least 14 days prior to arriving at AVA Festival. This proof will need to be the original Vaccine card, or a Vaccine Passport, or a Vaccine Certificate. A list of approved vaccines can be found here

OR:

If you are not fully vaccinated then you must be able to show proof of a negative Lateral Flow Test result via Email or Text Message. You will need to ensure you’ve taken a Lateral Flow Test within 48 hours of arrival at AVA Festival. If this applies to you, then follow these steps: 

You can find where to get a free lateral flow test kit here.

  1. Take your test within 48 hours prior to arrival to AVA Festival, then go here.
  2. Follow the steps to register the test result.
  3. You will receive a text message and/or email confirming the test result.
  4. On entry to the AVA Festival, show your negative test result confirmation text message or email. 
  5. Make sure your phone has plenty of charge on arrival to AVA Festival. If you cannot present your COVID status you will not be allowed to enter. Please also allow for an additional 20 minutes to enter the site as check-in will take longer than normal. COVID status checks will take place at the main entrance. 
  6. Be mindful of your responsibility to others whilst travelling to and enjoying AVA Festival. We encourage you to take stock of how you feel each morning and test yourself regularly. We have a shared responsibility when it comes to keeping each other as safe as possible.

OR:

Proof of natural COVID antibodies, based upon a positive PCR test within 180 days of the festival (including 10 days self-isolation following the result).

IF YOU FEEL UNWELL WHEN AT AVA FESTIVAL:

We have everything in place to take good care of you. Please help us by heading to the medical point located near the main entrance. 

For more information on COVID safety, please head here.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 using an NHS Lateral Flow or PCR test should self-isolate immediately and follow NHS Guidance which you can read here.

If you are told to self isolate by NHS / HSC Test and Trace over the period you were due to attend AVA, you will need to do so immediately and follow NHS Guidance here.

Under both of these circumstances, you will not be able to attend AVA Festival.

However, all is not lost. We simply ask that you do the following;

1. Check your insurance policies. Many home and travel insurance polices provide cover for the eventuality that you can not proceed with planned events due to a medical emergency.

2. Apply to roll your ticket forward. We want to make this stress free and straight forward, but there’s a few things to consider and get in order before you start;

  • The person who has tested positive must complete the below form before 09:00 on Saturday 25 September, 2021. Please do not email us – ONLY use the below form otherwise we will not be able to process your request.
  • You’ll need your ticket reference number and your individual ticket barcode number.
  • The lead booker of your group must have supplied the test and trace data requested by Resident Advisor our ticket agent.
  • If you have tested positive, you’ll need to supply evidence of a positive PCR test. You can order a PCR test to take at home as soon as you test positive via the Lateral Flow Test.
  • We will ask for both the full email and the text message confirming your PCR result. We will then arrange a Zoom call to allow the results to be authenticated in real time with the NHS in view to evidence the results.
  • If you’ve been asked to self isolate then you’ll need to provide a photo of yourself holding your photo ID alongside a screenshot of the isolation.
  • If you have been asked to self isolate then we will again need to set up Zoom call to verify. During this call we will need to see yourself, your photo ID and the NHS communication.

Please note that with the above Zoom verification procedure is not exhaustive and there may be other subsequent actions required to verify your COVID status.

Once you’ve submitted the claim form your ticket will be voided, so entry to AVA Festival will no longer be possible. We cannot reverse this process once actioned. Please make sure you have considered the above.

When you’re ready, the form is here.

COVID TRAVEL INFO 

IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING TO AVA FROM THE SOUTH OF IRELAND: 

In order to gain access to the festival you will need to ensure you have taken a Lateral Flow Test OR a PCR Test within 48hrs of arrival to AVA. You must be able to show proof of a negative result from an approved testing provider. 

  • Book and ensure you use an approved provider for your test from the gov.uk website.
  • Ensure the test is taken within 48 hours of arrival to AVA Festival.
  • Ensure you have a copy of your result with you. Acceptable proof is showing the result on an email or having a hard copy of the result with you. 

We will also accept proof of double vaccination, provided the vaccine is on the UK GOV list of approved vaccines and the second dose has been provided at least 14 days prior to arrival at AVA Festival. More info here.

An acceptable form of vaccination proof is the EU Digital COVID certificate. It must be shown in English. 

PLEASE NOTE: It can take up to 24hrs for testing providers to send results, so please bear this in mind. There are no testing facilities available on-site. 

IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING TO AVA FROM SCOTLAND:

If you live in Scotland, you can obtain your vaccination status here.

If you do not receive your vaccination status in time for AVA please follow the instructions below to register a lateral flow test result.

You can find where to get a free lateral flow test kit here.

  1. Take your test within 48 hours prior to arrival to AVA, then go here.
  2. Follow the steps to register the test result.
  3. You will receive a text message and/or email confirming the test result.
  4. On entry to AVA, show your negative test result confirmation text message or email.

IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING TO AVA FROM ENGLAND:

You can use the NHS app to gain entry to the festival. Persons travelling to AVA from England must be able to show proof of one of the below. 

EITHER:

Proof of full vaccination, with the second vaccine having been given at least 14 days prior to arriving at AVA. This proof will NEED to be shown on the NHS App and not via any other means.

OR:

Proof of natural immunity following a positive PCR test (providing it has been at least 10 days since your PCR test and up to 180 days after taking the test)

OR:

If you are not fully vaccinated then you must be able to show proof of a negative Lateral Flow Test result on the NHS app. You will need to ensure you’ve taken a Lateral Flow Test within 48 hours prior to arrival to AVA. If this applies to you, then follow these steps: 

  • Order your Lateral Flow Test here or collect one from your place of work or local test centre (we recommend ordering these ASAP as there may be a shortage closer to the time!)
  • Carry out a Lateral Flow Test within 48 hours prior to arrival to Lost Village
  • Submit your result on the NHS app
  • Save your COVID Pass to the wallet of your Smart Phone

NOTE: It can take over 2 hours for your test result to show on the NHS app. Please submit your result with plenty of time to spare. 

IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING TO AVA FROM WALES:

If you live in Wales, you can obtain your vaccination status here.

If you do not receive your vaccination status in time for AVA, please follow the instructions below to register a lateral flow test result.

You can find where to get a free lateral flow test kit here.

  1. Take your test within 48 hours prior to arrival to AVA, then go here.
  2. Follow the steps to register the test result.
  3. You will receive a text message and/or email confirming the test result.
  4. On entry to the AVA, show your negative test result confirmation text message or email.

IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING TO AVA FROM OUTSIDE THE UK: 

In order to gain access to the festival you will need to ensure you have taken a Lateral Flow Test OR a PCR Test within 48hrs of arrival to AVA. You must be able to show proof of a negative result from an approved testing provider. 

  • Book and ensure you use an approved provider for your test from the gov.uk website.
  • Ensure the test is taken within 48 hours of arrival to AVA Festival.
  • Ensure you have a copy of your result with you. Acceptable proof is showing the result on an email or having a hard copy of the result with you. 

We will also accept proof of double vaccination, provided the vaccine is on the UK GOV list of approved vaccines and the second dose has been provided at least 14 days prior to arrival at AVA Festival. More info here.

An acceptable form of vaccination proof is the EU Digital COVID certificate. It must be shown in English. 

PLEASE NOTE: It can take up to 24hrs for testing providers to send results, so please bear this in mind. There are no testing facilities available on-site. 

AVA Mix Series: Marion Hawkes

To celebrate the launch of her new record store, Sound Advice Belfast, we caught up with Marion Hawkes, one half of LGBTIQA+ disco powerhouse Ponyhawke. Marion has championed the role of women within the local scene by hosting female exclusive DJ workshops. Ahead of her set at AVA September 2021, she provides us an interview and an esoteric hour of chugging electronica for AVA Mix 003. 

______________________________

How have you been doing in these strange times? 

I’ve been good, tackled many a banana bread and done a fair bit of DIY and gardening. The wild DJ lifestyle. 

I suppose like everyone else trying to stay creative, we’ve all had to turn our hand to other things the past 18 months which hasn’t honestly been a bad thing. I’d just started to get into production but then had this notion of opening a record store. 

You’ve just recently opened your own record shop, Sound Advice. Could you tell us a little about it and what you’ve got in stock? 

The shop will be based in the upcoming East of the city in a multi purpose warehouse space called Banana Block which will house a living museum amongst retail and hospitality. I cant divulge too much about that right now but it’ll be worth the wait. 

The idea behind Sound Advice was to offer a selection of music that isn’t available in Belfast right now. Basing it off personal taste and current trends and your only option is to source that online rather than in person. Electronic music is severely under-represented here at the moment. 

Stock wise we’ll be pushing the more eclectic and expansive club sounds, balearic and lo-fi lushness, a strong soul and disco presence. Alongside a great second hand selection as that’s usually where all the interesting bits are found. 

What’s it like running a record store in Belfast?

Up until now I haven’t been in sole charge of one but I imagine it will be hard graft but rewarding. It will have its ups and downs like any small business but what better way to put the day in doing something you love, I’m up for the challenge. 

Getting everything ready to go has been intense and there isn’t a single day that I don’t have record distribution lists to go through so it can be overwhelming trying to find the right things for the store. But I’ll find my groove shaping and growing it and I’m very excited about it’s potential! 

You also run a night called Ponyhawke. Are you excited to get running nights again?

Yeah absolutely, it’s been such a long stretch and I think we are all ready for it y’know, to have that big release of energy. I know there is a fair amount of anxiety to go alongside that, not from just the crowd but the people behind the nights, but once we do this a few times that will pass. There is going to be a real thirst for new sounds so I’m excited to hear what’s going to come out of the lockdown pause. 

If you had to go B2B with one artist from this year’s AVA lineup, who would it be and why?

Probably Optimo for the sheer depth of music they would fire out, that would be one to keep you one your toes! 

What are your favourite moments from AVA’s past?

Midland’s set from 2018 was a proper masterclass in DJing and up there with one of the best sets I’ve ever seen. 

My own BR from 2019 for obvious reasons, it was so surreal and I was properly bricking it! I’ve never felt such a buzz before though, I was on cloud nine all day. 

Chris Hanna/Carlton Doom who came on after me, his sent properly went off, he really vibes off a crowd and its so great to watch.  

The locals always bring it to be fair. 

If you had to recommend three things to do in Belfast during AVA, what would they be?

A trip to Yugo for a quality feed is essential, swing by Never Never for some top notch threads and a bit of record shopping obviously! Starr Records on Berry Street has an amazing selection of obscure and niche new releases, while their sister shop Dragon has some great second hand gems, as does Voodoo Soup over in Smithfield, Timeslip in Botanic and Andy’s Records Stall in St Georges Market are also worth dropping by.

How did you approach this AVA Mix? 

I always enjoy building up a set as you can really throw a good few left of centre choices in there so thats the vibe I’ve gone for with the mix. Some trippy chuggers and ALFOS type nuggets. I don’t think I’m quite ready to bash out peak time bangers right now, maybe I need one or two gigs under my belt before I can get in that headspace. 

One more for the warm up or comedown.

Anything else you’d like to shout out?

Shouts to all who have supported me on this journey setting up the record shop, it’s needed a lot of push and encouragement at times so I’m grateful I have such solid circle around me. 

TRACKLIST
ELLLL – Housebreaker (Parris’ Slo Motion Remix)
DJN4 – The Orm
Transit State – Angst
Tornado Wallace – Midnight Mania
Fantastic Man – Robotic Temptation
Perdu – Yesterday’s Tomorrow
Sleep D – Red Rock (IV Mix)
Sputnik One – Vain
Exquisite Corpse – Kupuri
Days Of Being Wild – Shamanic Body Music
Rheinzand – Blind (Superpitcher Remix)
Pardon Moi – Power To The People
Boot & Tax – Celeste
Alleged Witches – Salu-Ki
Pleasure Pool – Night Scars
Eagles & Butterflies – Can’t Stop (Gerd Janson Remix)

NI £100 Voucher Scheme

All over 18’s registered in Northern Ireland, can sign up for a free £100 prepaid card from the Northern Ireland Government, and they can spend this at AVA as part of the ‘NI High Street £100 Voucher Scheme’.

This can be used to spend on food, drinks, and merchandise at AVA. It cannot be spent online, but physically at the festival.

What you need to do;

  1. Register to vote in NI with your NI home address before September 12th at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
  2. On September 12th apply for the card via the NI Direct website.
  3. This should be posted after you register to your home address in NI after 19th September provided you sign up on 12th September – so be ready!

AVA Mix Series: Kessler

 

DJ, producer, and breakbeat aficionado Eddy Kennedy AKA Kessler, made the jump from Belfast to Rotterdam in pursuit of a fresh challenge in 2020. Little did he know that the challenge would be a global pandemic to rock his (and everyone’s) world.

Born and raised in Belfast, Kennedy is known for his club nights Footwork which has seen him curate line-ups within the realm of electro, breaks & bass-driven techno across dance floors in the UK and Europe. Something of a homegrown hero, he has previously performed at AVA, Shine and Twitch in Belfast, held a residency with Manchester-based Limbo Radio as well as releasing high-energy music that tap deep into the traditions of UK bass culture for Belfast’s Born Sleepy record label and a string of heads down EPs on imprints like Shall Not Fade and Club Glow in the past year. 

Most recently Kessler has been getting in touch with exploring his new home and what it has to offer, with an EP scheduled to drop on Desert Sound Colony’s eyes down Holding Hands label ahead of his Boiler Room debut at AVA this September, the future is looking bright for Kessler. We caught up with him ahead of his homecoming, he has provided us with a typically bumping mix which presents a window into his musical world. Check out the mix and read the interview below.


______________________________

Times are strange and challenging. How have you been doing?

Definitely, I’m very glad to see a glimpse of normality approaching. I’ve definitely had my ups and downs over the past year and a half but overall I’m happy with where my head is at now. I’ve learned to just roll with the punches and accept the situation but at the start it was definitely tough, especially with such high expectations before moving country. One thing for sure is I really miss throwing parties, which feels like a lifetime ago now. The pre-party excitement in the empty club setting up equipment and sound checking to the thrill of a packed out sweaty room with everyone on one wavelength.

Tell us about your move to Rotterdam and how is life in a new place?

I often get asked, “Why did you move to Rotterdam?” by a lot of the people here and every time I’ve found myself repeating the same line–“For music, for a change of scenery and because I just wanted to”. That’s still true but I’ve found that what I was really looking for was a new experience and basically throwing myself out of a comfort zone, kind of a clean slate and creating something for myself in an entirely different scenario. Now, a global pandemic wasn’t really the experience i was looking for but it definitely introduced me in to new things, hobbies & people in weird ways. For example, with no gigs in the pipeline and bouncing between jobs I tried out working as a carpenter with some really nice guys and pretty much learned the basics of how to build/renovate a house. I absolutely love it here and I only know what life is like here in coronavirus times.. so it couldn’t get worse right?

What sort of music community do you have around you and how does Rotterdam influence you differently when compared to Belfast?

Rotterdam suffers from a similar issue like any other major city, everyone is a DJ! But I love that. There is a different energy here to Belfast, it’s a lot more progressive and people approach life differently with less judgement. There’s a really great network of artists & producers, promoters, music collectives, labels & record stores like Clone & Pinkman. Spoilt for choice, but I’ve only scratched the surface in over a year. I’ve realised that Rotterdam is really just a big village, everyone knows everyone! Every other week I meet someone with a link to XYZ and. vice versa, it’s quite funny. Creative people all end up in the same bubbles but just like Belfast there’s no shortage of a partying spirit.

You just announced a record on Desert Sound Colony’s Holding Hands imprint. Is this an important milestone for you?

Been a big fan of Holding Hands & DSC for a long time so I was well keen to join the roster of incredible producers when Liam & Jossy (Mitsu) reached out! I think this release is one that will tear up dancefloors when the time comes again and I feel it portrays my variety of mood, style & rhythms quite nicely in one package. You have some electro, UKG, bass & breakbeat with some jungle & techno influences thrown in.

How did you approach doing this mix for AVA?

I never like to put too much thought and planning into a mix. I collect some songs in a playlist that I might play but 90% of the time I just go with the flow and hear songs or ideas in my head, it’s the most natural way for me. Although with most mixes & most other non-club settings including this one, I like to show a lot more variety, it snakes between bass, breakbeat, electro, glitch, jungle, footwork, techno & garage. 

Are you excited for your Boiler Room debut at AVA in September?

Beyond words I can imagine. Bucket list tick. It’s gonna be special, I only wish it was 2 hours haha! Also pretty nervous as for a while I’ve put DJing in the background as I focused on production, but I love a good ol’ challenge.

What are your standout AVA moments from over the years

Kink & the samba band has to be in the top 3, what a guy! Bicep in 2017. My first set on the main stage in 2019, was shitting myself but was such a great feeling. Also Phil Kieran crowd surfing mid Boiler Room. Lastly … the afterparties!

TRACKLIST
Kessler – Vrieselaan
Andrea – Sarec
Nova Cheq – Detached
The Subdermic – All Shapes & Sizes
Overmono – BMW Track
J Wax – I Said

Atrice – FKX82000
Elad Magdasi & Sinfol – Drum Spirit
Skee Mask – CZ3000 Dub
Adam Pits – Azure Crest
Drexciya – Black Sea (Aqualung Version)
Lag – Twitch
D-Nite – Dive
Kessler – Lotus
Samurai Breaks & Private Caller – Power Hour
Kessler – Ard Crew
BroDawg ManDude – Out Ya System (Decent Damage Remix)
Nova Cheq – FUK.GOV.UK

Thugwidow – The Sacrifice
Dip Shim – Yard Stalkers
Nova Cheq – Dopamine Domain
440hz – Shiba
DJ Y – Modern Wank

AVA Female + Non-Binary+ Producers Programme

AVA Female Producer Programme

Overview
AVA Production Workshops for Emerging Female identifying, non-binary, trans+ producers (NI)
5 individual workshops across 1 week
Mon to Fri 10.00 AM – 16:00 PM @ Oh Yeah Centre
Course Includes: Introduction to Ableton / production, remixing, podcasting + more
Applicants will need their own laptop

Click Here to Apply

The divide between male to female roles in electronic music has been unbalanced for some time, particularly in our home city. We have often heard the question: Where are all the female producers in Northern Ireland? To try and help build a more balanced scene, our aim is to create a space to nurture and mentor talent. Diversity is not just driven from bookings, but also from supporting the growth and development of artists.

Key Dates:
Launch date: June 10th 2021
Closing date: 25nd June 2021 (application deadline)
Course Dates: 19th – 23rd July

Core to our commitment to diversity, we believe booking a balanced lineup should be coupled with nurturing talent from unrepresented and marginalised backgrounds.

This Female + Non-Binary Producer Programme will provide 5 individual music production workshops for females and female-identifying communities in Northern Ireland. In partnership with Timmy Stewart (Extended Play) across the course of a week, Timmy will share knowledge on how he creates unique edits & dubs for his own sets, records DJ mixes, radio shows & podcasts and include briefs for remix & music creation projects. As well as the range of studio production skills and mentoring on offer, one main aim of the course is for each participant to finish the week with a piece of their own music.

“I’ve been DJing & making music for almost 30 years, designing and delivering training across the last decade as well as mentoring a range of electronic artists in Ireland. I’m looking forward to sharing my skills and knowledge with some new producers this summer, as part of this incredible opportunity from the AVA Festival & Arts Council NI” – Timmy Stewart (TNI, Black Bones, Extended Play)

 

AVA Festival is supported by Arts Council Northern Ireland

 

AVA Glasgow – Rescheduled Date

We’ve been working hard to deliver AVA in Belfast in 2021.
While it’s clear that we can’t deliver the festival on 28th + 29th May…
we aren’t giving up! 

Instead, we are bringing it back to our roots with a multi-stage festival with homegrown talent and some very special guests, across the 24th + 25th September 2021 (more info tomorrow). 

Current AVA ticket holders will now have the following options: 

1. Transfer your ticket to AVA September 2021
2. Transfer your ticket to AVA 2022
3. Refund your ticket 

A limited number of tickets will be available to the general public from Friday 19th March at 11am. Sign up for presale here > avafestivalstg.wpengine.com/signup 

What is important to us, is to thank our NHS heroes and make this a party for them too. So for the next week, we are giving a 25% discount to all NHS staff (offer closes 26.03.21). 

Full information on transfers, refunds + NHS discounts here
> avafestivalstg.wpengine.com/ticket-transfer 

Team AVA x 

AVA 2021 September Lineup Announcement

We’ve been working hard to deliver AVA in Belfast in 2021.
While it’s clear that we can’t deliver the festival on 28th + 29th May…
we aren’t giving up! 

Instead, we are bringing it back to our roots with a multi-stage festival with homegrown talent and some very special guests, across the 24th + 25th September 2021 (more info tomorrow). 

Current AVA ticket holders will now have the following options: 

1. Transfer your ticket to AVA September 2021
2. Transfer your ticket to AVA 2022
3. Refund your ticket 

A limited number of tickets will be available to the general public from Friday 19th March at 11am. Sign up for presale here > avafestivalstg.wpengine.com/signup 

What is important to us, is to thank our NHS heroes and make this a party for them too. So for the next week, we are giving a 25% discount to all NHS staff (offer closes 26.03.21). 

Full information on transfers, refunds + NHS discounts here
> avafestivalstg.wpengine.com/ticket-transfer 

Team AVA x 

AVA Mix Series: Cromby

Really excited to kick off the first instalment of our mix series with Potency Records label head and one of the original AVA crew, Cromby. Each month we’ll aim to focus the mix and conversations around a theme, and recently we caught up with Cromby to chat around his creative work with his recent move into the painting world with Cromby Paints, as well as his upcoming work on his Potency label and more.

______________________________

Lots of ups and downs this past year for all, obviously. How have you been doing?

All things considered I’m doing well, thank you. Very lucky to be here in Berlin where the German government have been a great help throughout the pandemic. I’m just trying to stay positive and creative until we eventually get back to it.

You seem to have a really strong crew with you out in Berlin, with lots of good friends of AVA too. What’s a typical week / day look like for you at the moment?

Yeah, there is a whole bunch of us out here, it’s a family vibe. My typical week at the minute is consisting of studio, painting and a bit of exercise here and there. I’m meeting the odd friend here and there and going on cycles or walks. I’ve found the odd red wine is also essential for getting me through haha.

You recently picked up a paintbrush again and are sharing your work via @crombypaints. When did you first get into painting? Is it therapy, expression, catharsis or all of the above for you?

I first got into painting when I was a child. I have an older sister who went to art college and she got me into it. I rekindled the love of it during lockdown and found it very cathartic. In fact, yeah, it’s been all of the above. It’s been a way to express frustration and I found it very therapeutic.

Who are some of the painters / visual artists you admire and take influence from?

I actually didn’t have much inspiration from other artists when I began the Cromby paints thing. It was more just a side hobby to use as a release mentally. But the more I’ve got into it, I’ve been reading books on abstract expressionism and found a lot of different work inspiring. Following different artists and abstract art pages on instagram has also helped with seeing inspiring work in a time where galleries are closed. If you’re interested to delve further, I recommend checking out these pages:

J. Ryan Harvey

David Pher

Sophie Crichton

Blaise Farris Magee

How does visual art connect with the sonic world for you? Are they their own contained thing? Or does music creation also fuel your painting and vice versa?

It does, I’m still working out its role together, to be honest. But it is something I’m trying to bring together with a friend and visual artist, Chris Martin, who does the art for Potency. He is working on some animations to go alongside the next EP which should be very exciting.

In terms of painting, it’s been a nice release and refresher; sometimes if I’m making a track and I feel a little stuck, I’ll nip away from it for an hour and paint a little, then inspiration will strike and I’m back finishing the track, I like how they feed into each other.

Tell us about the mix you did for us?

I wanted to present a smooth listening mix as we come into the nicer weather to play whilst anyone is chilling out being creative, or in the park having a beer or whatever. But as always, it still has the party element there and racks up the tempo as the mix progresses.

Generally speaking, how have you found creative pursuits during the pandemic? Did you have a dip in inspiration or creative flow at any point? If so, how did you work around it?

It has definitely come in bursts for me. I have had big spouts of inspiration at times and I know then I need to cancel my plans and get into the studio and work through that and be as productive as possible. As it doesn’t come around all the time. When I’m not feeling it, I don’t force it. Rather, I just relax if possible and do other things. I’ve learned that trying to force it for me personally is counterproductive and makes me more frustrated and less creative.

How have you found living in Berlin during a 12-month period without clubs? How’s the fabric of the city changed without this outlet?

I feel like it’s been a much-needed rest. I don’t think the fabric of the place has changed much at all. There is just a sense of pause at the minute, but it will come back as big as ever.

You launched Potency in 2020, a big move for you. Tell us about that challenge and the thinking behind it. What do you have planned for the label in 2021?

So, I had a lot of music stacked up from a creative spurt at the beginning of the pandemic and found my releases that were already scheduled in with other labels were being pushed back due to the climate. I found myself wanting to get this new music out and have control. Also, with the newfound free time, I was able to formulate a plan to get the label together. 

As I touched on before, my friend Chris who is working on the artwork has some cool new 3D animations for the second release, which I’m very excited to see the outcome of. Expect at least two more releases on Potency this year. I’ve got a lot of music to share which I’m very excited about.

What else have you got coming up we should know about?

I’ve got a few EPs on their way this year. The first one is via Rekids which is out on the 12th March, titled ‘Twisted Future’. Check a Bandcamp preview here

Then you can expect two more Potency releases before the year is out, as I mentioned. I’m also a monthly resident on Refuge Worldwide, a new online radio station in Berlin. Likewise, I have Hör residency and have streams set for May 11, September 14 and 1 December. 

It’s all go here!

AVA Ticket Transfers

We are excited to be returning to our roots with a multi-stage festival focusing on community, homegrown talent and some special guests across the 24th + 25th September 2021.

Current AVA ticket holders will have the following options:
1. Transfer your ticket to AVA September 2021
2. Transfer your ticket to AVA 2022
3. Refund

Resident Advisor Ticket Holders
Transfers & Refunds >HERE
Refunds
If you would like to refund your ticket, please head to your order in the “My Tickets” section and click the “Refund Tickets” button in your order history. Click this and a refund will be processed back into the bank account used to purchase your tickets. Refunds can take up to 5 working days to land in your account.

Festicket Ticket Holders
Transfers & Refunds >HERE

Any tickets that have not requested transfer to AVA 2022 or refunds by April 1st 2021 will automatically be transferred to AVA September 2021.
_________________

NHS Discount
What is important to us, is to thank our NHS heroes and make this a party for them too. So for the next week, we are giving a 25% discount to all NHS staff*. (Offer closes 26.03.21)
*One ticket per NHS Staff member, purchased only using their NHS email and their ID card. NHS ID cards must be presented on entry. No proof, no entry.

We Are Hiring

AVA + UP PRODUCTIONS – WE ARE HIRING

We are looking for a talented, passionate and highly organised self-starter to join our fast-pace and agile team. We need an experienced marketer, with a minimum of 3 years in the industry, who is confident and dynamic. We are looking for someone enthusiastic about marketing and communication and who believes in the power of music & the arts, and the ability to innovate. Please see below the Role Description and Application Form.

Application Deadline – 8th March
Interviews will be held between 15th—19th March 2021

Role Description
Application Form

 

Max Cooper Live A/V Stream

Max Cooper Live A/V Stream Announced

We have teamed up Max Cooper to bring to life the beautiful Carlisle Church in our hometown, Belfast. The show blends visual content across the history of our society’s obsessions with the infinite, in art, our climate, networks, and science, and it’s fruition in the modern data explosion. We’ve been working towards making this project happen for over 3 years now, and want to thank our partners Red Bull and Arts Council NI for the support in helping bring this together, along with Max Cooper’s team, Visual Spectrum, The Hype Factory and Third Source.The stream will be free for our community on November 18th 20.00 GMT, available on Youtube, Facebook and www.avafestivalstg.wpengine.com
To get the most of the experience we encourage you to link up sound systems and big screens to create the best set up you can!
Signup at www.avafestivalstg.wpengine.com/maxcooper to be kept updated.

Industry + Artist Support

We’ve received funding from The Arts Council NI’s Small Grant Programme and PRS Foundation’s Open Fund, big thanks to both organisations for their continued support. 

We’ve also had another amazing year of entries to our Emerging Programmes in 2020 – shout out to everyone who entered, arguably the strongest year yet across the board with lots of top quality submissions in every category. A massive congrats to our winners – Cartin (Emerging Producer), Andreas Lutz (Emerging Visual Artist) and Farhannah (DJ).

Also thank you to Native Instruments, Pioneer, Soundcloud, Notch FX and Belfast Photo Festival for their support and thanks our judges across the programmes for 2020 including Timmy Stewart + John McIvor (Extended Play), BICEP, Oisin O’Brien (DSNT/Visual Spectrum), Sarah McBriar (AVA Festival), Kevin Gartland (AVA Festival), Kev Freeney (Algorithm) + Emmett Costello (AVA Festival).

New AVA Glasgow Date Announced

We have been monitoring the situation in Glasgow closely, and we want to ensure AVA Glasgow x Sensu is the best possible party for you! With this in mind, and the restrictions on large scale events, we have made a call to reschedule the date to 10th April 2021.

We have moved the full lineup over to this date. All tickets for this show are valid for the new date, and will be automatically transferred.
Click here to purchase tickets and more info.

If you aren’t able to join us on April 10th, refunds will be available at the point of purchase for the next 14 days. 

This is an unprecedented time for all and we appreciate your support while we continue to work towards seeing you all on the dancefloor again!

In the meantime, stay safe, and big love,

Team AVA & Sensu x

AVA Belfast 2021

 

RESIDENT ADVISOR TICKET INFORMATION

Please follow the below instructions using a desktop and not a mobile phone.

To keep your ticket, head to your order in the “My Tickets” section and click “Keep Tickets”. Your ticket will be valid for the new date.

If you would prefer a refund, there will also be a “Refund Tickets” button in your order history. Click this and a refund will be processed back into the bank account used to purchase your tickets. Refunds can take up to 5 working days to land in your account.

If you would prefer to donate your ticket cost, click “Donate to Save Our Scene”. By clicking this you are donating to the promoter and helping keep the scene afloat.

You will have 14 days (from the 25th March 2020) to choose one of these options after which they will no longer be available, so your ticket will remain valid for the new date.

Visit Resident Advisor Support for further information

FESTICKET TICKET INFORMATION

Visit Festicket Support for further information

SKIDDLE TICKET INFORMATION

Visit Skiddle Support for further information

AVA celebrates, develops and amplifies electronic audio visual arts. We work with sound, light and structure to create unforgettable moments and experiences. We design spaces to develop industry and programme artists.

Our studio has worked with leading cultural & academic institutions, as well as commercial brands. These range from Red Bull Music, Soundcloud, Boiler Room, to the MAC, Abbey Road Studios and CSSD, London.

Our work ranges from large scale brand activation, to research, development and educational learning. We are interested in pushing boundaries through innovation. Realising great ideas through well considered partnerships and collaborations. Identifying new talent and giving them the platform to deliver incredible work.

 

RED BULL

From 2017, AVA has partnered with Red Bull Music to help deliver a number of activations including stage takeovers, conference keynotes, closing parties, and pourage across a number of events. This included a full stage sponsorship and lead conference partner at AVA Festival + Conference across the last three years.

…………….

SoundCloud

For the past two years we have partnered with SoundCloud at AVA London to host their Creators Forum featuring panels, workshops, interviews and artist showcases.

Abbey Road Studios

In 2019, we partnered with Abbey Road Studios across our AVA London Conference to deliver a partnership focusing on showcasing the studios rich history in innovation, as well as their technology incubator – Abbey Road Red.

“AVA London provided the perfect blend of inspiring insight, tech and music. With talks from leading thinkers, tech demo sessions followed by a night of great music – we thoroughly enjoyed sharing our history of innovation with the crowd and showcasing the new music tech on our radar!” – Abbey Road Studios

AVA Mumbai

In 2016, AVA partnered with ‘The Exchange’ to host a 1-day conference and showcase of UK & Indian Electronic Artists, Industry and Media Partners. Over 1,000 attended throughout the 6 sessions conference, and 2-room club show.

 

Amsterdam Dance Event

Over the last 3 years, AVA has developed a relationship with ADE. In 2016 we partnered with Percolate and showcased at the opening of the Festival, in 2017 AVA hosted a workshop on Creative Collaborations and in 2019, AVA recruited the previous ADE Ex-GM (Richard Zijlma) to join AVA to develop our conference.

Holly Lester’s Ode to AVA

For the past three years, Holly Lester has put together a special AVA show in the lead up to the festival. This years special includes exclusive/unreleased tracks and features from Carlton Doom and includes DART, Space Dimension Controller and Jordan plus a guest mix from Marion Hawkes!

AVA Belfast Online Weekender

We couldn’t let this weekend slip by without a bang!

Join us on Friday + Saturday and tune into our weekend of radio + streams across our Website, Facebook, Youtube and Twitch!

Throughout our streams this weekend we will be raising donations for Aware NI
Mental Health is a crucial issue within NI and across the globe especially at unique times likes these so if you can spare anything to help the work of Aware NI it would be appreciated.
Please Donate here – justgiving.com/campaign/homeandaware

FRIDAY
1400 – 1600 – Holly Lester’s Ode to AVA with Marion Hawkes > Listen Here
1600 – 1700 – Twitch Belfast > Listen Here
1700 – 1800 – Space Dimension Controller > Watch Here
1800 – 1900 – Holly Lester > Watch Here
1900 – 2000 – Timmy Stewart > Watch Here
2000 – 2100 – imnotyourmate > Watch Here

SATURDAY
1300 – 1400 – Phil Kieran > Watch Here
1400 – 1500 – Denis Sulta > Watch Here
1500 – 1600 – Myler > Watch Here
1600 – 1700 – Or:la > Watch Here
1700 – 1800 – Brame + Hamo > Watch Here
1800 – 1900 – Sally C b2b Cromby > Watch Here
1900 – 2000 – Midland > Watch Here
2000 – 2100 – Bicep > Watch Here

AVA Belfast 2020 Important Update

 

RESIDENT ADVISOR TICKET INFORMATION

Please follow the below instructions using a desktop and not a mobile phone.

To keep your ticket, head to your order in the “My Tickets” section and click “Keep Tickets”. Your ticket will be valid for the new date.

If you would prefer a refund, there will also be a “Refund Tickets” button in your order history. Click this and a refund will be processed back into the bank account used to purchase your tickets. Refunds can take up to 5 working days to land in your account.

If you would prefer to donate your ticket cost, click “Donate to Save Our Scene”. By clicking this you are donating to the promoter and helping keep the scene afloat.

You will have 14 days (from the 25th March 2020) to choose one of these options after which they will no longer be available, so your ticket will remain valid for the new date.

Visit Resident Advisor Support for further information

FESTICKET TICKET INFORMATION

Visit Festicket Support for further information

SKIDDLE TICKET INFORMATION

Visit Skiddle Support for further information

AVA London 2020

Spread across two full days at Printworks London, we returned for our third year in London with our Conference and Club Show. 

On Friday 13th March, our conference featured some of the key artists and industry in electronic music, creating a space to perform and a platform to discuss future projects, their creative process, the current and future landscape + more. We were joined by a variety of keynotes, panels and workshops will be Maribou State, Jayda G, Actress, Ninja Tune, SoundCloud, Abbey Road Studios and many more.

Following Friday’s conference, on Saturday 14th we hosted our Club Show in the Press Halls and the Dark Room, with scene-defining headliners and up-and-coming talent.

This year, we welcomed iconic duo Orbital for their Printworks London debut alongside Joy Orbison, Ross From Friends, Overmono, Peach, Cromby, Sally C, Swoose, Dave McDonogh & Ben Gibson.

Photography by Rob Jones and Gemma Parker.

Special thanks to our sponsors and partners Bulldog Gin, SoundCloud, PRS Foundation, Resident Advisor, Broadwick Live, Ninja Tune, Abbey Road Studios, Mustard Media, PRS For Music and AFEM.

Credit to Rebel Overlay  for the lighting installation in Printworks Control Room.

AVA Belfast – Site Map

We’re excited to reveal the first glance of our new site plans & stages for AVA Belfast on May 28th-31st at Boucher Road Fields.

The AVA Main Stage will maintain the warehouse style, providing a large enclosed headline ready setting complete with the iconic AVA lighting & visual show, set to show-case Orbital, Laurent Garnier, Denis Sulta and many more in the best possible light to Belfast.

We bring back our infamous Boiler Room & Red Bull Stages, sourcing and utilising shipping containers. Similarly, Oisin O’Brien, who locally runs Visual Spectrum, will develop lighting installations to be incorporated across the site and into the Red Bull Area.

Immerse AVA is a new concept supported by Future Screens NI; the scaffolding stage will create a fully immersed ‘drenched’ like experience of light & visuals, incorporating surround sound systems to create a new experience.

Weekend tickets moving fast, £25 Deposit + Group Tickets also available HERE

 

 

AVA Manchester X Zutekh 

MANCHESTER – POSTPONEMENT IN PLANNING

With the rapidly developing COVID-19 and advice from the UK Government regarding containment, we are postponing AVA Manchester X Zutekh until further notice.

The situation is changing very quickly, and we are working hard to get a new date arranged. Please note that all tickets purchased will remain valid for the new date announced.

This is an unprecedented time for all and we appreciate your support while we work towards a solution.

Please look out for further announcements as we know more.

Love Team AVA & WHP
xx

 

AVA London Conference Full Programme

FRIDAY 13 MARCH

AVA London is a two day conference and ticketed club showcase at Printworks, featuring some of the leading thinkers and artists in music and the audio visual arts. On Friday 13th March, the conference will feature some of the key artists and industry in electronic music, creating a space to perform and a platform to discuss future projects, their creative process, the current and future landscape + more. Joining us by day on Friday for a variety of keynotes, panels and workshops will be Orbital, Coldcut, Jayda G, Actress, Daniel Miller, Ninja Tune, Soundcloud, Resident Advisor and many more.

 

PRESS HALLS

Opening Keynote: 30 Years of Ninja Tune

One of the most notable independent  labels of our time, Ninja Tune celebrates 30 years as a pioneering force in music. With notable signings such as BICEP, Floating Points and Marie Davidson among many others, Ninja Tune join us to discuss the origins of the label, it’s growth in recent years and plans to push forward for the future with founders Coldcut alongside artists Jayda G + Actress

Moderator: Joe Muggs

Panelists: Coldcut [Artist]
Jayda G [Artist]
Actress [Artist]

—————————————————————————————————————————-

The Game Changers

We invite 4 key industry professionals, who throughout their career have played a role in facilitating a significant shift in the way of thinking about the landscape of electronic music, through artist management, bookings, partnerships, festival creation and promotion.

Moderator: Joe Muggs

Panelists: Steve Hogan [WME]
Georgia Tagliett [Sonar/Shesaid.so]
Mark Newton [Broadwick Live]
Oliver Isaacs [ThisIsMusic]

—————————————————————————————————————————-

Closing Keynote: Orbital

The iconic duo have crafted a sound that is uniquely theirs throughout a distinguished career, leading the way for a generation of electronic musicians. Always pushing the boundaries of what is possible with live electronic music performance – join us as we sit down with the Hartnoll brothers ahead of their Printworks Debut at AVA London.

Moderator: Seamas O’Reilly
Panelists: Orbital [Artist]

 

—————————————————————————————————————————-

 

CONTROL ROOM

Mustard Media Presents
Festivals: The Power Of Brand

This panel will discuss the power of brand in the festival world, what makes people really care, how building brand is stronger than short term marketing, festival brands compared to artist brands, how brand translates internationally.

Moderator: Oli Hackett

Panelists: Sarah Cole [AEI Group / El Dorado]
Richard Zjilma [Co Founder, ADE]
Tom Ketley [FLY]

 

—————————————————————————————————————————-

 

RA Exchange Live with Daniel Miller

Since its inception in 1978, Mute Records has grown to become a global affair, with Daniel Miller at the helm of one of the industry’s most respected labels. Born out of Miller’s original solo project “The Normal” – Mute has featured artists such as Depeche Mode & Goldfrapp among others over the years, on an eclectic roster. He joins us at AVA London 2020 for a live Resident Advisor Exchange to discuss his journey with Mute Records, and what might lie ahead.

Moderator: Martha Pazienti Caidan [Resident Advisor]

Panelists: Daniel Miller [Mute Records]

 

—————————————————————————————————————————-

 

Sentric Electronic Presents: From Production To Prosperity

Sentric Electronic opens the conversation with established writers and their teams on the process of turning creative output into publishing income and the impact royalties have had on their careers. 

Moderator: Mark Lawrence

Panelists: Shadow Child [Artist]
Matt Stuart [Manager – Old New World/ATC]
Patrick Cloherty [Head of UK Sync/Sentric]

 

—————————————————————————————————————————-

 

DARK ROOM

AVA x AFEM presents: Tackling The Climate Crisis
As global heating continues unabated, how can our industry help to tackle the climate crisis? We bring together a range of industry experts to discuss how artists, clubs, festivals, and all those involved can play their part in contributing to a more environmentally sustainable future for fans and professionals alike.

Moderator: Tristan Hunt

Panelists: Hadi Ahmadzadeh [Tail & Twist / Eco Disco]
Arron Dowie [Zenobe Energy]
George Sandilands [Creative Production Manager – Eastern Electrics]

 


 

PRS For Music – Breaking Into The Industry

What are the different income streams available to dance music creators and how do you get paid? An experienced panel will explore the mechanisms behind recording/publishing deals, DJ/live performances, remix fees, collections societies and more.

Moderator: Ashley Howard

Panelists: Bjorn Sandberg [FUGA]
Sam Lowe [Senior A&R Warner Chapell]
Sophia Kearney [Manager, Weird and Wonderful]

 


Abbey Road – Mastering and Mixing Masterclass

Led by an Abbey Road engineer, who will reveal the tips, tricks, and secrets to all the different facets of recording and mixing.

with Paul Pritchard and Christian Wright

—————————————————————————————————————————-

Immerse AVA – What Makes an Experience Truly Immersive?

As Technology develops, along with the expectations of the Live Music Sector, Audience and Industry, we ask the question; ‘What makes an experience truly immersive, and how will this evolve in the future?’ We will explore the relationship between audio and visual arts, how this is communicated to the audience – to create an environment where the hearing and vision systems become entirely immersed into a singular live experience. 

The session will investigate the relationship between these elements using engineering, interactivity and spatial design to create art-directed experiences. The session will consist of leading innovators within the Immersive technologies field – representing local and international advancements within the industry across lighting, visual, interactivity, sonic and installation arts.

Moderator: Sarah McBriar [AVA]
Panelists: Dan Tombs [2MS Studio]
Chris Canavan [19Mil]
Bill Brooks [d&b audiotechnik]

—————————————————————————————————————————-

SOUNDCLOUD CREATOR FORUM

BEHIND PRESS HALLS

The Changing Shape of DJ Culture
We invite world-renowned DJs to the table for a fun but informative conversation about their unique approaches to DJing and the changing landscape of technology and DJ culture. We’ll break down the hidden costs of being a DJ, explore what it takes to stand out in a crowded, increasingly democratized space, and discuss whether being a producer and/or label owner is still a prerequisite for a successful DJ career. As we delve into the art of DJing and the impact of technology, we’ll look at new and potentially controversial formats and analyze what DJs are doing to retain an edge in a time of barrier-free entry and online DJ booths.

Moderator: Jack Bridges

Panelists: Cinthie [Artist]
Spencer Parker [Artist]

—————————————————————————————————————————-

The Art of Self Care
How focusing on your mental health can lead to sustainable success. From avoiding temptation, balancing work and personal life, to providing support to someone else who’s in need – this panel of artists and mental health professionals will share tips on how to find sustainable success through wellness. 

Moderator: Hazel Berry

Panelists: Lara Cullen [The People Person]
Denise Sherwood [Music Support Counselor]
Tom Middleton [DJ + Sleep Expert]
Tristan Hunt [AFEM]

—————————————————————————————————————————-

The Breakthrough Artist

Jensen Interceptor, Object Blue, Lobster Theremin founder Asquith and Josh Farmer join us in a discussion about how you can use your authenticity, creativity and unique artistic perspective to stand out in an otherwise crowded music scene. Learn how to engage your audience, build your industry knowledge and ultimately drive your music project forward without having to compromise your artistry. Additionally, you’ll hear from influential media and press as they offer up advice on how to put your best foot forward and make an impact.

Moderator: Martha Pazienti Caidan [Resident Advisor]

Panelists: Jensen Interceptor [Artist]
object blue [Artist]
Asquith [Lobster Theremin]
Josh Farmer [NTS]

 


 

AVA+
SoundCloud Music Showcase 

6pm Onwards (AVA+ tickets holders only)

The forum wraps with a DJ showcase, featuring Object Blue, Jensen Interceptor, Lobster Theremin label founder, Asquith, Machine Woman and more special guests to be announced. 

AVA+ Pass – £15 + booking fee – available here

– Access to AVA Conference Evening Networking Drinks + 1 x Complimentary Drink
– Access to Soundcloud Creators Forum Artist Showcase with;
Jensen Interceptor
Object Blue
Machine Woman (LIVE)
Asquith
– 3 months Free Soundcloud Pro Unlimited Subscription

 

 

 

 

AVA London 2020

 

AVA London is a two day conference and ticketed club showcase at Printworks, featuring some of the leading thinkers and artists in music and the audio visual arts. On Friday 13th March, the conference will feature some of the key artists and industry in electronic music, creating a space to perform and a platform to discuss future projects, their creative process, the current and future landscape + more. Joining us by day on Friday for a variety of keynotes, panels and workshops will be Orbital, Coldcut, Andrew Weatherall, Ninja Tune, Resident Advisor and many more TBA. On Saturday 14th March, the iconic duo Orbital will join us to headline AVA London for their Printworks London debut, supported by a stacked lineup including Joy Orbison, Ross From Friends, Overmono, Jennifer Cardini, Peach and many more.

CONFERENCE –  FRIDAY
On Friday by day, AVA London will feature some of the leading thinkers, artists and industry in electronic music, creating a space to perform and a platform to discuss future projects, their creative process, the current & future landscape + more. This year, we welcome Orbital, Andrew Weatherall, Ninja Tune, Resident Advisor and many more to Printworks London for a variety of keynotes, panels and workshops.

Conference sign up here.

CLUB – SATURDAY
Iconic duo Orbital will join us to headline AVA London for their Printworks London debut. Joining them is a stacked lineup including Joy Orbison, Ross From Friends, Jennifer Cardini, Peach and many more.

 

 

 

 

AVA London at Printworks

Looking back at an amazing AVA London! Massive thanks to the 5,000 attendee’s, the artists, the speakers, supporting partners and Printworks London for making our AVA Conference & Club Show such a success. See you soon at AVA Festival!

“AVA London provided the perfect blend of  inspiring insight, tech and music. With talks from leading thinkers, tech demo sessions followed by a night of great music – we thoroughly enjoyed sharing our history of innovation with the crowd and showcasing the new music tech on our radar!”
– Abbey Road Studios

Conference
Bicep, Octave One, Amy Lamé, Mr G, Artwork, Saoirse, Mark Knight, Machine Woman, Resident Advisor, Abbey Road Studios,
Believe / Tunecore, Soundcloud, Sentric Electronic, Ninja Tune, Warp Publishing, Brownswood, R&S Records, PRS For Music,
London Modular, Smirnoff Equalising Music, Coda, Inflyte, Musicians Union

Club
Hunee, Job Jobse, Joy Orbison, Mall Grab, Or:la, San Proper, Sassy J, Brame & Hamo, Mount Palomar, R.Kitt, Sally C, Swoose & Cromby

Photography
Jake Davis — hungryvisuals.co.uk
Joseph Okpako

AVA Festival + Conference 2019

5 years strong…we are blown away by how incredible this weekend was. Huge shouts to all of the artists, our partners, and the best crowd in the world – going for it the moment they arrived. Such an incredible atmosphere.

Photography Credits: Grant Jones, Marty Logan and Lewis McClay @ Hype Factory

 

AVA Castle Party

AVA Castle Party is back again this September to close out the summer in style, and this time we are bringing a very special crew of Boiler Room + Twitch Belfast.

As always we are bringing the full AVA production, alongside street food + bespoke chill zone.

Boiler Room Stage – Outside
Brame & Hamo
GiGi FM
Inside Moves
Brién

*Non-Broadcast

Twitch Stage – Basement
Kasper Marott
DART
Twitch DJs
Marion Hawkes
Tommy McCoy

 

 

AVA Castle Party tickets available here.

Boiler Room + Conference Signup 2019

Boiler Room Signup

The Belfast Boiler Room has become a global phenomenon, and one of their most anticipated live festival broadcasts. In 2019, we again host our 2 day broadcast where the world watches AVA and gets a slight hint of how incredible a crowd we really have.

Due to the broadcast being a limited capacity we want to ensure those interested have access to the information required for entry prior to the event. In order to keep updated on this key information please sign up below.

To sign up you need your AVA ticket number from RA, Festicket or Skiddle. Only one sign up for Boiler Room will be generated per individual email and ticket number, so please ensure they are valid and correct.If you have bought multiple tickets in a group, each attendee should sign up with their individual email address and ticket number in order to receive key information. If you have bought group tickets, each attendee should sign up with their individual email address and group ticket number.

Boiler Room 2018 entry is first come first served for all attendees. Sign up does not guarantee entry to Boiler Room Stage. Those who have signed up will receive an email on Wednesday 30th May with key information.

Click here to signup to Boiler Room

 

AVA Conference Signup

The AVA Conference is Ireland’s leading electronic music conference and industry network. It is a free, open to all ages event on Friday 31st May from 10.00am – 4.00pm.

2019 features Keynotes from The Black Madonna, Kevin Saunderson and Horse Meat Disco as well as masterclasses and workshops from Pioneer, Ableton, Help Musicians, Akai and many more. Entry to the Conference is based on a first come first served basis.

Click here to signup to Conference

 

 

 

AVA 2019 Full Programme Announced

5 YEARS OF AVA.

AVA IS AN AUDIO VISUAL ARTS FESTIVAL + CONFERENCE THAT CELEBRATES AMPLIFIES AND DEVELOPS THE STRONG CURRENT OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC & DIGITAL VISUAL ARTS.

ACROSS THE WEEKEND, AVA WILL TAKE OVER BELFAST WITH OUR BIGGEST PROGRAMME YET.

OPENING PARTY – 30TH MAY, BULLIT HOTEL
AVA CONFERENCE – 31ST MAY, THE MAC
AVA FESTIVAL – 31ST MAY + 1ST JUNE, S13
AFTER PARTIES – 31ST MAY + 1ST JUNE, BOOMBOX & THOMPSONS
CLOSING PARTY – 2ND JUNE, THOMPSONS TERRACE

Tickets available here

 

 

TEST SIGNUP

TEST SIGNUP HERE

AVA IS AN AUDIO VISUAL ARTS FESTIVAL + CONFERENCE THAT CELEBRATES AMPLIFIES AND DEVELOPS THE STRONG CURRENT OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC & DIGITAL VISUAL ARTS.

ACROSS THE WEEKEND, AVA WILL TAKE OVER BELFAST WITH OUR BIGGEST PROGRAMME YET.

 

 

 

 

AVA Sub Club

After our sell-out AVA London show, we are very excited to be making our Scottish debut at Glaswegian clubbing institution Sub Club next month. We’ve curated a special lineup with long time friends Optimo as well as two fast up and comers, IDA + Marion Hawkes.

Expect AVA’s trademark energy to be brought to Subby’s iconic dancefloor, can’t wait for this!

Tickets available now!

Installations Deadline Reminder

FESTIVAL INSTALLATION OPPORTUNITIES

Application Deadline Reminder – Thursday 18 April 2019

We have partnered with Red Bull Music + Heverlee premium Belgian beer to offer two unique installation opportunities at AVA Festival 2019, to live during both days and nights, across Friday 31st May and Saturday 1st June.

Both opportunities have separate applications.

Red Bull Installation Opportunity
> Information
> Application

Heverlee Installation Opportunity
> Information
> Application

 

AVA support MACS Charity for Children & Young People

We are proud to support MACS Supporting Children & Young People, a charity that tackles youth homelessness in NI by providing housing and all kinds of support to 16-25 yr olds.

To support their End Youth Homelessness Sleep Out, Belfast where we hosted our Boiler Room stage in S13, we are raffling off 2 X Tickets for AVA 2019 + 2 X AVA Tees.

To enter the raffle; donate at http://bit.ly/donate2MACS and add “AVA” to the comments on donation page. Suggested donations £5 but can be whatever you can afford.

Entrants will be drawn at random and notified by 15th November.

Join the event, and participate & help raise money to end youth homelessness!

AVA10 WEEKEND TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Cookies are used to improve our website