Month: May 2024

Hailed by many as “The Godfather of the Belfast Scene”, Extended Play label-boss Timmy Stewart has curated a celebratory mix which journeys through 10 years of AVA.

“I’ve played every year of AVA to date, and nearly every single stage at the festival, as well as various guest outings across the UK, so to say I’ve had ring side seats across the last decade is prob a bit of an understatement and as a result made creating this mix an enjoyable recap.

Opening with a SDC intro seemed a bit of a no brainer, as he makes his return to the festival this year. It was then important to cover a cross section of international acts that AVA have managed to entice to these shores, alongside Irish mainstays who hold their own. Reflected in the mix by the likes of Daniel Avery, Helena Hauff, Len Faki, Midland and more sitting comfortably alongside Sunil Sharpe, Saoirse, Cromby & Matheson.

Across the 100mins, the mix takes in a lot of shades of electronic music with tracks released decades ago as well as music released less than a month ago. It represents a snapshot of just some of the music you can expect to hear at the festival from artists spanning the globe. Even featuring a collaboration I made with a singer I met through an AVA production programme as well as tracks from some of my favourite panellists, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Jeff Mills & Larry Heard, who had stories for days.

Finally I had to get some Orbital in there after seeing them perform Chime live in Printworks for AVA, which was a proper goosebump moment for me considering it was one of the first 12”s I bought as an enthusiastic teenager nearly 3 decades ago.”

Happy 10th Birthday AVA! – Timmy Stewart

TRACKLIST

 

This week’s AVA mix is a very special entry to the series, from a true house music legend. Over the past 40-odd years, Kerri Chandler has undoubtedly helped shape the electronic music landscape. Hailing from East Orange, New Jersey, Chandler was exposed to music at a young age through his father, a well-known DJ. His love of music was encouraged by this early exposure, which prepared him for his future vocation.

Chandler’s career started in the late 1980s, and he soon gained recognition for his distinctive style, which combines house music with jazz, soul, and gospel influences. In 1990, Chandler’s breakthrough track, “SuperLover/Get It Off” signalled the beginning of an incredibly successful DJ and production career.

Chandler is renowned for his energetic DJ sets, which frequently feature live components and his distinctive usage of drum machines. In 1992 he co-founded Madhouse Records along with a Dublin-based music entrepreneur Mel Medalie. This platform played a pivotal role in advancing house music and nurturing new talent in Ireland and all around the world.

This year Kerri Chandler returns to Belfast for the first time in over a decade as part of our 10th birthday celebrations.

What was your approach to this AVA Mix?

Music and styles I love, that’s how I have always approached djing. If I don’t love what I play then I don’t think anyone else would, it has to come from the heart.

It’s been over a decade since you last played in Belfast, how does it feel to be returning this summer for AVA?

Ireland is my second home and family, I can’t wait to return to Belfast it’s been way too long.

What do you think sets the Irish crowd of music fans apart from others around the world?

The excitement and being open to heartfelt music and letting everyone around know that you can express how you feel without a care in the world it’s contagious and nothing but love 

You founded Madhouse Records with a Dubliner in 1992. How did that all come about?

Mel Medalie signed one of my earliest songs my my lover by Dee Dee Brave on to Champion Records and we became very close friends he is a fantastic mentor and I learned a lot from him. I told him I wanted to start a label to have more control over what I wanted to put out. And that’s when we started Madhouse Records.

The label recently ceased operating after 31 years. Looking back, are there any notable Irish or Irish-affiliated tracks that have gone down a storm with Irish crowds over the years?

I have been blessed to have so many wonderful memories of being in Ireland especially at Sir Henry’s I learned so much from lots of my friends in Ireland. I have considered lots of the people I grew up with extended family every time I return, it’s like the family reunion you can’t wait to return home to.

What advice do you have for aspiring DJs who are looking to break into the industry and make a name for themselves?

Find what you’re passionate about and master it, don’t be afraid of what is going to make you and your sound unique. It’s good to have influences but find the things that define you, that thing that completes you. The fun is discovering something new that you didn’t know was possible. Also you have to have to know how to have a laugh and pace yourself.

Which artists alive or dead would you love to collab with?

I love artists that are passionate about what they do, and have their own stories to tell. I look forward to artists that have lived through their craft no matter what.

Is there anything else you’re looking forward to doing on your visit to Belfast?

I always have a walk around the cities I’m in and catching up with old friends.

Will you be sinking a pint of Guinness?

The age old debate gets me in trouble between Guinness vs Murphys, lol I learned not to say, but I can tell you I have been shown how to pour proper pints of everything behind the bar whilst I’m in Ireland. Unforgettable lessons.

Suze Gurusinghe AKA Surusinghe is an experimental producer renowned for her creative, bass-heavy tracks with a percussion influence. The Naarm/Melbournite, currently resides in London – and her unique musical style reflects her wide range of global inspirations.

After realising how little diversity there was in music, she made the decision to provide the representation she wanted to see and reflect Asian influence. Surusinghe hopes to make “fast, high-energy tracks” that resonate with people on the dance floor and establish a connection with the sounds she heard in her childhood home.

Suze made her incredible AVA debut with us at AVA in the Woods as part of All Together Now 2023.

This year she makes her festival debut on Titanic Slipways on Friday 31st May 2024 in a special b2b set with Bitter Babe as part of our 10th birthday celebrations.

What was your approach to this AVA Mix?

To be honest, this mix took me a while to put together! My first attempt was a big, banging “what i thought the Belfast hunnies want to hear” set … but I ended up hating it because I felt like I was trying to hard hahah
My second attempt was a mix inspired by Bicep who put Belfast on the map for me so it was a lot of really big room, euphoric moments but then again.. felt like I was trying too hard.
So I finally just put this mix together without trying to prep and just played songs that came naturally and that felt organic to me. I did it in one take and it came together so much easier.
This is a pretty common occurrence for me. I have all these grand ideas but overthinking does me dirty. It was one of those moments when I realised I just needed to ‘do me’ and it was 20 times easier.

How do you feel about your upcoming debut performance at AVA Festival?

SoooOooOooOoo friggn’ excited! Belfast is one of my favourite cities in the world and AVA is a favourite festival of mine. I came as a punter last year and thought it was such a special place that brought such an amazing crowd. So many incredible artists have made their debut there as well so I really hope I can do the festival justice I should also add I’m extremely excited to get down to Bittles pub for a wee Guinness (or 10 hehe)

What were some of your earliest musical influences?

I grew up listening to a lot of indie rock and goth punk hahaha so nothing we’d see on an AVA line up unfortunately.
But most of my early inspirations in the electronic space were DJs and producers from my home city Naarm (Melbourne). Artists like Andy Garvey, CC Disco, Nite Fleit, Sleep D, Andras and Noise In My Head were all favourites of mine – I’d say my musical style is quite different from them but they were playing the music that soundtracked my early clubbing years and inspired my love for those spaces. I could quite confidently say I wouldn’t be where I was today if it wasn’t for the amazing artists that came out of the Naarm scene at that time.
In terms of artists that influenced my sound – artists such as Objekt, Lurka and Pearson Sound are definitely the first names that come to mind.

After wearing a lot of different hats in this industry, how do you find returning from producer to DJ?

Hmmm I can’t work out if it’s made me more or less cynical haha! It’s definitely helped my understanding on how the scene works and allowed me to be in spaces where I could meet a lot of other artists and learn from them. But to be honest, it’s always been the same driving force for me. I just love sharing music with people. From when I was interning at festivals at 16 to now, it’s always been very evident to me that there isn’t really any other world I could be working in. I’m pretty damn consumed by this beast hah

What advice do you have for aspiring DJs who are looking to break into the industry and make a name for themselves?

Go to the afters hahah, go to club nights. Be a punter and meet people in those spaces. As much as it can be hard work and sometimes very daunting, what I’ve learnt is that like 90% of people who do this for careers are usually just likeminded music nerds and socially awkward people as well. So unless you go out and make connections with other people who care about this, it’ll be super isolating and it’s also how you get booked for shows and put forward for opportunities. Also, run your own parties and play yourself if you’re not getting booked! Just gotta make it happen capp’n

Your set at our stage at All Together Now was one of our highlights of the festival, and the Irish crowd loved it. What was your experience of AVA in the Woods last year, did you enjoy yourself?

I honestly think it was my favourite set of the Summer! There was just something in the air that night. Also being sandwiched between some of my favourite Irish kings/queens to ever do it (Inside Moves + Sally C b2b Spray) meant that it was a guaranteed good night. Also whilst I’m on the topic of Irish royalty, I just wanted to shout out how exceptional the AVA team is. Sarah, Conor, Saoirse, Will, Ciaran, Big Dave, Jayson and their wider team are some of the loveliest festival creators I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and I’m lucky to call them all friends <3 Oh and that Emmett is pretty cute also NGL

Since then you’ve had a Boiler Room debut and on home turf too, what was that like?

Boiler Room was terrifying lol Definitely not a natural experience in any way but very grateful I was allowed to do it! The crowd were sick and was very nice to have my mum and family there but ye… very, very, very, very, scary. If you watch it back you can see my hands shaking like crazy throughout ha

Which artists alive or dead would you love to collab with?

EMA & Sloucho hehe <3

JUST OVER ONE WEEK TO GO

The time has come for us to reveal the hour-by-hour breakdown of AVA 10. Our official set times are here. Over 70 artists, across four stages for two nights in one idyllic dockland setting.