Every Year DJ Mag Hosts the Best of British Awards — Shining a Light on UK Talent on Our Own Doorsteps
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BEST OF BRITISH Every year DJ Mag hosts the Best Of British Awards — shining a light on UK talent on our own doorsteps. A counterpoint to the global Top 100 DJs poll, which has grown into an international phenomenon, the way the awards work is that the staff at DJ Mag HQ nominate five names for each category — Best DJ, Best Label etc. This is then put to a public vote, and the winners interviewed and profiled over the following 18 editorial pages. By now our star-studded Best Of British awards party at Egg LDN will have happened, with all the winners and nominees celebrating everything that’s great about the UK scene. Read on for who has received the accolades for this latest edition… djmag.com 027 BEST OF BRITISH 2016 BEST DJ OTHER NOMINEES DANIEL AVERY DJ HARVEY DJ EZ MAYA JANE COLES 24-HOUR PARTY-STARTER SASHA The UK garage pioneer who raised £60,000 for Cancer Research with his around-the-clock live stream had his biggest year yet in 2016... rom his past on pirate radio to the arenas he’s Ever since his days on Kiss FM and mixing the ‘Pure He’s also hinted that he’s going to test his musical filling today, DJ EZ has gone from the face of UK Garage’ compilations, he’s served as the undisputed limits too. “I’m really into the music right now,” he garage to a world-famous brand almost in the flag-bearer of his chosen sound. However, subsequent explained when he appeared on the cover of DJ Mag F space of a year. Boiler Room sessions and his acclaimed ‘Fabriclive last summer. “There are tracks that are made now that Part of this recent meteoric rise was down to his 71’ mix from 2013 saw him once again revisit the US sound quite similar to tracks I was playing early in my 24-hour set for Cancer Research earlier this year. house roots of garage too. While, prior to that, other career. That’s why I want to get digging. I also want to Watched all over the world, the marathon performance members of the garage community jumped onto show people my roots and where I come from. I guess raised £60,000 in funds for the charity. So how did grime, UK funky and dubstep during the genre’s more the kids see me in one light at the moment, going to a he manage it (and make it look so easy!)? “Watching fallow years, EZ had stayed true to it, instead exploring club or festival and hearing certain tracks.” the total figure raised was motivation in itself,” DJ his craft further with longer sets lasting up to 10 EZ told DJ Mag back in July. “Cancer Research rely hours. Rather than merely a trusted source for hearing It’s not just size that matters when it comes to DJ EZ on donations from the public, they don’t receive any the classic sound (through standard club sets, radio and his seemingly unstoppable mass appeal. A DJ with government funding, so every penny we raised would shows and compilations), he also became known for a magic touch, a catchy ident (“DJAY EE-ZED”) and help to save lives.” his unique approach to showcasing it in large settings more rhythm in a single index finger than many DJs A chance for the whole world to witness the DJ don’s supporting bigger and better production, raising the have in their entire fist, he’s a man with history and exceptional ability on the turntables — not to mention bar higher when it came to set-length. an expert ability to pick from an encyclopedic record stamina! — EZ stepped out of the immediate realms As a result, today he’s bigger than ever. Selling out collection. of his niche clubbing circle to connect with a whole arenas and festivals left, right and centre — including Ultimately, though, it’s a sense of energy and fun that new audience; the stream reaching the Facebook our 25 Years of DJ Mag arena show at The Rainbow sets EZ apart from others — something all-too-often feeds of friends of friends (of friends) as engagement Venues last November — these days he’s often name- missing from a scene occasionally overshadowed by snowballed and people of all walks got involved, and checked in the industry as the ‘hardest UK DJ to book’, overly serious DJ selectors. EZ is about the dance — thus caught a glimpse of this guy’s remarkable talent while there’s talk of him branching out with even and nobody does it better! ADAM SAVILLE as a party DJ. bigger plans for 2017. 028 djmag.com djmag.com BEST OF BRITISH 2016 OTHER NOMINEES BEST PRODUCER MIDLAND MR. G LEON VYNEHALL BICEP OM UNIT STRONG & FUNKY Despite not having one of their more prolific years, Irish duo Bicep have scooped the Best Producer gong... hough they’re not prolific, when Bicep little overwhelmed at the prospect. label) and ‘Seagulls’ — demonstrates not only release something new, it’s always going “The 808 State one was a bit of an honour to be their command of production techniques, but to be very good indeed. In 2016, between asked to do, equally daunting, as quite a few of their love of dance as a whole. Tintense touring, the duo of Andy Ferguson their tracks are untouchable,” admits Andy. “It and Matt McBriar turned their focus to remixing, took a long while to come together and we have That Bicep have grown from a blog bigging up putting a modern spin on several house classics lots of different versions, probably more than any their favourites across the board, to DJs and and making some new ones. other remix we have done. We played it on Boiler producers influenced by all the sounds they’ve The northern Irish crew’s take on 1997’s ‘Lovelee Room and got a great reaction, which eased the pushed via the site, is one of the most satisfying Dae’ by Blaze cast it in a percussive, bittersweet pressure a little, but we’re really happy with how musical success stories. The fact they’ve won the light, its bubbling bassline and surging pads it ended up.” Best Of British award for Best Producer represents turning the New Jersey gem into a Balearic a vindication of their efforts over the past year. banger. Originally it was intended just for their In 2016, Bicep also remixed Brassica, an artist “It’s amazing to win best producers in the UK,” BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix. Yet they realised they they’ve championed since his track ‘Lydden Matt says. “Especially this year, with lots of great were onto a winner, and put it out through their Circuit’ appeared on their DJ Mag covermount new stuff coming out. We spent any time not Feel My Bicep label. CD, ‘We Love Space Sundays 2013’. They turned on tour in the studio, and it’s nice to get some “We had the acapella and just jammed over it in his tune ‘Tears I Can Afford’ into a bleeping, acid- recognition in the form of this award.” the studio,” says Matt. “We didn’t have enough dipped house treat. Brassica returned the favour After playing their third-ever live show at time to finish it for the mix, but ended up working with a great EP on their label, ‘Time Tunnel’. London’s Field Day festival last year, they’re on it and playing it out, and it got a great “We have been fans of Brassica for years and fired up with confidence for 2017. “It was a true reaction. We contacted Blaze and they were into always supported him on the blog,” Andy says. milestone in our career,” Matt enthuses. “Playing it, so we decided to stick it out.” “He stands out to us, as he makes very musical lots of new stuff and it going off really made tracks that never get boring. His sound definitely us happy, especially at a festival which is quite Another bona fide classic, 808 State’s 1991 is unique and one we love. The tunes are packed crossover.” monster ‘In Yer Face’ was also subject to the full of strong emotional content — for us he’s one And that long-mooted long-player might not be Bicep treatment, re-sprayed into a hands-aloft of the best producers around.” so far away after all. “Next up is the album and house beauty of metallic bass and gorgeous Their recent remixes add to a growing catalogue lots more live touring over the next year.” BEN chords. This track Bicep approached with a similar of burners, and their stylistic range — from the MURPHY reverence. Chuffed they were asked to remix the brain-dance breakbeat of ‘Just’ to the Balearic Manchester group’s tune, the duo were initially a house of ‘Dahlia’ (with Hammer, who co-runs the djmag.com djmag.com 029 BEST OF BRITISH 2016 BEST LIVE ACT OTHER NOMINEES CRAZY P FLOATING POINTS DUSKY PARANOID LONDON UNDERWORLD Pic: DAN WILTON DAN LIVE & KICKING The Dusky duo have put a lot of effort into going live lately, and their hard work has certainly paid off... e’ve put a lot of blood, sweat and Originally progressive house act Solarity, Dusky “There’s a very direct sense of us interacting with the tears into the show, but we had no changed their name and style, creating a stir with their crowd, since we are playing and improvising elements idea how well it would be received, debut album, 2011’s ‘Stick By This’.