Once upon a time on Bestival's Fantasy Island...

Check the new interactive bestival.net for more info and the latest line up announcement in full...

More 'FANTASTIC' musical legends line-up for the Besti festi yet!

Word is out, and we're whetting ourselves with glee... yes people, Bestival 2010 will be The Year Of The Fantastic! And when it's comes to fantastic pop doesn't get any more so than with our latest Besti headliner, the visionary musical icons Roxy Music!

"Roxy have always been at the vanguard of creating imaginary worlds in music all backed up with some of the best music of the 20th century," says our host with the most Rob da Bank. "Add in Besti faves Mumford and Sons, the legend that is Tricky, Nile Rodgers bringing possibly the funkiest band alive Chic to the Island and loads more from Cornershop to Sub Focus, Skream to garage god Todd Edwards and we're really taking shape now. Come and join us!"

Playing a hit-packed set on the main stage on Saturday night, Roxy are one of the most influential acts of all time, the punks, new romantics, electro-poppers and more that have followed in their wake all owe a huge sonic and sartorial debt to this truly timeless act. Driven by the refined and effortless cool of Bryan Ferry, one of pop music’s most revered frontmen, Roxy Music’s catalogue of boundary-crushing songs, that include 'Virginia Plain', 'Street Life', 'Angel Eyes' and 'Love Is The Drug' are sure to blow the Bestival faithful away.

We're super-excited to say that joining Roxy over the weekend are also a whole host more magical musical troubadours, including folk sensations Mumford and Sons, disco legends Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, trip-hop pioneer Tricky, deck-wreckers DJ Yoda and Erol Alkan, new kids on the block Crystal Fighters and Egyptian Hip-Hop and a whole load more besides. Check our new Bestival website for the full line-up!

As for this year's fancy dress theme, well, let's leave the chat to the lord of the dance himself, Mr Rob da Bank: "Roll up roll up tribe of the Bestivalites - descend from your starships, rise out of the seabed, fall from the stars, unleash the Magick and release your imagination into our 2010 world of FANTASY. Open the gates and welcome in Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz, The Lord of the Rings, hobbits, trolls, elves, fairies, the Odyssey, King Arthur, Merlin, the Dong with the luminous nose, William Morris, A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Willy Wonka, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, Harry Potter, Spirited Away, The Time Machine, Star Wars, the Incredible Hulk, magick, the supernatural, Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Lord Ganesh, Fantasy Island, Caractacus Potts, Tarzan, Veruca Salt, Zombies!'"

With one more headliner and even more amazing Bestival delights still to announce make sure you keep on checking back here to the Besti-blog for the latest news, mixes and features. Right now though, you might want to download our exclusive 15-minute long ‘Serge Santiago epic-edit’ of Roxy Music’s classic single ‘Angel Eyes’, which we're giving away here alongside some collage artwork created especially for us (& you) by the band!

Besti-bod 3: The Paper Peep

Remember the times when Thursday was just a slightly premature, generally rubbisher version of Friday? Well no more, because here on the Besti-blog Thursday is now Besti-bod day, where we hail the great, the good, and the unsung heroes that help make Bestival the annual treat we’ve come to know and love.

Today, our resident scribe Toby Collard invites you into the strange world of Andrew ‘Panel’ Foster. 51 weeks a year 'Panel' helps save the planet as an engineer designing oil spill recovery equipment, but come Bestival time you’ll find him pounding the site as he heads up the Bestival Bugle team of paper peeps, distributing 7,000 copies a day and whipping up some rum larks along the way….

Panel, you’re a legend.

Name: Panel

Bestivals attended…
“All bar the first one. I can’t remember why I didn’t go to that one, but there was a reason.”

What do you reckon the fancy dress theme will be this year?
“How about ‘The Year of the Nuts’?. It would be cool if everyone came as different nuts. You know, peanuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, erm….. “

Most memorable Besti moment?
“So many. Seeing loads of friends in local bands is always brilliant, but I’d have to say Beastie Boys in 2007: Mixmaster Mike live twice in one weekend – it doesn’t get better than that.”

If Bestival is the answer, what's the question?
“Where’s the best place to find a Cuban in his pants?”

Who would you most like to see performing at Bestival?
“If miracles were possible, Hendrix. What about Black Grape? That’d be cool.”

Funniest Bestival memory?
“The year I grew a massive beard (for the competition). I didn’t win, but I had a lot of fun freaking out friends I hadn’t seen for a while.”

If Bestival was a type of food, what would it be and why?
“I’d go with spag-bol: It’s not boring and everyone likes it.”

Message to any non-(Bestival)-believers out there?
“You’d better believe it.”

Anything to add?
“Nah, I think that just about covers it.”

Besti-mix 6: DJ Yoda

Hip-hop's Jedi master takes the art of party-starting cut-and-paste turntablism to a whole 'nother level with this exclusive Besti-mix, the sixth in our ongoing weekly series showcasing the great and the good from Besti-family and friends.

As you'd expect from a man like DJ Yoda, this 33-track(!) mix is anything but one-dimensional, taking in dope re-workings of disco, funk and pop classics by the likes of Prince and Stevie Wonder alongside bass-humping UK beats by Zinc and Sticky, 21st century dancehall courtesy of Diplo's Major Lazer project and, of course, more than a few cheeky DJ Yoda edits, remixes and exclusives. So, what are you waiting for? This block-rocking, smile-inducing hoedown is the just the remedy to wash away your rain-sodden winter blues...

Besti-Mix 06: Dj Yoda by Bestimix on Mixcloud

Download: Besti-mix 6: DJ Yoda

Tracklisting:
01 Intro
02 Cashflow (SUBSKRPT remix) - Major Lazer
03 Rock Around The Clock - Big Freedia
04 Who It Be - Polo T
05 Sitargazer - International Velvet
06 Up On The Hill (DJ Yoda edit) - The Bamboos
07 Just One Cut - DJ Yoda & Nick Thayer
08 Now Here's A Funky Beat - Mike 2600
09 Smoke - Busy Signal
10 Wine (Emynd remix) - So Shifty feat. Ward 21
11 Brazilian Rhyme (Danny Krivit re-edit) - Earth, Wind & Fire
12 Superstition (U-Tern & Neighbour remix) - Stevie Wonder
13 Kiss (Kid Cut-Up Bounce Remix) - Prince
14 Freak It All Night - DJ Guy feat. DJ Knowledge
15 Ignition - Downlink
16 Where's My Monkey? - Parker
17 Everywhere (DJ Yoda edit) - Fleetwood Mac
18 Oye - Greenwood Rhythm Coalition
19 Lean Back (Thunderclaps Reboot) - The Thunderclaps
20 The Next Episode (Thunderclaps Reboot) - The Thunderclaps
21 We No Speak Americano - Yolanda Be Cool & DCup
22 Scottieottie - Scott Matelic
23 Here We Go - Jonny Blaze
24 Jumeirah Riddim Sequel - Sticky
25 128 Trek - Zinc
26 Tetris Funk - Martelo
27 Flat Top - Nick Thayer vs Will Styles
28 Who Shot Ya (DJ Yoda UK Funky Mix) - Notorious B.I.G.
29 Kalima Shop Titi - Poirier feat. Boogat
30 The Mucky Wizbang - DJ Moneyshot
31 Bring It Back - 8Ball & MJG feat. Young Dro
32 Gone - Donnis
33 Pon De Floor (Oh Snap!! Soca Roadmix) - Major Lazer

ps... you can follow DJ Yoda on twitter.com/DJYodaUK

It's time to party!

Hold tight Bestival crew, as we unveil the rip-roaringh line-up for Bestival: Time Machine - our exclusive London outing at Camden’s stunning Koko on March 20th.

Dust off your fancy dress outfits as we celebrate All The Fancy Dress Themes from Bestival’s Past. With Cowboys & Indians, Circus, Pirates, Under The Sea and Outer Space themes to choose from, Koko is going to be an explosion of mad for it Captain Hooks, wigged-out Space Cadets and hot-to-trot Pocahontas.

As well as fancy dress larks aplenty you’ll also have the chance to step into the golden age of the silver screen with Time For Tease, where you can expect burlesque tributes to some movie legends with a soundtrack to match. From Charlie Chaplin to Marilyn Monroe and Doris Day the stars will be out in force at Koko and there will be free popcorn all night!

Bestival resident fun monkeys Lost & Found will be dropping in with madcap games from binocular football to naked jujutsu, disco dancing competition and welly boot eating contests...to name but a few of the hi jinks planned. You’ll also be able to get hitched at the much-loved Big Love Inflatable Church.

With so much going on you’d be forgiven for thinking we couldn’t give you so much more but we can! We will have live music from a very special guest to be announced plus we’ll have BBC Radio 1’s beat-meister Alex Metric playing live, funk supreme and cutting-edge comedy from The Cuban Brothers, swing-hop from The Correspondents, teen-scene queen Charlie XCX, exciting new Sunday Best artist David E Sugar performing with a full live band and of course there will be DJ action from the man like Rob da Bank with one of his legendarily mind-expanding sets and party favours extraordinaire from the Sombrero Sound System.

For more info and to buy tickets, click here.

Radio da Bank: A-Z of Vampire Weekend + Massive Attack in session

There are two Rob da Bank Radio 1 shows to check out this week...

1st up, tonight (Monday 22 Feb) at 9pm you can find out what happened when Rob da Bank traveled down to the south coast - Bexhill-on-Sea in fact - to meet Vampire Weekend (pictured above), and take an alphabetical wander through some of their favourite tracks.

Squashed into a dressing-room backstage, surrounded by checked shirts, on the first night of their UK tour, they discuss everything from fruit-based music selections to Ezra's guide to partying UK-style. And along the way we hear 26 tracks chosen by the band, and the stories behind the choices ... from Ghostface Killah to Paul Simon. A great insight into a great band.

Listen to it live on Radio 1 at 9pm or check it online over the next week at bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00qqzhr

Rob also presented his weekly Saturday morning Radio 1 leftfield show, an eclectic two-hour mix of music from the UK and beyond, featuring a Maida Vale session from Massive Attack, performing live tracks from their new album. Plus Becky and Mike from Tunng (pictured below) dropped into the studio for a chat...

Check out the tracklisting below and get yourselves over to bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank  to listen again online at any time this week...

Tensnake - Coma Cat - Permanent Vacation
Delphic - Halcyon (L-Vis 1990 Mix) - Chimeric
High Rankin - Occupation: Pimp & Gambler - Cheap Thrills
Joakim - Spiders - Versatile
Nedry - A42 - Monotreme

Tunng drop in for a chat
Tunng - Don't Look Down Or Back - Full Time Hobby
Tunng - Hustle - Full Time Hobby

The Infesticons - Kick Anthem - Big Dada
James Fox - Put IT Back - Ramadanman Refixx

Massive Attack in Session
Massive Attack - Splitting Of the Atom

Freestyle Man - Century - Hairy Claw
White Lies - Farewell To The Fairground (Rory Philips Remix) - Fiction
Jonny Kearney & Lucy Farrell - Benjamin Brown - Rabble Rouser
Florence and The Machine - Dog Days Are Over - Moshi Moshi
Late of the Pier - Best In The Class - Parlophone
Javelin - Vibrationz - Luaka Bop
Drive Drive Faster - They May Talk (May 68 Mix) - Lex
Pilooski - Aaa - White

Massive Attack in Session
Massive Attack - Babel
Massive Attack - Girl I Love You

Richie Phoe - Bumpy's Lament - Balanced Records
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere (Psychemagik Re-edit) - Shotgun
Kid Sister - Daydreaming (Jakwob Remix) - White
Local Natives - Airplanes (Maida Vale Session)
Fanfarlo - Harold T Wilkins - Atlantic
New Young Pony Club - Chaos - PIAS
The Drums - Best Friend -Moshi Moshi

bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank

Gonzpirational!

So, if you've been checking out the Bestival website and the new artists (or one's you haven't heard of) on there and you have no idea who a certain Chilly Gonzales is then look no further and check out the best mixtape of the year so far!

Chilly Gonzalez will be playing his grand piano on Saturday 11th September at Bestival. And we can't wait...

Besti-mix 5: dan le sac

Word up! The 5th installment in our weekly series of exclusive Besti-mixes is a rollicking dancefloor ride courtesy of Sunday Best Recordings star dan le sac, of electronica and spoken-word fusionists dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip.

Sac 'n' Pip first came to prominence in 2008 with the unforgettable 'Thou Shalt Always Kill' and subsequent debut album 'Angles'. The duo returned this year with their new album 'The Logic of Chance', which sees Scroobius Pip speaking plainly on the state of nation, while dan le sac delivers his most advanced and eclectic soundtrack yet.
dan le sac's Besti-mix, sub-titled 'The Sloppy Eurostar Mixtape', as it was recorded while journeying beneath the English Channel, see's dan construct a tough electronic journey with a sense of humour, blending the likes of LFO's 'Freak' with Double 99's UK garage classic 'Ripgroove' and Yila's 'Freak On The Floor', featuring spoken word genius Polarbear. Dig in peeps!

Besti-Mix 5: Dan Le Sac by Bestimix on Mixcloud

Download: Besti-mix 5: dan le sac

Tracklisting:
01 Kid Carpet - Boob Job
02 LFO - Freak
03 Man With Guitar - Man With Guitar
04 Phonogenic - Together
05 Touche - The Paddle
06 Vitalic - La Rock 01
07 Mysterymen - Deg For Dco
08 We Thee - Final Too
09 We Thee - Truly
10 Yila feat. Polarbear - Freak On The Floor
11 Double 99 - Ripgroove
12 Half Pint - Green Light
13 Susumu Yokota - Re:Disco   
14 Dopplereffekt - Pornoactress
15 Curtis Plum - Get On The Dancefloor

Besti-bod 2: The Press Grebo

It’s Thursday, which means it’s Besti-bod day, the essential new window into the Bestival family home that you just can’t help but peek through.

Today, our roving scribe and Bestival Bugle editor Toby Collard introduces the mighty Aidan from the Get Involved press team, who bares his soul for our entertainment and enlightenment. When he’s not battling his flyaway hair, Aidan's busy doing pre-promotion for each of the Bestival events, and onsite he has the unenviable task of making sure the journos, reporters and photographers are in the right field, at the right time, facing the right way…… you get the picture, and thanks to him, so do they.

Aidan, we salute you. But not in a military way.

Name: Aidan Byrne

Bestivals attended...
“As many as Hot Chip have played at.“

What do you reckon the fancy dress theme will be this year?
“Can it be World War 2, please? I’ve got a lovely pair of jack boots that I just don’t get to wear enough outside of my bedroom.”

Most memorable Besti moment?
“I think the Madness and Specials secret guest spots were both pretty magical and super-exciting. Loved The Beasties and Kraftwerk too.”

If Bestival is the answer, what's the question?
"Name one good thing that a hippy’s done?"

Who would you most like to see performing at Bestival?
“Lots of my favourite bands have already played as Mr da Bank has such impeccable taste, but when I was a young’un I LOVED The Cure, so they’d be pretty special. Pop Will Eat Itself would be ace if they got back together again, and Brian Jonestown Massacre would be top too.”

Funniest Bestival memory?
“Seeing a large crowd of people part and Duncan from Bestival dressed as Moses walking through the middle a couple of years ago was very amusing!”

If Bestival was a type of food, what would it be and why?
“Bacon. Everyone loves bacon.”

Message to any non-(Bestival)-believers out there?
“If you don’t believe in Bestival you’re wrong and you’re a grotesquely ugly freak.”

Anything else to add?
“Can I have some time off to watch the bands this year please?”

The Letter D in The Alphabetical Encyclopedia of All That Is Hot In New Music

D is for Duncan, the bearded dude who updates this blog with our humble editor Sean whose name doesnt even include any D's ... apart from his surname which contains two ... but it's not interesting anyway.

D is also for doughnuts, dogshit, Officer Dibble, drainpipe jeans and doorknobs ... and these four musical delights!

Daedalus – An Armada Approaches (Ninja Tune)

Moody, blinding electronica from the US geek with an unhealthy love for all things Welsh bizarrely. Shut your eyes and imagine a fleet of ships coming to blow your elbows off with cannonballs … or something.

David E. Sugar – Party Killer (Sunday Best Recordings)

I'm just off to meet this young chap (pictured) who's currently polishing off his album for us at Sunday Best. We’ll forgive him the fact that he’s just deserted us in south London for a north London homestead. Traitor. Anyway we’re mega excited.

Marina & The Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot (Penguin Prison remix) (Warner Music)

The D’s in the Diamonds alright! Marina Diamandis was born in 1985 the lucky cow and makes chipper pop music to make us feel better when hungover. This Penguin Prison mix is euphoria in a tin. Love it.

Driver Drive Faster – They May Talk (MAY68 remix) (Lex Records)

Spanking new five piece from the rainy city coming on like The Flaming Lips crashing into Kraftwerk in a large fluorescent airship.

NB: if you are reading this on Facebook you'll need to click here to listen to the tracks

;) Robby

Flaming heck...welcome to Wayne's futuristic fantasy home!

Sporting a "bath pod", "fountain egg" and "dragon mosaic body fabric wings" you could be forgiven for thinking you've entered the home of a dungeons & dragons obsessive who's just won the lottery and lived out every fantasy they've ever dreamed of. In a way, maybe you have. This fantasy home, however, is based in Oklahoma City, and belongs to none-other-than Bestival 2010 headliners Flaming Lips front-man and all-round psychedelic hero Wayne Coyne.

Looking like an Arthur C Clarke-style futuristic fantasy home from the 1950s, this eye-popping micro-world is as phantasmagorical as its proprietor. Here's what Oklahoma City architecture firm Fitzsimmons Architects, who have been charged with creating the gaff, have to say...

"This appropriately quirky residence and music studio is as free thinking and boundary pushing as the art and music of its occupants, the wife, a photographer and artist, and her husband, a rock music icon. The addition/renovation to their home is the central piece of a larger master plan developed for 6 adjoining properties in a blighted neighborhood of Oklahoma City. These properties, referred to as "the compound" for those familiar with it, are being transformed in stages."

Quite. See more amazing pix here.

Radio da Bank: A-Z of Enter Shikari + Memory Tapes in Session

There are two Rob da Bank Radio 1 shows to listen again to this week...

1st up, last Monday night Rob spent an hour in the company of Enter Shikari (pictured with Rob) and took an alphabetical wander through their record collection - from punk to hardcore, techno to breakcore - and everything in between!

Listen again at bbc.co.uk/radio1/stories and check out the A to Z tracklisting below:

A. Andrew W.K. - Party Hard
B. blink-182 - What's My Age Again?
C. Cry of Silence - An End In Question
D. Refused - Rather Be Dead
E. Rage Against the Machine - Know Your Enemy
F. Flatline - Sahc
G. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly - Get Cape Wear Cape Fly
H. Hundred Reasons - I'll Find You
I. Enter Shikari - Insomnia
J. José González - Cycling Trivialities
K. The King Blues - Let's Hang The Landlord
L. Lowkey Lowkey - Free Palestine
M. Maximum The Hormone - Ki No Mega Lover
N. The Streets - In The Middle [Nero remix]
O. Twin Atlantic - Old Grey Face
P. The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die
Q. The Qemists - Stompbox
R. Radiohead - Reckoner
S. Sick of It All - Take The Night Off
T. Sukh Knight - Ganja Dub [True Tiger]
U. Underworld - Born Slippy
V. Venetian Snares - Unknown
W... or not! Enter Shikari - Thumper
X. Dr. Dre - Xxplosive
Y... or Z! Enter Shikari - ZZonked

Rob also presented his weekly Saturday morning Radio 1 leftfield show, an eclectic two-hour mix of music from the UK and beyond. And this week Rob had a Maida Vale session from Memory Tapes...


Check out the tracklisting below and get yourselves over to bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank to listen again online at any time this week...

Silver Columns — Columns - Moshi Moshi
Breakage Breakage — Foundation - Digital Soundboy
Massive Attack — Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Mix) - Virgin
Stornoway — I Saw You Blink - White

Maida Vale Session Part 1
Memory Tapes — Green Knight
Memory Tapes — Stop Talking

Friendly Fires — Hold On - XL
LV & Untold — Beacon (Mt Kimbie Mix) - Hemlock Recordings
Xpress 2 feat James Yuill — Time - Skint
Egyptian Hip Hop — Wild Human Child - Hit Club
Freelance Whales — Generator Second Floor - Chess Club
Gorillaz — Stylo - Parlophone
Goldfrapp — Rocket (Penguin Prison Mix) - Mute
Fast Motion — Becoming Real - Ramp
Kate Nash — Doo Wah Doo - Fiction
Yeasayer — O.N.E. - Mute

Maida Vale Session Part 2
Memory Tapes — Plain Material

Tony Midget & DJ Shepdog — Auntie Ranks - Nice Up
Emit Block — Probububbly - White
Audio Bullys — Only Man - Cooking Vinyl
Groove Armada — Paper Romance (Doorly Remix) - Cooking Vinyl
Husky Rescue — Sound Of Love (Twelves Remix) - Catskills
Joy Division — Love Will Tear Us Apart - Maida Vale Session
Eternal Summer — Secret Language - Meal Deal
Hot Chip — Take It In - EMI

da Bank’s Tune of the Week
Gil Scott-Heron — I’m New Here - XL

Ellie Goulding — Starry Eyed (Penguin Prison Remix) - Polydor
Paolo Nutini — 10/10

bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank

Isle of Nutters

If you were in any doubt that there's something slightly bloody weird in the water on the Isle of Wight look no further than Boe Weaver, the latest psych rock hillbillies to step outta the Wight. And all filmed for a tidy £1. Sweet.

Besti-bod 1: The Campsite Manager

It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone’s a star at Bestival, so what better way to get to know the Bestival family than with a brand new feature? Ladies and gents, without further ado, let us introduce you to the Besti-bod profile...

Every week our venerable roaming scribe Toby Collard - editor of Bestival's daily newspaper The Bestival Bugle - will be grilling another onsite hero, from first-time Bestival-goers to grizzled (or should that be giggled?) veterans, and everyone in-between: artists, organisers, druids and litter-pickers – they’ll all be in here over the coming weeks and months.

And where better to start than Sandy Reid, the man who helps make sure you all get a good night’s sleep after a hard day partying? Sandy manages the campsites at both Bestival events but somehow still finds time for dancing with the Flaming Lips.

Sandy, we salute you!

Name: Sandy Reid

Bestivals attended:"Missed the first one but have been involved every year since. I got called in at the 11th hour after a colleague who was meant to be managing the campsite became injured and I’ve been doing it ever since."

What do you reckon the fancy dress theme will be this year?
"I reckon it might be Kids TV/Childhood Heroes."

Most memorable Besti moment?
"Dancing on stage with The Flaming Lips dressed as Iron Man at the first Camp Bestival. I will hopefully be doing the same at Bestival 2010."

If Bestival is the answer, what's the question?
"Tense nervous headache?"

Who would you most like to see performing at Bestival?
"Sufjan Stevens, Jimmy Webb, Burth Baccarach, Pete Seger, Nick Cave, Willie Nelson, Joanna Newsome, New Order, Radiohead, Belle and Sebastian, Teenage Fanclub, Kate Bush, The Shins, Pavement, Bill Callaham, Arcade Fire, Gorillaz, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Animal Collective, Phoenix, Miike Snow, Midlake, Beach Hut, Cold War Kids, The Kissaway Trail."

Funniest Bestival memory?
"The underwater theme being a bit too near the truth with the torrential rain in 2008, and seeing a kid floating past my office door in a rubber dingy."

If Bestival was a type of food, what would it be and why?
"A lovely big pie! Beautifully decorated with succulent pastry, possessing a filling that is both full bodied and satisfying for all."

Got a message to any non-believers out there?
"Immerse yourself in the sea of Bestival – you’ll have laughter lines you never knew existed. Dive in!"

Anything else to add?
"Really looking forward to Bestival 2010 – can’t wait to see Gil Scott-Heron. His dad played for Celtic in 1951, which practically makes us brothers!"

Besti-mix 4: AC Slater

Named after the only other character apart from Screech that anyone remembers from ‘90s American high-school comedy series Saved by the Bell, this Brooklyn-based beatmaker has been teaching New York City kids a thing or two about low-slung basslines and pumped-up dancefloor pressure. Aaron Clevenger (as he’s known to his chums) released last year’s Mr Fingers-sampling Jack Got Jacked, as well as remixes of Little Boots and Moby, but is best known for his association with the city’s freewheeling rave merchants Trouble & Bass, on whose label his forthcoming single, 'Take You', will be released soon.

AC Slater's exclusive Besti-mix is a proper next level electro-bass-party mash-up, where micro-scenes from NYC and London collide in the shape of records from the T&B and Night Slugs stables, showcasing the new school of bass-purveyors like Drop The Lime, L-Vis 1990 and Mosca. Play loud, as they say...

Besti-Mix 4: Ac Slater by Bestimix on Mixcloud

Download: Besti-mix 4: AC Slater

Tracklisting:
01 AC Slater - "Take You" (Nadastrom Remix) [Trouble & Bass]
02 Groove Armada - "Paper Romance" (Zombie Disco Squad Remix) [Ministry of Pies]
03 Mr. Gasparov - "1975" (Cardopusher Remix) [dub]
04 D1 - "BRB" [Dub Police]
05 MANDY vs Bookashade - "Donut" (Boy 8-Bit Remix) [Get Physical Music]
06 Drop the Lime - "Doomsday Device" [Heavy Bass Champions of the World]
07 Flinch - "Midnight Hustle" [Party Like Us Records]
08 RESET! - "If We Try" (Kry Wolf Remix) [Bass = Win]
09 High Rankin - "How Many Records" (feat. Gyto) [Cheap Thrills]
10 Redlight - "Stupid" (Instrumental) [Digital Soundboy]
11 Udachi - "P-Funk Skank" (B. Rich Remix) [Party Like Us Records]
12 Vlad Sokolov & Mini Da Minx - "Frisk My Disko" (The Bulgarian Euro Afro Remix) [Sokolov Sounds]
13 Mosca - Square One (Julio Bashmore Longhorn Remix) [Night Slugs]
14 Mosca - Square One (L-Vis 1990 Remix) [Night Slugs]
15 AC Slater - "Calm Down" (AC's Club Mix feat. DJ Craze) [Trouble & Bass]
16 Dexplicit - Detention [DXP Recordings]
17 Numan - "Clunge" [Slit Jockey]
18 Zero G - Bass Culture [Liondub International]
19 Benga - "Stop Watching" [Digital Soundboy]
21 Drop the Lime - "Set Me Free" (AC Slater Remix) [Trouble & Bass]
22 Kastle - "You Got the Love" [dub]

Bonnaroo - the USA's answer to Glasto!

Festival season never stops in da Bank’s bonce but in the grand scheme of all things mud, sun and tents the peak of the announcing season is upon us. Over the pond Coachella always has a great line up but my new favourite festi line-up of 2010 has to be Bonnaroo’s – allegedly the USA’s very own Glastonbury, this mega fest is only 45 minutes drive from my sister's house. Just check the ruddy line-up (below) - Stevie, Flaming Lips doing 'Dark Side Of The Moon', Nas, Jimmy Cliff, Steve Martin... What am I - and you - waiting for?

;) Robby

The 2010 Bonnaroo Line-up
Dave Matthews Band Kings of Leon Stevie Wonder Jay-Z Tenacious D Weezer The Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs perform "Dark Side of the Moon" The Dead Weather Damian Marley Nas Phoenix Norah Jones Michael Franti Spearhead John Fogerty Regina Spektor Jimmy Cliff LCD Soundsystem The Avett Brothers Thievery Corporation Rise Against Tori Amos The National Zac Brown Band Les Claypool John Prine The Black Keys Steve Martin the Steep Canyon Rangers Jeff Beck Dropkick Murphys She Him Against Me! The Disco Biscuits Daryl Hall Chromeo Jamey Johnson Clutch Bassnectar Kid Cudi Baaba Maal Kris Kristofferson Medeski Martin Wood The xx GWAR Dan Deacon Ensemble Tinariwen Wale Deadmau5 The Melvins Gaslight Anthem Miike Snow The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Dr. Dog They Might Be Giants Punch Brothers Isis Blitzen Trapper Blues Traveler Miranda Lambert Calexico OK Go Trombone Shorty Orleans Avenue Martin Sexton Lotus Baroness Dave Rawlings Machine Mayer Hawthorne and the County Japandroids Jay Electronica Edward Sharpe the Magnetic Zeros Ingrid Michaelson The Dodos Manchester Orchestra The Temper Trap Cross Canadian Ragweed Big Sam's Funky Nation Carolina Chocolate Drops Needtobreathe Tokyo Police Club The Entrance Band Local Natives Brandi Carlile Mumford Sons Rebelution Diane Birch Monte Montgomery Julia Nunes The Postelles Lucero Here We Go Magic Hot Rize Neon Indian B.O.B

The ninth annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will be held on June 10-13th 2010 in Manchester, Tennessee. More info at bonnaroo.com

Besti Festival Tips…with The Cuban Brothers

Who better to ask for advice on how to prepare for three days of open-air fun in the great outdoors than breakdancing Bestival hosts with the most Los Hermanos Cubanos, and their spiritual leader, the owner of the largest tent peg this side of a Millet’s summer sale, Senor Miguel Cubano…

01. A Good Attitude

“Don’t be giving it some. When you are in a field or woodland area you must get with the meerkats and bring a good smile.”

02. Toilet Rolls

“At the first Bestival, me and Archerio took some philosophers stones - they are the mushrooms. I thought they were for Chinese food but no, we ended up in the wood and we were in trouble, we saw lots of things coming out of the trees, we were crying, but because we both had a little roll of toilet paper we were able to set our socks on fire and were found. It’s also handy for problems in the undercracker department. Stick the paper inside your pantaloons, just in case.”

03. Vaseline

“I always like to take some. You never know what’s gonna happen. It’s nice to have for many different things – as a lubricant…for dry lips.”

04. A Torch

“You need one because there’s nothing worse than not being able to see. If you’re indulging in nefarious activity then trying to find your way back without one is torture. It’s good to see when you’re falling over another guy’s ropes.”

05. Moisturising Wipes

“Sometimes there’s too much of a queue for the showers, but is no problem for me. I always take a bath. My nephew Archerio sponges me down with these.”

The Letter C in The Alphabetical Encyclopedia of All That Is Hot In New Music

 

C is for Charlie … and cockerel, chimp, children and chewits. In my world anyway. It’s also the third letter in our never ending Alphabetical Encyclopedia of All That Is Hot In New Music...

Crookers – Hip Hop Changed (Busy P remix) (Southern Fried)

A change of scenery for the Italian electroids (pictured) dipping their suave toes into hip hoppery with a sterling mix by our old French pal Busy P. And P, if you’re reading this get us Daft Punk for Bestival next year :-)

Caspa – I Beat My Robot (Subsoldier Records)

So do I mate so do I! Lazy bloody androids. What is it with youngsters and robots these days? Even that Marina and the Diamonds is trying to persuade us she’s not a metal clone. I digress, this will force your breakfast from your bottom when listened to at high volume.

MJ Cole – Sincere (Nero mix) (Prolific Recordings)

Ah our old mucker MJ… back again for the 14th re-release with a pukka mix from much loved upstart Nero. Tasty.

Radioclit vs Vengaboys – We Like To Party (White label)

Yes there’s a C in clit, ok. Prepare to piss off your neighbours with this romping through your rafters at 4am!

NB: if you are reading this on Facebook you'll need to click here to listen to the tracks

;) Robby

Radio da Bank: Holly Miranda in session

Multi-talented, honey-voiced Brooklyn singer-songwriter Holly Miranda dropped into Maida Vale studios to perform a beautiful intimate live session for Rob's Radio 1 show at the weekend.

Recorded with super-producer Dave Sitek with contributions from TV On The Radio, Holly Miranda's debut album, The Magician's Private Library, recently released by XL, is one of the first significant pop albums of the new decade and is sure to bring its creator, late of the band Jealous Girlfriends, much-deserved success.

Check out the vid of her session with Rob below to find out why the hype generated by fans including Kanye West and Vanity Fair is, for once, fully justified.


NB: if you are reading this on Facebook you'll need to click here to see the video

You can listen again to the rest of Rob's Radio 1 show all this week; whet your appetite by checking out the track listing below...

Hot Chip 'Take It In'
French Horn Rebellion 'Beaches And Friends' (Twelves remix)
Noisia 'Machine Gun'
Grasscut 'Muppet' (Nathan Fake remix)
Gil Scott-Heron 'Me & The Devil'
Yeasayer 'O.N.E'
Crookers 'Hip-Hop Changed' (Busy P remix)
Subscape 'Midnight'
Jammer 'Better Than'
Bob Marley 'Could You Be Loved'
Capsa 'I Beat My Robot'
Kuedo 'Shutter Light Girl'
Stornoway 'Planet Telex'
The Unthanks 'The Testimony of Patience Kershaw'
Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'Maps' (Elite Force Re-Fix)
Marina & The Diamonds 'I Am Not A Robot' (Penguin Prison remix)
Supah & Rooneh 'Tap Tap'
Gonjasufi 'She's Gone'

Holly Miranda Maida Vale session
Holly Miranda 'Slow Burn Treason'
Holly Miranda 'Singular Acceptance'

Bobmo 'Falling From The Crescent Moon'
Midlake 'Acts of Man'
Daedelus 'Approaching'
Acrylics 'Molly's Vertigo'
Sub Focus 'Could This Be Real'
Air 'So Light Is Her Footfall'
Laura Marling 'Devils Spoke'
The Specials 'Message To You Rudy'
Radioclit 'We Like To Party'

www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank

Blast from the past part 3...Rolf 'The Legend' Harris

Forget about Dizzee, LCD and the 'Lips, the true musical legend announced in yesterday's Bestival 2010 line-up is none other than antipodean proto-acid house icon Rolf Harris. Want proof? Then you need look no further than the classic vid above, one of Rolf's and the Beeb's finest hours, all the way back from the first summer of love, 1969!

NB: if you're reading this on Facebook you'll need to click here to see the video

Dizzee, LCD, Flaming Lips, Hot Chip, Gil Scott-Heron and more for Bestival 2010!

Following up last year's sun-drenched intergalactic triumph Rob da Bank and all the Bestival crew are pleased as punch and pant-wettingly OTT excited to unveil the first acts from the truly amazing (hey, it really is!) line up for this year's festi!

Headlining tings in his inimitably bonkers style is Bow boy done good Dizzee Rascal, ever-green and more-often-than-not mind-blowing festi-faves and psych-wizards The Flaming Lips, arch New York disco infiltrators LCD Soundsystem, the mighty Hot Chip, all round masters of mayhem Cuban Brothers and spoken word soul legend Gil Scott-Heron.

And that's just for starters. We've also got D&B kings Chase & Status, the sublime Echo and the Bunnymen, orgasmic rock-rave merchants Simian Mobile Disco, anthemic indie from Manchester's Delphic, '80s crooner Marc Almond, future megastar Ellie Goulding and antipodean demi-god Rolf Harris, whose cover versions of cla ssics like Stairway To Heaven are simply beyond reproach.

There will also be breath-taking live turns from Fat Freddy's Drop, Flying Lotus, Four Tet, Kitty Daisy & Lewis, Stornoway, Tinie Tempah, Vitalic, Chilly Gonzales, Beardyman, Tunng, Hurts, Gaslamp Killer, The Vegetable Orchestra, Ulrich Schnauss, The Twinkle Brothers, High Llamas, The Antlers, Archie Bronson Outfit, Beth Jeans Houghton and many, many more.

Of course, there's plenty to look forward to when it comes to bass bin pressure. Rob da Bank will be manning the platters for one of his legendarily multifarious musical adventures and Radio 1's Annie Mac will be on hand with her renowned Annie Mac Presents promising to push the speakers to their limits.  Plus: version excursions from David Rodigan, lush techno from Ewan Pearson, deepness from Dixon, old skool moves from Greg Wilson, wonderful electronica from Nathan Fake, cutting edge vibes from Huw Stephens, deadly dubstep from Mary-Anne Hobbs, hip-hop odysseys from Jaguar Skills and heavy riddims from Joy Orbison. Plus there's gonna be plenty of heads-down boogying action with Horsemeat Disco, DJ Derek, Greg's Greats, SBTRKT, Ramadanman, Seth Troxler, Untold, The Broken Hearts and Back To The Phuture.



One of the undisputed highlights of last year's shindig was The Afterburner stage so we're pleased as punch to announce that it's back, bigger and better for 2010.  Doubling in size and now with a full live stage, The Afterburner's incandescent brilliance is sure to be suitably scintillating.

Other incredible attractions will include The Castle In The Sky Bonfire Extravaganza and the brand new Wishing Tree Field that will feature the most amazing sculpture garden.  The Village will also be transformed in to Tomorrow's World, envisaging an inspired, sustainable and green and fun future including a solar powered Bandstand and free solar mobile phone charging and a few regular treats including the Pub, WI Tent and Farmers Market.

Grab your tickets here, and keep checking right back to Besti-blog for the latest line up info and more, fresh from the source!

Besti-mix 3: Sbtrkt

The third in our weekly series of Besti-mixes is a corker, courtesy of masked London-based producer Sbtrkt, whose hyper-kinetic remixes of Goldie and Peaches, as well as his startlingly original fusions of dubstep, future garage and body-bruising bass have wowed us over the past year, and seen him snapped up by the ever-savvy XL recordings, home to M.I.A. and the White Stripes.

Sbtrkt’s mix sees him throw all this, and more, into the melting pot, exclusively showcasing his stunning new track with fellow bass-meister Sinden as well as his remixes for These New Puritans and 2-step legend MJ Cole, alongside next-level low-end classics from Joy Orbison, 2562 and Zomby. Oh yes...

Besti-Mix 3: Sbtrkt by Bestimix on Mixcloud

Download: Besti-mix 3: Sbtrkt

Tracklisting:
01 Sinden & SBTRKT - Kind Of Familiar (Test)
02 Joy Orbison - The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow (Aus)
03 2562 - Flashback (Tectonic)
04 MJ Cole - Volcano Riddim (Prolific)
05 These New Puritans - We Want War (SBTRKT Remix) (Angular)
06 A Made Up Sound - Closer (AMS)
07 Headhunter - Prototype (Modeselektor Remix) (Tempa)
08 EL-B - The Club (Tempa)
09 MJ Cole - Sanctuary (SBTRKT Remix) (Test)
10 Pangaea - Memories (Hessle)
11 Zomby - Digital Fauna (Brainmath)
12 Erykah Badu - Next Lifetime (Universal)
13 SBTRKT - Step In Shadows (Young Turks)
14 Portico Quartet - Lines (SBTRKT Remix) (Real World)

Billy Bragg...on Festival Folk

Folk, punk and protest music legend Billy Bragg - the one and only Bard of Barking – takes time out from making headlines protesting about bankers ludicrous bonuses to explain the reasons why the English folk tradition is more influential than ever and how it finds a natural home at the “alternative reality” that is Camp Bestival…

"What’s the appeal of the English folk tradition? Well, I’ve always found the folkers to be quite radical. I remember when I played gigs in mining communities during the Miners’ Strike in ’84, I thought I was this really radical youth, some kind of one-man Clash, and then I listened to the folk singers who’d gathered there and found them, and there songs, to be far more radical and subversive than me and my more explicitly political efforts.

"I guess it was at that point that I left behind once and for all the image of English folk music as just Morris Dancing and what-have-you; from there I discovered people like Martin Carthy, who sang with us at Camp Bestival 2008 as part of Imagined Village, people who had very radical ideas about what folk is. I mean, the only people who have a fixed idea of what folk are those who don’t listen to enough of it!

"The old songs are there to be reinterpreted and re-imagined, which is what we do with the Imagined Village collective. The songs are living, malleable things, they’re not set in stone. The great thing about the old songs, and the enduring appeal of them, is that they address universal themes, they’re about universal experiences – songs about going abroad, songs about teenage pregnancy, songs about fighting wars with strangers, economic hardship. A song like ‘Hard Times For Old England’ – well, we’re about to face up to them again. That’s a song about the Napoleonic wars and its economic impact on the countryside; I think anyone who lives in the countryside today can feel the relevance. We can learn a lot from the voices of the past, and it’s important not to let them be drowned out by the cacophony of change.

"Are festivals linked to the English folk tradition? Yes, I think intimately so. When you attend a festival like Camp Bestival, you’re basically taking part in a communal experience in the English countryside. There’s a strong resonance of folk memory in this kind of gathering, an especially poignant one for the urban audience – after all, most of us are only four or five generations from when our families were on the land.

"I was at a big rock festival recently with my son, and we were walking around, taking in our surroundings, and we came across a sword-swallower. “That’s odd,” said the boy, “I wouldn’t have expected to see someone like this at a festival.” I explained to him that it’s we, the musicians, who are the latecomers; the sword-swallowers and their ilk, the people simply doing weird and interesting things, they’ve been entertaining people at ‘festivals’ since the year dot, long before music entered the equation. I think Bestival and Camp Bestival cleave to that tradition more than any other modern-day festivals, with the emphasis on fancy dress, off-kilter entertainment and a very English kind of mirth – an alternative reality, even. It’s the idea that when you walk through the gates, you enter another world entirely."

Rob da Bank's Green on Wight blog

Green on Wight, in association with Bestival and GreenTank, is a new monthly feature in the Isle of Wight County Press newspaper all about what's happening on the environmental scene on the Isle of Wight and its ambitions to become an Eco-Island by 2020.

Its four pages are packed with ideas, news, features and opinions on green issues, including a Robby Recommends blog...

"Morning ladies and gents! Welcome to the first Robby Recommends, a new monthly column intended to take a sideways and hopefully entertaining look at how we’re all tacking climate change and what I think could work in 2010 and beyond. We sure don’t know all the answers at Bestival HQ but we’re certainly trying to pull our weight and hopefully some of my ramblings will make sense.

The last couple of years has seen a definite case of green / eco / one-upmanship amongst many groups of people from political parties down to corporate giants and even us lowly festivals! I really hope that in 2010 some of the showboating will fade away and everyone can just get on with greening up their acts at work and at home without trumpeting it from the rooftops.

Maybe it’s also time we injected a dose of humour in too and don’t get too worked up that everything must subscribe to a strict green policy – personally running a festival with just under 50,000 people coming over to the island I feel guilty about the transport emissions and huge amount of resources needed to bring everyone over … but I have to balance that off with the enjoyment that people get from the show. It’s a balancing act that we need to keep revising. We want to stay on the island forever with Bestival, our fans love the island, and we’re not just here for one weekend of the year, so if we can contribute at other times too all the better!

In terms of practical ideas I’m a keen sailor, windsurfer and when I'm not attempting to drown myself in the Solent going to places like Fort Victoria and seeing the untapped force of the tidal rip makes you wonder why someone doesn’t stick a massive water wheel in and plug it into the National Grid! It seems like these ideas are taking shape slowly and I’m sure it’s not as easy as I make out but if we can send people to the moon …

It’s also great news that a wind farm seems to be taking shape off The Needles, 12 miles away is surely far enough away for even the most anti-windmill activists! As an Island resident I feel proud that the Island can embrace these new technologies and this really should create jobs on the island … or we’ll want to know why!

Planning is going full steam ahead for Bestival 2010 and as well as worrying who’s going to headline I’m just as conscious of trying to get more solar powered stages onsite, more people traveling by public transport and our fans bringing less packaging and tents that they throw away on the Monday."

You can check out the rest of Green on Wight by clicking on the following links to download each page as a pdf... page 1 / page 2 / page 3 / page 4

Radio da Bank: new A-Z show tonight 9-10pm on Radio 1 feat Sub Focus

 

Rob da Bank's A-Z show returns to Radio 1 tonight (Monday 1st Feb) for the first of 12 extra special A-Z shows in 2010.

Tonight (9-10pm) Rob spends a hour in the company of Sub Focus (pictured) and takes an alphabetical wander through his music collection. Tune in live on the radio 97-99FM or online on the BBC iPlayer (or listen again online for the following 7 days).

Future A-Z guests include Enter Shikari (Monday 8th Feb), Vampire Weekend (Monday 22nd Feb) and Gorillaz (Monday 8th March) while previous A-Z guests have included Florence & The Machine, Mark Ronson, Lily Allen and Bobby Gillespie!

High Contrast kept the seat warm for another week on Rob's regular Saturday morning (5-7am) show and this week the session came from Local Natives.

Check out the tracklisting below and get yourselves over to bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank to listen again online at any time this week...

TRACKLISTING: SATURDAY 30TH JANUARY 2010
The Bonzo Dog Band — Intro
Robyn S vs Laidback Luke — Show Me Love (High Contrast Bootleg Remix) - White
Pixies — Where Is My Mind? (Bass Nectar Remix) - White
Kid Adrift — Red, Green & Blue - White
Dengue Fever — One Thousand Tears Of A Tarantula - M80 Music
Fever Ray — Seven (Martin Remix) - Rabid

Local Natives In Session
Local Natives — Wide Eyes

Way Out West — The Gift (Logistics Mix) - White
Wendy Rene — After Laughter Comes Tears - Staxx
Bag Raiders — Fun Punch (XXX Change Mix) - Fool’s Gold
Riton & Primary 1 — Radiates (Joker Mix) - White
Ken Nordine — My Baby - Dot
Angie Stone — Backstabbin Angie For A Ten Bag (Doc Daneeka Edit) - White
PANTyRAiD — Get The Money - Marine Parade
Moby — Mistake (Davide Rossi Re Edit) - Mute
Sidney Samson — Riverside (TC Clean Mix) - Data
Cyantific — Komputer - White
John B — Numbers (Camo & Krooked Mix) - White
Netsky — Memory Lane - Hospital
DJ Fresh — Talkbox - Breakbeat Kaos
The Count & Sinden — Strange Things (High Rankin Mix) - Domino
Seiji — I Can’t Let It Go - White

Local Natives In Session
Local Natives — Airplane
Local Natives — Shapeshifter

Owl City — Fireflys (Marlow’s Dub Mix) - White
Donae'o — Riot Music (Skream Mix) - Digital Soundboy
Riton & Seji — Computer Juice - Turbo
Daft Punk — One More Time (Bootleg) - White
Little Richard — Good Golly Miss Molly - Speciality Records

Listen again online all week at bbc.co.uk/radio1/robdabank