NEWS
EVENTS
We chat all things Carnival with The Heatwave
Reggae | Tuesday 4th August 2015 | Christina
The Heatwave – DJ Gabriel Heatwave and MC Benjamin D - are the UK’s number one bashment sound. They bring the dancehall vibes wherever they go, be it on their Rinse FM shows or their Hot Wuk parties. It’s always a party with these guys, but we caught up with them to chat about the big one – Carnival.
How’s it going? Life treating you well?
Yeah everything going great thanks. This summer is a vibe so far. Busy but having a lot of fun.
You recently supported Shaggy at a secret show in Notting Hill, what was that like?
It was sick. He’s a huge hero for us. We were really honoured to be asked to do it. His stage show is on point – loads of audience interaction. And he did loads of his early hardcore dancehall tunes. Did a sick freestyle section on a classic dancehall instrumental, and invited Stylo G up. He smashed it.
Define The Heatwave in three words.
Bashment, London, Carnival.
How has The Heatwave changed over the years?
We’ve evolved our sound, for a while it was very hardcore and x-rated, for a while it was very soca-ish, high energy dance orientated stuff, for a while we just played LOADS of Vybz Kartel and Mavado. All the different phases have contributed to our sound. And the parties have grown and grown, there’s so many people out there who love hardcore dancehall and want a fun place to party to it, and the word just keeps spreading.
What was your first taste of dancehall music?
Now That's What I Call Music 1994 on cassette tape – it had Chaka Demus and Pliers and loads of big tunes.
What’s so special about dancehall?
The energy, the creativity, the hype, the versatility of the artists. You know it’s special when you start to see how influential it’s been in and how much it’s contributed to global culture generally – be it dance, fashion, language. Dancehall is incredibly powerful genre considering the size of the island it comes from and the amount of people involved.
Hot Wuk recently turned six, happy birthday! What’s been the highlight of the past six years?
Boy, it’s hard to pick one highlight! There’s been a lot of mad moments. Playing to a sold out KOKO crowd for the first time in 2013 was pretty special.
Hot Wuk is coming to Carnival for the first time this year, what’s taken so long?
Just been a matter of limited time really. We’ve been playing at Carnival for years, and it’s a big operation setting up a Hot Wuk. Also we’ve been doing our annual carnival launch party at KOKO in Camden and that’s taken a lot of our energy. This year we got an offer that we couldn’t refuse… we knew if we took Hot Wuk to Carnival we had to do it properly. And this spot is proper. It’s the real deal. So we’re going for it.
And you’re playing a day session with Different Strokes Soundsystem on the Sunday, what have you got in store for everyone?
We’ve got a few dubplates and remixes we are saving to unleash that day. It’s always really special for us playing at Carnival, when we’ve played floats and soundsystems in the past – it really feels like our home crowd. We go around the world trying to turn people on to this music, this vibe, this energy and Carnival is where it all comes from. So yeah, when we play on Different Strokes we are gonna do what do best – and just enjoy it. It means a lot to us.
What’s been your craziest Carnival moment?
To be honest, the craziest moments involve some very strong alcohol and serious memory black outs. You’ll have to ask some of our mates who drank a bit less or maybe track down some members of the public who witnessed the madness. Put out an appeal for witnesses.
Which do you prefer, festivals or basement parties?
Love them both in different ways. Festivals are really special because we’re outside and there’s a certain kind of revelry in the air. Our bashment parties are special for us because that’s where we can go deep and play the really rare tunes – and everyone’s there for the same reason.
Why is soundsystem culture booming in the UK?
Because soundsystem culture is where a lot of the current and recent pop trends come from (eg. UK garage or drum and bass). If you look into any of those British musical subcultures, you always find soundsystem culture at the heart. A lot of the ideas and creative inspiration come from dancehall or reggae - both musical movements originating in Jamaica.
What’s the secret to a Heatwave refix?
Turn everything into bashment.
Which track would you love to put The Heatwave spin on?
Rihanna – ‘Bitch Better Have My Money’.
What’s your go-to track to really get a crowd going?
Any song by Sean Paul.
Catch The Heatwave at the Different Strokes Soundsystem on August 30th and at the Hot Wuk Yard Party on August 31st. Follow the guys on Twitter.
