The Heatwave Blog

Dancehall reggae, bashment and Caribbean rave

Video: Live at Notting Hill Carnival 2010

By Gabriel_Heatwave | Tuesday 31 August 2010 | Add a comment

The whole carnival weekend was a madness!

From the Busy Signal / Fay-Ann Lyons / Skinny Fabulous / Lil Rick / Donaeo concert on Friday to the carnival itself yesterday....tramping and dancing all around town.

Big up everyone that made it happen - Urban Nerds, Oi You, Secousse, Deadly Rhythm, Sticky, Plan B, David Rodigan and of course everyone who raved with us over the weekend!

More words, pictures and videos coming soon. Here is us at the Oi You soundsystem in carnival on Monday evening:

By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Tuesday 31 August 2010 |
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Carnival Bashment mix

By Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 25 August 2010 | 1 comment

For us, it's a carnival all year round.

Whatever the month is, you can count on The Heatwave dropping the maddest carnival tunes. Bashment, soca, reggae, house or even pop - what we play gets the girls excited and the party hype.

So when London gets into the carnival spirit in August, you know we've got it locked.

Carnival Bashment, our new mix, has the biggest carnival anthems of 2010 alongside the cream of the UK bashment scene and exclusive Heatwave specials. Plus the rolling sound that we can't resist calling 'Jafrican' and the maddest and hypest soca around.

It's a Heatwave rave in an mp3.

The Heatwave - Carnival Bashment 2010 | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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Tracklist

Chaka Demus & Pliers - Intro
Gyptian - Hold Yuh
Vybz Kartel, Popcaan & Gaza Slim - Clarks
Gappy Ranks - Stinking Rich (DJ Shredah Refix)
Mr Lexx - Dem A Pree
Dolamite - African Oil
Busy Signal - Jafrican Ting
Busy Signal - Bare Gal
Leftside - Dem Gyal Deh
Vybz Kartel - Turn & Wine
Terro 3000 - Likkle & Neat
Beenie Man - Good Inna
RDX - Deliver Me
Nas & Damian Marley - As We Enter
The Heatwave & Serocee - War Dance
Serocee - Badeng
Lady Chann & Ward 21 - Ease Up
Lady Chann & Sticky - Sticky Situation Pt 2
Marvin Brown & Sticky - Mek Some Noise (Special)
Mad Dog - Tek De Floor (Special)
Ms Dynamite & Zinc - Wile Out
Spragga Benz vs Roska - Yuh Body Squark (Blend)
Mr Vegas vs Roska - Heads Squark (Blend)
Gyptian - Nah Let Go
Mavado & Stacious - Come Into My Room
Rihanna - Rude Boy
Rihanna & Assassin - Rude Boy (Remix)
Vybz Kartel & Spice - Ramping Shop (Seani B Refix)
Capleton - Slew Dem (Al Fingers Refix)
Mavado - Nine Lives
KMC & Vybz Kartel - Going Mad
Skinny Fabulous - Charge Up
Demus - Spranging
Recka - Hyperactive
Problem Child - Fear None
Beenie Man - Wuk Up Yuhself
JW & Blaze - Palance
Busy Signal - One More Night
Gappy Ranks - Heaven In Her Eyes
Busy Signal - Da Style Deh (Special)
Busy Signal - How Yuh Bad So
So Shifty, Ward 21 & Natalie Storm - Clap
Mr Lexx & Congorock - Babylon
Vybz Kartel - Mr Officer
Mavado - Hope & Pray
Vybz Kartel - Bicycle
Vybz Kartel - Slow Motion

By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Wednesday 25 August 2010 |
1 comment |

The Heatwave Charts - Carnival 2010

By Gabriel_Heatwave | Tuesday 24 August 2010 | 2 comments

We've already detailed the essential parties that you need to attend this weekend.

Now in part two of our Carnival Survival Guide it's all about the anthems: these are tunes that we think will be running the streets of Notting Hill.

Dancehall

Gyptian - Hold Yuh
Vybz Kartel, Popcaan & Gaza Slim - Clarks
Mr Lexx - Dem A Pree
Gappy Ranks - Stinking Rich
Wayne Marshall - My Heart
Vybz Kartel, Mavado & Mr Vegas - Triple Bounce Riddim
Mavado - Gyal A Mad Ova
Nas & Damian Marley - As We Enter
Vybz Kartel - Slow Motion
Gappy Ranks - Heaven In Her Eyes
Mavado & Stacious - Come Into My Room
G Whizz - Life

And this is what we expect the floats to be pumping out, accompanied by some hard wining and definitely a lot of palancing!

Soca

JW & Blaze - Palance
Skinny Fabulous - Charge Up
Fadda Fox - Staggerah
Patch - Pipe
Machel Montano - Bumper To Fender

Finally, five tunes that will get huge forwards at our various sets over the weekend, even if they're not ubiquitous at carnival itself.

Wildcards

Mad Dog - Tek De Floor
Mr Lexx & Congorock - Babylon
Ms Dynamite & Zinc - Wile Out
Lady Chann & Sticky - Sticky Situation
The Heatwave & Serocee - War Dance

By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Tuesday 24 August 2010 |
2 comments |

Spragga Benz, Jazmine Sullivan & Stephen Marley - Stays The Same

By Gabriel_Heatwave | Tuesday 24 August 2010 | Add a comment

New tune and video from Spragga Benz in memory of his son Carlyle, who died two years ago yesterday. Look out for Spragga's new album which is out next week.

A message from the family of Carlyle Grant:

Us the family and friends of Carlton Kimani Grant aka Carlyle, do sincerely appreciate all the love and generous support that was afforded us during our time of great grief and sorrow. Being that the situation is of such that always stays and is universal we do share our love and strength with others experiencing similar pain of loss at this time. The journey continues, the joy is less but still giving thanks for the time spent which makes us know we are blessed.

By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Tuesday 24 August 2010 |
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Free download of our tune with Serocee

By Gabriel_Heatwave | Tuesday 24 August 2010 | Add a comment

It's been causing a stir with DJs all summer long and now War Dance is available as a free mp3 download from our website.

It's been getting love from Sticky, Radioclit, Alex Nut, DJ /Rupture, Seb Chew, The Nextmen, Nick Catchdubs, Greco-Roman, DJ C and more. Time to give it some of your love!

The Heatwave & Serocee - War Dance | Download MP3 (right click, save as)

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By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Tuesday 24 August 2010 |
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Jeremy Harding (2 Hard Records) - Circus Riddim Megamix

By Gabriel_Heatwave | Monday 23 August 2010 | Add a comment

Jeremy Harding is Sean Paul's manager and the man on the buttons for Beenie Man's Who Am I (Zim Zimma) and several other dancehall classics from the late 90s and early 00s.

He returned to production recently with the futuristic one drop rhythm City Life and now he's on more of a bashy flex with the massive Circus riddim.

We premiered the riddim a couple of weeks ago on our Rinse FM show and we've been getting mad positive feedback on it.

Dancehall veterans Sean Paul, Elephant Man, Beenie Man and Mr Vegas are all on mythical form alongside newer artists Serani, Denyque and Chan Dizzy.

By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Monday 23 August 2010 |
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Notting Hill Carnival 2010: bashment time

By Gabriel_Heatwave | Friday 20 August 2010 | Add a comment

Right, so it's Notting Hill Carnival next weekend.

You know that wherever The Heatwave goes it's a carnival at all times, all year round... Like Benjamin D says, even when we're just popping down the shops to buy some milk it's a carnival.

But obviously when the whole of London is getting a carnival jig on, of course we're gonna be especially carnivalesque!

Here's part one of The Heatwave's 2010 carnival survival pack: the parties you DEFINITELY SHOULD NOT MISS.

(1) The essential carnival afterparty

The Heatwave vs Deadly Rhythm @ Plan B // Sunday 29th August

Might be the party of the year. The Heatwave, David Rodigan, Shy FX, Oneman and more playing bashment, reggae, jungle, garage and all the other carnival goodness that you need. Buy tickets now or you'll be feeling sheepish...

(2) Stuff at carnival itself

Red Bull x Major Lazer // Monday 30th August

For the third year in a row this guestlist-only affair rocks up under the Westway just off Portobello Road. Me and Rubi Dan tore it apart back in 2008 and this year we'll be playing with Sticky. Also on the bill are Diplo, Switch, David Rodigan, Joker, Poirier, Douster and Drop The Lime.

Secret Soundsystem // Monday 30th August

We'll be playing at another soundsystem on carnival Monday but it's all pretty hush hush so keep an eye out on Twitter and Facebook nearer the time for line up and location...

(3) The biggest pre-carnival warm up bash

Urban Nerds vs Bigger Than Barry // Saturday 28th August

Us again, this time alongside Toddla T & Serocee, Sticky, Lady Chann, Katy B, Doorly, Princess Nyah, Supra 1, Tomb Crew, Rattus Rattus & Klose One, Jayou and more. That's kind of a big line up isn't it?!

(4) The maddest soca concert

The Troxy // Friday 27th August

Busy Signal (Jamaica)
Fay-Ann Lyons (Trinidad)
Skinny Fabulous (St Vincent)
Lil Rick (Barbados)
Donaeo (UK)
Shal Marshall (Trinidad)
Tallpree (Grenada)
Kes The Band (Trinidad)

What a line up. Nothing needs to be said about this event except that if you love soca you need to be there. Oh yeah and it's got a great promotional video too.

(5) One more party

We're playing an early set at the Secousse afterparty on Sunday night, before we roll down to Brixton for the main event. Secousse is at Notting Hill Arts Club with Top Cat, Lil Silva, Radioclit, AJ Holmes, The Hackney Empire, Vamanos and Moroka.

Hmm...I reckon I might be kind of tired by the end of bank holiday Monday!

So make sure you reach at least a couple of these events and you'll be guaranteed to have a good carnival.

Coming up next week in The Heatwave carnival survival pack ... we'll be running down the biggest tunes you'll be hearing on the streets of London. And giving away our MASSIVE carnival mix. Oh yeah, and detailing our favourite carnival soundsystems. Keep an eye out.

By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Friday 20 August 2010 |
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The Heatwave Chart - August 2010

By Gabriel_Heatwave | Wednesday 18 August 2010 | Add a comment

This month's top ten tunes...

Vybz Kartel & Max Glazer - Whine (Wine)
Sean Paul - Hey Ya (Circus Riddim)
Mr Lexx - Wine Pon Me (Lunatic Riddim)
J Boog - Let's Do It Again (Major & Minor Riddim)
Wayne Marshall & Mavado - My Heart (Remix)
Sheba - Caan Do Mi Nutten (Bankrobbers Riddim)
Beenie Man - Dancehall Nuh Dead Yet (Raw Soul Hits Riddim)
Doctor & Sticky - Sick (Jack It Up Riddim)
Buju Banton, Beyonce & Sean Paul - Americano (The Heatwave Refix)
Busy Signal & Elvis Crespo - Busy Latino

...which fit into one of four categories:

Comebacks and debuts

New York soundman Max Glazer (below) drops his debut production - and it's a banger - while Sean Paul goes hard on Jeremy Harding's return to bashment riddim making.

Anthems

Wayne Marshall's piano-driven My Heart looks set for crossover success while Beenie Man pleads the case for distinctly Jamaican music with an anthemic hook on Dancehall Nuh Dead Yet.

Versions

Doctor destroys Sticky's Jack It Up riddim, Busy Signal reworks Elvis Crespo's massive 1998 merengue hit Suavemente and recent UK number one We No Speak Americano gets the Heatwave refix treatment. Oh and Mr Lexx (below) twists I Got 5 On It into a wining tune.

Future promise

Two young artists on two contrasting riddims from Don Corleon. Polynesian reggae singer J Boog gets sweet and melodic on the Major riddim and Gaza protégé Sheba goes very raw on Bankrobbers.

By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Wednesday 18 August 2010 |
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Vybz Kartel & Max Glazer - Whine (Wine)

By Gabriel_Heatwave | Tuesday 17 August 2010 | 1 comment

This one gets a firm thumbs up at Heatwave HQ. It's the debut solo production from New Yorker Max Glazer out of the big bad Federation Sound and it looks like the jump from DJ to producer is gonna suit him well.

Vybz Kartel is on top form on top of driving drums, a bubbling bassline and strong simple synths. A wining tune featuring a melodic, old school ragga flow and lyrics in Spanish is always going to be a winner!

By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Tuesday 17 August 2010 |
1 comment |

Video: The Heatwave at Big Chill Festival

By Gabriel_Heatwave | Thursday 12 August 2010 | Add a comment

Our set at Big Chill Festival was a lot of fun...hundreds of ravers braving the rain in the middle of the set. We brought the sun back out afterwards of course...