Monthly newspaper and online publication targeting 18 to 35 year olds. The ultimate guide to the hottest parties, going out and having fun. Music, fashion, film, travel, festivals, technology, comedy, and parties! London, Barcelona, Miami and Ibiza.
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/888432
Hey how are you? I'm good thank you, the sun's shining in London! What have you been up to recently? It's been pretty much lock down studio every minute with gigs and travelling in between. Where was your last gig? The Hacienda Classical in Brighton. I had a feeling it was gonna be a good one and the vibe was non stop from start to finish. Just hands in the air and everyone rocking. Then I went to play at a private party in Italy so it was a very heavy, long weekend. How long have you been performing with the Hacienda Classical show? They asked me to come on board this year. I think we're about 12 shows in, it's been all over the UK at every major city pretty much and festivals like Glastonbury, the Royal Albert Hall was phenomenal. It's ticked off boxes of venues that most artists dream about. What does the Hacienda mean? The Hacienda is part of house music history and heritage. For me it was the first influence of house. My older brother was already into house and he'd leave his tapes and stuff lying around. I'd steal them and listen, it got me from the word go. So to now be at this stage in my career being on tour with them, bringing them songs that first influenced me to life, is surreal really. I get goosebumps every time I do it. It stands the test of time and speaks for itself really. So would your roots be house music? Definitely. It's the genre that I've immersed myself into intensely. When I got into house music, I found as a clubber there was complete freedom in the music and I loved everything it stood for and still do today. Who else has inspired you? I'm into loads of different music right back through every decade. My Dad was a passionate music lover and pretty much forced it on my from an early age, and I'm really thankful for that. Artist wise; MK, he was there right at the start the scene and still relevant today. He's a great example of someone who can constantly evolve, I mean his sound is timeless. Also Murk, Todd Terry, Master at Work. Then the big voices like Jocelyn Brown, Candi Staton, the big powerful soulful vocals. You've just started your own label RATED Records, how do you feel about what you've got coming? I feel as passionate as ever really. It feels like I've naturally been building up to this point. I've got a good underlying knowledge of the industry and how it works as I've been part of it for quite a while and working with loads of great labels. Having that creative freedom to release what I want, when I want is a special feeling. I heard the first track, 'My Soul'... It's quite deep, but it's got all the elements that I love about house. I just wanted the first one to reflect loads of different sides of what I love about house music. I think it sets a nice bench mark. Any big moves for the label looking ahead? Yeah, we've got the year's releases set. There's gonna be a release every month and to be honest with you, I've got so much music I need an outlet for it! It's cool to schedule stuff and move on, I'm already working on loads of new stuff you've just gotta be super organised which is one thing that I'm learning as I go! I think everyone is always learning to be more organised!! Seriously, everyday I'm learning a new lesson. I reckon by next year I'll be dangerously organised! To date, what's the most important lesson that you've learnt? To never be complacent. Never falling back and getting lost in the hype, which is easy to do. What's been your favourite party this year? There's no contest, I just can't get the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury out of my head and I don't want to. It was such a special feeling, to be at Glastonbury and to actually open that stage. It was really overwhelming, most of us nearly cried that day. Where's the craziest place that you've partied? When I've played Pacha until the end when the Sun's coming up and the club's getting light. There's been a bunch of us in the DJ booth, people standing on ledges behind us singing along with the sun in their eyes and hands in the air - that's quite a special feeling. One of the craziest after parties I've been to this year is the Hacienda Classical in Manchester at the Albert Hall. Proper back to the old skool, a huge theatre full of people - back to back. I missed the rave period but I felt like I got it that night. What would you do to change the world? I would like to wipe out racism and prejudices, lets live and let live. That's what I'll be fighting for. Do you think racial divisions is still quite a big issue? I feel quite strongly about prejudices in general, if everybody just lived and let live it would be a much happier and harmonious place. This country has always stood for freedom, as long as I've been alive anyway. There's a lot of good people in the world, really trying to strive for a better place. It's been beautiful to see the response to such horrendous things that have happened. People stand up together and say, you know what, you're not gonna beat us. If you had a superpower, what would that be? To be a mind-reader. That would be really handy, I'm a bit of a psycho-analyst. I've always been into psychology, I find it really interesting. I'd like to tune in on what people are thinking. I mean meetings would be another level! If you weren't doing music, what do you see yourself doing? To not be in music is so depressing for me to even think about, but in hypothetical terms I would say psychology or yoga. I could probably team up the two. Do you do yoga a lot? I have done in the past, it just depends on what my schedule's doing and whether I can actually go to yoga classes. But I do yoga in my own way nearly everyday. It's something that I've thrown myself into at certain points and it's helped me out massively in life. In what ways has it helped you? Just in times of stress, or you're so busy that you hardly get time to breathe and your brain is too busy - yoga's helped me find that peace and inner calm. Also physically, it's taught me a lot about my body and spine and certain areas where you can tension and stress again. The benefits are just endless, I can't speak highly enough. It's just really about it coming into your life at the right time. What would the craziest situation you've found yourself in be? I've lived in Ibiza quite a few times over the years, and without going into too much details there was one after party me and my friend still laugh about that involved a bit of running out in the Ibizan countryside totally lost! 2017 / ISSUE 103 29 Over the past few years she's been hammering the scene from all sides. She's released on a number of high profile labels including Toolroom & Spinnin Deep, became the first female artist to compile and mix the Defected In The House series, and worked with a number of heavyweights such as DJ SKT, Doorly & Adam F. She's currently singing for the mind blowing Hacienda Classical show, touring with them all year on top of her usual work load. She recently launched her own label, RATED Records releasing its debut single 'My Soul'. It was a pleasure to get the chance to chat with Rae as she shares her influences, stories from on the road and how to keep your inner peace. follow @raedjartist HOUSE Arren Haynes | Guestlist " HAVING THAT CREATIVE FREEDOM TO RELEASE WHAT I WANT, WHEN I WANT IS A SPECIAL FEELING. "